Content sources provide access to external content repositories, enabling users to submit documents and content managers to create content crawlers to import documents into the Knowledge Directory. Each content source is configured to access a particular document repository with specific authentication. For example, a content source for a secured web site can be configured to fill out the web form necessary to gain access to that site. Register a content source for each secured web site or back-end repository from which content can be imported into your portal.
There are two types of content sources: web content sources and remote content sources. Web content sources provide access to web sites. Remote content sources provide access to external content repositories, such as a Windows NT file system, Documentum, Microsoft Exchange, or Lotus Notes.
Content sources keep track of what content has been imported, deleted, or rejected by content crawlers accessing the content source. It keeps a record of imported files so that content crawlers do not create duplicate links. To prevent multiple copies of the same link being imported into your portal, set multiple content crawlers that are accessing the same content source to only import content that has not already been imported from that content source.
Because a content source accesses secured documents, you must secure access to the content source itself. Content sources, like everything in the portal, have security settings that allow you to specify exactly which portal users and groups can see the content source. Users that do not have at least Select access to a content source cannot select it, or even see it, when submitting content or building a content crawler.
Some content sources (and their necessary content web services and remote servers) are automatically created in the Portal Resources folder when you install the portal. There are also content sources that are available with the portal installation, but require additional steps to complete installation. For information on the additional installation steps, refer to the Installation Guide for Oracle WebCenter Interaction.