Alfresco in an Hour

Jared OttleySolutions Engineerwww.alfresco.com

Agenda

● Introduction

● User Interface

● The Basics● Spaces and Content● Creating and Editing Content● Permissions● Searching

● Collaboration● Versioning● Check in/out● Forums and Discussions

● Automating Tasks● Rules and Actions

● Simple Workflow

● Demonstration

● Further Information

● Q and A

What is Alfresco?Alfresco is the Open Source Alternative to Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

DocumentManagement

DocumentManagement

WebContent

Management

WebContent

ManagementCollaborationCollaboration

RecordsManagement

RecordsManagement

What does it do?

● Facilitates the collaborative creation and organization of all content.

● Manages content lifecycle and track changes.

● Includes email notifications, RSS, personalized dashboards and more…

● Accessible – Alfresco Web Client, FTP, WebDAV, CIFS (network share), MS Office Add-in.

● Alfresco Web Content Management● Authoring, Virtualisation, Staging and Deployment for Web Site

Management

Feature Overview

AlfrescoVirtual Machine

AlfrescoVirtual Machine

Java and SOAPAPI

Java and SOAPAPI

Alfresco ECM RepositoryAlfresco ECM Repository

VersioningVersioning

Virtual File ServerVirtual File Server

LDAP DirectoryLDAP Directory DatabaseDatabase

Site 1Site 1

Site 2Site 2

Site 3Site 3

WorkflowWorkflow SecuritySecurity ModelingModeling

SearchSearch ScriptingScripting TemplatesTemplates X-FormsX-Forms

Web ClientWeb Client

● Document Management

● Multi-Channel Web Content Management

● Filesystem Interface● FTP, WebDAV, CIFS

● Metadata Modeling

● BPM-Based Workflow

● Multiple APIs● Java, JSR-170 (JCR), SOAP (.NET,

PHP, Ruby, Java)

● Broad Platform Support

TransformationsTransformations Rules EngineRules Engine

Community or Enterprise?

● Community● Development Version● Experimental; Minimal Testing

Functionally Equivalent• Same Code Base

● Nightly builds available.● Support via Wiki and Forums

• No SLA

● Enterprise● Functionally Equivalent

• Same Code Base

● Rigorous QA and Fixes● Production Quality● Regular Maintenance

Releases● Officially Supported

• Guaranteed SLA

• Email

• Telephone

• Developer Support (Optional)

• Certified SI Partners

● Alfresco Connect for Enterprise (ACE)*

* Available Q3 07

What is a Space?● Just like a folder, but capable of

more

● Can hold any type of content

● Give a description and choose an icon

● Add sub-spaces and content

● View/Modify details about a space

● Smart Spaces● Rules● Work with other users Map to

Windows network folder

What is Content?

● Often can be thought of as a file or document

● Made of two main elements● The “content” itself● Information about the content

(meta-data)

● Content● Anything: documents, video,

audio, images, XML, HTML

● Properties● Format, language, creator,

dates● Classifications● Links to related content

• Translations

• Different formats (e.g. PDF, HTML, Text)

• OCR’d text of scanned image

Creating and Editing Content

● HTML or plain Text created and edited in-line● WYSIWYG editor in the browser

● Upload content● Select file from user computer in the browser● Network folders, FTP and WebDAV

● Download from Alfresco to user computer● Standard browser feature, choose where to save● Network folders, FTP and WebDAV

● Update documents by uploading changed file

● Edit Microsoft Office documents directly

Searching Content

● Combined search of both contents and properties

● Full-text search● Any words in content,

regardless of format● Best-match based on number

of matched words

● Property constraints● By category● Between dates● Custom properties

● Path constraints● Only content below a given

space

OpenSearch

● Standard Interface

● Client ● IE7 and Firefox

● Server ● Alfresco Repositories● 3rd Party Applications● Shelf and My Alfresco Dashlet

● One Interface for all Searches● Google● eBay● Wikipedia● Alfresco

● Auto-Discovery

● Language Aware

● For setup details see:● http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/OpenSearch

Alfresco as an OpenSearch Server

Alfresco as an OpenSearch Client

Forums and Discussions

● Forum spaces may be defined to contain Forums● Using Advanced Space Wizard ‘From Scratch’

● Forums may also be associated with spaces and content items● Using the “Start Discussion” action● Discussions move with the item

● Forums contain Topics which contain Posts

● Posts may have Replies

● Searchable

Using Versioning

● Allows a history of previous versions of an item to be kept

● A new version is created when content is saved, by default

● An item needs to be “versionable” for versions to be kept● Individually, via smart spaces, by type or globally

● An example of an “aspect”

● Can look at version history, view previous versions of content – future, revert to version

● Content id always points to the most recent version

Check In and Check Out

● Check Out locks the item and creates a working copy which can be edited (content and details)

● Everyone else can just view the item

● Check In replaces the original item with the working copy and releases the lock

Rules and Actions -Conditions

● Rules are applied to a ‘Space’

● Rules make a space ‘Smart’

● Rules are triggered by an Event● Inbound - content arriving into

a space● Outbound – content leaving a

space, moved, deleted● Update – content being

modified

● Rules are filtered based on conditions

● All Items (no filter)● Items with a specific MIME

Type (e.g. .pdf)● Specific Content Type Applied

to a specific aspect File name pattern (e.g. *-context.xml)

● Falls within a Category (e.g. Region, Language)

● Rule filter can be applied to ‘NOT’● e.g. not in MIME Type *.pdf

● No limit on the number of conditions that can be applied to each rule

Rules and Actions -Actions

● Items that successfully meet the rule conditions have an ‘Action’ applied to them

● Actions can triggered to run manually

● No limit on the number of Actions per rule

● Rules are used to organise, structure, enrich content in the repository

● Used in conjunction with:● Alfresco Web Client● FTP● WebDAV● CIFS (Shared Network Folder)● Web Services API● Use your imagination

Simple Workflow

● Special case of a Rule

● Applies automated management of document lifecycles

● Moves / Copies content based on user actions

Space Templates

● Re-useable templates of spaces and content

● Create a library of standard projects● Different types of projects have different structures● Standardized documents● Standardized management

● Create a template in the same way as a space● Add sub-spaces and content

● Create spaces based on other spaces

Accessing Content Without The Alfresco Client

● CIFS● Root URL: \\<machine name>_A\

Alfresco● Same as a network share folder● Can mount as a share drive● Drag and Drop files into Alfresco● Edit content directly with other

programs● Network folders can be smart

spaces● Provides user with a link to the

same space in the web client

● FTP/WebDAV/CIFS● All rules are applied● All permissions are enforced● If versioning is enabled, then

content will be versioned

Alfresco WCM

● Add-on Module to Alfresco Content Repository

● All DM and WCM capabilities available within a single repository● Complementary Content and Web Content services

● Community and Enterprise Versions● Community - Free to use

• Limited QA• NO support• Use at your own risk!

● Enterprise - No license fees, annual support subscription• Production Ready• Service Level Agreement• Warranty and Indemnity

● See Alfresco in an Hour in the Content Community for more information on core repository services.

Alfresco’s Model for WCM

● Content Production● Production Model

• Sandboxes

• Transparent Layers

● Workflow● Roles● Content Modelling● Versioning● Virtualisation● Filesystem Projection

● Content Delivery● Static v’s Dynamic Runtimes● Alfresco Runtimes● Deployment

Alfresco’s Model for WCM

● Low traffic

● Read / write

● Alfresco focuses on:

● Ease of content entry● Content QA (workflow /

approval)● Version control / rollback

● High traffic

● Read mostly

● Alfresco focuses on:

● Deployment Flexibility● Technology agnosticism● Performance / scalability

Production Model

Production Model –Transparent Layers

● No changes yet made

Production Model – Transparent Layers

● Alice creates a new page called "products.html"

Production Model – Transparent Layers

● Alice edits "index.html" to add a link to her new page

Production Model –Transparent Layers

● Alice submits her changes (change set) to workflow, they are approved and promoted to staging

Alfresco’s Model for WCM

Deployment In a Nutshell

?

What kind of sites can Alfresco manage?

● Static – HTML, Images● Dynamic - JSP, ASP, Coldfusion, PHP…..

.

Delivery technology

Page compositing

Deployment mechanism

Personalization

Performance

Application developer skill-sets

Static

Web servers

Submission time

Filesystem

Limited

Ultimate

Freemarker, XSLT, XSLT-FO

Dynamic

Application servers

Request time

Alfresco Runtime

Unlimited

Less than static

Any web technology

● Static or Dynamic or Both

Alfresco Runtimes

Runtime Repository (in production) Can be used:

As the search engine for the web site (applicable for both dynamic and static web sites)

As a runtime content store that can be queried by a dynamic web application.

Web Scripts REST (HTTP) Based –

Technology Independent Data Access API HTML, XML, Text, JSON,

Atom, RSS..... Supports cached results Authentication● Can be used to provide:

• Search• Navigation• Dynamic Page Assembly

A Hybrid Model?

Hybrid – Mix Static and Dynamic

Page Composition Options

“Inside Out”• Each page is dynamic and includes all page components dynamically

(regardless of whether those components are static or dynamic)

“Outside In”• Each page is static HTML with static components already embedded, but

dynamic components included via an inclusion mechanism (eg. server side includes)

Note: The tradeoff between these two models is management complexity vs runtime performance.

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ShareCore Concepts

● New Collaboration Application● Document Management● Collaboration● Social Networking

● Sites● Teams or projects maintain their own collaboration site● Collaboration sites are websites

• Sites and site pages are bookmarkable• Configurable by business users from a library of UI components

● Site Components● Site Dashboards, DocLibrary, Wiki, Blog, Discussions (Forums),

Calendar

● Activities Service

● Personal Dashboards

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Share Sites● Sites

● Collaboration areas for extranets, new products, communities of interest/practice and more…

● Set of themed, templated collaboration sites

● Site Dashboard● Configurable by Site Manager● Layout Templates● Dashlets

● Site Components● Library of Web-script-based GUI components● Add/remove components

● Personal Dashboard● Activities● Rich profile management – avatars, contact info

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Share Page Components

● DocLibrary● Multi-file upload● Multi-select operations

• e.g copy/move

● Commenting● Social Tagging● Filters● Thumbnails ● Flash Previews

● Wiki

● WYSIWYG editing and Simple Wiki Markup

● Version History

● Comments

● Publish MediaWiki

● Blog

● WYSIWYG editing

● Publish to WordPress & TypePad

● Discussions

● Threaded

● Commenting

● Calendar● Day/Week/Month and Agenda views

● iCal support

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ShareSite and Personal Dashboards

● Drag n’ Drop Configuration

● Dashlets● Calendar

• Site and Personal• Rollups – consolidate view from all my calendars

● Activities• Events automatically posted by actions in other components• E.g add document, edit document, new calendar event etc

● People Finder● Site Finder● RSS Feeds

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Flash Document Viewer

● Automatic Generation of Flash Renditions including:

● Word, PowerPoint, Excel

● OpenOffice

● And more …

● Pluggable Rendition Engine

● Flash Video/Audio

● Reduced Bandwidth

● High Performance Viewing

● Remove Client Application Dependencies

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ShareServices

● Activities● Exposed via Dashlets and Feeds

● Tagging● Searching, Filtering

● Thumbnail● Automatic Previews

● Site● Creating, invites, membership, management

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Share APIs

● Standardised Public API● REST based● Language independent● Developer productivity

● Examples:● Create site● Invite Members● Create blog post● Create calendar event● ...

● See http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/3.0_REST_API for full details

Further Information

● Content Community● http://www.alfresco.com● AMPs, Documentation, Tutorial, Tech Tips

● Alfresco Wiki● Technical information on configuration, administration and customisation● http://wiki.alfresco.com

● Alfresco Forums● Community Postings● Alfresco Staff● http://forums.alfresco.com

● Alfresco Forge● Contributions from the community

• E.g. Metadata extractors, transformations …. • http://forge.alfresco.com

Alfresco in an Hour

Jared OttleySolutions Engineerwww.alfresco.com

Thank you for Attending