2 Working with Content Server Connections

This chapter describes how to manage a content server connection. You can add a server connection through Windows Explorer and integrated applications such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, and Lotus Notes.

This section covers these topics:

2.1 What are content server connections?

Before you can integrate content management features into your desktop experience, you must establish a connection with a server, so you can access the files on it. You can define server connections in any of the integrated applications (Windows Explorer, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, or Lotus Notes). You must only define a server connection once. When you create a new server connection, that connection will be available to all supported applications on your computer that you use to interact with the content server. After you have defined a server connection, you can begin working with that server based on your server permissions.

If you add or remove a server connection, or change its display name, this only affects your own computer. The server settings are stored on your own computer; no other users are affected. Also, when you uninstall the Desktop client software from your computer and reinstall it (for example, to upgrade to a newer version), all previously configured server connections will continue to be available after you reinstall the software.

Note:

Your system administrator may decide to set up all content server connections for you.

Content Server Types

The Desktop client can connect to these types of servers:

WebCenter Content Server: This is an Oracle WebCenter Content Server instance, which offers the broadest content management integration: opening files directly from the server (check-out), saving files to the server (check-in), file versioning, searching for files on the server, comparing Microsoft Word documents on the server, and so on.

Oracle WebCenter: Desktop can work with both the new WebCenter Content user interface offered by WebCenter Content 11gR1 (11.1.1. 8.0) and the native 11g user interface offered by all WebCenter Content 11g releases.

This server type was called 'UCM Content Server' in earlier Desktop releases.
Content DB Server: This is an Oracle Content Database (Oracle Content DB) server. These servers offer some content management integration. You can open files directly from the server and save files to it, but you cannot search for files on the server using the Desktop client software.
WebDAV Server: This is a server that is not an Oracle WebCenter Content Server or Oracle Content Database server but which supports the standardized Web Distributed Authoring And Versioning (WebDAV) enhancements to the HTTP protocol. (The WebDAV DeltaV extension is not supported.) These servers offer some content management integration. You can open files directly from the server and save files to it, but you cannot search for files on the server using the Desktop client software.

You select the content server type when you create the server connection.

Server Type Icons

Each server type has its own icon that visually identifies it in the folders directories in Windows Explorer and Microsoft Outlook.

Server Icons	Server Type
	WebCenter Content Server instance
	Oracle Content Database (Oracle Content DB) server
	Other WebDAV server

2.2 How can I add and manage a content server connection?

Information You Need Before You Can Add a Content Server Connection

Before you begin, you must obtain the following information for the server you are connecting to:

The server type: WebCenter Content Server, Content DB Server, or WebDAV Server.
The URL for your WebDAV server. This information is needed to access the resources provided by your WebDAV Server.
The CGI URL for your content server. This is only for Oracle WebCenter Content Server.
The URL of the server that provides the resources for the Oracle WebCenter Content user interface, if you want to use this interface. This interface is available for Oracle WebCenter Content Server 11gR1 (11.1.1.8.0) or higher.
Ask your system administrator if you do not already have this information.

Note:
The URL of the single sign-on (SSO) server is available depending on the type of server that Desktop Integration Suite uses. Single Sign-On is available only for Content DB Server and WebDAV Server type. For all other server types, Desktop Integration Suite automatically detects and redirects you to the appropriate page.

Adding a Content Server Connection through Windows Explorer

When you add a server connection to your folder tree, you can connect to that server and work with the content on it.

Begin by selecting the WebCenter Content Servers folder in the Windows Explorer navigation pane, then choosing the File menu, followed by Add Server....

In the Server Name text box, enter the name for the new server connection. This name will be displayed in the folder tree. You can use any name as long as it is not already used for another server.

In the text box under Server WebDAV URL, enter the URL for your WebDAV server. A URL is automatically inserted using the name you specified as the server name. You may need to modify this information to suit your particular server. Each defined content server connection must have its own, unique WebDAV URL. You cannot have two server connections on your computer that use the exact same WebDAV URL.

In the text box under CGI URL, enter the CGI URL for your content server. A URL is automatically inserted using the name you specified as the server name. You may need to modify this information to suit your particular server.

In the text box under User Interface URL, if you want to use the WebCenter Content user interface, you must enter the URL of the server that provides the resources for this user interface.

Click Options to open the Server Options dialog for Oracle WebCenter Content Server instances, where you can set the authentication method for the server as well as the metadata fields whose values should be remembered for new check-ins. Click OK when you are done.

To add the server connection, click OK in the Add Server dialog.

The new server connection is now added to your folder tree (under "WebCenter Content Servers"), and is available to all other integrated applications.

Adding a Content Server Connection through Your Integrated Applications

You can add a content server connection through Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, and Lotus Notes. You begin by opening the Add Server dialog, then continuing in the same way as for adding a connection through Windows Explorer (explained previously).

The following are the other ways to open the Add Server dialog from your integrated applications:

In Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, choose Edit Server List, then choose New. (The Edit Server List option may be on an Options drop-down list.)
In Microsoft Outlook, select the WebCenter Content Servers folder in the folders pane, move the mouse cursor to an unused area in the content pane (that is, away from any of the items listed in it), then right-click and choose Add Server....
In Lotus Notes, open the Actions menu and choose Email Integration Settings...., then Edit Server List, and then New....
In Windows Explorer, right-click the WebCenter Content Servers folder in your navigation pane and choose Add Server....
In Windows Explorer, right-click in an unused area of the content pane (that is, away from any of the items listed in it), then choose Add Server....

Adding a Connection from the Content Server Web Interface

You can also add a connection to an Oracle WebCenter Content Server 11gR1 (11.1.1.8.0) or higher, directly from its WebCenter Content user interface (if enabled).

Begin by opening your web browser and logging in to the WebCenter Content user interface. Ask your system administrator if you do not know what URL to use.

Open your user menu and choose Add Server to Desktop Integration.

Enter a server name and click Add Server.

The server connection is created automatically in the WebCenter Content Server folder tree using the correct WebDAV, CGI, and user interface URLs, and you can interact with the server from your desktop applications.

Changing the Name of a Server Connection

In Windows Explorer, you may change the name of a server connection if no content items on the server are currently in your local cache. If you change the name, it is updated automatically in the WebCenter Content Servers folder tree.

You change a content server name in the Server Properties dialog. Right-click the name in the folder tree, choose Properties, then enter the new name in the Name box.

Viewing Existing Content Server Connection URLs

Note:

You cannot edit any of the URLs of an existing server connection. If you need to modify a server URL, you should remove the server connection and re-create it using the new URL.

You can view the Server WebDAV URL by opening the Server Properties dialog in Windows Explorer. Right-click the content server name and choose Properties.

To see the other URLs (if any) you must open the Edit Server List dialog in a Microsoft Office application. Open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, then choose Edit Server List.... (The Edit Server List option may be on an Options drop-down list.) Select the server whose connection properties you want to view, then choose View.... All URLs used for the server connection are shown on this dialog.

Removing a Content Server Connection

When you remove a server connection from your folder tree, you can no longer work with the content on that server from your desktop applications.

You can remove a server connection in Windows Explorer or from within Microsoft Office applications.

To remove a server connection in Windows Explorer, select the server name in the folders pane, right-click and choose Remove. Alternatively, you can press Delete on your keyboard.

To remove a server connection from within Microsoft Office applications, open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, and then choose Edit Server List.... (The Edit Server List option may be on an Options drop-down list.) Select the server connection that you want to remove, and choose Delete. Then click Yes to confirm.

The server is automatically removed from the WebCenter Content Servers folder tree and is no longer available in all integrated applications on your computer. Only the server connection is removed; no content files are deleted from the actual server.

Setting Metadata to be Remembered for Form-Based Check-Ins

For each server connection, you can set the metadata that will be "remembered" each time you check in a content item using a content check-in form. As a result, at each check-in, the metadata values you used at the last check-in will populate the metadata fields configured to be remembered (assuming these values are available). If you enter new values in the metadata fields, the new ones will be used for the file (and also remembered for the next form-based check-in).

You can set the metadata fields to be remembered for a server when you initially create a connection to that server (which was described above), or you can modify this setting later.

You can modify the setting through your Microsoft Office applications and through Microsoft Outlook. You cannot modify the setting through Windows Explorer.

To begin modifying the setting through Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, and choose Edit Server List.... (The Edit Server List option may be on an Options drop-down list.)

To begin modifying the setting through Microsoft Outlook, open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, select Email Integration Settings, then click the Edit Server List button.

On the Edit Server List dialog, select the server for which you want to set the metadata to be remembered, and click View....

On the Edit Server dialog, click Options. On the Server Options dialog, open the Remember Metadata Fields tab, and move the metadata fields whose values should be remembered between check-ins from the left column ("Available Metadata Fields") to the right column ("Selected Metadata Fields").

After you have closed all dialogs, the setting takes effect immediately.

Setting the Authentication Method

For each server connection, you can set the authentication method that is used when you log on to the server. The authentication method is set up by the content server administrator and there is generally no need to change the default on your client computer unless specifically asked to do so.

You can set the authentication method for a server when you initially create a connection to that server (which was described above), or you can modify it later.

You can set the authentication method through your Microsoft Office applications and through Microsoft Outlook. You cannot modify the setting through Windows Explorer.

To begin setting the authentication method through Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, and choose Edit Server List.... (The Edit Server List option may be on an Options drop-down list.)

To begin setting the authentication method through Microsoft Outlook, open the WebCenter Content menu or ribbon, select Email Integration Settings, then click the Edit Server List button.

On the Edit Server List dialog, select the server for which you want to set the metadata to be remembered, and click View....

On the Edit Server dialog, click Options. On the Server Options dialog, open the Authentication tab, and select the authentication method to be used. Contact your content server administrator if you are not sure which authentication method to use.

After you have closed all dialogs, the setting takes effect immediately.

2.3 How can I connect to a content server?

To access a content server from one of the supported desktop applications, you must establish a connection to that server. To do so, select the content server in the folder directory (in Windows Explorer, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Outlook). You are then typically prompted to provide your login credentials (that is, your user name and password). After entering this information, you are able to view and interact with the files on the content server.

You will typically see a login web form or a login dialog, depending on the authentication scheme used for the content server. In either case, provide your assigned user name and password to gain access to the files on the server.

You may be logged off a content server automatically if there is no activity for a certain period of time.

2.4 How do I log off from a content server?

When you are finished interacting with a content server, you may wish to break the server connection (log off). To log off a content server, right-click that server in the WebCenter Content Servers folder directory and choose Log Off in the context menu. You can then no longer access the content on the server until you log back on.

You may be logged off a content server automatically if there is no activity for a certain period of time.

2.5 How do I work with content server in offline mode?

You can work with a content server in offline mode. This means that you cannot directly access any files on the server, but you can work with files from the server that are currently in your local cache.

To work with a content server in offline mode, right-click that server in the folder directory or the content pane, and choose Work Offline in the context menu. The server icon then changes to include an offline indicator (Figure 2-1). In addition, the Work Offline option in the server's context menu is preceded by a check mark. To cancel the offline status, select the Work Offline option in the context menu again.

Figure 2-1 Offline Oracle WebCenter Content Server

After a server is offline, it has an Offline Files folder, which provides easy access to all files on the server that you made available offline.