Documentum v5.3 is now available from EMC.
Why Should I Migrate to Documentum v5.3?
- The support for Documentum 5.2.5 SP1 through SP4 products ended June 30th 2006. The support for Documentum 5.2.5 SP5 products ends by November 30th 2006.
- Documentum 5.3 is built on unified platform and offers a lower cost of deployment and administration.
- Documentum 5.3 offers improved query performance, scalable full-text indexing and retrieval capabilities.
- Documentum 5.3 new architecture is open and interoperable with 3rd-party search engines.
- Documentum 5.3 has an extended security model which is more robust than the current version which uses Access Control Lists.
- Documentum 5.3 supports multiple LDAP server integrations for user management. It also reduces the cost of adding new users since OS accounts are no longer mandatory and provides the option of creating in-line user accounts.
- WDK based clients offer drag and drop functionality from desktop to web applications which provides for an improved user interface look and feel, multiple repository support, Microsoft product integration, deep folder imports with intact structural integrity, integrated collaborative content management, and the ability to add notes and discussion threads to content.
Can't I Just Have My Internal IT Staff Complete the Upgrade?
You could do that but this is not a trivial undertaking. There are several key aspects to this effort that you should know.
- This new version of Documentum has additional hardware requirements. Documentum v5.3 uses a separate indexing server for full text indexing purposes. The components of the indexing server component are the Index Server itself and an the Index Agent. A single Index Server can serve multiple repositories using a separate Index Agent for each repository.
The Index Server and Index Agent must be installed on the same operating system as Content Server.
- DCTM 5.3 supports two configurations:
- Content Server, repository, index server, and index agent on a single host
- Content Server and repository on one host with the index agent and index server on a separate host.
You will need to determine the best option for your organization.
- The Index Server’s operations are processor and memory-intensive and it is recommended to install the index server on a separate host other than Content Server. It should also be noted that all existing metadata and content objects need to be re-indexed and full-text indexes need to be rebuilt.
What's Involved in the Upgrade?
- Prior to the upgrade, backups of all existing servers must be taken.
- Content and configuration objects must be integrated
- The re-indexing of metadata and the content objects and re-building of indexes
must be done. The time it will take will depend upon the
size of the repository.
- A migration that involves moving to a new platform and operating system will take additional time. This might be considered if there is a need for improved overall performance, scalability and reliability.
- Migrating customizations and ensuring that customer interfaces are compatible might also need to be accomplished.
- For existing Documentum systems, migrating may also require you to:
- Upgrade the server and client products to the most current versions
- Convert obsolete components to newer components
- Rewrite customizations created for now-obsolete components
- Validate or verify the new system components and interfaces
- Validate data integrity
How Much Will it Cost?
Every migration is different. Factors such as the number of objects, the amount of data and the extent and nature of custom code and interfaces will greatly impact the price. BRT can however come out and quickly assess the effort needed to make your migration a successful reality.
Call Mark Michonski today to set up a free consultation at 248-324-9775 x 205.
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