Document File Repositories

Electronic document files in IFS Document Management can be stored in the database (as a Binary Large Object/BLOB), in FTP sites and in shared directories.

It is recommended that database storage is used. This makes it possible to store and manage document files belonging to IFS Document Management in the Oracle database where the rest of IFS Applications is installed. Database storage increases the general security of the document handling, prevents unauthorized access and lowers the administration and maintenance costs that incur as a result of having to manage a number of applications and environments.

Shared repositories are shared directories on the network and FTP servers use the File Transfer Protocol services to receive and store files.

The following is a table comparing the different file repository types, the advantages and disadvantages and the clients that support them:

Repository Type	Advantages	Disadvantages	Clients
Shared	Simple to setup	Very insecure	Windows*
FTP	Stable and familiar technology. Better security than Shared.	Complex to setup. Not secure in windows client.	Windows Extended server APIs
Database	No setup required. Very secure. This is a requirement for SOX support (file logging) and document file content search.	Makes the database larger. No easy backend access to separate files.	Windows Extended server APIs

* Shared file repositories under IFS Enterprise Explorer are only supported if the application server has full access to the shared folder, either through a mapped drive or a UNC-path. Note that the way the server runs might affect whether it has access or not to the network share in question; if the server runs as a service, for example, it might not use the same account as it would if it is run directly by a script.

Entering a Repository Address and Path

If the repository type is FTP - Enter a relative path (doc_files/, does not start with a slash) or an absolute one (/doc_files/, starts with a slash). If the field is empty, the home directory of the user logging in to the FTP server will be used. The recommended usage is to enter something. In the windows client, use the List of Values to browse the directories in the computer in the Repository Address field. Do not include the drive if the repository type is FTP (it is not used). The system will try to log in with the username and password for the repository address that is specified in EDM Basic/Repository Address and User.
If the repository type is Shared - there should be no entry in the Repository Address field. Instead the computer name is included in the Path field e.g.\\computer1\shareddirectory\. It is not recommended to use local directories as shared repositories because that might make it impossible for other persons to access the files. Also, UNC paths (\\server\share\some folder) are preferred over paths using drive letters (C:\Some Folder).
If the repository type is Database - the Repository Address and Path fields are not used at all.

Moving files from one repository to another

The Change Document Repository enables you to move files in a repository in status Usable to a repository in status Generating.