Oracle Internet Filesystem (iFS) FAQ

$Date: 18-Dec-2000 $
$Revision: 1.00 $
$Author: Frank Naudé $

Topics

Oracle iFS comes free of charge with Oracle8i release 8.1.7, or can be downloaded from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN).

Oracle iFS supports the following additional features:

• File versioning - Create a new file version each time a document is edited
• Check in, check out (CICO) - lock documents that have been checked out until they are checked back in
• Change notification - Warn users via E-Mail when documents are modified
• Automatic expiration - Auto purge/delete old files
• Parsers and renderers - Documents can be decomposed and reassembled using different file formats
• Advanced searches - If Oracle InterMedia is installed, one can do advanced searches on document contents
• Symbolic links - files can be stored in multiple folders
• Multi-level security - with integrated anti-virus software
• XML and XSL Support
• Developers kit/ Java API/ Etc.

• SMB (Server Message Block) -
  Use this protocol to access the iFS through Microsoft Windows and Linux clients as a remote filesystem.

• HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and WebDAV (Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning) -
  Use this protocol to access the iFS with Web browsers and network computers.

• FTP (File Transfer Protocol) -
  Use this protocol to see contents of the iFS with (command-line) FTP clients. The contents of the iFS are displayed as standard FTP directories. Use the GET and PUT commands to move files.

• SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), IMAP4 Internet Message Access Protocol, POP3 (Post Office Protocol) -
  Use these E-mail protocols to access the iFS through clients like Pegasus, Eudora, Microsoft Outlook, and others.

Extended features are not accessible for standard protocols. For example, there is no way to check in or check out a file using the standard features of SMB or FTP as they do not support check in or out of files. Additional features are only available via Oracle's iFS admin tools.

• Install the Oracle Server with the Java (JServer/ JVM) and InterMedia options. Oracle iFS runs within a JavaVM and cannot function without the Java Option being installed. Without interMedia, iFS will not be able to do context searches.
• Create a database and run $ORACLE_HOME/javavm/install/initjvm.sql as user SYS.
• Install the Oracle iFS software
• Run the "ifsconfig" utility to configure iFS

Unix and NT users can also use the "ifsstart" command in the $ORACLE_HOME/ifs/bin directory to start Oracle iFS. The "ifsstop" command can be used to stop iFS.

Configuration data in the $ORACLE_HOME/ifs<version> directory can be backed up using standard filesystem copy commands.

Please note that individual files cannot be restored from a standard database backup. One would need to restore the complete iFS repository.

• Use the Windows Explorer to drag and drop the files into the "O-drive"
• FTP the files to the iFS

• Oracle8i Internet File System (iFS)

• WebDAV.org - WebDAV Explained