Documentum Architecture

Documentum can be simply stated in following simple terms for the architecture

1. Application Server
2. Content Server
3. Database and File systems

If one prefers to see the actual architecture, here's the diagram


Image source: onemanwrites.com


Documentum keeps the 3 levels for reducing complexity!

The actual files lies in the File System,which are not directly accessible.
All the security restriction and management is done at Content Server end.
And whatever application is used for accessing Documentum lies Application Server.

Even though it seems complex, the funda is simple, keep similar things bundled, but isolated from others.

In the front-end, for accessing Documentum, you need some application. There are many application available and mostly used are webtop, D2, etc.

All these application simply take request from users(Works as client) and send it to Content Server
(Server Server!!). Content server ensures whatever request is coming from user is valid, and requester have sufficient permission to perform the action. Once everything validated Content server Fetch the content from File system and pass to application server, which in terms delivered to user.

These many technical terms surely needs a simple example.

Take a scenario, just imagine Documentum as safe storage in any bank(Though I do not have any safety locker personally!).
The Vault or Room where all the safe boxes lies(Thats how I saw them in Hollywood movies), can be considered as File System.

Whenever we want to access our Safe Box(or whatever they call it), we just go to bank counter(Application Server). Then they connect us to a person who is responsible for checking our authenticity(like verifying our credentials/ID/Documents). Once our ID is validated and the responsinble person(Content Server) approve our authentication, he/she goes to the Vault(File System) and fetches our box(Just like in Movie The Bourne Identity)

So coming back to our Technical terms:
Application server simply contains all the applications. These applications are used to access Documentum. There are many applications provided by OpenText for using, each application have different functionality and can be customized as per business requirements.

Content server controls all the services of Documentum including restarting repositories, method servers(Detailed information will be in next posts). All the customization on Documentum  level is applied here.

Third layer which is RDBMS and File System, is where exactly all the content and its metadata is stored. As mentioned earlier, each object type in Documentum have its entry in corresponding table. And all the objects can be seen in "dm_sysobject" table!!!!

Visit Blog Index.

Comments