Certainly DCTM has been moving in the right direction with CMIS (via DSS) support and refactoring much of content server into the JBoss layer. As I have stated before the license model has not been inviting to a service provider model (SAAS) as evidenced by the lack of offerings. Documentum continues to be an on-premise solution.

Filestores may be another item ripe for upgrade. While EMC provides multiple methodologies to abstract file storage from the physical disk volumes, I am not aware of many cost effective mechanisms for achieving endless storage with acceptable retrieval times (or time to first page view in imaging solutions). EMC Centera is fantastic on-premise solution and a great model, but perhaps an Azure based solutions would better fit the bill allowing for the emc content server to more appropriately be scaled to an unlimited number of CPUs dynamically without regard for the management of virtualized hardware or disk.

I have been and remain interested in creating such a configuration and would entertain partners in this endeavor which would need to include migration methodology, search, image viewer, etc…

Regards,
Ed Alexander

I am curious to understand why you think that Documentum architecture is not suitable for the cloud? They support virtualisation and with the new DSS even search will support virtualisation.

What aspects of the architecture do you think – make it unsuitable for the cloud?

thanks

Actually,

Apples to Apples

Microsoft SharePoint and EMC Documentum are kissing cousins in the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant (pre SharePoint 2010) with Microsoft in a slight lead [see CMS Wire].

Just to back up the claim, take a look at the pharma industry moving into SharePoint based FDA submission tools. Additionally, the last two banks I have worked for are moving into SharePoint as well. Don’t think that EMC does not need to compete with SharePoint for business in their traditional markets. EMC currently holds an advantage in records management and is soon to move on to its second generation composition model rapid CEVA development toolset. My personal belief is that when Documentum gets their technology direction focused (leave Adobe Flex behind) and update the composer toolset we will see lower prices and a push into the SMB market and cloud based services.

EMC does have a great product for removing BLOB storage from the SharePoint site collection (not Documentum though).

Best Regards,

Ed

Process Engine is a mature implementation allowing all workflow to be executed in the application server (much like SharePoint oddly enough). I am sure that you have noticed EMC moving more and more functionality to the BEA (now JBoss) java method server with each release. One of the goals of this architecture change was to remove the weak link in multi-platform implementations, the original hard compiled API, DMCL.

Process Engine is better compared to K2 or BizTalk than the default workflow engine shipped OOB. The base workflow capabilities provided by SharePoint 2007 are a good direct comparison. Both the base Documentum workflow and SharePoint via Designer offer like capabilities and with the edge going to Documentum due to the BOF layer. Although you really need to step up to process engine to build no-code event driven workflows.

This mostly concerns the Business Logic section and won’t address the points you raised regarding the usage of the “Cloud-ability”. I feel that you mistakenly imply that the Process Engine is “new” (or newish). The Process Engine is really just a name change for something that’s been included with Content Server since the 4.x days. The heart of the code *hasn’t* changed.

Being old doesn’t mean that it’s outdated, instead is an indicator that EMC got it right the first time. The Business Object Framework, has been enhanced and supplemented by Documentum Foundation Services. Frankly, there are few limitations on what you can do with it.

You didn’t go into any detail on how the K2/MS combo is going to overcome the current nightmare that workflow customization currently is in SharePoint. Event triggers are nice (and something that’s been in Documentum for years) but you’re assuming that these folks using SharePoint already have that foundation built in their installations. Better late than never, but to use these features is going to take considerable retrofitting.

The workflow capabilities of Documentum are light years ahead of Microsoft in 6.5 and without the pain and effort required. Give me functionality *NOW* rather than betting the farm on a release later this year and another two years to learn and implement it.

For those people who have both platforms, my recommendation is to skip the MS Workflows and use Documentum as your backend and for your workflows.