IBM® Content Manager Enterprise Edition Version 8.5 introduces the following new features.
Tip: Many of the following features are at least partially
supported in mixed software version configurations. For details, see
the "Compatibility" section in the 
IBM Content Manager
V8.5.0 Release Notes.
IBM Content Manager
V8.5.0 Release Notes.IBM Information Integrator for Content features now in the Content Manager EE installation
IBM Information Integrator for Content is dropped as an installation image. Any retained features that were previously associated with IBM Information Integrator for Content, such as connectors and a toolkit, are now part of the IBM Content Manager Enterprise Edition installation.Remote configuration
Content Manager EE Version 8.5 has a new deployment mode where you can designate one reference machine and one or more target machines (remote machines with different IP addresses located on the same network) for your Content Manager EE environment. From the reference machine, you can start the Content Manager EE configuration manager and install, configure, and validate features such as the library server and resource manager on any of the target machines. The configuration manager automatically copies the required product files from the IBMCMREPO directory on the reference machine to the corresponding IBMCMROOT directories on each target machine. Each target machine must have the same locale and operating system as the reference machine, and all required prerequisites. You can also save the settings for your target machines and Content Manager EE features in a profile that can be revisited at a later time. Learn more...New repository directory precedes the installation directory
Starting in Version 8.5, the Content Manager EE installation program stores all features in a repository installation directory (environment variable IBMCMREPO). These features are not actually installed into the Content Manager EE directory path (environment variable IBMCMROOT) until you select them in the configuration manager. Using the configuration manager, you can copy or configure installation files from the reference machine repository directory to any distributed target host (local or remote). Additionally, the logs now appears in IBMCMREPO/CMVersionFolder/cmcfgmgr/log/hostname. Learn more...Retention management
You can now control the retention and expiration of items in IBM Content Manager by defining a policy for retention and expiration, and assigning it to item types. Retention can be enabled as fixed-time (retains an item for a finite period of time) or event-driven (retains an item indefinitely until a defined event occurs in an external application). Similarly, expiration can be enabled to automatically delete items at a fixed or event-driven time (through the IBM Content Manager automatic deletion service). Each policy and item type can have a custom delete schedule. If you opt not to automatically delete expired items, you can call the batch-deletion through the APIs (see the programming sample SDeleteExpiredItemsICM.java for details). In addition, if you need to hold certain items (for example, as a legal requirement), then IBM Content Manager now has a hold capability that can protect items to ensure that they cannot be deleted or updated until the hold is removed (also for a programming sample, see SHoldItemICM.java. Learn more...Enhanced transport layer security
Version 8.5 now supports stronger security standards like NIST SP800-131a. Communication from library server to resource manager can now be configured to use transport layer security, for example, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), TLS 1.2, stronger Digital signatures (SHA-2) among others. This data communication includes retrieving objects for text indexing, sending token-encryption-key refresh requests, and sending heartbeat requests. In addition, all communications from Java APIs to the library server and resource manager can be configured to be SSL only. The system administration can also configure and enforce various security options. Learn more... Support for WebSphere Application Server database credential encryption
Using a security plug-in in WebSphere® Application Server, you can encrypt all of your library server and resource manager database passwords with a customized algorithm instead of the default BASE64 encoding. Learn more... DB2 database encryption for Content Manager EE
Both the library server database and resource manager database on DB2® can be encrypted using IBM InfoSphere® Guardium® Encryption Expert Version 2.0. See the IBM InfoSphere Guardium Encryption Expert documentation setup and configuration information. Learn more...Usage-based license statistics
For usage-based licenses only, Content Manager EE enables collection of usage statistics that can be analyzed by the IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT). Content Manager EE prompts for the license type that you are entitled to at configuration time. If you are not aware of your license type, please contact your IBM representative. For usage-based licenses, the license type is required to install and configure IBM System Dashboard for Enterprise Content Management. Learn more... Support for DB2 Text Search Server
Content Manager EE Version 8.5 adds support for the use of DB2 Text Search Server. IBM Content Manager retains support for the Net Search Extender text search engine. However, that engine was deprecated in DB2 Version 10.1. Therefore, you might want to begin planning a migration to DB2 Text Search at your earliest convenience. Content Manager EE Version 8.5 introduces the ability to index documents in both supported text search engines during the migration period. DB2 Text Search offers many functional benefits. It provides the ability to fetch content for indexing directly from the resource manager. It reduces processing requirements for the library server database. It also utilizes stored procedures for text search index administration, eliminating the need to store user credentials for indexing. Lastly, it provides improved linguistic processing across 20 languages. If you use DB2 Text Search, you now deploy a Content Manager EE document constructor plug-in into it by using the Content Manager EE configuration manager. The document constructor plug-in retrieves content directly from the resource manager (instead of through DB2), and returns it to the DB2 Text Search Server. If you use DB2 Text Search, then the document constructor plug-in replaces the ICMfetchContent and ICMfetchFilter user-defined functions (UDF). Learn more... Dynamic TIEREF
In previous versions, the content management system used resource manager data, such as host name data from the TIEREF input string, to retrieve an object for text indexing. The TIEREF data was captured and stored at the time of object creation. This data was not automatically updated by the system if a resource manager was moved to a different machine or host name, such as moving the resource manager during disaster recovery. With static data stored in the TIEREF input string, text indexing actions could not complete if the TIEREF data became inaccurate. Beginning in IBM Content Manager Version 8.5, the data required to retrieve an object for text indexing is obtained dynamically from the database. The system does not rely on the possibly inaccurate resource manager data saved in a static TIEREF string. The result of this change is that a system can obtain the data needed to locate and retrieve the object for text indexing even after a system failure and resource manager move.SQL performance improvement
The library server now uses parameter markers for SELECT statements. For Oracle databases, using parameter markers allows users to set the database to cursor exact without losing performance (the cursor similar mode has been deprecated). For DB2 databases, the handling of the package cache is improved because access plans are reused for queries which only differ by constant literals (thus CPU usage is less and performance might improve).Automatic storage table spaces for DB2 Universal Database
The Content Manager EE configuration now creates automatic storage table spaces for the library server database and resource manager database instead of DMS (Database Managed Space) or SMS (System Managed Space). If you upgraded Content Manager EE from Version 8.4.3 to Version 8.5, then you can convert all of your database-managed space (DMS) table spaces to use automatic storage. Learn more...Synchronous replication
IBM Content Manager Version 8.5 now offers synchronous replication, the capability to create and update an item and all its replicas in parallel as a single transaction. Synchronous replication is a process to ensure that replicas for an object are created at the same time as the primary object. This type of replication is required in some regulated industries. As part of the new synchronous replication feature, IBM Content Manager Version 8.5 offers the option to set a tolerance mode for synchronous replication. For synchronous replication with the tolerance mode, the synchronous creation of at least two copies of an object, either the primary object and the replica or two replicas, is sufficient to satisfy the replication policy. Learn more...Migration and replication policy enhancements
The IBM Content Manager Version 8.5 migration policy and replication policy are enhanced in the following ways:- The Version 8.5 migration policy now enables a LAN-cache enabled
source resource manager to retain a copy of the migrated object in
the staging area after the object is migrated to a remote resource
manager. The previous behavior was to delete the object from the source
resource manager directly after the object was migrated. This change
can improve the performance of object retrieval. Learn more...
- The Version 8.5 migration policy now allows a 0 day retention period for content. Previously, the minimum retention period was 1 day.
- The Version 8.5 replication policy is now extended to replicate
objects that are migrated from a remote resource manager. The replication
occurs on the resource manager that is the target of the migration.
Before this behavior change, replication was possible for new and
updated objects, but not for migrated objects. Learn more...
Quiesce server
Version 8.5 provides the ability to quiesce the content management system. Use the quiesce system function in the system administration client to put all IBM Content Manager servers into a quiesced state, which is a state that suspends all activities against the databases and stored content. The quiesce system function is useful for creating a synchronized backup of the entire content management system, including databases, data, and configuration information. Learn more...System administration client support for a hierarchical folder model
The Version 8.5 system administration client now supports creating hierarchical model item types and folder-only item types. Learn more...Resource manager logging improvements
Content Manager EE Version 8.5 now supports context filtering for the resource manager logging facility. Using the system administration client log configuration utility for the resource manager, you can define context filters for order operations and service operations. During troubleshooting, these context filters can log information for selected operations while filtering out other operations.ACL enhancements
- Simple ACL inheritance
- Version 8.5 provides a new item type option that allows you to
specify a new default for access control list (ACL) assignment, which
is the ACL of the parent folder during create or reindex. This is
called the Inheritance of Parent Folder ACL option. This option is
specified on the target item type of a reindex operation and is used
if the parent folder is provided during item or document creation
or reindex. The inherited ACL does not propagate to the children of
the item or document through existing links during a reindex operation.
Furthermore, updating or reindexing an item to assign it a different
ACL does not propagate the ACL to its children. The control of this
new option is implemented through bits of the ItemTypeFlag in the
ICMSTItemTypeDefs table. Learn more...
- Enhancement of ACL setting for reindex
- Version 8.5 provides enhancement of the ACL setting for reindex
with two new options for configuring an assigned ACL to a reindexed
item or document. One option is to indicate the default ACL for reindexing
an item or document. The other option is an ACL control mode for item
reindex to indicate whether the ACL assignment is controlled by the
server or the application. The control of this new option is implemented
through bits of the ItemTypeFlag in the ICMSTItemTypeDefs table. Learn more...
- IBM Content Navigator enhancements
- Version 8.5 now supports duplicate ACLs, user privilege sets, and new attributes for ACLs and privilege sets.
Version 4.0 of IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ is required
Content Manager EE Version 8.5 applications require Version 4.0 of IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ. This driver supports the newer JDBC standard and is compatible with Java™ 6 and later. In your application CLASSPATH, you must change references to this driver to include the db2jcc4.jar file rather than the db2jcc.jar file. For more details on the new driver version, see the latest DB2 documentation. Learn more...Character validity checking for character and variable character attributes
IBM Content Manager Version 8.5 offers character validity checking for character attributes and variable character attributes if these attributes are added to new item types. When you add these types of attributes to a new item type, you can select an option to enable string character validity checking on the attribute value. When this option is selected, IBM® Content Manager checks that the attribute value contains only allowed characters when a client user creates or updates an item. Learn more...Background processing support for IBM Content Manager event framework
Version 8.5 now supports background processing for the event monitor, business process manager event handler, and case event handler.Event handler toolkit
An event handler toolkit is available to assist in the usage of the general integration capabilities of the event framework. The event handler toolkit, available in Java, simplifies the creation of custom event handlers for incorporating business logic into versatile solutions that can enhance your existing applications. Learn more...Expanded support for the CMBOutsideInExportEngine
In addition to Windows, the Content Manager EE Version 8.5 Java Viewer Toolkit now supports the Oracle OutsideInExport engine and Microsoft Office format documents (Word, Excel, HTML, and RTF) on AIX®, Linux, and Solaris. The CMBOutsideInExportEngine can be customized through OIEXPORT_* properties in cmbviewerengine.properties, and can burn in annotations during document write. Learn more... Improvements with the Java Viewer Toolkit
Content Manager EE Version 8.5 provides a new document engine to support document conversion on Windows, Linux, AIX and Solaris of Microsoft Office format documents (Word, Excel, HTML and RTF). Version 8.5 also extends support of the CMBSnowboundEngine on AIX, Windows, Linux and Solaris for document rendering and conversion for following MIME types:- image/tiff
- image/gif
- image/jpeg
- application/pdf
- application/vnd.ibm.modcap (overlays are not fully supported with this engine)
Learn more...PDF document enhancements are enabled by using the Java Viewer Toolkit
Page manipulation is enabled for PDF documents. This feature allows you to copy and move pages between PDF documents, within a single PDF document, and between TIF and PDF documents. The PDF searchable content of a page remains intact when page manipulation is performed on a searchable PDF. This feature leverages searchable PDF text to provide a consistent user interface for Find and Select Text functions that were added with OCR enhancement.Microsoft Office 2010 support
IBM Content Manager Version 8.5 supports Microsoft Office 2010. MIME types of Office 2010 are same as Office 2007. All the MIME types for Microsoft Office Open XML file formats are preloaded inIBM Content Manager Version 8.5. For a full list of Office Open XML MIME types, see Register the 2007 Office system file format MIME types on servers on the Microsoft Office TechCenter website.OpenOffice support
Content Manager EE Version
8.5 supports the following Open Office documents with MIME types: Learn more...
- OpenOffice Impress with MIME type application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.presentation and file extension odp
- OpenOffice Writer with MIME type application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text and file extension odt
- OpenOffice Calc with MIME type application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet and file extension ods
- OpenOffice Draw with MIME type application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics and file extension odg
Learn more...Feature support differences in the Java and C++ application programming interfaces
Because the Content Manager EE C++ application programming interface is deprecated in Version 8.5, only the Java application programming interface supports many of the new functional features in this release.Java application programming interface supports:
- Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.7
- Drop of federated and Content Manager OnDemand connectors
- Deprecation of Visual Info for AS/400 (VI400) connector and ImagePlus® (IP) connector
- IBM Case Foundation (BPM) IContentOperations Version 5.2 support
- IBM Content Navigator enhancements, such as hidden item support and ACL enhancements
- Retention management feature support, including hold item and automatic deletion services
- Java Native Interface (JNI) logging
- API-level support for transport layer security for database, library server, and resource manager communication
- License usage statistics
- IBM Text Search Server for DB2 support
- Upgrade to JDBC4 db2jcc4.jar
C++ application programming interface have been deprecated in Content Manager EE Version 8.5, and now supports Microsoft Visual C++ 2012.
Deprecated and removed features
Content Manager EE Version 8.5 dropped the following features:- Federated connector, system administration database, and IBM Information Integrator for Content administration client
- Content Manager OnDemand connector and support for its software development kit
- Advanced Workflow (MQ Workflow), XML schema mapping, servlets, and UPES components
- Support for 32-bit servers and database instances
- Installable information center
- Client for Windows (recommendation: use IBM Content Navigator instead)
- eClient (recommendation: use IBM Content Navigator instead)
- Upgrade Checking Readiness command line utility
Important: Any text or graphics that mention Client
for Windows or eClient in
the IBM Content
Manager Version 8.5
documentation refer to Version 8.4.3 of the client software.
Learn more...The following
features have been deprecated: Learn more...
- C++ application programming interfaces
- Support for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) data sources in the Content Manager Version 8 connector
- Support for ImagePlus (IP) connector and VI400 connector
- Support for DB2 Net Search Extender (use DB2 Text Search instead)
- Application programming interfaces: DKAuthorizationMgmtICM.addACLRule, DKAuthorizationMgmtICM.deleteACLRule, DKAuthorizationMgmtICM.updateACLRule. (Use DKAccessControlListICM instead.)
Learn more...