IBM Support

Using Google Cloud Storage as a FileNet Content Platform Engine Fixed Content Device

How To


Summary

This document discusses considerations when configuring Google Cloud Storage as a FileNet Content Platform Engine Fixed Content Device.

Objective

Google Cloud Storage limitations
  • Google Cloud Storage supports only a subset of the AWS S3 object storage web interface
  • Google Cloud Storage supports only bucket-level retention (all objects in the bucket have the same retention)

Impact on configuring Google Cloud Storage as a FileNet Content Engine Fixed Content Device
  • Must create separate Google Cloud Storage buckets for each different retention period needed (for example, if a customer needs to retain various types of documents for 5 years, 10 years or 15 years, they would correspondingly create separate buckets for each of these retention periods)

  • Must configure Google Cloud Storage on FileNet Content Platform Engine as an S3 Fixed Content Device in non-aligned mode retention. In non-aligned mode, retention is separately maintained by FileNet Content Platform Engine and the Google Cloud Storage device; that is, FileNet Content Platform Engine does NOT pass a retention value down to the Google Cloud Storage device.

  • Requires that the configuration parameter Content.AWSFCD.SkipBucketRetentionCheck is to set to TRUE when starting up the FileNet Content Parameter Engine. (This parameter is only available in Content Platform Engine 5.5.7 and later.)

    For more information on setting parameters in a container installation, refer to the following topic in the online documentation:  https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/filenet-p8-platform/5.5.x?topic=operators-content-platform-engine-parameters

    In a traditional environment, the parameter is set either in the FileNet.properties file or as an application server JVM argument.

  • Must create separate Content Platform Engine document classes with separate retention policies for each separate retention period needed. For example, if a customer needs to retain various types of documents for 5 years, 10 years or 15 years, they would correspondingly create separate document classes for each of these retention periods.

Summary
  • Only Fixed-Based Retention is supported.  Event-Based Retention is not supported.
  • When different retention periods are needed, there’s a 1:1 mapping between a Content Platform Engine document class and a Google Cloud Storage bucket

  • Retention is managed separately at the FileNet Content Platform Engine level and the Google Cloud Storage device level

  • FileNet Content Platform Engine does not pass retention values down to Google Cloud Storage ==> non-aligned mode retention

  • Content can be deleted only if:

    • Content Platform Engine retention on the content is expired

    • Google Cloud Storage retention on the content is expired

Diagram showing how Content Platform Engine retention maps to Google Cloud Storage retention

Document Location

Worldwide

[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Product":{"code":"SSNVNV","label":"FileNet Content Manager"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m50000000ClJrAAK","label":"Fixed content Devices"}],"ARM Case Number":"","Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"5.5.7;and future releases"}]

Document Information

Modified date:
11 October 2021

UID

ibm16497387