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What requirements do you use for System Integrations?

posted on January 29, 2014

Do you have a standard list of the requirements you have for external systems vendors when you require them to interface with Laserfiche?

 

Here is my working list - suggestions are welcome!

 

  • We  require that all documents and “Electronic Content” be stored in Laserfiche.
  • The requirements of this storage:
    • That integrations use Laserfiche Version 9
    • The document images be stored in TIFF image format, natively in Laserfiche
    • All access to documents should be done through the Laserfiche APIs available through the Laserfiche toolkit, purchased and licensed by the vendor from Laserfiche.  No direct access to the documents, images, or LF databases will be acceptable.
    • That the documents be stored with meaningful metadata so that the documents may be accessed, searched, etc. from outside of the system or integrated with other systems.
    • That appropriate indexes be generated used to reference the documents in Laserfiche and not the internal “DocID”
    • That the documents be stored using the Records Management features of Laserfiche so that our document retention and destruction requirements may be satisfied for each document type.  The system should NOT automatically delete any documents (and will not be given the security permissions to do so.)
    • That all access of documents be handled by the individual user accounts and not by service accounts wherever possible to preserve the audit record of the documents.
    • That authentication be performed by Windows Authentication with Single Sign-on so that any integrations will appear seamless.
    • That configuration options be in place to govern the rate at which the system can add documents to Laserfiche.  (Documents per minute, etc.)
    • That configuration options be in place to set the options for Laserfiche server, repository, templates, fields, and other configuration options necessary for the integration with Laserfiche such that the <organization> might maintain flexibility to make changes to the Laserfiche environment in the future.
    • That the document searching criteria be designed to limit the load put on the Laserfiche system, and that configuration options be in place to throttle the rate of these searches if necessary.
    • That <IT Department> and the customer departments have final approval on the design of the document storage, templates and index fields, RM design, and other aspects of ECM.

 

As you may be able to tell, we've learned from our past attempts.

 

What else what you add?

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replied on January 29, 2014

Michael,

 

Great list!  I do have a question for you though.  You specifically mention "That appropriate indexes be generated and used to reference the documents in Laserfiche and not the internal DocID”.

 

What would be a set of appropriate indexes to retrieve a unique document from Laserfiche and why would you not use the DocID?

 

 

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replied on January 29, 2014

Ah, good question Cliff.

 

The DocID would make sense as an index - it's system generated and unchangeable, right?

 

But... 

 

There are a number of things which could result in a new DocID.  Like restoring from tape, for instance.  Or running something through Quick Fields. 

 

So, if you have cases where the DocID would not be the same, your indexing system could end up in a disastrous state.

 

 

So...

 

I would make them generate a key to store in an index field in Laserfiche and use that as their reference from the other application.  (Sometimes you can use existing metadata for those indexes, as long as you get truly unique results, but many times it is best to generate a new index field.)

 

 

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replied on January 29, 2014 Show version history

Ok, that makes sense.  That additional layer of indirection would add flexibility for large dynamic integrations.

 


 

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