Defining object stores

An object store is a repository for storing objects (such as documents, folders, and business objects) and the metadata defining an object's classes and properties. A single FileNet® P8 domain can contain one or many object stores.

FileNet P8 applications use object stores to store versionable and non-versionable objects and content. Users access the object store through their application for tasks like creating, searching, retrieving, and storing documents.

Each object store has a database that contains metadata such as property values for documents, folders, and other objects. The document content can be stored in either the object store database, which is called a database storage area, or in a file storage area that is associated with the object store. After Content Platform Engine is installed and configured, you use the Content Platform Engine administration console to create an object store.

The following tips and guidelines apply to working with object stores:

• For production systems, separate the object store databases from the global configuration database that is used during Content Platform Engine installation. To do this, create an additional database for use by the object store and create a database connection to identify the database.
• When you determine how many object stores to create, determine which classes are available in the object store. Organize each object store with a manageable number of classes.
• For object stores that use Microsoft SQL Server as the database engine, each object store must be stored in its own database. For object stores that use Oracle, one table space can store more than one object store; however, IBM® strongly recommends storing each object store in its own table space when Oracle is used as the database engine.
• Do not use low-level database tools, such as Oracle SQL*Plus or Microsoft SQL Server isql, to directly modify database tables, stored procedures, or contents. Use of such low-level database tools to modify the database in any way can cause data loss or corruption. Instead, use the administration console or other FileNet P8 applications to change the data in the database.