Basic tutorial on Livelink
Livelink is a Enterprise Content Management (ECM) tool which is basically used for storing and sharing files on web-based platform.
But whats ECM ?
Enterprise Content Management refers to the creation, management, personalization, and distribution of content, including documents, recorded discussions, e-mail, Web pages, and so-called rich media, or multimedia. ECM has become an important and complex element of software infrastructure. Not only has the sheer volume of content created and retained by organisations grown significantly with the advent of e-mail and the Internet but also new regulations affect the storing and accessing of certain types of content .ECM addresses structured and unstructured content. The former can be managed by a "relational database" and fits into such a database's typical rows and columns. Unstructured content includes everything else, such as text files, presentations, Web sites, XML files, e-mail, graphics, and audio and sound. Analyst studies have shown that more than 80% of all content is unstructured.
More about Livelink
Livelink is a Web-based application for storing, sharing, and distributing information. It provides a collaborative work environment that helps your organization manage documents and project information, improve business processes, and share information. It makes collaboration a part of every business process, even across organizational and geographic barriers. Livelink brings together employees across your organization, as well as partners and customers throughout your business community.
Whats OpenText ?
LiveLink, an electronic document management system, is a 3 rd party product from and is used for storing and sharing files on a web based platform. LiveLink offers functionality like applying metadata to documents, auditing all document events and managing version history.
Some of the main benefits of using LiveLink:
- Central repository. Share data files globally, all file types
- Manage access privileges
- Anonymous (open content) access allowed
- Allow 3rd party access via the Internet. Controlled by content owners
- Version control for file updates between team members
- Ability to "lock" documents while editing
- Content auditing (who and when viewed)
- Assign tasks and monitor progress
- Conduct on-line discussions
- Automatic notification of content changes
- Content indexed and searchable
- View and edit content offline Avoid attachments in email. Use direct web link to the content in LiveLink.
How Livelink works?
Livelink sits on IIS Web Server which receives the HTTP requests from clients (Browsers) and forwards the request to Livelink server.Livelink actually has 2 services running :
1) llServer which handles core Livelink functionality
2) Admin Server which handles Indexing and other Java based processes.
When a request comes from IIS server, Livelink processes the request .If required Livelink server interacts with database , retrieves or dates data and sends the response to IIS server which in turn forwards the formatted response in HTTP form to the client.The simplest of Livelink systems is a single-host architecture where everything is installed on the same host machine as shown in the figure.Generally at organisational level Livelink is implementated in Cluster architecture where Database , Admin servers (referred as back end) and LLServer, IIS (front end) are all installed on different server machines.
What are Livelink Modules?
Livelink’s functionality is organized into core modules, which are pre-installed with the
base Livelink software, and optional modules, which are installed separately. So any changes or enhancements to livelink should be wrapped as modules and installed on the system. These modules can be developed using Livelink builder. Oscript is used as the programming language for coding.
Livelink Explorer
Livelink Explorer is a supplemental tool for Livelink account holders. Instead of using the LiveLink web interface through Internet Explorer to manage LiveLink content, LLE provides a more seamless Windows destop integration to work with LiveLink content directly from Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer.
Users can access LiveLink repositories using Windows Explorer's familiar tree and list views. From Windows Explorer, standard operations such as drag-and-drop can be performed to move or copy files and folders to and from Livelink. From Windows Explorer, users can also access all of the Livelink functions (e.g. delete, copy, add version, download, permissions) associated with an item by simply right-clicking over the item to access the LiveLink functions menu list.
With LLE, users can open, edit, and save Livelink content directly from their desktop applications including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. In Microsoft Outlook, LiveLink folders appear as Outlook folders, allowing users to drag-and-drop email into LiveLink.
LLE also makes it easier for mobile users to mark documents in LiveLink for offline use. With the offline utility, users can access and edit their LiveLink content when not connected to the Shell network. When users reconnect after working offline, LiveLink Explorer ensures that the offline changes remain synchronized with changes to items in the LiveLink repository and vice-versa.
