Chapter 10. DocApps

In this chapter, we will explore the following concepts:

• Customizing Documentum

• Creating and managing DocApps

• Archiving and installing DocApps

Documentum Customization

Any serious business use of the Documentum platform requires customization. Documentum provides the model and framework for creating a business application. Documentum is designed to be customized and customization can involve aspects such as custom types, business objects, presentation, and security.

Documentum has a rich set of features and this richness brings complexity. As a result, customization of a Documentum deployment touches multiple layers of the architecture. Management of these customizations and their ongoing maintenance can become a daunting challenge. The several layers are shown in the following figure:

It becomes even more challenging when Documentum infrastructure is shared among different departments and each department has its own customizations. In this case, it is possible that different...

Documentum Customization

Any serious business use of the Documentum platform requires customization. Documentum provides the model and framework for creating a business application. Documentum is designed to be customized and customization can involve aspects such as custom types, business objects, presentation, and security.

Documentum has a rich set of features and this richness brings complexity. As a result, customization of a Documentum deployment touches multiple layers of the architecture. Management of these customizations and their ongoing maintenance can become a daunting challenge. The several layers are shown in the following figure:

It becomes even more challenging when Documentum infrastructure is shared among different departments and each department has its own customizations. In this case, it is possible that different customizations are performed by different teams of developers but deployed within the same repository (as shown in the following figure).

Another dimension...

DocApps

A DocApp is a package of repository objects and is itself a repository object. A DocApp is stored as an object of type dm_application and is also referred to as an application. It packages other repository objects by storing pointers (object IDs) to those objects.

Typically, a DocApp packages types, permission set templates, repository objects, lifecycles, alias sets, and executables. Some key properties of dm_application are as listed:

Property	Description
application_object_id	Repeating property, object IDs of all objects contained in the DocApp. These are the pointers to the packaged objects. Many other properties relate to the individual objects and correspond to this property by respective indexes.
app_version	Version label for the DocApp.
object_name	Name of the DocApp.
def_alias_set_id	The object ID of the default alias set for the DocApp. This alias set contains all the aliases specified for the DocApp.

Note

dm_application is a subtype of dm_sysobject...

Managing DocApps

In a typical development cycle, a DocApp is created in a development repository. When the customizations are ready to be tested, the DocApp is archived (also said to be serialized) onto the file-system. Then the DocApp archive is used to install the DocApp in a test environment.

This process is repeated until the customization is considered ready for prime time. At this point, this DocApp archive can be installed in a production repository. If the customization is a part of a product, the DocApp archive is included in the product distribution.

Creating and Modifying DocApps

DocApps are created and managed via Documentum Application Builder (DAB). A Superuser privilege is required for creating a DocApp. The following screenshot shows the main screen of DAB with an open DocApp. The left pane organizes the contents of the DocApp. The status bar at the bottom shows information about the state of the connection to the repository.

The primary purpose of a DocApp is to package objects...

Help—Some DQL Queries

Some helpful queries related to DocApps are provided in this section.

The following query retrieves the names of the DocApps installed in a repository:

SELECT object_name
FROM dm_application
...

The following query retrieves the names of sysobjects included in a DocApp named cmf_pkumar:

SELECT o.object_name
FROM dm_sysobject o, dm_application a
WHERE ANY a.application_object_id = o.r_object_id
AND a.object_name = 'cmf_pkumar'

Documentum Product Notes

Documentum Application Builder and Documentum Application Installer are desktop applications and can be installed together with the same installer. These are not WDK-based applications; they communicate directly with the Content Server.

Checkpoint

At this point you should be able to answer the following key questions:

1. 1. What is a DocApp? What purpose does it serve?

2. 2. How is a DocApp created and modified?

3. 3. What is a DocApp archive? How is it created?

4. 4. How is a DocApp archive installed into a repository? What options can modify the installation behavior? What are the prerequisites and steps in the installation process?

Test Your Understanding

1. 1. A DocApp is stored as an object of type:

   a. dm_docapp

   b. dmi_docapp

   c. dm_application

   d. dmi_application

2. 2. The version of a DocApp is preserved when a DocApp is archived and installed into another repository (True/False).

3. 3. A DocApp can be created with:

   a. Documentum Administrator

   b. Workflow Manager

   c. Documentum Application Builder

   d. Documentum Application Manager

4. 4. A DocApp can exist:

   a. On the file system

   b. In a repository

   c. In a database

   d. None of the above

5. 5. A DocApp archive can exist:

   a. On the file system

   b. In a repository

   c. In a database

   d. None of the above

6. 6. The following privilege allows creation of a DocApp:

   a. Sysadmin

   b. Superuser

   c. Create DocApp

   d. Create Type

7. 7. When an object is added to the DocApp:

   a. Its renditions need to be added manually

   b. All renditions are added automatically

   c. One rendition is added automatically

   d. Renditions cannot be added to a DocApp

8. 8. When a virtual document is added to the DocApp:

   a. All of its immediate component...

Managing DocApps

In a typical development cycle, a DocApp is created in a development repository. When the customizations are ready to be tested, the DocApp is archived (also said to be serialized) onto the file-system. Then the DocApp archive is used to install the DocApp in a test environment.

This process is repeated until the customization is considered ready for prime time. At this point, this DocApp archive can be installed in a production repository. If the customization is a part of a product, the DocApp archive is included in the product distribution.

Creating and Modifying DocApps

DocApps are created and managed via Documentum Application Builder (DAB). A Superuser privilege is required for creating a DocApp. The following screenshot shows the main screen of DAB with an open DocApp. The left pane organizes the contents of the DocApp. The status bar at the bottom shows information about the state of the connection to the repository.

The primary purpose of a DocApp is to package objects...

Help—Some DQL Queries

Some helpful queries related to DocApps are provided in this section.

The following query retrieves the names of the DocApps installed in a repository:

SELECT object_name
FROM dm_application
...

The following query retrieves the names of sysobjects included in a DocApp named cmf_pkumar:

SELECT o.object_name
FROM dm_sysobject o, dm_application a
WHERE ANY a.application_object_id = o.r_object_id
AND a.object_name = 'cmf_pkumar'

Documentum Product Notes

Documentum Application Builder and Documentum Application Installer are desktop applications and can be installed together with the same installer. These are not WDK-based applications; they communicate directly with the Content Server.

Checkpoint

At this point you should be able to answer the following key questions:

1. 1. What is a DocApp? What purpose does it serve?

2. 2. How is a DocApp created and modified?

3. 3. What is a DocApp archive? How is it created?

4. 4. How is a DocApp archive installed into a repository? What options can modify the installation behavior? What are the prerequisites and steps in the installation process?

Test Your Understanding

1. 1. A DocApp is stored as an object of type:

   a. dm_docapp

   b. dmi_docapp

   c. dm_application

   d. dmi_application

2. 2. The version of a DocApp is preserved when a DocApp is archived and installed into another repository (True/False).

3. 3. A DocApp can be created with:

   a. Documentum Administrator

   b. Workflow Manager

   c. Documentum Application Builder

   d. Documentum Application Manager

4. 4. A DocApp can exist:

   a. On the file system

   b. In a repository

   c. In a database

   d. None of the above

5. 5. A DocApp archive can exist:

   a. On the file system

   b. In a repository

   c. In a database

   d. None of the above

6. 6. The following privilege allows creation of a DocApp:

   a. Sysadmin

   b. Superuser

   c. Create DocApp

   d. Create Type

7. 7. When an object is added to the DocApp:

   a. Its renditions need to be added manually

   b. All renditions are added automatically

   c. One rendition is added automatically

   d. Renditions cannot be added to a DocApp

8. 8. When a virtual document is added to the DocApp:

   a. All of its immediate component...