EMC Documentum Architecture: Delivering the Foundations and ...

EMC Documentum Architecture: Delivering
the Foundations and Services for Managing
Content Across the Enterprise
A Detailed Review
Abstract
EMC ® Documentum ® is a comprehensive enterprise content management platform for ordering the flow
and delivery of unstructured business information across an extended enterprise. Based on an extensible,
open, scalable, and secure architecture that meets the needs of global, distributed organizations,
Documentum comprises a set of integrated products and services that work together. From creation or
capture, organization, and electronic storage through just-in-time delivery and archiving, the Documentum
end-to-end content management solution solves a range of strategic business issues.
January 2008

Copyright © 2008 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.
EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is
subject to change without notice.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” EMC CORPORATION
MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE
INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicable
software license. For the most up-to-date listing of EMC product names, see EMC Corporation Trademarks
on EMC.com All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
Part Number H3411
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 2

Table of Contents
Executive summary ............................................................................................4
Introduction.........................................................................................................4
Audience ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Bringing order to unstructured business information ....................................4
Business benefits: Beyond information silos ............................................................................... 4
What EMC Documentum delivers................................................................................................ 5
EMC Documentum: A layered architecture ......................................................5
The kernel group: Storing, accessing, and securing content in a unified
content infrastructure.........................................................................................6
Content objects ............................................................................................................................ 7
Storing content objects ................................................................................................................ 7
Anatomy of the repository............................................................................................................ 8
Connecting to an underlying storage infrastructure................................................................... 10
Security services........................................................................................................................ 11
The application services group: Managing content as
interrelated modules.........................................................................................16
Compliance Services ................................................................................................................. 16
Core Content Services............................................................................................................... 19
Process Services ....................................................................................................................... 27
The tools group: Creating content applications ............................................30
Enterprise Content Services and the Documentum API............................................................ 30
Documentum Foundation Services............................................................................................ 31
EMC Documentum Foundation Classes.................................................................................... 32
Business Objects Framework .................................................................................................... 33
The experiences group: Managing the end user’s interactions ...................34
The Web Development Kit framework ....................................................................................... 34
Application Connectors .............................................................................................................. 35
A Webtop extension................................................................................................................... 36
Portlets for enterprise portals..................................................................................................... 36
Conclusion ........................................................................................................36
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 3

Executive summary
In today’s digitally driven economy, business information comes in many forms: text documents,
spreadsheets, pictures, XML files, web pages, full-motion video, streaming audio, e-mail messages, instant
messages, and fixed content such as reports, records, and scanned images. From engineering drawings and
manufacturing procedures to marketing collateral and sales presentations, this unstructured content is
critical to the smooth and efficient functioning of a firm. This unstructured content, like the financial data
that drive accounting systems, needs to be managed in a systematic way.
An enterprise content management system provides just such a systematic solution for capturing,
organizing, storing, and delivering unstructured content within an enterprise and beyond. With an
enterprise content management system, unstructured information is managed according to predefined
business rules, policies, and procedures; relationships are established among pieces of content so the same
items can be used in different contexts and renditions. The system adds intelligence to content
collections—creating categorization schema and metadata that make search and retrieval faster and more
efficient. The system facilitates the publication of content through multiple channels; for example, the same
set of words and pictures can be published on a website, broadcast as a fax, printed as a hard copy
document, and sent to a handheld wireless device. The system ensures archiving and long-term retention to
meet compliance requirements. In short, enterprise content management systems automate the lifecycle
processing of content.
Introduction
The EMC ® Documentum ® content management platform is the foundation on which content-based
applications and solutions are built—from managing business documents to publishing content across
multilingual websites to enabling collaboration with interactive tools. This white paper describes in detail
the architecture of EMC Documentum and identifies the four primary groups of capabilities that form the
foundation of an enterprise content management strategy. It also explains how Documentum fits into a
service-oriented approach to content-based applications.
Audience
This white paper is intended for application developers and IT executives who are looking to unite their
vertical information silos by standardizing on a service-oriented platform with a solid architecture that can
manage an organization’s content assets while providing superior scalability and ease of use.
Bringing order to unstructured business information
Business benefits: Beyond information silos
Enterprise content management systems help integrate departments and other groups that previously
functioned within separate information silos. In fact, information can be shared with business partners and
all other members of the extended enterprise.
Why is this necessary—and powerful To be sure, the research and development department will continue
to produce product specifications and patents, while the marketing department generates collateral and
press releases, and the customer service organization responds to customers’ queries. Yet more and more,
employees and business partners need to access and share information across departmental boundaries,
such as when they launch a new product or create an innovative customer experience.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 4

What EMC Documentum delivers
EMC Documentum is a comprehensive enterprise content management platform for ordering the flow and
delivery of unstructured business information across an extended enterprise.
Based on an extensible, open, scalable, and secure architecture that meets the needs of global, distributed
organizations, Documentum comprises a set of integrated products and services that work together in
varying combinations. From creation or capture, categorization, and electronic storage through just-in-time
delivery and archiving, the Documentum end-to-end content management solution solves a range of
strategic business issues.
• Global and distributed. For enterprises with sites and customers around the world, Documentum
handles users and content regardless of physical location. It includes unique content caching
capabilities for high performance content management to any place around the world. The architecture
stores multilingual content and metadata in shared repositories to accommodate local languages and
currencies, forming a single virtual repository that spans geographical boundaries and languages.
• Extensible. Documentum can be extended to meet unique operational needs by embedding business
rules or custom-designed content objects. Documentum incorporates a service-oriented architecture
(SOA) that exploits the capabilities of web services for integrating with disparate enterprise
applications. Customized plug-ins can be developed and deployed in key areas including user
authentication, rich media handling, and legacy storage support.
• Open. Because Documentum is standards-based, it easily integrates with existing IT infrastructures.
There are standard Documentum APIs for WebDAV, FTP, SMB, JDBC, and the web services
standard, WSDL. The architecture is fully J2EE compliant (for web-based applications) and
completely supports the Microsoft .NET environment and XML processing. Moreover, Documentum
integrates “out of the box” with enterprise applications and systems, including directory services using
the LDAP standard.
• Scalable. As the content management needs of an organization grow larger and more complex, the
Documentum solution efficiently manages ever-increasing volumes of content, high traffic loads, more
users, and complex workflow processes—and it does so cost-effectively with continued high
performance. Documentum addresses the network latency and large-scale distribution issues that
global enterprises face. The Documentum architecture takes full advantage of the underlying hardware
platform’s scalability by utilizing multiprocessor systems as well as caching and clustering
environments (vertical and horizontal scalability).
• Secure. Documentum enforces appropriate levels of security as organizations make their repository
content available to a wide range of contributors and users. Access control lists define the users,
groups, and roles that can access the repository or the discrete objects that it contains, as well as the
operations that can be performed. Sensitive information in the repository file stores can be encrypted.
Network communications among servers and with desktop clients can be secured through the Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL). Documentum also supports electronic signatures and offers extensive auditing of
all system activities. Finally, Documentum secures roving content—documents and other objects that
are moving around the network and beyond the purview of the repository.
EMC Documentum: A layered architecture
The Documentum platform provides a unified environment for capturing, storing, accessing, organizing,
controlling, retrieving, delivering, and archiving any type of unstructured information within an enterprise.
It also supports the resources for managing that content across an extended enterprise as well as for
publishing content on the Internet.
The Documentum platform consists of four conceptual groups:
• The kernel is a unified environment where content is stored, accessed, and secured.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 5

• The application services provide various application-level services for organizing, controlling,
sequencing, and delivering content to, and from, the repository.
• The tools provide capabilities for developing and deploying content applications—enterprise-scale
applications that use content within the context of business processes. This group also provides the
web services for integrating content-related objects with external enterprise applications.
• The experiences provide the framework and interfaces enabling users to process and use content
management functionality in desktop- or browser-based applications.
Each of these groups comprises a series of components, which together form a unified, consistent, and
extensible architecture, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The Documentum platform consists of four groups —kernel (bottom purple),
application services (middle gold), experiences (top gray), and tools (right blue).
Let’s examine the capabilities of these four groups and identify how they interrelate to provide a
comprehensive environment for managing content across an enterprise.
The kernel group: Storing, accessing, and securing
content in a unified content infrastructure
The Documentum platform is based on an enterprisewide repository in which the logical services for
accessing content are separated from the underlying systems for storing it. To an application, the
Documentum repository appears as a unified environment—though content may reside on multiple servers
and physical storage devices and be distributed throughout an organization. Put another way, the operation
of the repository is independent of the network typology.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 6

The Documentum repository stores content in a consistent manner, regardless of content type, file size or
complexity, and file format. Content types include but are not limited to the following:
• Ordinary text documents
• Compound documents (containing interlinked and highly formatted text and graphics)
• Web pages
• XML files and XML-file hierarchies
• Scanned images
• Digitized photographs
• Multimedia digital assets (such as music, sounds, and full-motion video)
• Medical images
• Fixed documents (such as the outputs and reports from enterprise applications)
• E-mail and instant messages
• Collaborative content such as threaded discussions, chats, wikis, votes, and notes
• Computer-aided design (CAD) drawings
• Documents and data records from enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications
• Virtual reality environments
Content objects
The Documentum platform defines repository content as objects. (Content objects may consist of a
collection of objects.) Objects comprise three parts: content assets or source data; content attributes or
metadata; and methods or operations.
• Content assets or source data represent the core information stored in its native format.
• Content attributes or metadata describe the content assets with descriptors such as keywords, owner,
version, links, and creation date.
• Methods or operations are the instructions to be performed on the content assets, such as transform,
notify, and display.
A content object’s set of attributes and set of methods are configurable and extensible. Using Documentum
development tools, developers can create new object types that behave exactly as dictated by specific
business needs.
Furthermore, content attributes characterize the relationships among the stored content objects. The
repository organizes content around its metadata; users and applications use the metadata to retrieve
relevant content.
Storing content objects
The Documentum repository serves as a unified environment for storing content objects. These objects are
stored in their native formats, and can be further encrypted as business requirements need. Thus
applications rely on a single set of services and programming interfaces to access content, regardless of
where and how the content objects themselves are stored. The repository enforces security measures to
ensure that only authorized users and applications can access the content assets and indexes of content
attributes.
The Documentum repository is responsive to the business needs of the organization. This adaptability and
flexibility is particularly important for large organizations that operate in multiple locations and require a
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 7

distributed repository for storing, caching, fetching, and updating content, while also managing rapid access
across the enterprise. The virtual reach of the Documentum repository makes it possible to implement
distributed environments in various ways that ensure enterprisewide access, enhances system performance,
and maintains underlying security and compliance requirements. An enterprise has many options for
designing and deploying the virtual repository in ways that best meet its operational objectives.
For example, a global company might host a Documentum content repository in multiple geographical
regions, storing content locally to meet corporate quality-of-service guarantees. This company can also
support a series of branch offices in remote locations to further enhance end-user productivity and business
objectives. Important documents, large multimedia files, and other types of mission-critical content can be
predicatively distributed and cached at the branch offices, where they are immediately available to local
users (with no performance degradation of accessing files across low bandwidth connections). Users at
branch offices can access and modify the content as their jobs require–the overall security and access
controls extend across the entire enterprise environment in a seamless fashion. Updates made by branch
office users can be synchronized with the regional repositories in a predictable manner, optimized to ensure
the responsiveness of the user’s experience and the currency of the revised content. The end result is a
distributed virtual repository where content is managed, regardless of geography or network bandwidth, to
meet strategic business goals and objectives.
Anatomy of the repository
The Documentum repository consists of three main components, which behave as a single entity from an
application point of view: a file store containing the content assets; attribute tables within a relational
database; and full-text indexes (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. The Documentum repository is composed of four components: a file store
containing the content assets; attribute tables within a relational database; full-text
indexes; and directory services. All components behave as a single entity from an
application point of view.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 8

File store and RDBMS
Typically, content attributes are stored in a relational database for rapid query and retrieval; content assets
are stored as files in the file store. The file store can be a file system of the host operating system or a
content-addressed storage (CAS) system such as EMC Centera ® . The files’ system-based stores can be
hosted within different types of storage environments.
For example, full-motion video files can reside on a high-performance streaming server while text-oriented
files are hosted on a file server tuned to rapidly look up filenames. If, for operational, performance, or
security reasons, an enterprise manages all of its content in a relational database management system
(RDBMS), then the content assets can also be stored as binary large objects (BLOBs) adjacent to the
attribute tables.
Full-text indexes
The Documentum platform maintains a full-text index of all text-based content assets stored within the
Documentum repository so it can rapidly search through large collections of unstructured information. The
indexed content assets include documents, text files, XML components, HTML files, and closed-caption
tracks of video files.
The FAST Index Server, an industry-leading enterprise search technology, is embedded in the
Documentum platform. The search capability is modular, with alternate engines for market-specific
Documentum offerings. For instance, the Documentum OEM edition, built for software vendors that embed
the Documentum platform in their products, offers the open-source alternative Lucene as the default
engine. For all standard enterprise customer offerings, however, a FAST search engine is built into the
repository.
The full-text index, which is automatically created by an indexing process when content is added to the
repository, contains:
• All words of the content assets stored within the repository
• All keywords and other content attributes (or metadata) that describe the content assets
The indexing process is typically hosted on a separate server. As part of the content ingestion process, an
index agent forwards content to an index server, which maintains the full-text index database. The
Documentum platform ensures that query performance and scalability are not affected by repository size:
To scale up for high-speed content ingestion, the indexing process can run on multiple indexing pipelines
deployed on multiple CPUs. This is particularly important in content archiving applications for e-mail,
enterprise reports, and SAP data. Figure 3 shows the indexing and query process flows.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 9

Query
Content
Server
Query
Plug-in
SPI
Fast
Query
Plug-in
FAST
Query
API
DFC
FAST
Index
Server
Index
Agent
(Java)
DFTXML
Index
Plug-in
SPI
Fast
Index
Plug-in
FAST
Index
API
Index
Figure 3. The Documentum platform maintains a full-text index of all text-based content
assets stored within the Documentum repository. The integration is accomplished through
a set of plug-ins and APIs for querying and indexing functions.
In addition to searching the text within the content assets, the full-text engine also searches all content
attributes. So within a single query, the search engine analyzes content on two levels—the content assets
and the content attributes—and returns a unified results lists. As part of its query algorithms, the search
engine analyzes and normalizes text, and identifies synonyms based on a thesaurus of related terms. The
search engine can store and support multiple languages within a single index, eliminating the need for
multiple, language-specific indexes. More than 70 languages are now supported.
Connecting to an underlying storage infrastructure
The Documentum repository transparently connects with the underlying storage infrastructure, which
consists of multiple disk drives and other types of mass storage devices. The storage infrastructure can be
designed to meet the specific reliability, security, policy, cost, and operational needs of various
organizations. The Documentum platform makes no distinction among content stored in different types of
environments; rather, it relies on the file system APIs to communicate with the file system interface of the
underlying file store.
Documentum supports any type of storage system—from a server’s local hard drives and networkaccessible
RAID arrays to network-attached storage (NAS) or complex storage area networks (SAN)—
from any storage manufacturer. The storage system is transparent to the Documentum platform.
The Documentum platform also provides two storage-specific services that enable system designers to
enhance content storage capabilities: Content Storage Services and Content Services for EMC Centera.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 10

Content Storage Services
Content Storage Services add a storage policy engine to the Documentum repository that enables eventtriggered,
ad hoc, and batch execution of storage allocation and migration policies. Storage administrators
can define, manage, and update the content storage policies to store “live” or frequently updated content on
one set of devices, and archived content on another. Content Storage Services include audit events and
migration logs, which enable easy reporting and chargeback capabilities.
For example, when content is initially created it can be automatically stored in an online storage device.
Frequently accessed content can remain within a high-performance storage environment, while rarely
accessed content can migrate on a scheduled basis to a near-line, more economical storage environment.
Valuable content that needs to be preserved for a predetermined period of time, such as the final versions of
business documents, can be automatically stored in a highly secure storage environment. Transitory
content, such as successive drafts of business documents or other work-in-progress items, can be securely
stored and rapidly accessed as needed, and then routinely purged when the project ends.
Content Services for EMC Centera
Content Services for EMC Centera is the bridge between the Documentum repository and Centera, an EMC
content-addressed storage (CAS) system that ensures fast, easy, online access with assured content
authenticity and petabyte scalability. The enterprise content management capabilities of the Documentum
platform function seamlessly with the EMC Centera CAS architecture to deliver an extensible and scalable
kernel layer for fixed content assets. By providing these valuable capabilities on the storage level, EMC
Centera complements the software-level security and compliance Documentum provides for fixed content
assets.
EMC Centera provides a scalable, secure storage environment for cost-effective retention, protection, and
disposition of fixed content—including electronic records, e-mail archives, and scanned images—within an
enterprise environment. EMC Centera is optimized to store long-lived and archival content.
Content Services for EMC Centera relies on the plug-in architecture of the Documentum platform. The
content is stored directly within EMC Centera, which serves as a file store instead of a file system of the
underlying operating system. The content objects contain Centera-issued “claim checks” that are stored as
properties of the content objects in the Documentum repository.
EMC Centera ensures there are no duplicate or redundant versions, which improves overall storage
efficiency and performance.
Security services
Core security is provided by EMC Documentum Content Server; additional security can be added via
Trusted Content Services and Information Rights Management Services. The core security services include:
• Authentication
• Authorization
• Auditing
Each fulfills a unique function within an organization’s security architecture. First, the Documentum
platform builds on the underlying enterprisewide security infrastructure to authenticate access to the
repository. Next, the platform manages access control lists (ACLs) to authorize access to content stored
within the repository. Any activity can be audited using flexible auditing tools, with an audit trail stored in
the repository. The platform can then encrypt all communications between the content server and other
systems such as clients, web-based applications, and directory servers.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 11

Let’s examine each in turn.
Authentication
The Documentum platform relies, initially, on the authentication mechanisms of the underlying operating
system or database, such as a username/password challenge, to manage access to the repository. The
platform supports token-based authentication for application-level access, ensuring that client applications
have valid tokens to connect to the repository and gain access to the content. The platform includes RSA
Access Manager connections for single sign-on. The authentication mechanisms are extendable to include
Kerberos validation and authentication plug-ins from CA Netegrity.
Enterprise identity management
The Documentum platform is designed to integrate seamlessly within an enterprise security architecture;
where an enterprise directory service exists, the platform relies on it for enterprise identity management.
The Documentum platform supports connections to multiple directory services and can be integrated with
many popular directory servers, including Microsoft Active Directory, Sun ONE Directory Server, Oracle
Internet Directory, IBM Tivoli Directory Server, and Novell eDirectory. The platform also supports the
Microsoft Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) service. The platform uses Lightweight Directory
Access Protocol (LDAP) to synchronize user and group identities enterprisewide, ensuring user identities
are managed as an enterprisewide resource without adding extra administrative burden.
Authorization
Once a user or application authenticates an identity, the person or program can access the stored content
based on the privileges associated with that identity. The authorization rules (also called access controls or
permissions) then determine what content can be accessed or modified.
The Documentum platform assigns authorization rules through access control lists (ACLs), which are
automatically applied to all repository objects when the objects are created. The ACLs can be modified
manually by users as well as automatically via lifecycle changes, through business processes, and through
other applications.
The Documentum platform applies authorization at the object level. So every content object, version, and
rendition, as well as every container (ranging from folders to storage servers) and any other object
(business process, policy, audit trail, and so on) is secured by an ACL throughout its lifecycle.
Three criteria for ACLs
The Documentum platform authorizes access based on one of three criteria:
• Explicit assignment to an individual user
• Membership in a user group
• Assignment to a predefined role
Individuals, groups, and roles can own a content object managed by the Documentum platform. For
example, when developing a press release, anybody with the role of “PR Manager” might be authorized to
create a new press release, and any member of the “PR Group” can have privileges to edit it. The tasks can
be shared—and coordinated—by managing role definitions across a workgroup, so managing a press
release is no longer limited to a predefined named individual.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 12

Basic permissions
The Documentum platform provides seven levels of basic permissions, or access privileges:
• None—Content objects in the repository cannot be seen, reducing complexity by hiding content
irrelevant to predefined users. It is also an effective way to screen sensitive documents or projects, and
ensure that only those people and processes with proper privileges can find object references in the
repository.
• Browse—Content attributes (or metadata) for content objects can be viewed, but the content assets
cannot be opened and read.
• Read—Content assets can be opened and read, but not changed.
• Relate—A user can create relationships between a given content object and other objects within the
repository. This permission is used by tools such as annotations where each annotation is a new object
that relates to an existing content object.
• Version—A user can make changes to a content asset but cannot overwrite an existing version;
changes are saved in a new version, which can include a modified file, modified metadata, or both.
• Write—A user can make changes to a content object (both the content asset and the associated
metadata) and save those changes without creating a new version. This level of access control is
usually restricted to the content owner.
• Delete—A user can delete a content object.
This set of permissions is cumulative: Each level automatically grants all access rights of the levels below
it. For example, a user with “write” privileges can also “version,” “relate,” “read,” and “browse” the
contents. “Delete” is a special case, discussed next.
Object-level delete privileges
The “delete object” permission grants deletion privileges while denying other levels of access; that is, a
user or process can delete a content object without having permission to write, version, read, or relate. This
capability enables a corporate archivist, librarian, or records manager to dispose of objects from the
repository according to retention policies, without being able to access any aspects of its contents.
Extended permissions
The Documentum platform supports multiple extended permissions for managing the content objects
within the repository.
• Change location—A user can change the location of a content asset from one folder to another. By
default, a user with “browse” permission or greater has “change location” privileges.
• Change permission—A user other than the content owner can change a content asset’s standard
permissions.
• Change owner—A user other than the content owner can change the owner of a content asset. This is
important when content ownership is to be reassigned, and the original content owner is unavailable.
• Execute procedure—A user can execute an external procedure on content assets, such as creating a
rendition. By default, a user with “browse” permission or greater inherits “execute procedure”
privileges.
• Change state—A user can change a content asset’s lifecycle state.
The Documentum platform controls access to the content objects as well as secures how they are organized
and categorized in the repository. As a result, the Documentum platform provides the core security services
that determine what actions can be performed on a content object.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 13

Auditing
Every operation performed by the Documentum repository can be recorded in an auditable record. The
audit trail can be fully configured in the Documentum administrator (where it can also be viewed) and is
secured in the repository by strong encryption.
The audit trail meets the rigorous requirements of the FDA 21 CFR Part 11 regulation, considered a
benchmark for auditing. But the audit trail can go further into the scope and granularity of audited events,
and can be used to trace possible security breaches and optimize system utilization.
Each auditable record lists both the new and the previous values associated with an event (such as the time
and username when a documents is checked out of the repository), enabling quick determination of what
has changed. End users and administrators can also view the history of documents and other objects stored
in the repository, so that they can determine how and when the information changes.
Encrypted communication
All communications involving the content server—such as between Content Server and an application
server, Content Server and Desktop clients, and Content Server and a directory server—use SSL standard
encryption to prevent security breaches by eavesdropping.
Trusted Content Services
The Documentum platform adds Trusted Content Services to tackle application-specific security situations
beyond the authentication and authorization mechanisms provided by the core security services of the
content platform.
Trusted Content Services include:
• Encrypted file stores. Repository content files can be encrypted to prevent system-level intrusion and
to secure content files stored on backup media. The encryption can be done selectively per file store, so
each repository can combine encrypted and unencrypted content.
• Digital shredding of deleted items. Shredding irrevocably destroys content at an operating system
level by overwriting the data on the storage device. The Documentum platform shreds content stored
on both file systems and CAS devices.
• Support for electronic signatures. Users can sign electronic documents in a manner that meets
established industry standards to verify the integrity of the signed document.
In addition, Trusted Content Services can enrich the underlying security model and extend authorization
mechanisms through mandatory access control (MAC). This mechanism provides an additional level of
security before granting an authenticated user access to a content object.
Specifically, MAC can:
• Enforce membership rules. Ensures a user is a member of an externally defined group before
verifying authorization privileges.
• Enforce restriction rules. Restricts a user’s access privileges to a specific level even if the ACL
provides for a higher level of access.
• Apply application-level access control. Augments an ACL with an application-specific security
setting.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 14

Information Rights Management Services
Information Rights Management (IRM) Services extend the security and access controls on documents and
other types of content beyond the boundaries content platform. IRM Services secure “roving content” that
require persistent protection across the network and wherever the content is located and stored.
IRM Services augment the Documentum platform by adding an IRM policy server to the enterprise
environment, as shown in Figure 4. This server establishes the policies by which documents, e-mail
messages, or other types of objects can be opened, displayed, printed, and further distributed outside the
repository. Before leaving the Documentum Content Server, the content together with the usage policy is
secured via encryption. Only the encrypted file (containing the content) is transferred from the repository—
and is available outside the security perimeter. IRM Services support Microsoft Office applications (Word,
PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook), Adobe PostScript, HTML, RIM BlackBerry, and Lotus Notes
applications, and can be customized to support other types of file formats.
Figure 4. IRS Services add an IRM Policy Server to the enterprise information environment
to secure the content that is no longer managed by Documentum Content Server.
IRM Services then control the process by which the content is decrypted and made accessible to recipients.
An end user needs to obtain a key to decrypt the content by accessing a policy server over the network.
This policy server verifies the user’s identity through its own authentication mechanism. Once
authenticated, the policy server provides the end user with a key to decrypt the content. Once decrypted, the
user’s use of the content is limited by the predefined usage policy. For example, there might be limits on
the number of times the content can be viewed, whether recipients can print or copy the document into
another file, whether recipients can forward the document to third parties, or other operational constraints.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 15

The application services group:
Managing content as interrelated modules
The Documentum platform leverages the capabilities of EMC Documentum Content Server by providing a
comprehensive suite of application services for managing content. These services function as interrelated
modules—one service calls another to obtain needed information or functionality.
The Documentum platform incorporates three sets of application services: Compliance Services, Core
Content Services, and Process Services.
Compliance Services
Compliance Services provide capabilities for retaining content and managing content as records. These are
Retention Policy Services and Records Manager, respectively.
Retention Policy Services
Retention Policy Services (RPS) specify and enforce the retention of objects in the Documentum repository
by attaching one or more retention policies to those objects. The retained objects, or records, are
immutable—they cannot be changed or deleted for the duration of the retention policy. An additional
“hold” capability retains documents according to ad hoc events such as an audit or litigation.
By applying policies to containers (such as folders) or processes (such as workflows or lifecycles),
document retention is enforced programmatically—with little to no human involvement. The policies and
automation tools can also be used for content disposition (or permanent archiving, or destruction), ensuring
that files are appropriately disposed and helping to limit content accumulation.
RPS enhances the standard Documentum controls along three important dimensions:
• Notifications: Notifies owners or authorities based on trigger events such as entry into, or completion
of, a retention phase.
• Auditing: Audits and records the “before” and “after” of metadata changes during a recordkeeping
action.
• Reporting: Provides report query engines with standard recordkeeping criteria and predefined
recordkeeping reports.
Using RPS, organizations can meet compliance regulations, legal requirements, and best practices. RPS can
be added independently to any supported Documentum environment. RPS is the retention engine powering
the EMC Documentum Records Manager application.
Records Manager
EMC Documentum Records Manager extends the Documentum core content management capabilities by
adding features and functionality such as corporate file plans, classification, and file-level and field-level
security.
The Records Manager architecture provides recordkeeping functionality as services that can be used for
electronic and physical records alike (see Figure 5). Like functionality is aggregated into discrete modules.
By selecting the appropriate Records Manager modules, customers can deploy a records solution that meets
their unique requirements. Customers can also add additional modules if and when their requirements
change.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 16

Core Components of Records Manager
Security &
File Plan
Reporting &
Access
Auditing
Control
Notification
Storage
Mgmt.
Physical/
Paper
Complementary
Offerings
Trusted
Info. Rights
Content
Management
Services
Services
Content
Content
Transformation
Intelligence
Services
Services
BPM
ECI
Workflow
Services
Retention Policy Services
Documentum Platform
Figure 5. The Documentum records management capabilities support electronic
documents, e-mail, and paper-based documents as managed records. These capabilities
leverage the complementary offerings of the overall Documentum platform.
Records Manager leverages Retention Policy Services and the capabilities of the Documentum platform to
provide records management capabilities in a modular fashion. The modules and their capabilities are
described in Table 1.
Table 1. Records Manager modules and features
Records Manager
module
Containment
policies
File plan
Naming policies
Security policies
Capabilities
Controls the number of tiers within the folder or file plan hierarchy and the actions
that are permitted within each tier, such as a check-in or records declaration.
Containment policies also allow or block recordkeeping governance by document
type and limit the number of a record’s classifications, which is architecturally
equivalent to the number of links associated with an object.
Provides a permanent, systemwide classification schema for records, defining
record naming, organization, and descriptive metadata, specified and managed by a
records administrator. A document is overtly declared as a record by storing it in a
location managed by the file plan, and classified using metadata specified by the
file plan. Retention is defined by the classification.
Configures the naming conventions for records and the file plan by controlling what
attributes are used, what date format is enforced, whether human entries get
validated, how names are dynamically generated, and more.
Extends existing Documentum security by adding document-level permissions that
are discrete rather than cumulative. For example, the capability to grant “browse”
capabilities to a certain user, group, or role for a specific document type such as
invoices.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 17

Records Manager
module
Retention policies
Supplemental
markings / Shared
markings
Capabilities
Determines the length of time a document, folder, or cabinet is retained, based on
operational, legal, regulatory, fiscal or internal requirements. For the duration of its
applied retention policy, the managed object cannot be deleted, nor can it be revised
in any way, although a new version of the object may be checked in.
Extends access controls by adding permissions based on participation in a
designated group, and restricting permissions to users who are members of all
designated groups.
The Records Manager modularity and service-oriented architecture make it easy to incorporate
Documentum recordkeeping functionality into other systems, including external applications. Table 2
outlines these and other architectural principles.
Table 2. Architectural principles of Records Manager
Architectural principles Why it matters Example
Modular architecture
Aggregates similar
recordkeeping functionality
within discrete, plug-and-play
modules.
Multi-tier architecture
Separates business
intelligence from the user
interface.
Simplifies and speeds deployment,
enabling sites to install the
functionality without complicating
the configuration, administration, or
user interface.
Simplifies sharing and the
incorporation of records functionality
into external applications by relying
exclusively on business logic and not
the user interface.
Provides greater efficiency when
using or extending the provided APIs
because changes only need to be
made in one place; provides the
business logic layer.
Align the recordkeeping controls
with your regulatory
environment. Or start simple and
add functionality when it
becomes relevant.
Automate record declarations
within line-of-business systems
such as a contracts management
application.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 18

Architectural principles Why it matters Example
Policy frameworks
Tailor or enhance system
behavior by adding business
logic through the applied
policy manager according to
clear, standardized
framework guidelines.
Open interface
Java-service and web-service
based interfaces that extend
existing Documentum
functionality while adhering
to standard Documentum
practices.
Simplifies extensions and
customizations; no developer needed.
Enables customization based on
multiple varied attributes, including
policy qualifiers.
Enables integration via web services
without supporting Java.
Adds Records Manager functionality
to a Documentum environment
without discarding or duplicating
prior work.
Add different notification
recipients simply by adding a
policy to the existing “action
framework.”
Apply policies by object type or
other conditions. For example,
applying different naming rules
for different levels in the file plan.
Or automating the appropriate
record classification by document
type, such as invoices or
contracts.
Enable partner applications or
internal business systems to
incorporate records declaration as
a web service within the
application.
Add records functionality, such as
DOD security clearance levels, to
current Documentum users.
Core Content Services
The Core Content Services provide the fundamental capabilities for accessing and storing repository
content. These include library services, workflow services, lifecycle services, XML services, Enterprise
Content Integration Services, Content Transformation Services, Content Intelligence Services, and Content
Delivery Services.
Library services
Library services manage content in three critical ways:
• Check-in/check-out (or locking) capabilities ensure users with editing privileges do not overwrite one
another’s versions or make incompatible updates. For example, when one person is editing a
document, another person cannot overwrite their edits.
• Versioning capabilities track the multiple versions of documents or other content objects, and provide
the ability to revert to prior versions as required. For example, the repository can maintain multiple
versions of a set of web pages, and revert to a version from a prior date when needed.
• Basic renditioning capabilities maintain alternative representations of documents or other content
objects in their different formats, resolutions, or natural languages. The Documentum platform can
automatically generate renditions through embedded converters and maintain the relationship between
the original object and its renditions, ensuring the object’s integrity and enabling users to manage
renditions individually or collectively. For example, content initially authored as a Microsoft Word
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 19

document can be rendered as a fixed formatted Adobe Acrobat PDF file, or an HTML formatted web
page with associated embedded image files.
Library services, in turn, rely on an extensive set of security services to determine how users or applications
are authenticated and authorized to access repository content.
Workflow services
The Documentum workflow automates business activities and policies for repository content. A workflow
is defined by a model, the sequence of steps that comprise the process, and the actions that must occur at
each step. A workflow can describe a simple or complex process; it can be serial, with activities occurring
one after another, or parallel, with all activities occurring simultaneously; and it can combine serial and
parallel activities. Because an object’s workflow state is defined by a set of content attributes attached to
the object, it travels with the object.
For example, a press release workflow might require an approval process involving five people and seven
serial steps.
The Documentum platform persistently manages the state of multiple instances of each workflow—often
hundreds or thousands of instances—by storing workflow objects in the Documentum repository.
Similarly, workflow templates (definitions) are stored as repository objects so various services, such as
security, versioning, and retention, can be applied.
Lifecycle services
The Documentum platform defines, maps, and implements flexible content lifecycle rules according to the
business policies established by the enterprise.
Like workflow, an object’s lifecycle state is defined by a set of content attributes attached to the object, so
it also travels with the object. But instead of being defined by a flexible workflow model, lifecycle services
are defined by a set of business policies or business rules. While a workflow routes a document among
various users and automatic tasks, lifecycles define the business rules for changes that apply to content as it
moves through predefined stages (such as “draft,” “in review,” “active,” and “obsolete”). As you might
expect, unlike workflow, each content object has only a single lifecycle.
Lifecycle services automate the lifecycle policies of repository content. These services assign a lifecycle
stage to the content object, and then manage the object’s transition from one stage to another. An
organization can extend the lifecycle stages to encompass its own operating policies (see Figure 6).
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 20

Figure 6. Lifecycle services assign a lifecycle stage to a content object and then manage
the object's transition from one stage to another.
Lifecycle services are a powerful content management capability. Policies instigating changes in access
control, logical and physical location, retention rules, labeling, naming, versioning, renditioning, and
workflow and business processes can be mapped to the lifecycle stages. Different object types can have
different lifecycle definitions.
For example, consider the lifecycles for press releases and patent applications.
• When a company develops a press release, any member of the corporate communications department
may edit it prior to approval. Only marketing managers and product managers responsible for products
mentioned in the press release may read the drafts. Once the press release is approved, all senior
managers in the company can read it, but only the director of corporate communications can change it.
When the final version is published on the company’s website, all prior (or draft) versions are
automatically deleted from the repository after 30 days. These access policies are distinct from a
workflow that routes the press release to the company managers who have to approve it before it can
be promoted to the final stage.
• When a company creates a patent application, only designated researchers and staff attorneys can edit
the content, while research directors and the corporate counsel can read it. Once the application is
finalized and submitted to an external patent authority, other company researchers and managers can
then read the application. All drafts of the application are automatically archived for seven years. The
submitted version is automatically classified as a record and submitted to the company archives for
perpetual storage in a secure storage environment.
XML services
The Documentum platform provides a core set of XML services for managing XML documents in their
native format.
XML documents are a special type of content: text files encompassing predefined sets of XML elements,
where the elements are identified by XML-formatted tags. As an industry standard, XML itself is a
platform-neutral, structured markup language that separates content from format. Content tagging, and
separating content from formatting, have many benefits for content management, including enhanced
content intelligence and content reuse; for instance, content can be queried by predefined tags and values to
enhance searching precision. Content can also be stored as a single source, and then repurposed and
rendered in multiple formats on various types of display devices. In recent years, XML has emerged as the
lingua franca for automatically exchanging content among disparate applications running within web-based
environments.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 21

The Documentum platform preserves the hierarchical structure and links among XML components and
documents. It provides the ability to automatically parse, validate, transform, map, and store incoming
XML documents. It also supports XML applications that directly store XML-tagged content to (and
manage the content within) the Documentum repository.
XML services provide two features that are essential for managing XML documents in their native format:
XML content validation and XML chunking.
XML content validation
XML content validation ensures that the XML elements within an XML document are well formed and
conform to a predefined definition. The Documentum platform can validate XML documents at any time,
including during ingestion into the repository.
An XML document can be validated against a Document Type Definition (DTD) or an XML schema.
Extended validation is also available through the SAX2 and DOM interfaces. The validation process
ensures that the components, attributes, structure, and types and values correspond to the specified format.
In addition, the Documentum platform also manages the DTDs and schemas as Documentum repository
objects that can be versioned, secured, or retained as records.
XML chunking
When segmenting (or chunking) an XML document into its elements, the resulting chunks are then
managed separately as discrete content objects. These chunks are just like other content objects: Each has
its own predefined security levels and content attributes, as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7. XML chunks are managed as discrete objects, just like any other content object
in the Documentum repository.
Chunking facilitates reuse. A set of discrete content objects can be combined and rendered in different
contexts to meet various business situations. The chunks are components of virtual documents. For
instance, a set of news-related headlines can be displayed as a news summary, while each headline can be
paired with the relevant news-related paragraphs to produce a press release.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 22

ECI Services for federated search
The Documentum platform includes technologies and services to integrate, access, and query content
beyond the information stored within a Documentum repository. These federated search services are based
on an ECI technology leveraging a framework of adapters for various internal and external repositories.
Federated search is useful when interacting with information stored in third-party (non-Documentum)
repositories and external websites.
The Documentum platform relies on federated search for cross-repository searches as well as to query and
retrieve content from external information sources, including:
• FileNet, Open Text, Microsoft SharePoint, IBM Lotus Notes, and content stores from other vendors
• SAP, Oracle, and other enterprise application vendors
• Lexis/Nexis and Factiva infobases and other dynamic web-based content environments
• Static intranets accessed by third-party search environments such as the Autonomy search engine and
the Google enterprise search appliance
• Desktop search engines provided by Google and any online search engine such as Google, Yahoo, and
Voila
ECI Services use an adapter framework and a query-brokering environment to enable these federated
search capabilities (see Figure 8). Each information source gets a unique adapter that maps the contentrelated
metadata defined within external information source into a schema supported by the Documentum
platform.
Figure 8. ECI Services are based on an adapter framework to enable federated search
capabilities
ECI Services function through a two-step process. First, the ECI query broker maps a query into a format
supported by an external information source and then submits the query to the source. Then the query
processor receives the requested information from the external source, extracts the metadata, filters the
response, and returns the results.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 23

Users can simultaneously submit a single query to multiple information sources via any client, receive the
results from the multiple query processors interacting with the external sources, and merge the results into a
single set based on predefined criteria (such as relevance or date published).
Content Transformation Services
Documentum provides a suite of Content Transformation Services (CTS) for changing various kinds of
content—such as documents, photos, video, and medical images—into different formats and resolutions.
CTS also provide content analysis, metadata extraction, and thumb nailing for rich media content types.
Content Transformation Services (see Figure 9) are built as self-contained modules for accomplishing
specific tasks. Some of the modules include:
• Document Transformation Services (DTS)—Supports document transformations, such as rendering
MS Office documents as PDF and HTML files. DTS runs as a separate server-side process without
requiring user authentication. The transformation can be triggered by users from the user interface or
automatically by a business process or lifecycle stage change.
• Advanced Document Transformation Services (ADTS)—Extends DTS by adding support for
additional document formats: Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio, AutoCAD, and multi-page TIFF.
ADTS creates bookmarks and preserves links within documents and supports many advanced options
for controlling PDF output formats. ADTS includes an active storyboard capability for browsing
directly through PDF documents stored in the Documentum repository.
• XML Transformation Services (XTS)—Features extensive XML format transformations, an
eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) engine with full XSL-FO support, a style
sheet tool kit, and XML schema transformation support. XTS transforms XML to popular web formats
(such as HTML), mobile formats (such as WML, cHTML, and XHTML Basic), Portable Document
Format (PDF), help file formats (such as JavaHelp, Microsoft WinHelp, and Microsoft Compiled
HTML Help), Rich Text Format (RTF), and PostScript. The tool kit provides support for Darwin
Information Typing Architecture (DITA) and DocBook standards. XTS can convert XML from one
schema to another, invoked by workflows, lifecycles, user-based actions, or other applications.
• Documentum Regulatory Publishing Transformation Services—Delivers enhanced PDF
transformation capabilities in support of the electronic common technical document (eCTD)
specification submission process. These services expose advanced transformation options for
the creation of PDF files.
• Media Transformation Services (MTS)—Provides rich media transformations and analysis for static
digital assets, including photos, scanned images, and Microsoft PowerPoint slide decks. MTS can read
and write metadata associated with digital assets, such as Adobe XMP tagging technology. MTS
includes capabilities for automatically managing PowerPoint slides as discrete objects, as well as
extracting thumbnails and low-resolution images from high-resolution assets. As a result, digital assets
can be centrally managed and reused in different contexts. MTS configuration capabilities can
integrate the Documentum platform’s support of rich media repositories with the underlying content
storage infrastructure.
• Audio/Video Transformation Services—Extends the capabilities of MTS to support multiple audio,
video, and animation formats. These services also integrate streaming media storage and delivery into
the content storage infrastructure.
• Medical Imaging Transformation Services—Extends MTS to support the metadata access,
management, and storage of medical images. This service supports the Digital Imaging and
Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, a predefined set of metadata for storing medical
images within the Documentum repository.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 24

Figure 9. Application developers can use the Content Transformation Services modular,
plug-in architecture to develop and deploy new transformation services.
Content Intelligence Services
Content Intelligence Services (CIS) analyze the text within documents and other content objects,
automatically classifying the content assets; put another way, CIS determines what the text is about. The
results of the classification can be used to automatically populate the content metadata or to map the
content assets into a taxonomy.
CIS uses linguistic algorithms to analyze content, utilizing content-related terms, keywords, and attributes
related to the information domain of an enterprise. CIS aggregates content from disparate sources, runs it
through a parser, and uses three engines to analyze the resulting text, as shown in Figure 10.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 25

Figure 10. Content Intelligence Services analyze the text within documents and other
content objects, and automatically classify the content assets.
The three analysis engines include:
• Information Extraction Engine—Extracts tags, content properties, and text from the parsed content and
generates metadata; is itself further refined by the other two engines.
• Conceptual Classification Engine—Relates the parsed content to predetermined categories or
conceptual taxonomies.
• Semantic Analysis Engine—Analyzes the content based on enterprise-specific taxonomies or other
semantic considerations.
CIS produces a list of concepts contained within the set of documents or other content objects. These
concepts can improve search accuracy as well as provide the ability to automatically categorize the
repository.
Content Delivery Services
The Documentum platform provides sophisticated content deployment and delivery services to supply
content to web server farms, enterprise portals, and application servers. Distribution can be based on sets of
business rules or queries, which define the frequency of updates and the content to be distributed. The
platform can support discrete sets of distribution rules for each environment.
The Documentum platform can be integrated with (and supply content to) a wide variety of networkaccessible
application, personalization, portal, and e-commerce servers from enterprise vendors such as
BEA, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun, and SAP.
Site Caching Services
The Documentum platform includes Site Caching Services, which add flexibility for distributing content to
disparate delivery environments. Managers of these external environments can rely on the Documentum
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 26

platform’s versioning, workflow, lifecycle, and other content management capabilities to maintain the
content within their applications.
Site Deployment Services
Documentum Site Deployment Services complement Site Caching Services by automatically delivering
content to multiple external web servers or web server farms. If the content cannot be delivered as
scheduled, these services also support rollback with self-repair (see Figure 11).
Figure 11. The Documentum platform includes Site Caching Services and Site Deployment
Services for content delivery to web and application servers.
The Documentum platform can cache predefined sets of documents or other content objects—including
both the content assets and the content attributes, or metadata—on intermediate servers in a high-speed,
optimized cached repository. Applications can then access these attributes and assets to automatically
personalize and incorporate enterprise-managed content.
Process Services
The Process Services capabilities of the Documentum platform includes Collaborative Services,
capabilities for managing shared workspaces, as well as business process management, a set of products for
managing business processes across the enterprise.
Collaborative Services
The Documentum platform provides Collaborative Services based on a set of six collaborative objects:
rooms, discussion threads, contextual folders, notes, calendars, and data tables.
• Rooms are shared, ad hoc workspaces that have their own membership lists and ownership. Only users
listed as members can access a room and the content stored within. Rooms support internal and
external users. Members can be external to the organization and not otherwise authenticated to access
the Document platform.
• Discussion threads are a collection of messages organized around a predefined topic. A discussion
thread can be attached to any other object stored within the Documentum repository—such as a
document or a collection of documents stored within a folder.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 27

• Contextual folders collect and organize content within a collaborative environment, providing
additional information about the purpose of a folder. This descriptive information can appear as a
banner headline or as a “mini-help” environment within the context of a folder display.
• Notes are web-based text files, stored in the repository, that maintain the context (and links) to related
objects. For example, a note can be a comment on a paragraph within a document, an annotation for a
document as a whole, or a summary for a set of documents stored within a folder.
• Calendars provide the capabilities for members to organize, track, and schedule events for their teams.
• Data tables are an easy way to collect information via a form, and then organize the resulting fielded
entries in a tabular form. Each row in the data table is an object within the repository, and can be
routed through a workflow for review and approval. Notes and discussion threads can also be attached
to the row.
These collaborative objects are stored just like other content objects within the Documentum repository.
They are managed with various repository services including check-in/out, search, workflow, retention,
security, and lifecycle.
Collaborative Services support subscriptions. Members can subscribe to any object of interest within a
room (such as all the items in a folder or a particular discussion thread) and then automatically receive
notifications when information related to the object changes.
Collaborative Services provide the services-oriented interfaces to call the collaborative objects. In turn,
Collaborative Services can be combined with related platform services. For instance, a discussion thread
accompanying the authoring and editing of a patent application can automatically be managed as a record
and be subject to the identical retention policies as the draft patent documents themselves.
Business process management
The Documentum platform provides a complete suite of BPM products, “the Documentum Process Suite,“
that manages the complete lifecycle of business processes across the enterprise (see Figure 12). The suite
supports continuous business performance improvement methodologies. It orchestrates processes spanning
beyond Documentum to external systems, data sources, and applications.
Process Suite combines a process engine and a business activity monitoring (BAM) engine, in addition to
the core content repository, to deliver extensive BPM capabilities. Since the suite is based on the unified
architecture of the Documentum platform, it easily handles any type of content—from e-forms and XML
documents to compound documents and rich media—as the process payload.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 28

Analytical
Reports
BAM
Dashboards
Process Analyzer
Process/Forms
Builder
Modeling,
Configure
Simulation,
Services, Workflow
Analysis
Tasks, Forms
BPM Definition API
TaskSpace Forms
Admin Portal
Web Application Server
Documentum WDK Web Apps
BPM Execution API
BAM Engine
Documentum Server
J2EE App Server
Automated Alerts
& Actions,
Library Services
Monitoring,
Object
Reports
Management
RDBMS
Event Pipe
Documentum
Repository
Operational and Data Events
Process Engine
J2EE App Server
Process
Orchestration
Work Queue
Management
Timers and Deadline
Mgmt
Integration
Events and
Data Flows
SOA, Adaptors,
Event Correlation, Messaging
Process Integrator
Web
Services
_____
ESB
_____
Data
Source
Adaptors
SAP
Siebel
IBM
…
Figure 12. The Documentum platform provides a suite of BPM products to manage
content-intensive business processes across the enterprise. The business activity
monitoring (BAM) engine monitors critical aspects of the business processes and
provides up-to-date reports. The Business Process Engine runs and manages the end-toend
processes, and integrates with external applications through a SOA framework. All of
the content is stored and managed within the repository.
Process Suite supports a graphical, object-oriented business process design environment. The Process
Builder specifies the flow of content from activity to activity, as well as the logic that determines the
sequence of activities. The processes and activities are reusable and fully distributed. The Process Builder
supports global structured data types as part of its underlying data model. Consequently, structured data can
be incorporated as a lightweight data type into the operation of the process models, and exposed by the
reporting tools.
At runtime, the Business Process Engine interacts with repository content, following the steps in a business
process as defined by the Process Suite. The Business Process Engine thus collects information from a
browser-based form or a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) service, then runs a set of processoriented
services. The Process Engine includes persistent state management, queue management services,
automated task framework, timers/deadline services, and audit tracking, data collection, and aggregation
services to structure the predefined sequence of actions and activities that constitute the business process.
The Process Suite supports an extensible business process management environment, in which third-party
tools—such as the ILOG Rules engine, the Cognos analytics engine, and the IDS Scheer
optimizer/simulator—can be added.
The result is a robust business process management environment that leverages managed content and
structures the flow of content across an enterprise.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 29

The tools group: Creating content applications
The Documentum platform includes a tools group that provides access to the repository content and to all
platform-level services. This group consists of predefined components and associated application
programming interfaces (APIs) for enabling customizations, integrations, and application development. In
addition, the APIs are abstracted and exposed as loosely coupled interactive components within a serviceoriented
architecture (SOA). The ECM capabilities are exposed as a comprehensive catalog of shared
services and web services.
This group provides a consistent set of APIs, and a unified object and programming model. Application
developers can use these components and APIs to develop client-side and server-based applications that
interact with repository content. They can leverage composite objects that aggregate content-related
functions to rapidly develop integrated enterprise applications. Application developers can combine content
management services and objects with other enterprise application functions to exploit the flexibility of a
SOA development framework.
Enterprise Content Services and the Documentum API
The Tools group encompasses the Enterprise Content Services (ECS), standards-based APIs, and an
extensible set of the business objects for developing and deploying content applications (see Figure 13).
Programming Interfaces
Web Services-based
Enterprise Content Services
Standards-based
API Protocols
Application
Layer
Customization
Layer
Documentum
Documentum
Compliance
Collaboration
Services**
Services**
Documentum
Foundation
Services (DFS)
WebDAV FTP ODBC JDBC
DFC/BOF
** Future services bundle within the ECS family
Figure 13. The Tools group encompasses the Documentum Foundation Classes (DFC),
standards-based APIs, and an extensible set of business objects for developing and
deploying content applications. Documentum Foundation Services (DFS) expose
Documentum content management functionality as web services. DFS is the first set of
business objects within Enterprise Content Services, the Documentum service-oriented
architecture for integrating with external applications in a standards-compliant manner.
ECS encapsulates the core content management functions of the Documentum platform as a set of discrete
web services, and exposes these functions as business objects. ECS is designed to make content
applications easier to develop and support. ECS promotes reuse and reduces the learning curve for
developers. By collecting common services into business-related objects, ECS is designed to provide
greater agility for application developers to meet the demands of rapidly evolving business environments.
The Tools group delivers the Documentum Foundation Services (DFS) as the initial set of ECS objects.
DFS is a set of SOA-compliant objects and services for developing content applications within a web
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 30

services framework. Documentum Compliance Services and Documentum Collaboration Services are
forthcoming sets of ECS objects to be delivered within the Documentum platform.
Documentum Foundation Services
Documentum Foundation Services (DFS) are an SOA development framework and API. This framework
replaces and significantly enhances the previous web services framework. DFS delivers a set of out-of-thebox
business objects and services, designed from the ground up, to expose key content management
functionality as standards-compliant web services. DFS ensures that the Documentum platform can
function as an integral part of an organization’s information infrastructure, developed using web services.
Loosely coupled components
DFS provides content-related services that are loosely coupled and can be dynamically assembled to meet
business needs. These are self-contained services—modifying or enhancing functions within one service
does not affect others.
DFS are based on web services, a standards-based software environment, recognized by the World Wide
Web Consortium (W3C), and designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a
network. DFS components are registered and discovered through a central registry or directory, (such as the
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration Directory). DFS components are described in terms of
Web Services Description Language (WSDL). Each DFS component offers a small range of simple
services to other components.
DFS provides:
• A set of core and extended services, implemented as web services, that expose Documentum content
management functionality.
• A Java SDK to enable development of service consumers using client runtime support, and
development of custom services based on Plain Old Java Objects (POJOs), or Service-based Business
Objects (SBOs) using service runtime support.
• A WSDL service interface to enable development of service consumers using development platforms
that support SOAP messaging, including .NET.
The design of the DFS services and data model simplifies the process of enterprise application development
by reducing the overall complexity of the API and aligning the semantics of both services and data objects
to the needs of ECM business logic. This supports rapid, agile application development using business
process orchestration tools (such as BPM), and facilitates integration of enterprise content management into
a service-oriented enterprise (SOE).
DFS services also honor BOF objects. Thus the services can call and invoke predefined objects when
integrating with the Documentum repository.
Out-of-the-box services
Documentum delivers a core set of services that represent essential functions of a generic ECM system.
Each service provides a set of independent operations. The object service, for example, provides basic
content management functionality in operations such as “create,” “get,” “update,” and “delete.” The current
DFS services and their related functions are as follows in Table 3.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 31

Table 3. DFS services and functions
Service
Description
Object
Version control
Query
Schema
Search
Workflow
Fundamental ECM operations for creating, getting, updating, and
deleting repository objects, as well as copy and move operations
Operations that produce and control versions within the repository,
such as check-in and check-out
Operations for obtaining data from repositories using ad hoc queries,
such as pass though, cache query, results, and query builder
Operations that examine repository metadata
Operations that concern full-text and property-based searches against
both the enterprise repository and external information sources
Operations that obtain data about workflow process templates stored
in repositories, and an operation that starts a workflow process
instance
Application developers can develop rich Internet applications by linking the content services, provided by
DFS, with web services from external applications and frameworks, and thus provide content-enabled
solutions that leverage enterprise content in new ways.
Documentum Composer
Application developers can use EMC Documentum Composer, an Eclipse-based integrated development
environment (IDE) for developing, deploying, and configuring applications running on the Documentum
platform. By leveraging a standards-based IDE, developers increase their productivity while reducing the
cost of application development. Eclipse enables an ecosystem of customers, partners, and business
analysts.
Documentum Composer supports a series of mechanisms for rapid application development. It includes a
well-defined plug-in model for adding functionality to the application environment. As an Eclipse-based
IDE, Composer integrates with the broad range of application resources (and their varied editors) available
to developers within their enterprise computing environments. Composer enables multiple tools to share a
common set of information resources. It provides an open environment, with well-defined interfaces and
extension points. As a result, application developers can leverage their investments in DFS and ECS; they
can easily develop web services-oriented applications that integrate content-related objects with resources
and services of external enterprise applications.
EMC Documentum Foundation Classes
Documentum Foundation Classes (DFC) is the published and supported programming interface for
accessing the functionality of the Documentum platform. DFC exposes the Documentum object model as
an object-oriented library for other applications to use. DFC provides Java and component object model
(COM) class libraries that expose the functions that drive the Documentum platform.
Application developers can use programming languages and development tools—including those
developed in Java, Visual Basic, C#, and C++—to build customized applications.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 32

Standards-based application programming interfaces
EMC Documentum provides a unified application development environment. In addition to the DFC, the
Documentum platform supports a number of standards-based APIs—from authoring applications, capture
devices, third-party databases, application servers, and other enterprise components—for interacting with
the Documentum repository. These standards-based APIs interact seamlessly with—by calling and being
called by—the DFC. Application developers can choose the APIs that best suit their applications.
The standard APIs include JDBC, WebDAV, file transfer protocol (FTP), and operating system-level,
network file services (File Share Services). They are described as follows:
• JDBC—Many server-based applications use standard Java data access protocols to access repository
content through Documentum JDBC Services. These services act as a driver that makes the
Documentum repository “look like” a JDBC database.
• WebDAV—The Documentum platform supports a WebDAV server that enables WebDAV-aware
desktop applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, to use this protocol to interact
with the Documentum repository.
• FTP—The Documentum platform provides an FTP server that enables third-party tools, such as
Macromedia Dreamweaver, to integrate with the Documentum repository.
• File Share Services—The Documentum platform supports network-level file sharing services, enabling
the Documentum repository to “look like” a shared network drive to disparate desktop applications.
These applications can then use their own file system access mechanisms to access and add content to
the Documentum repository.
Business Objects Framework
The Documentum platform includes a Business Objects Framework (BOF), a structured environment for
developing content applications. The BOF shields application developers from the implementation details
of the platform’s granular DFC and the underlying object model on which the DFC is based. Thus BOF
enables application developers to easily develop highly reusable components that can be shared by multiple
applications.
BOF functions by abstracting the Documentum APIs and aggregating sets of these APIs into a business
logic layer. BOF provides a way to develop reusable business logic components, called business objects.
(Business objects are entities with predefined classes and properties (attributes) and can have unstructured
content associated with them.) The BOF can implement business logic as reusable components that can be
plugged into middle-tier network applications or client applications. These business objects combine
presentation and business logic with direct access to all Content Services.
Types of business objects
The Documentum platform supports several types of business objects.
• A type-based business object is tightly linked to an object type stored in the Documentum repository.
Application developers can add additional methods to the built-in or configured object type. Examples
include “catalog,” “product,” “contract,” and “customer.”
• A service-based business object provides methods that perform more generalized procedures not
usually bound to a specific object type or repository. Rather, such objects represent a collection of
functions that may operate on other kinds of business objects. Examples include “mailbox alert,”
“catalog export,” and “syndicate” service.
A method associated with a business object can be called by other DFC-based applications. JSP, ASP,
Visual Basic, and other languages can access both types of business objects.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 33

Aspects
The Documentum platform supports aspects, an addition framework for extending object behavior and
attributes. Aspects are a type of BOF entity that can be dynamically attached to object instances, to provide
fields and methods beyond the standard ones for the object type. The extended behavior can include
functionality that applies to types across the object hierarchy. Aspects speed application development and
improve code reuse, as the extended attributes and behavior do not alter the underlying type definitions.
For example, an aspect can label objects as retainable or web-viewable. This single aspect can then be
applied to multiple distinct object types. Aspects speed application development and improve code reuse,
because the extended attributes and behavior do not alter the underlying type definitions.
Aspects can be associated with either an individual object or an object type. When associated with an
object type, the aspect is automatically associated with each new object of the specified object type.
Aspects can also have properties defined for them. Properties defined for an aspect appear to users as if
they are defined for the object type of the object to which the aspect is attached.
The experiences group: Managing the end user’s
interactions
The Web Development Kit framework
The Documentum platform includes a Web Development Kit (WDK), an application development
framework for developing web-based clients and user applications. The Documentum platform also uses
the WDK to provide a series of Application Connectors for integrating Documentum functionality within
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Documentum Client for Outlook, as well as portlets for exposing
Documentum functionality from within a portal.
The WDK framework provides application developers with a consistent and unified environment for
creating web-based applications accessing the Documentum repository. The WDK framework relies on a
form-control-event approach, consistent with .NET WebForms and the Java Server Faces standard (JSR
127).
The WDK provides hundreds of pre-packaged JSR 168-compliant components—JSR 168 is the Java
community standard for developing portlets—that enable Documentum developers to easily build and
customize web-based content applications. In fact, all Documentum clients and applications—including
Webtop, Web Publisher, and Compliance Manager—are built using WDK.
The WDK framework provides a set of WDK services that run locally on a client-side device—either
within a browser or a desktop applications—and interact with server-side business objects (developed using
the BOF) or with DFC functions (see Figure 14).
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 34

Figure 14. The Documentum platform includes a Web Development Kit for developing
browser-based, web-centric applications and Windows-based desktop applications.
Within Windows-based desktop applications, the WDK framework provides COM objects for sending and
receiving HTTP messages to and from a web application server. The messages are exchanged as XML
documents.
Application Connectors
Application Connectors are WDK components that provide access to the Documentum repository and
content services from within desktop applications such as Microsoft Office. Application Connectors are
built on an open framework that enables application developers to add connectors as plug-ins. Because
Application Connectors function consistently within various desktop applications, a single set meets all of
an application developer’s needs.
Application Connectors appear as menu items within a desktop application’s pull-down menu. From
Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the Application Connectors directly call the server-side
components within the Documentum platform, perform the action, and return the results to the calling
Office application.
For example, a Microsoft Word user could use the Documentum menu to query and access documents
stored within the Documentum repository. The Application Connector first authenticates the user and then
authorizes access rights, enabling the user to easily access the documents within Word. Meanwhile, the
server-side content is managed by the business policies of the Documentum platform.
Application developers can use the Application Connector SDK to develop additional application
connectors for the desktop applications of their choice.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 35

A Webtop extension
The Documentum platform provides extensions to EMC Documentum Webtop for additional functionality,
such as collaboration and records management, which can be added to any Documentum client including
Webtop, Digital Asset Manager, and Web Publisher. These extensions are browser-based WDK
components that can access the records services provided by the platform extensions. The platform
extensions add functionality and new object types managed within the repository such as rooms, discussion
threads, contextual folders, and notes.
Portlets for enterprise portals
Finally, the WDK framework supports JSR-168 for developing portlets—pluggable components managed
and displayed within an enterprise portal. The WDK provides native access to the underlying content
management capabilities of the Documentum platform within the context of an enterprise portal.
EMC offers a set of pre-packaged WDK-based JSR 168 portlets with common functionality such as
“inbox,” “my folders,” and “search.” Developers can, however, use the WDK to build any other kind of
portlet based on the WDK components.
Note: EMC also provides portlets for the SAP Portal, called iViews. As SAP Portal does not support the
JSR 168 standard, the SAP portlets are built using native SAP technology.
Conclusion
The EMC Documentum architecture provides a strategy for solving today’s needs to manage unstructured
content, and for investing in tomorrow’s opportunities to profit from content-centric applications.
Documentum delivers the services for managing unstructured business information within an enterprise and
beyond. Using the Documentum platform, companies can ensure that unstructured content is stored,
secured, delivered, and archived in a systematic manner that follows predefined business rules and
conforms to established policies and procedures.
The Documentum platform enables companies to develop robust content applications that solve missioncritical
business problems. For example, marketers and external business partners can always have easy
access to the latest product information, while engineers and scientists follow established business
processes when documenting new technologies. Companies can archive and retain content to meet
compliance requirements, while enabling multiple departments and external business partners to easily
work together and share any type of content over the network.
Finally, the Documentum platform provides application-level components for developing enterprise-scale
applications that use content within the context of business processes and delivers a broad range of
application experiences to desktop- and browser-based applications. These capabilities form the foundation
for tomorrow’s solutions: managed content that disparate applications can access and consume, as needed,
as flexible web services based on a SOA environment.
EMC Documentum Architecture
A Detailed Review 36