Frequently Asked Interview Questions

CE Questions

What is a Document ?

    Document is an object, that has content, descriptive information, and it can be contained in folders and can be Secured.

What is a Compound Document ?

    Compound Document is a collection of Document objects that are associated in a parent-child hierarchy with a link between parent and child. It has unlimited no. of child documents with unlimited no. of child levels.

What is the difference between getInstance( )  and fetchInstance( ) ?

     getInstance( ) method does not verify the existence of the requested object on the server; it simply returns a local reference without making a round-trip to the server. The local reference is not affiliated with an object of this class type until you perform a function on the object (for example, fetch a property value) that causes a round-trip to the Content Engine server.

    fetchInstance( )  method always makes a round-trip to the server. You can optionally include a filter to control which properties to return with the object. If you pass in null for the filter parameter, this method returns values for all non-object properties and returns placeholders for all object-valued properties. 

What is a DocumentLifeCycle ?

    DocumentLifeCycle is a set of user defined states through which a document moves from its creation to final disposition. The states are specified in  a policy that defines the Life Cycle.

Eg: Planned, Scheduled, In Progress and Completed.

What is a Custom Object ?

    It is a general purpose object represented by a Custom Object object that can be sub-classed, independently secured, and persisted to the Object Store.

What is an Entry Template ?

    An Entry Template is a custom wizard for adding content, with preferred steps that guides the user to add content. Each Entry template adds a particular type of object (for Eg: Document).

What is PropertyFileter ?

    PropertyFileters, limit the properties and property detail retrived from server, to improve the retrival performance.

PE Questions

What is  Workflow Definition and Workflow ?

    Workflow Definition is an electronic representation of the activities required to accomplish a business process.

    Workflow is a running unique instance of a Workflow Definition. It contains Steps, Properties, Routing information, and maintained in an executable form.

What is a Work Item ?

    A work item is a task that must be completed by a user. A work item is associated with a node on a workflow. It contains data and instructions needed for processing.

What is a Queue?

    It is database structure, used to maintain the work items, while they are await processing.

Architecture of IBM FileNet 4.5.1

IBM FileNet P8 platform

The IBM FileNet P8 platform consists of FileNet P8 components and third-party components. All these components work together to provide the functionality for all solutions built on a FileNet P8 system. The FileNet P8 platform provides interoperability with the widest selection of database, operating system, storage, security, and Web-server environments in the industry.

The high-level, architecture diagram above represents all the required components of the IBM FileNet P8 platform. The Content Engine is hosted by the Web application server. The Content Engine communicates with the Directory Service, with an RDBMS, and with multiple objects stores. Each object store contains a database and optionally, a file storage area or a fixed content device or both. The Process Engine communicates with its own RDBMS and with the Content Engine through its Web application server in order to communicate with the Directory Service. Another Web application server hosts the Application Engine, which communicates with both the Content Engine and the Process Engine. The Application Engine hosts the FileNet Workplace application, which uses the Internet or an intranet to communicate with the Web browser that hosts the Workplace UI for the user.

Third-party components in IBM FileNet P8
A FileNet P8 system can include many third-party components, but some of these third-party components are required in order to run a FileNet P8 system. These required components include application servers, an RDBMS for database management, Web browsers, the Internet or an intranet, and an LDAP-based directory service.
Functions of third-party components
Application server – Handles all application operations between users and back-end business applications and databases. Hosts the Application Engine and the Content Engine. Handles communication with the Directory Service for authentication.
Databases – The RBDMS includes databases, which are third-party components.
Directory service – Manages users and groups in an enterprise. A FileNet P8 system communicates with the directory service when the FileNet P8 system needs to verify a user's or group's identity (such as for user sign-on) and when a software operation checks which users and groups can access FileNet P8 resources.
File Storage Area – This mass storage is provided by a distributed file system or by a Windows NTFS file system. These file systems are third-party components.
Fixed Content Device – This is a third-party component.
Internet or intranet – Connects computers with FileNet P8 components.
RDBMS – A relational database management system. Manages the databases used by the object stores of the Content Engine and the databases used by the Process Engine.
Web browser – Hosts the Workplace UI.