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Functionality comparison of DB2 Content Manager V8.4 clients (Client for Windows, eClient, and IBM WEBi V1.0.4)

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Abstract

This document provides a comparison of the advantages and limitations for each of the clients that connect with IBM DB2 Content Manager Version 8.4. This document also compares the specific functionality of each of the clients, by describing the support they provide for: operating systems, servers, the DB2 Content Manager Version 8 data model, records (DB2 Records Manager), DB2 Content Manager document routing, and actions such as searching, viewing, importing and exporting.

Content

Links to IBM WEBi library documents

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Advantages of each client

This table summarizes the advantages of each of the Version 8.4 clients.

Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
  • Dynamic user interface
  • Preferences and user defaults
  • Speed
  • Proactive privilege checking and error checking
  • You can develop your own application using the COM API and user exit. (OLE API is a provided Windows client for user)
  • Easy to deploy and maintain (install and update once)
  • Cross-platform browser support (Windows, Macintosh, Linux)
  • Most complete server support
  • More intuitive user interface
  • Modern user interface with multiple skins
  • Easy to install, deploy, and maintain (install and update once)
  • Easy to customize appearance
  • Federated searching across IBM Content Manager and IBM Content Manager OnDemand repositories
  • Can be embedded in custom Web applications

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Disadvantages of each client

This table summarizes the limitations of each of the Version 8.4 clients.

Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
  • 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, Linux for System z, and Windows only
  • Upgrading can overwrite changes to message files, help files, CSS files, and silent login settings, but changes can be reapplied
  • Might generate higher CPU usage on the backend server than other clients
  • No source code customization

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Platform support

This table summarizes the supported operating systems and content servers for each of the Version 8.4 clients.

Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Supported operating systems See the IBM WEBi V1.0.4 hardware and software requirements: Article #7017278
Supported content servers
  • 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 Fix Pack 7 – 8.4 and later

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Functional comparison of clients

This table compares the specific functionality of each of the Version 8.4 clients.

Function Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Translated Yes Yes Yes
Records enabled Yes. Declare record and record information. Yes. Declare record and record information. No
Single sign-on (SSO) support Yes Yes Yes
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 new items can be displayed
  • Login page can be skipped

Data model support
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Item or item type Document classified items, folders Document classified items, folders Document classified items, item classified items, resource classified items, and folders
Child components or hierarchical attributes Single level Single level Single level
CLOB attributes No Yes No
BLOB attributes No Yes No
Reference attributes No No No
Item level ACLs Yes Yes No
Item type level ACLs Yes Yes Yes
Foreign key list of attribute values No Yes No
User exit list of attribute values Yes No No
Item type views or subset display 'active' view Yes No Yes (item type views only)
Re-index items Yes Yes No
Multipart items Full 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

Tip: If you use Information Integrator for Content V8.4.2 and PDF conversion is enabled, most multipart documents can be sent as a single PDF file.

Searching for documents and folders
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Item type list and search criteria in the same interface Yes No Yes
Sortable and paged item type list No Yes No
Parametric and text search on attributes Yes Yes Yes
Full text search on content Yes Yes Yes
Search across all item types Yes Yes (for saved searches only) No
Search is aware of document routing attributes Yes No No
Search displays all versions Yes No Yes
Search for documents, folders, or both Yes No Yes
Advanced search, create custom searches Yes No No
Saved searches Yes Yes No
Time stamp user attribute microsecond (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)

Viewing documents
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Viewer windows
  • Documents always open 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 open 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)
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)

Adding documents and folders
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Import file Yes
  • Can start files on a document routing process
 Yes
  • Can start files on a document routing process
  • Can import to a new folder
 Yes
  • Can import documents to a specific item type
  • Can import documents to the current folder
Import multiple files Yes
  • All have the same attribute values
  • Can start on document routing process
 No No
Scan Yes No No

Deleting documents and folders
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Remove items from folders Yes Yes Yes
Delete items Yes Yes Yes

Organizing documents and folders
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Create new folders Yes Yes
  • Can start on document routing process
 Yes
  • Can create folders in a specific item type
  • Can create folders in the current folder
Add documents and folders to folders Yes
  • 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 supports adding to new folders
 Yes
  • Add documents and folders to existing folders only

Downloading documents and folders
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Download or export documents Yes. Can include:
  • Annotations
  • Notelog
Always includes all parts. 		Yes. Can include:
  • Annotations
  • Notelog

Options for multiple parts.

Options for check out.

 Yes. Can include:
  • Item properties
  • Annotations (graphical annotations)
  • Notelog (textual annotations)
Always includes all parts
Download or export folders No Yes. Can include:
  • Annotations
  • Notelog

Options for multiple parts.

Options for check out.

 No

Moving and copying documents and folders
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
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
 No No
e-clipboard No
  • Copy to e-clipboard, add to selected folder
  • Cannot clear individual items; only the entire clipboard can be cleared
 No

Viewing document history information
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Display history log Yes No No

Editing documents
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Check out (lock) Yes Yes Yes
Lock and download No No Yes
Edit document (check out and open document) No No Yes
File check-in (changes made to the document) No No Yes
Check in (unlock) Yes Yes Yes

Document routing
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
User selected worklists Available worklists and selected worklist contents displayed in a single window.
  • Initial page displays available worklists; after a worklist is selected, the worklist contents are displayed on a different page
  • Contents can be paged
 Yes
System assigned worklists Yes
  • Document opened automatically
 No Yes
Find worklist No No Yes
Action list Yes Yes No
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
  • Can start multiple items on process simultaneously
Change process properties Separate change process, change priority, and change owner actions. Separate change process, change priority, and change owner actions. Yes
Suspend items Documents can be suspended:
  • For a specific period of time
  • Until a specific date or time
 Documents can be suspended:
  • For a specific period of time
  • Until a specific date or time
  • Until a user chooses to resume processing the document
 Documents can be suspended:
  • For a specific period of time
  • Until a specific date or time
  • Until a user chooses to resume processing the document
Suspend folders Folders can be suspended:
  • For a specific period of time
  • Until a specific date or time
  • Until items are added to the folder
  • Until items from specified item types are added to the folder
  • Until a specific number of items from one or more specified item types are added to the folder
 Folders can be suspended:
  • For a specific period of time
  • Until a specific date or time
  • Until a user chooses to resume processing the folder
  • Until a specific number of items from one or more specified item types are added to the folder
 No
Resume suspended items Yes Yes Yes
Continue items Yes Yes Yes. No support for process variables and multiple routes.
Remove from workflow Yes Yes Yes

Sending e-mail
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Sending documents in e-mail No Yes
  • Send document as attachments only
 Yes
  • E-mail is sent from the default e-mail client on the user's workstation
  • Send documents as links or attachments

Tip: If you use Information Integrator for Content V8.4.2 and PDF conversion is enabled, most multipart documents can be sent as a single PDF file.

Adding and viewing annotations
Client for Windows V8.4 eClient V8.4 IBM WEBi V1.0.4
Add graphical annotations Yes Yes Yes (in the applet viewer)
View graphical annotations Yes Yes Yes (in the applet viewer)
Add notelog Yes No No
View notelog Yes No No

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Document Information

Modified date:
17 June 2018

UID

swg27018158

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