Object Store
A repository for storing
objects
Object metadata is in a database.
Content can be stored in the database.
Or, it can be stored in
one of the following:
File storage area
Fixed storage area
An object store consists
of the following:
One instance of a database (or tablespace) to
manage objects
One or more content stores to hold document
content
An entry in the FileNet P8 GCD
An object store can have
one database store, and zero or more file storage areas, and fixed storage
areas.
Metadata is information
representing an object contained in an object store. The object name, the date
it was added, the author, and so forth are all examples of metadata.
Document content is the
file itself. Content is optional in an object store document.
For example, if a
memorandum is added to an object store, the text in the memorandum is the
document content, and the title, author, and date added information that is
displayed in Workplace is the metadata.
What is the object store database?
A container for the
object store contents and properties
Object store properties are metadata that
identify the object store and define its behavior.
Object store content includes metadata and
(optional) object content.
Each object store uses
one database.
Each database is
exclusive to one object store.
Content can be stored
directly within the database as BLOBs.
Recommendation: Restrict size to 10 KB or
smaller.
Many system and default
metadata properties are available in object store, and user-defined properties
can also be created. The unique identifier property for each entry in the
object store is the GUID (Globally Unique Identifier), which is generated by the
object store when an object is added. The GUID cannot be modified.
BLOB: Binary large object. This term refers to content that is stored
in a compact binary format in a database field. Storing the content of large
objects as a BLOB is not a very effective use of the database and can have
serious impacts on the database performance. IBM recommends that the database
store be used only for content that is no larger than 10 KB in size. Larger
content sizes can be stored in a file storage area to avoid detrimental impact
on the database performance.
A memorandum or report is a relatively small document, so both
content and metadata are likely to be stored in the database. A large video
file is likely to have the content stored in a file on a hard drive and not in
the database for performance reasons. Metadata must include a reference to the
video file location.
What is a file storage area?
An area in the file system to store document content
Located in a folder on a local or distributed
file system.
Associated metadata is stored in the database
store.
Dependent on at least
one object store
Use a file storage area
in these circumstances:
Document size is greater than 10 KB, to
improve retrieval performance.
Documents are grouped by different maintenance
procedures.
You must control file deletion technique.
Storage Policy
To specify whichdocument classes usethe file
storage area
Covered laterContent
All object store content is stored in file storage areas, fixed
storage areas, or database storage areas, all of which can be the objects of
storage policies (covered later). Consider creating separate file storage areas
to ensure efficient document management. For example, you can create a file
storage area to group documents with the same deletion or backup requirements.
Database storage areas provide permanent storage for document
content. A database storage area is managed by the Content Engine and converts
document content into binary large objects (BLOBs) for storage in the database
specified as the object store database.
A file storage area contains document content in a hierarchy of
folders on a local or shared network drive accessible by the Content Engine
server. The content is stored in a folder on a shared network drive.
A fixed storage area is a file storage area that has a connection
to a third-party fixed-content system providing additional storage capacity and
security. This connection is provided by a Content Engine object called a
fixed-content device.
What is a content cache area?
A storage area in a file system used to temporarily hold files and
database content for faster retrieval
By providing local storage of frequently
accessed documents without having to repeatedly request them over the network
Caches document content
upon retrieval
From databases
From file storage areas
Can be configured to
cache content at the time it is added to the object store
A distributed FileNet P8 system has many clients reading content
from either a remote file server (for example, over a WAN) or database
(possibly on a remote server). To reduce network traffic, content can be cached
in the file system on a local server.
Save files to cache when
they are added. A cache can be configured to hold files at the time they are
added to object stores. This feature is useful if the same documents are likely
to be retrieved soon after adding. Do not enable this feature if a content
cache area is intended for a site that is heavily used to create new documents
if those documents are not subsequently retrieved.
Confidential documents.
If you have sensitive or confidential documents, you need to consider whether
caching is appropriate. Files are not automatically deleted from the content
cache area when the document is deleted from the storage area.
