| Oracle® Files Administrator's Guide Release 2 (9.0.4) Part Number B10872-02 |
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| Oracle® Files Administrator's Guide Release 2 (9.0.4) Part Number B10872-02 |
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View PDF |
Oracle Files is designed as an enterprise file server replacement, with added content management features (for example, versioning) that enable users to collaborate more productively. All content is stored in an Oracle database.
No additional client software is required, unless you choose to run Oracle FileSync, the file synchronization tool. Oracle FileSync must be installed separately on each client in order to be used.
Oracle Files provides:
Support for file-sharing and collaboration protocols.
A Web user interface designed for large-scale deployments.
Workspace-based collaboration.
Content management features like extensible metadata, versioning, and content-based searching.
Workflow integration for approval and routing.
User and administrator options for single file recovery.
Scalability, reliability, security, and platform independence.
These features and capabilities are designed to help IT managers lower costs through file server consolidation while simultaneously making employees more productive.
This chapter discusses basic concepts you should understand when administering Oracle Files. Topics include:
The following sections describe the technology underlying Oracle Files, as well as how the domain controller, nodes, and other processes interact. It also provides information about Oracle Internet Directory and the Oracle Files Subscriber model.
Oracle Files was built using the Oracle Content Management Software Development Kit (Oracle CM SDK), a robust development platform for content management applications.
It provides a set of Java APIs that expose file system functionality such as file storage and searching, as well as document delete, move, and rename operations. The APIs also provide content management features unique to Oracle CM SDK, such as document versioning, controlling access to documents, and advanced queuing to facilitate communication between applications
You can find more information about Oracle Content Management SDK at:
An Oracle Files domain is a logical grouping of Oracle Files nodes, running under the control of the domain controller process, and an Oracle9i database instance (called the "Oracle Collaboration Suite Information Store") that contains the Oracle Files data. The nodes and domain controller process run on Oracle9i Application Server.
The Oracle Files schema is created in an Oracle database during the configuration process. The schema owns all database objects, including metadata about Oracle Files and configuration information (see Figure 1-1).
An Oracle Files node is the application software that comprises the product, along with the underlying Java Virtual Machine (JVM) required to support the software at runtime. The Oracle Files domain controller process controls and manages the nodes making up the domain.
Important concepts to understand about nodes include:
An Oracle Files domain encompassing any number of nodes is controlled by one (and only one) domain controller process.
An Oracle Files domain includes two nodes by default: one regular node and one HTTP node (see Figure 1-2). You can configure additional regular nodes on the same computer or on additional computers.
The regular node supports protocol servers, such as AFP, FTP, NFS, and SMB, as well as agents, such as the Garbage Collection Agent.
Each regular node is monitored by a node guardian process, which automatically attempts recovery when error conditions occur. This means that the regular node has built-in fault tolerance.
The HTTP node supports the Oracle Files application, portlet, Oracle FileSync, and WebDAV by means of servlets that are configured to work with the Oracle9iAS Containers for J2EE (OC4J).
The HTTP node's OC4J process is guarded by Oracle Process Management and Notification (OPMN). OPMN will restart the OC4J process if it is stopped unexpectedly.
The node manager is the actual process that gets started when the node is started. It is responsible for starting the default services and servers for this node. It also provides an administrative API for the node that allows you to find out information about node log levels, locale information, available free memory, and the node's Oracle home.
The Oracle Files domain controller process, node processes, and the database itself can be physically configured on a single host, as shown in Figure 1-3, or across several, separate hosts, as shown in Figure 1-4.
For information about hardware requirements and sizing guidelines for Oracle Files, see the Oracle Files Planning Guide.
If you choose the single-computer configuration illustrated in Figure 1-3, you must ensure that your host meets the recommended hardware requirements for all components. Be aware that administration is more complex in a single-computer environment. In most cases, you should install Oracle Internet Directory on a separate computer, as shown in Figure 1-4.
With appropriate network load balancers and computer configuration, users may not be aware of whether the Oracle Files instance is running on one host or across several hosts. Users access content, such as folders and documents, using the appropriate client application for a particular Oracle Files protocol server. See the Oracle Collaboration Suite Release Notes for specific client certifications.
Windows users can take advantage of Oracle FileSync, a file synchronization client program that lets you work offline (in disconnected mode) and then synchronize file changes with a remote Oracle Files server. See "Installing Oracle FileSync" for more information.
When end users connect to a specific protocol server, the underlying service on the node manages authentication of each end user by means of the associated Oracle Internet Directory credential manager, and manages the connection to the database where the content is actually stored.
Each node supports a service with specific configuration parameters, such as language, default character set, credential managers, connections to the database, and cache sizes.
The service, in turn, supports the servers. Each server is either a protocol server or an agent. The protocol servers listen for requests from clients on a specific Internet Protocol (IP) port and respond to requests according to the rules of the protocol specification. By default, each protocol server listens on the industry-standard well known port (for example, FTP listens on port 21) and adheres to the specification of the protocol server. Each protocol may interact with Oracle Files in a different way. For example, when uploading a file, FTP just inserts the file, while SMB creates a 0-byte file before creating the actual file.
Agents perform operations periodically (time-based) or in response to events generated by other Oracle Files servers or processes (event-based). For example, the Content Garbage Collection Agent deletes content no longer associated with any document in Oracle Files. It does so based on an activation period parameter that you set for the server configuration object. See Appendix C, "Server Configuration Properties" for more information.
Although different agents can run in different nodes, each agent must run only on a single node. Typically, all the shipped agents must be run to ensure a stable system.
The Oracle Files architecture is flexible: services and servers are de-coupled so that you can configure services, protocol servers, and agents across a wide array of hardware to best meet your business needs. For example, you can run all protocol servers on one node, and run all agents on another node, or they can all run on the same node.
By default, a single service starts on each node, and that service supports all protocol servers selected during installation.
Given the flexibility and granularity of the deployment options, it is important to think about the physical configuration before you install and configure the system. You should plan how the various processes that comprise the system—the domain controller, nodes, agents, and so on—will be configured across your hardware.
The Oracle Files Configuration Assistant sets up an initial domain and node configuration for you, but you can change this later. You can configure the protocol servers at any point by using the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site.
See Appendix B, "Service Configuration Reference" for more information about viewing or modifying service configuration parameters.
An Oracle Files service handles user authentication by means of a credential manager. A user's credentials authenticate the user to the system being accessed (for example, any one of the Oracle Files protocol servers). The credential manager associated with the service tells the service where and how to obtain the credential.
Oracle Files uses Oracle Internet Directory for its identity management directory (in other words, for its list of users and passwords). During configuration of Oracle Files, you use the Oracle Files Configuration Assistant to select an Oracle Internet Directory server to be used with Oracle Files.
When an Oracle Internet Directory credential manager is created during installation, it is created with these default characteristics:
Ability to accept the following credentials for authentication:
Cleartext
SMB Challenge/Response
HTTP Digest
Token
Protocols that only support Cleartext authentication (AFP, FTP) use the Oracle Files-specific password, rather than the default Oracle Internet Directory password, for enhanced security. Other protocols use the default Oracle Internet Directory password, also known as the Single Sign-On password.
To administer the Oracle Internet Directory associated with Oracle Files, use Oracle Directory Manager and other associated Oracle Internet Directory management tools. See the Oracle Internet Directory Administrator's Guide for more information.
In Oracle Files, a Subscriber is an organizational entity whose users collaborate. Oracle Files Subscribers are based on Oracle Internet Directory Subscribers. The Site Administrator chooses which Subscriber to associate with the Oracle Files domain during Oracle Files configuration.
The Oracle Files Subscriber has a designated Subscriber Administrator to manage quota, specify Subscriber settings, and perform other tasks. See Chapter 3, "Oracle Files Administrative Roles and Tasks" for more information about the different types of administrators in Oracle Files.
Oracle Files administrators should be familiar with the following key features:
There are three different administrative roles in Oracle Files:
The System Administrator is responsible for managing the Oracle Files domain by starting and stopping the domain controller, nodes, services, and servers, and tuning the system to ensure reliability and performance.
The Site Administrator is responsible for creating, modifying, and deleting Subscribers, as well as registering custom workflows.
The Subscriber Administrator is responsible for managing quotas, specifying Subscriber settings, administering users, restoring files from the Archive, and administering categories.
Each administrative role does not have to be filled by a different person. In some cases, a single user may act in multiple roles. In addition, each role has a different set of access permissions. See Chapter 3, "Oracle Files Administrative Roles and Tasks" for more information about the different types of administrators in Oracle Files.
A workspace is where a selected group of Oracle Files users store and collaborate on files and folders. The content of a workspace can be viewed and edited only by its members. A workspace includes at least one administrator, and can include participants and viewers.
Unlike the three administrative roles described in the previous section, the role of the Workspace Administrator is not a true Oracle Files administrative role, since any member of a particular Workspace can be assigned the role of Workspace Administrator.
Workspace Administrator. The role of the Workspace Administrator is to manage the workspace. The management role includes such functions as adding and removing workspace members, modifying member access, requesting more workspace quota, and specifying the visibility and workspace type. The Workspace Administrator has full access to the files and folders of the workspace, and can unlock files that have been locked by other workspace members.
Participant. A workspace participant can edit the contents and properties of files and folders in the workspace. A workspace participant can copy and move items to and from the workspace, and can delete files and folders from the workspace, and the workspace's Trash folder.
Viewer. A workspace viewer is restricted to viewing workspace files and folders.
Each workspace is allocated a quota. The contents of each workspace, including its Public folder and Trash folder, count against the workspace's allocated quota. Exceeding the workspace's quota prevents the workspace members from storing additional content into the workspace. The workspace's administrators can, however, request that the Subscriber Administrator increase the workspace's quota.
See "Workspace Management" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
Each user has a Public folder where he or she can store files, viewable by all users in the Subscriber.
Each user has a Private folder where only he or she can access, store, and view files.
See "File Management" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
Users can conduct simple or advanced searches. Advanced searching lets users refine and combine search criteria.
See "Search Options" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
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Note: In addition to the Oracle Files search feature, Oracle Collaboration Suite users can take advantage of Oracle Collaboration Suite Search, an application that lets users search any and all configured applications in the Oracle Collaboration Suite. See "Oracle Collaboration Suite Search Configuration" for more information. |
By associating categories with files or folders and modifying the attributes of a category, users can organize and classify their information. Users can also search for files by category.
See "Categories" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
Users can retain a history of file modifications by creating and saving one or more snapshots of a file.
See "Versioning" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
Users can submit files for review to a specified set of reviewers. These reviewers fall into two categories: Approvers, who can approve or reject the file, or simply Reviewers, who have read-only access to the file.
The backbone of a review process in Oracle Files is Oracle Workflow. Using a review process, any workspace member can submit for review one or more files from their workspace to other members of their workspace. A review process ends in the approval or rejection of these files, or the process can expire or be canceled. Members can either be Approvers or Reviewers of a review process:
Approver. After receiving notification from Oracle Workflow that he or she has been asked to approve one or more files, an Approver must either approve or reject the files that have been submitted for review. An Approver cannot approve or reject individual files associated with one review process, but must approve or reject the files as a whole. The workspace member, who initiated the review process, is notified of its approval or rejection.
Reviewer. After receiving notification from Oracle Workflow that he or she has been asked to review one or more files, a Reviewer can review the files. He or she can neither approve or reject files that have been submitted for review.
See "Review Processes and Workflow" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
You can create custom review processes, also called workflow processes, to use in Oracle Files. A workflow designer, a person with the necessary skills to design a workflow process in Oracle Workflow Builder, creates the custom workflow process. Then, the Site Administrator registers the custom workflow process with Oracle Files.
See "Using Custom Workflows in Oracle Files" in Chapter 10 for detailed information.
Files deleted in Private and Public folders are moved to Personal Trash. Files deleted in workspaces are moved to a corresponding Trash folder. A user can request that the Subscriber Administrator restore files that have been emptied from their trash, or from the trash of Workspaces in which they collaborate.
See "File Management" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
Using Microsoft Web Folders, Windows users can open and edit an Oracle Files workspace file and save their changes directly back to Oracle Files. When a user opens a workspace file from Microsoft Web Folders to edit in Microsoft Office, the file is automatically locked in Oracle Files. Any changes made to the file are automatically saved back to Oracle Files. When the user closes the file in Microsoft Office, the file is automatically unlocked in Oracle Files.
See "File Management" in the online help for Oracle Files for detailed information.
Oracle FileSync synchronizes all file changes between a local computer and Oracle Files, ensuring that the contents of selected local folders and remote folders match.
See "Oracle FileSync Client Software" for information about how to install Oracle FileSync. Consult the online help for Oracle FileSync for information about how to synchronize your files.
Oracle Files, a part of the Oracle Collaboration Suite, is middle-tier software that leverages the capabilities of both Oracle9i Database Server and Oracle9i Application Server.
Oracle Collaboration Suite is an integrated suite of enterprise information management products. It provides a number of shared, Òcross-productÓ features such as an integrated portal home page, a consistent web UI look-and-feel, and federated search for content across all products.
Oracle Files uses the database to store all content and metadata.
All content and metadata about the Oracle Files instance is stored in an Oracle database. These objects, including tablespaces, tables, indexes, views, sequences, and procedures owned by the schema, provide the underpinnings of the fully functioning system.
There are additional schemas created to ensure secure connectivity to other systems. These additional schema names are derived from the Oracle Files schema name. For example, if the Oracle Files schema name is IFSSYS, the additional schemas are IFSSYS$CM, IFSSYS$DR, and IFSSYS$ID.
User content—word processing files, spreadsheets, sound files, presentations, and all manner of other business content—is stored by Oracle Files in the database as LOBs (large objects).
LOBs enable fast access and optimized storage for large bits of content, often binary, stored in the database. Otherwise, all content in the Oracle Files schema is stored as standard data types in various tables.
Oracle Text is full-text retrieval technology built into the Oracle9i Database Server for indexing and searching text and documents stored in the Oracle database. Oracle Text supports mixed languages and character sets in the same index. Oracle Files uses the text indexing and retrieval features of Oracle Text.
Oracle Advanced Queueing provides an infrastructure for distributed applications to communicate asynchronously using messages. Oracle Advanced Queueing is built into the Oracle9i Database Server.
See "Using Custom Workflows in Oracle Files" for information on how Oracle Files uses Oracle Advanced Queueing to integrate with Oracle Workflow.
A cluster is a group of servers that can be used as a single computing system, effectively taking advantage of the combined resources (memory and CPUs) of all the database servers in your cluster.
In a traditional single-server configuration, if the database server goes down due to a hardware, software, or power failure, the Oracle database instance is not available; the single database server has many points of failure.
With Oracle9i Real Application Clusters, if one of the servers in your cluster fails, users are automatically connected to a remaining live server. This failover operation can occur rapidly, since your shared database is already up and running on the other servers in your cluster, effectively masking server failures from your users.
Consult your database documentation for more information about setting up Oracle9i Real Application Clusters. See Appendix D, "Setting Up Oracle Files With RAC" for more information about setting up Oracle Files for use with RAC.
Oracle Files is designed to integrate with several important components from the Oracle9i Application Server product family, including Oracle Internet Directory, the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site, and Oracle9iAS Containers for J2EE (OC4J).
See the Oracle Collaboration Suite Installation and Configuration Guide for detailed information on recommended Oracle Files installation and deployment models.
Oracle9iAS Containers for J2EE (OC4J) is a J2EE-compliant application server that supports Java Server Pages (JSP), Java servlets, Enterprise Java Beans, and many other APIs from the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE). Services are deployed to an OC4J instance using XML-based configuration files as standard .WAR (Web Application Archive), .EAR (Enterprise Application Archive), and .JAR (Java Archive) files. Oracle Files uses the Java Servlet and the runtime environment of OC4J to support the HTTP/DAV servlet, application servlet, and portlet servlet.
OC4J is automatically configured for the Oracle Files HTTP node as part of the Oracle Files configuration process. You can manage OC4J through the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site.
Oracle Enterprise Manager is a systems management software application that enables you to manage and monitor Oracle9i Application Server instances and other Oracle server products. Oracle Enterprise Manager has two separate Web-based interfaces: the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site and the Grid Control. The Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site is used to connect to a single middle-tier host, while the Grid Control provides centralized management for multiple middle tiers, including Oracle9iAS middle tiers, Oracle9iAS Infrastructure tiers, and Oracle9i Database Server hosts. Refer to Figure 1-5 and Figure 1-6 for diagrams of the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site and the Grid Control.
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Note: If you want to use the centralized management capabilities of the Grid Control, you must install and configure the Grid Control. You must also install a separate Management Agent on the Oracle Files middle tier in its own Oracle home. For more information, refer to Oracle Enterprise Manager Managing Oracle Collaboration Suite on Oracle Technology Network at:http://otn.oracle.com |
Oracle Files uses the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site to operate and monitor system processes associated with the Oracle Files domain and nodes. The Grid Control is used for access to Oracle Files metrics, such as document statistics, node statistics, and users, including access to historical metric data. The Grid Control is also used for monitoring system health through alerts that have been defined for some metrics.
Using a Web browser from anywhere on the network, you can connect to the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site, from which you can launch the domain controller process, start and stop nodes, and monitor the domain and nodes.
The first page you see when you access the Oracle Enterprise Manager Web site is the Oracle9i Application Server Farm Home page, which lets you view a set of related application server instances associated with the same Oracle9i Application Server Infrastructure tier.
Oracle Internet Directory is Oracle's LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) v.3-compliant directory service implementation. Oracle Internet Directory provides user authentication and other directory service features, like user provisioning, to Oracle Collaboration Suite components.
For more information about Oracle9i Application Server and its components, see the Oracle9i Application Server Installation Guide, Oracle Internet Directory Administrator's Guide, and Oracle Enterprise Manager Concepts.
Oracle Workflow is business-process automation software. Oracle Workflow lets you automate the process of routing and approving information, according to business rules you specify. Key components include:
Oracle Workflow Builder, a modeling tool that lets you define and model your business processes in a graphical environment
Workflow Engine, which coordinates the routing activities and approvals at runtime
A notifications system for sending notifications to and receiving notifications from users (such as approvers) in a workflow
A Web-based graphical monitoring tool for tracking workflow processes
Oracle Files comes with a default workflow process (also called review process) that enables Oracle Files users to submit their documents for review. In addition, a workflow designer, a person with the necessary skills to design a workflow process in Oracle Workflow Builder, can create custom workflow processes for Oracle Files. Once a custom workflow process has been created, the Site Administrator is responsible for registering it with Oracle Files.
See "Using Custom Workflows in Oracle Files" in Chapter 10 for more information about custom workflows.
