SAP Content Server DB vs. FlatFile

[Former Member]

Good Day,

My Company is looking at implementing a Content Server "640" in a ERP 4.7 Ex. Set 1 landscape. We are hearing 2 different views and I would like to hear others opinions/experiences with the software. Which one do you use? What do you like/hate about it? What do you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

Best Regards,

Paul

[john_walls · Accepted solution]

Paul,

I have done about 6-8 projects at different customers using the SAP content server. Everything I have seen listed below is correct.

Most of my customer have chosen to use the MaxDB instead of the file system. There are advantages to using the DB, such as better administration tools and better security.

Another possible reason to use the DB over the file system is the amount of time to do back ups. I have one customer using the file system, and it takes them 12 hours to do a back, they really don't have many images out there- about 1000 scanned in documents per / month. They are now in the process of converting over to the DB. They think that this will solve there problem.

Thanks,

John Walls

484-888-2199

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

How are the images stored in a file system versus the database?

[Former Member]

Hello,

if you are not using the SAP / MAX DB with the SAP COntentserver, you loose the possibility of point in time recoveries, as there are no logs written for the contentserver, as long as you store the docs on the filesystem.

So:

SAP DB - point in time is possible

Filesystem: No point in time recovery

There are some SAP products (e.g. SAP Knowledge Warehouse), where it's explicitly mentioned in the configguide that SAP does not recommend the file system storage in a productive environment. For my customers, this was always the "winning argument" for the DB solution...

Kind regards,

Carl

[Former Member]

Thank you for your responce Federico. I do appreciate the information.

What I really am looking for are people that have implimented Content Server. In the Configuration document you have the option of putting the documents into the DB or putting them to a flat file. What I am looking for is... Which is better. Which has better preformance, stability, etc... ?

Thanks,

Paul

[Former Member]

Hi Paul:

The SAP Content Server is based on the database system MaxDB and as of Release 4.6 is available on Windows 2000 Server for SUN Solaris, Hewlett Packard HP-UX, IBM AIX, SUSE Linux, and RedHat Linux. The precise release names are defined in the Platform Availability

Matrix (PAM). Therefore, besides the SAP DB, an independent content server is always available in every SAP system installation. Thus, the SAP system provides the necessary technical infrastructure for all

document-centric applications and business scenarios that do not require a long-term archiving

solution. Since the SAP Content Server is also integrated via the HTTP interface (see SAP HTTP

Content Server 4.5 Interface), the actual storage medium used remains completely transparent to SAP applications.

Documentation on the database system and database tools can be found in the SAP Library.

Applications that use the technical infrastructure of the SAP Content Server include the SAP

Business Workplace, SAP ArchiveLink, the Document Management System (DMS), and the Knowledge Warehouse.

Hope this help!

Regards,

Federico