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Functionality comparison of DB2 Content Manager clients (Client for Windows V8.4, eClient V8.4, Portlets V8.3, and IBM WEBi V1.0.3)

Question & Answer


Question

This technote provides a comparison of the advantages and limitations for each of the clients that connect with IBM® DB2® Content Manager. This technote also compares the specific functionality of each of the clients, by describing the support they provide for: operating systems, servers, DB2 Content Manager Version 8 data model, searching, viewing, importing and exporting, records (DB2 Records Manager), and DB2 Content Manager document routing.

Answer

Advantages of each client
This table summarizes the advantages for each of the clients.

Client for Windows® V8.4eClient V8.4IBM WEBi V1.0.3Portlets V8.3 (V3.1)
  • Dynamic user interface
  • Preferences and user defaults
  • Speed
  • Proactive privilege checking and error checking
  • You can develop you own application using the COM API and user exit. (OLE API is a provided windows client for users to develop a Content Manager application. User exit is developed by user to enhance some Client for Windows features.)
  • Easy to deploy and maintain (install and update once)
  • Cross-platform browser support (Windows, Macintosh, Linux™)
  • Most complete server support
  • Easy to install, deploy, and maintain
  • Easy to customize appearance and configuration
  • More intuitive user interface
  • Federated searching across IBM repositories
  • Easy to administer and customize in configure and edit mode
  • Easy to install, deploy and maintain via WebSphere® Portal administration
  • Easy to customize appearance (portal themes, skins, portal layouts)
  • Easy to integrate with vendor portlets
  • Cross-platform browser support (Windows, Macintosh, Linux)
  • Most complete data model coverage

Disadvantages of each client
This table summarizes the limitations for each of the clients.

Client for Windows V8.4eClient V8.4IBM WEBi V1.0.3Portlets V8.3 (V3.1)
  • Difficult to deploy and maintain (install and update individually)
  • Difficult to customize beyond user exits
  • Available on Windows only
  • Administer and customize via Java™ properties file
  • Brittle customization (upgrading can cause breakage)
  • Prerequisites are not auto-configured
  • Available on AIX, Linux, and Windows only
  • Brittle customization (upgrading can cause breakage)
  • Might generate higher CPU usage on the backend server than other clients
  • WebSphere Portal Server is a prerequisite
  • Prerequisites are not bundled or auto-configured
  • English only


Functional comparison of clients
This table compares the specific functionality of each of the clients.

FunctionClient for Windows V8.4eClient V8.4IBM WEBi V1.0.3Portlets V8.3 (V3.1)
Translated?YesYesYesNo
Supported operating systems
  • Windows® 2000
  • Windows® 2003
  • AIX® 5.2
  • Solaris 9.0
  • Linux® RHEL 3
  • Linux® RHEL 4
Server support
  • DB2® Content Manager Version 8.2 – 8.4
  • DB2 Information Integrator for Content federated database
  • DB2 ImagePlus® for OS/390®
  • DB2 Content Manager Version 8.3 – 8.4
  • DB2 Content Manager Version 8.3 FP 7 – 8.4 or later
  • DB2 Content Manager Version 8.2 - 8.3
Records enabledYes, declare record and record informationYes, declare record and record informationNo No
Data model support:
Item or item typeDocument classified items, foldersDocument classified items, foldersDocument classified items, item classified items, resource classified items, and foldersDocument classified items, item classified items, resource classified items, and folders
Child components or hierarchical attributesSingle levelSingle levelSingle level
  • n-level child components in Search, New Folder, Import, and Edit Attributes interfaces.
  • Initially displays single level in results and worklists, secondary interfaces display n-level
CLOB attributesNoYesNo (toleration if it is not a required attribute)Yes
BLOB attributesNoNo No (toleration if it is not a required attribute)No
Reference attributesNoNoNo (toleration)Yes
Item level ACLsYesYesNoYes
Item type level ACLsYesYesYesYes
Foreign key list of attribute valuesNoYesNoYes
User exit list of attribute valuesYesNoNoNo
Item type views or subset display 'active' viewYesNoYes (item type views only)No
Multipart itemsFull support for:
  • Viewing
  • Downloading
Full support for:
  • Viewing
  • Downloading
Full support for:
  • Viewing
  • Downloading
Partial support for:
  • Sending documents as attachments
  • Checking in changes
  • Versioning
Full support for:
  • Viewing
  • Downloading
Searching:
Item type list and search criteria in the same interfaceYesNoYesNo
Sortable and paged item type listNoYesYesYes
Parametric and text search on attributesYesYesYesYes
Full text search on contentYesYesYesYes
Search across all item typesYesYes (for saved searches only)NoNo
Search is aware of document routing attributesYesNoNoPartial, document routing attributes can be displayed in search results
Search displays all versionsYesNoYesNo
Search for documents, folders, or bothYesNoYesNo
Advanced search, create custom searchesYesNoNoPartial, xQuery can be entered
Saved searchesYesYesNoNo
Time stamp user attributemicrosecond
(for example, yyyy-MM-dd-HH.mm.ss.SSSSSS)		microsecond
(for example, yyyy-MM-dd-HH.mm.ss.SSSSSS)		millisecond
(for example, yyyy-MM-dd-HH.mm.ss.SSS)		microsecond
(for example, yyyy-MM-dd-HH.mm.ss.SSSSSS)
Viewers:
Viewer windows
  • Documents always opened in separate windows (within the MDI interface)
  • Can automatically display notelog and edit attributes dialogs when opening documents
  • Multiple preferences for positioning viewer windows
  • Documents always opened in separate browser windows (multiple documents supported in applet viewer)
  • Viewer settings in multiple property files (updated with daemon time)
  • Default zoom preferences
  • Side-by-side viewing of two documents
  • Multiple documents can be opened in different viewers in a separate window
  • Default window size preferences
  • Side-by-side viewing of two documents
  • Default zoom (applet viewer only)
  • Documents can be opened in either new windows, separate portlets, or both
  • Multiple documents can be opened in different viewers on the same page (C2A) or in a separate window
  • Viewer settings in configuration mode (no restart); settings can be by viewer, file type, or both
  • Default zoom and window size preferences
Viewer options
  • Single included viewer.
  • Documents can be viewed with external, vendor viewer applications
  • Internal and external applications
  • ODMA
  • Supports annotation editing
  • Conversion, browser, and applet
  • Supports annotation editing (applet only, read only annotations with conversion viewer)
  • Documents can be viewed with external, vendor viewer applications ('browser' viewer for plug-in based viewers).
  • Conversion, browser, and applet
  • Supports annotation editing (applet viewer only)
  • Documents can be viewed with external, vendor viewer applications
  • Bookmarking (applet viewer only)
  • Conversion, browser, and applet
  • Supports annotation editing (applet only, read only annotations with conversion viewer)
  • Documents can be viewed with external, vendor viewer applications ('browser' viewer for plug-in based viewers).
Home or Welcome page
  • Actions displayed based on user access.
  • Welcome window can be skipped.
Actions displayed based on user access.
  • Login page where updates and news items can be displayed.
  • Login page can be skipped
  • Actions displayed based on user access and Edit options.
  • Home page can be skipped.
Importing, folders, downloading:
Import fileYes.
Can start on document routing process		Yes.
  • Can start on document routing process
  • Can import to new folder
YesYes.
  • Can start on document routing process.
  • Can import to current, or new folder.
Import multiple filesYes.
  • All have the same attribute values
  • Can start on document routing process
NoNoNo
ScanYesNoNoNo
Create new foldersYes.
Can start on document routing process		Yes.
  • Can start on document routing process
YesYes.
  • Can start on document routing process.
  • Can add to current, existing, or new folder
Add documents and folders to foldersYes.
  • Add to new folder action
  • Add to existing folder action, search for folders only, add items to folders found.
  • Drag and drop documents and folders within the Client for Windows
Yes
  • e-clipboard allows adding documents and folders to existing folders.
  • Importing items
YesYes
  • e-clipboard supports adding documents and folders to the currently displayed folder, a new folder, or existing folders.
  • Importing items or creating new folders supports adding to current or new folders.
Remove items from foldersYesYesYesYes
Delete itemsYesYesYesYes
Display history logYesNoNoNo
Download or export documentsYes.
Can include:
  • Annotations
  • Notelog
Always includes all parts		Yes.
Can include:
  • Annotations
  • Notelog
  • Check out
  • Multiple parts
Yes
Can include:
  • Item properties
  • Annotations (graphical annotations)
  • Notelog (textual annotations)
Always includes all parts		Yes.
Can include:
  • Annotations
  • Notelog,
  • Check out
  • Multiple parts
Download or export foldersNoYes.
Can include annotations, notelog, check out, options for multiple parts		NoYes.
Configurable options to include annotations, notelog, check out, multiple parts
Drag and Drop support
  • Select items from folders, search results, or worklists, copy to new folder
  • Select items in a folder, move from one folder to another
NoNoNo
e-clipboardNo
  • Copy to e-clipboard, add to selected folder
  • Can only clear entire clipboard
No
  • Select items, add to new folder
  • Copy items to e-clipboard
  • Add e-clipboard to new folder
  • Add e-clipboard to selected folder
  • Start on process
  • Download
  • When viewing contents of folder:
  • Import to THIS folder
  • Add e-clipboard to THIS folder
  • Can remove individual items
Editing documents:
Check out (lock)YesYesYesYes
Lock and download

Yes
Edit document (check out and open document)NoNoYesNo
File check-in (changes made to the document)NoNoYesNo
Check in (unlock)YesYesYesYes
Document routing:
User selected worklistsAvailable worklists and selected worklist contents displayed in single window
  • Initial page displays available worklists. After worklist is selected, worklist contents displayed on different page.
  • Contents can be paged
Yes
  • Available worklists and selected worklist contents displayed on single page.
  • Contents can be paged.
System assigned worklistsYes
  • Document automatically opened
YesYesYes
  • Document automatically opened
  • Document properties displayed where worklist contents typically displayed
Find worklistNoYesYesNo
Action listYesYesNoYes
Start on process
  • Import, new folder, start on process actions
  • Can start multiple items on process simultaneously
  • Import, new folder, start on process actions
  • Can start multiple items on process simultaneously
  • Select multiple items > start on process > add to new folder > start folder on process
  • Start on process action
  • Import, new folder, start on process actions
  • Can start multiple items on process simultaneously
  • Select multiple items > start on process > add to new folder > start folder on process
Change process propertiesSeparate change process, priority, and owner actionsSeparate change process, priority, and owner actionsYesChange process, priority, and owner actions combined into Edit process properties interface
Suspend itemsDocuments can be suspended for time duration or until a specific date or time.Documents can be suspended for time duration, until a specific date or time, or until reactivated.Documents can be suspended for time duration or until a specific date or time.Documents can be suspended for time duration, until a specific date or time, or until reactivated.
Suspend folders
  • Folders can be suspended for time duration or until a specific date or time.
  • Folders can be suspended until:
    • Any items are added to the folder.
    • Any items from selected item types are added to the folder
    • A specific number of items from one or more specific item types are added to the folder.
  • Folders can be suspended for time duration, until a specific date or time, or until reactivated.
  • Folders can be suspended until a specific number of items from one or more specific item types are added to the folder.
No
  • Folders can be suspended for time duration, until a date/time or until reactivated.
  • Folders can be suspended until a specific number of items from one or more specific item types are added to the folder.
Resume suspended itemsYesYesYesYes
Continue itemsYesYesYes (no support for process variables and multiple routes)Yes
Remove from workflowYesYesYesYes
Sending e-mail:
Sending documents in e-mailNoYes
  • Sending as attachments only
Yes
  • Sent from the default e-mail client
  • Only the first part of a multipart item can be sent
Yes
  • Sending as attachments only
Annotations:
Add graphical annotationsYesYesYes (applet viewer)Yes
View graphical annotationsYesYesYes (applet viewer)Yes
Notelog (textual annotations)YesYesNo

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Document Information

Modified date:
17 June 2018

UID

swg21289432

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