IBM DB2 Records Manager - Sample Windows Integration
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Description
This sample integrates IBM DB2 Records Manager 4.1.x with Windows Explorer. It
demonstrates how the IBM DB2 Records Manager application programming interface
can be used to connect to IBM DB2 Records Manager, declare a electronic record,
present a file plan component profile, and navigate the file plan hierarchy.
Prerequisites
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IBM DB2 Records Manager 4.1.x is installed, configured, and operational.
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A host application integrated with IBM DB2 Records Manager is installed,
configured, and operational.
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Version 1.1 of the Microsoft .NET Framework is installed on the Windows client.
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The Windows user has permission to modify the registry.
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No firewall application is running on the Windows client (it interferes with
the operation of the context menu extension).
Installation
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Shut down any firewall application on the Windows client.
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Extract the contents of IRMClient.zip into a local directory on the
Windows client.
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Launch a command prompt window, change to the directory created in the previous
step, and execute the following command:
IRMShellExt.exe
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Optionally, add a shortcut to IRMSysTray.exe to the Startup program
group.
Configuration
When the user first attempts to login, a configuration file named IRMClient.config
will be created in:
C:\Documents and Settings\<current user>\Local
Settings\Application Data\IBM\IBM DB2 Records Manager
IRMClient.config is an XML file and can be edited using Notepad. Configuration
entries are listed as a series of key-value pairs with an additional type and
comment attribute. The values of all entries under the <!--
Programmatically managed settings--> comment are managed
programmatically and should not be manually modified. The values of all entries
under the <!-- Manually managed settings --> and
<!-- Manually managed UI labels and descriptions -->
comments may be modified as you see fit. Refer to the type and comment
attributes for each entry for details.
The only entry you must verify and, if necessary, modify is the value of the QAHost.HostName
key. Change the value of the Event.Log.Level key if you wish to enable
logging (the log file, named IRMClient.log, will be created in the same
directory as IRMClient.config). Otherwise, the default values should
suffice for all other entries in the configuration file.
If you wish the propert grid control to display descriptive text for a custom
file plan component definition attribute then add the following key to the
configuration file, replacing X with the column name of the custom attribute:
<add key="Desc.X" value="Description for custom attribute
X." type="String" />
Operation
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Launch IRMSysTray.exe if you opted not to add it to the Startup program
group or it is not already running. When IRMSysTray.exe is running, an
icon will appear in the system tray of the Windows taskbar with the tooltip
'IBM DB2 Records Manager'.
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Right click the IRM icon in the system tray and select Login from the context
menu. The first time you login you must set the URL to the Web Services server if it is
not located on the local machine. Use the Refresh button to refresh the list of records systems
for the selected server.
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Until you log out from or exit IRMSysTray.exe, the context menu that
appears when you right-click on a Windows file will include an 'IBM DB2 Records
Manager' submenu. The label of this menuitem and its contents is configurable
but it essentially allows you to declare the selected Windows file as a record
in IRM. If successful, the file content is uploaded to the host application.
Removal
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Remove the shortcut to IRMSysTray.exe from the Startup program group.
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Launch a command prompt window, change to the directory containing IRMShellExt.exe,
and execute the following command:
IRMShellExt.exe /u
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Close IRMSysTray.exe and delete the folder containing IRMShellExt.exe,
IRMSysTray.exe, and IRM.dll. You may have to restart the machine
or re-login to Windows before you can do so.
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Delete the folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\<current user>\Local
Settings\Application Data\IBM\IBM DB2 Records Manager
Errata
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In the IRMSysTray.exe Login dialog, it is recommended that you use the machine
name instead of 'localhost' in the Web Services server URL when the IRM server is located
on the same machine.
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Right click on the file plan tree control to toggle the Synchronize Properties option.
Disabling Synchronize Properties allows for faster navigation of the file plan since the properties
are not fetched for every file plan component. You can still view the properties of a file plan
component by right clicking on the component and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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It is highly recommended that all users have a profile template assigned for all file plan component definitions.
The attributes of the file plan component can be categorized by using a group headers in the profile template and
arranging attributes below the appropriate group header. For example, you could create a group header named 'Lifecycle Details'
and move the lifecycle code, lifecycle phase, lifecycle date, disposal authority and disposition date below it.
All attributes without a group header will be listed in the 'Uncategorized' category of the property grid.
You can change the name of this 'uncategorized' category in the configuration file.
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