Application groups

An application group is a collection of one or more applications that have the same index fields and storage characteristics.

The application group is the object that Content Manager OnDemand uses to maintain the reports that you load into the system. The application group holds index data for reports, documents, management information, permissions for the groups and users authorized to access application group, and so forth.

When you define an application group, you specify the name and type of the database fields that will hold the index data extracted from the reports that are loaded into the application group. You specify whether a database field is used to index or filter data, and specify other characteristics of the fields. When you define an application group, Content Manager OnDemand creates an application group table structure in the database, with a column for each database field that you defined. When you load a report into the application group, Content Manager OnDemand inserts rows into an application group table for each indexed item found in the report. An indexed item can be a logical item, such as a policy or statement, or a group of pages, depending on how the report is organized and how you decide to index the report. Users search for reports using one or more of the fields that you defined for the application group.

Content Manager OnDemand supports up to 128 index and filter fields for each application group:
  • Index fields allow fast access to a specific record using a key, but generally require a large amount of disk storage to implement and require longer to load data into the application group. Content Manager OnDemand uses index fields to locate the records in the database that meet the search criteria entered by the user. The index record contains the physical location of an item on a storage volume.
  • Filter fields are used to refine queries, retrieving only a subset of the records found with an index field. Filter fields are generally used with an index field to identify a specific item in the application group. Filter fields can also be used to display additional information in the document list, for example, an address.
Content Manager OnDemand requires a segment field for each application group that you define. Content Manager OnDemand uses the segment field to organize and maintain application group data and to locate items that match a query. A segment field also allows a user to search one specific index file for an application using the date (which is the segment field). Without a segment field defined, all the segments (index files) within an application group are searched. The segment field must be one of the following date field or a date/time fields:
  • Report Date. The date that the application program created the report file. This is typically the date found on pages of the report.
  • Load Date. The date that you loaded the report into the application group. Use the load date if the report does not contain a date.
Storage requirements and index fields are the primary considerations when you define an application group and identify the applications that you can place in an application group. A third factor is the organization of the information contained in the report. Content Manager OnDemand can index, store, and retrieve data contained in a report based on the structure of the data that it contains.
  • Some reports are made up of logical groups of information, such as statements, invoices, and policies. These groups, or logical items, can contain one or more pages of information. Content Manager OnDemand can index, store, and retrieve the logical items contained in a report. Each logical item can be indexed on up to 128 values, for example, account number, customer name, and balance. Content Manager OnDemand creates a row in the database for each logical item it finds in the report.
  • Other reports might be organized differently, and might not necessarily contain logical items. For example, a report could contain thousands of pages of transaction or general ledger data. Content Manager OnDemand can index, store, and retrieve information from these types of reports using index values such as date, page number, and a sorted value, such as transaction number. Content Manager OnDemand divides these types of reports into groups of pages and indexes each group of pages. While these types of reports might contain logical items, it probably would not be cost effective to index every item in the report. That is, indexing every item in these types of reports would probably result in thousands of index records being added to the database each time that a report is loaded into the application group.
When you create an application group, you specify how Content Manager OnDemand should store the index data for the reports that you load into the application group. Content Manager OnDemand provides a method that you can use to determine how index records are loaded into the database and how users can query the application group:
  • Multiple Loads per Database Table

    With this method, each time that you load a report into the application group, Content Manager OnDemand inserts the index records into an existing database table. Index records for every report loaded into the application group are stored in the same database table. Content Manager OnDemand maintains the application group data so that, as far as a user querying the application group knows, they appear to reside in one database table. Content Manager OnDemand automatically segments the application group data when it grows beyond a certain size. Content Manager OnDemand maintains a segment table for each application group. The segment table provides faster query performance by limiting searches to a specific table of application group data, using a date value to construct the query.

When you create an application group, you specify the storage characteristics of the report, such as the length of time that Content Manager OnDemand maintains data stored in the application group and the data migration values. The storage characteristics also determine whether Content Manager OnDemand stores a copy of the report on archive media, whether Content Manager OnDemand should create a backup copy of the report, and when Content Manager OnDemand removes report data when it is no longer needed.

Content Manager OnDemand can perform three types of processing on application group data:
  • Database expiration processing

    Index data expires (is eligible for removal from the system) when it reaches its Life of Data and Indexes period. (You specify the Life of Data and Indexes period when you create an application group.) Content Manager OnDemand provides a command that you can use to remove index data. You typically set up the command to run automatically on a regular schedule. Database expiration processing reclaims the disk space taken by deleted index data.

  • Disk migration processing

    Disk migration is the process of copying reports from disk to archive storage. You specify when a report should be copied from disk to archive storage when you create an application group. Content Manager OnDemand provides a command that you can use to copy reports to archive storage. You typically set up the command to run automatically on a regular schedule. Disk migration optimizes the use of disk storage, while providing excellent performance for short-term retrievals of reports. As a report ages, and in all likelihood accesses becomes less frequent, Content Manager OnDemand can automatically copy the report to long-term (archive) storage. You can also use disk migration to defer the loading of reports to archive storage to a time when there is little or no other system activity.

  • Disk expiration processing

    Disk expiration is the process of deleting reports from disk storage. You specify how long a report should remain on disk when you create an application group. Content Manager OnDemand provides a command that you can use to delete reports from disk. You typically set up the command to run automatically on a regular schedule. Disk expiration reclaims disk space taken by expired reports.