1. Administering Oracle WebCenter Content
  2. Administering System Migration and Archiving
  3. Replicating Files

29 Replicating Files

This chapter describes how to automate the export, import, and transfer of content files by using the Archiver utility Replication function in Oracle WebCenter Content.

This chapter covers the following topics:

29.1 Understanding Replication

If you are automating the import of WebCenter Content files using replication, each batch file is removed as soon as the automatic import is complete. You can view the archiving results by preparing an Archive History report using the Web Layout Editor. See Working with Reports in Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

If you are replicating files to a contribution server, you should map the Security Group and/or Account field so that users have only Read permission to the imported files. Otherwise, changed files in the importing instance could be overwritten by exported files during a later replication cycle.

For performance reasons, replication is not recommended for large archives (approximately 20,000 files or more). Export and import of large archives should be run manually, during periods of non-peak usage if possible.

Caution:

The Archiver utility cannot be used to move or copy data between two instances that share the same Content Server instance name (IDC_Name). To do so corrupts the data on the target system.

When Archiver automatic replication is configured between instances of WebCenter Content, every action is replicated between environments: Check in, Update, and Delete. For information on preventing Archiver from replicating Delete actions, see the "Preventing Deletes from Replicating In Archiver" blog.

This section covers these topics:

29.1.1 Replication Uses

Typical uses for the Replication function include:

  • Automatically exporting content from one Content Server instance and importing to another Content Server instance to synchronize two websites.

  • Copying content automatically between two contribution/consumption servers.

  • Automatically moving certain documents from a contribution server to a higher-security Content Server instance.

  • Automatically moving old content to a storage location.

Note:

The Replication function does not import content types and user attributes.

29.1.2 Replication Methods

You can automate Archiver functions in the following ways:

  • Automatic Export: Export to a local archive is initiated automatically whenever a content item that meets the export criteria is indexed.

  • Automatic Import: Import from a local archive is initiated automatically, about once per minute.

  • Automatic Transfer: Moving archive files to a different Content Server instance over sockets is initiated automatically whenever the source archive is updated.

    Note:

    You can export expired revisions manually, but expired revisions do not get exported automatically.

29.1.3 Single Revision Replications

When using the Single Revision Replication option on the Edit Export Query (Content) window, be aware of the following considerations:

  • If the new document matches the archiver query on check-in, it is archived. If it does not match the query, nothing happens.

  • If a document has multiple revisions and the most recent matching revision is deleted or updated so it no longer matches the query, the next most recent matching revision of that document is replicated. If no revisions match the query, that document is deleted through replication.

  • If a system (A) is replicating to system (B) and the Single Revision Replication option is used, system B will at any given time only have one revision of each document. The revLabel of each revision is 1, no matter what the revLabel was on the document that was replicated.

This archiving option allows an administrator to create a staging system and a production system. The staging system can archive all documents that have a specific metadata field set to 1. The production system will always have the most recent revision of each document that has this metadata flag set. Setting this flag to 0 on the staging system removes it from the production system and rolls it back to the next most recent revision with that metadata field set to 1.

29.2 Managing Replication

Several tasks are involved in managing the replication process, including setting up automatic exports, imports and transfers. This section provides information about replication tasks.

29.2.1 Setting Up Automatic Export

To set up an automatic export:

  1. Set up the export and run a manual export. See Manually Exporting.
  2. Open Archiver on the Content Server instance that content is to be exported from.
  3. Open the archive collection.
  4. Select the archive to export to automatically in the Current Archives list.
  5. Click the Replication tab.
  6. Click Edit.
  7. In the Registered Exporter window, select Enable Automated Export.
  8. Click Register.

    The current collection is added to the Registered Exporters box.

  9. Click OK.

    Each revision that meets the export criteria will be exported to this archive when it is indexed. The batch file is removed as soon as each export is complete.

    Note:

    You can export expired revisions manually, but expired revisions do not get exported automatically.

29.2.2 Setting Up Automatic Import

To set up an automatic import:

  1. Set up the import and run a manual import. See Importing Data.
  2. Open Archiver on the Content Server instance that the archive is to be imported to.
  3. Open the archive collection.
  4. Select the archive to import automatically in the Current Archives list.
  5. Click the Replication tab.
  6. Click Register Self.
  7. When prompted to confirm the action, click OK.

    The selected archive will be imported automatically, about once per minute. All source batch files are removed as soon as each import is complete.

    Note:

    The Replication function does not import content types and user attributes.

29.2.3 Setting Up Automatic Transfer

To set up an automatic transfer:

  1. Set up the transfer and run a manual transfer. See Introduction to Transferring Files.

  2. Open Archiver on the source Content Server instance.

  3. Open the archive collection.

  4. Select the source archive in the Current Archives list.

  5. Click the Transfer To tab.

  6. Click Edit.

  7. In the Transfer Options window, select Is Transfer Automated.

  8. Click OK.

  9. Test the automatic transfer:

    1. In the source Content Server instance, check in a new document that meets the export criteria.

    2. If the export is automated, wait until automated export occurs after indexing. Otherwise, export the source archive manually. The archive should be transferred to the target Content Server instance within a few minutes.

      Note:

      The Replication function does not import content types and user attributes.

29.2.4 Disabling Automatic Import

This section provides information about the methods to disable an automatic import.

29.2.4.1 Unregistering an Importer from the Replication Tab
  1. Open the archive collection. See Opening a Collection.
  2. Select the archive in the Current Archives list.
  3. Click the Replication tab.
  4. Click Unregister.

    Automatic importing from the selected archive is disabled.

29.2.4.2 Disabling a Registered Importer from the Automation for Instance Page
  1. Open the archive collection. See Opening a Collection.
  2. From Options, choose View Automation For Instance.
  3. In the Automation for Instance page, click the Importers tab.
  4. Select the registered importer to delete.
  5. Click Remove.

    The registered importer is removed from the list.

29.2.5 Disabling Automatic Export

To disable automatic export:

  1. Open the archive collection. See Opening a Collection.
  2. Select the archive in the Current Archives list.
  3. Click the Replication tab.
  4. Click Edit.
  5. In the Registered Exporter window, deselect Enable Automated Export.
  6. Click OK.

    Automatic exporting of the selected archive is disabled.

29.2.6 Disabling Automatic Transfer

To disable automatic transfer:

  1. Open Archiver on the source Content Server instance.
  2. Open the source archive collection. See Opening a Collection.
  3. Select the source archive in the Current Archives list.
  4. Click the Transfer To tab.
  5. Click Edit.
  6. In the Transfer Options window, deselect Is Transfer Automated.
  7. Click OK.

    Automatic transfer of the selected archive is disabled.

29.2.7 Deleting a Registered Exporter

This section provides information about the methods to delete a registered exporter.

29.2.7.1 Deleting a Registered Exporter from the Replication Tab
  1. Open the archive collection. See Opening a Collection.
  2. Select the archive in the Current Archives list.
  3. Click the Replication tab.
  4. Click Edit.
  5. In the Registered Exporter window, select Enable Automated Export.
  6. Select the Content Server instance to delete in the Registered Exporters list.
  7. Click Remove.

    The registered exporter is removed from the list.

  8. Click OK.
29.2.7.2 Deleting a Registered Exporter from the Automation for Instance Window
  1. Open the archive collection. See Opening a Collection.
  2. From Options, choose View Automation For Instance.
  3. In the Automation for Instance window, select the registered exporter to delete.
  4. Click Remove.

    The registered exporter is removed from the list.