This is the Documentum API interface to Perl.
These modules have been built and tested with EDMS versions 3.1.5, 3.1.6, 98, 4.0.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2, 5.2.5 SP2, 5.3 SP1. They should also work with other versions, as the API hasn't changed much in a long time.
To build this extension, unpack the distribution, and edit Makefile.PL if necessary. Then do the typical Perl module building stuff:
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install
The test.pl script will prompt you for the information it needs, and then will connect to your docbase. It will generate a new document (dm_document) named 'Perl Module Test' and link it to the /Temp cabinet. The test script will also create a new object type named 'my_document', create an instance of one named 'Perl Module Tools Test Doc' and link it to a new folder at /Temp/Db-Documentum-Test'. Finally, the script copies and moves the 'Perl Module Tools Test Doc' among several folders and then deletes the whole mess. If you're nervous about the test script doing evil things to your production docbase, examine the code, point it at a test docbase, or write your own test script.
To check the version of this module from the command line, use:
>perl -MDb::Documentum -e Db::Documentum::version
Documentum::Tools
This is a set of helper functions that simplify a couple of common tasks when writing a Documentum client application.
Encapsulates the process of connecting to a docbase.
Arguments: docbase, username, and password are required. Two
extra args are optional, and your dm_check_password program
(or equivalent) should be configured to do the right thing
with them. See the etc/dm_check_password.pl program included
with this distribution for an example that uses Kerberos v4
service tickets to authenticate to Documentum.
Returns: the session identifer on success. Nothing on failure.
Generic interface for evaluating the error log for the current
session.
Arguments: session identifier, error level, and number of entries
to report, all optional. Session id defaults to 'apisession'
for handling connect() failures. Error level defaults to 3, which
is a good choice in most situations, and number of entries
defaults to 'all'.
Returns: character string containing the error data, suitable for
printing to the user.
NOTE: The %ATTRS hash is no longer a HoL. This is a change from v1.2
Generic wrapper to create new instances of object types and optionally
populate attributes. Note: this function does NOT perform a 'save'.
Repeating attributes are declared as a scalar with delimiters between
repeating values. See below. The default delimiter is set at:
$Db::Documentum::Tools::Delimiter
Arguments: Documentum object type, required. Hash of attributes for object,
optional. For example:
$delim = $Db::Documentum::Tools::Delimiter;
%ATTRS = (object_name => 'test_doc2',
title => 'My Test Doc 2',
authors => 'Scott 1'.$delim.'Scott 2',
keywords => 'Scott'.$delim.'Test'.$delim.$DocVar.$delim.'2',
r_version_label => 'TEST');
$doc_id = dm_CreateObject ("dm_document",%ATTRS);
Returns: scalar containing the r_object_id of the new object.
Generic wrapper to create new object type in the docbase.
Arguments: Object name and Documentum superclass name, required. Hash
of field definitions, optional. For example:
%field_defs = (cat_id => 'char(16)',
loc => 'char(64)',
editions => 'char(6) REPEATING');
$api_stat = dm_CreateType ("my_document","dm_document",%field_defs);
Returns: TRUE on success, FALSE on failure.
Generic wrapper to create new folder heirarchies in Docbase.
For example,
$dir_id = dm_CreatePath ('/Temp/Testing/Unit-1');
Returns: r_object_id of folder or undef.
Locates the currently-active server for a particular docbase.
This is only really necessary since to obtain a Kerberos
service ticket, you must know the hostname of the machine you're
connecting to. The Docbroker hides this layer from the user
by default, and this routine exposes it. This only gets
called by dm_KrbConnect() in my implementation.
Example: $server = dm_LocateServer($docbase);
Returns: Hostname for docbase on success. Nothing on failure.
Copies an object and optionally moves it to a new location specified by $to_folder. If $to_folder is undefined, the copy will reside with the original. Do not copy folders and cabinets with this routine. Returns the r_object_id of copy.
Example: $object_id = dm_Copy($orig_obj_id, $to_folder)
Note: $to_folder can be the r_object_id of the destination folder,
or the full path (e.g., "/Temp/2004/Q1/Jan/15"). If the path
does not exist, it is created by calling dm_CreatePath.
Moves an object from the location specified by $from_folder, to the location specified by $to_folder. If $from_folder is undefined, unlink from all locations. Returns true for success, false for failure.
Example: $rv = dm_Move($object_id, $to_folder, $from_folder)
Note: $to_folder can be the r_object_id of the destination folder,
or the full path (e.g., "/Temp/2004/Q1/Jan/15"). If the path
does not exist, it is created by calling dm_CreatePath.
Note: $from_folder can be the r_object_id of the current folder or its
full path (e.g., "/Temp/2004/Q2/Jun/1").
Deletes the object specified by $obj_id. If the optional $all argument is set to true, will delete all versions of the object specified by $obj_id. By default, $all is false. If the object specified by $obj_id is a cabinet or folder, this sub will execute a deep delete and remove all versions of all objects contained in the cabinet or folder. Returns true on success, false on failure.
Example: $rv = dm_Delete($obj_id, $all)
!! EXPERIMENTAL !!
Requires Krb4.pm from CPAN. You'll want to comment out the
'use Krb4'; statement in the header of the library if you
don't plan on using this.
Connects to Documentum and authenticates the user using a Kerberos
v4 service ticket. This is fairly tricky stuff. The library does a
bunch of Kerberos calls to obtain all of the necessary info to
build the service ticket. The ticket is then encoded, along with
a nonce value used to prevent replay attacks, and sent to the
server. A compatible dm_check_password program should be installed
on the server to decode and decrypt the session info.
You need to be fairly Kerberos-savvy to make this work. The code is
fairly-well commented, but it does assume you have a working
K4 KDC installed, and a service ticket entry in your server machine's
srvtab. I did my testing with the default rcmd.hostname@REALM ticket,
but now use documentum.hostname@REALM (which is how this code is
configured). You'll need to configure the service in both the
client library code as well as the dm_check_password.pl program if
you want to change it.
The big problem with this code is that there is no good way to
map Kerberos problems to Documentum connect() error codes, and
reporting reporting Kerberos messages back to the user is not
possible given the interface between the authentication program
and the user, which is simply the exit value of the program (0
on success, something else on failure). Thus this may be
difficult to support if there are Kerberos problems. The
client code does capture basic problems, like the user's TGT
having expired.
Arguments: docbase name (required)
Returns: The session identifier on success. Nothing on failure.
intro-db-dctm-11.pdf
Tutorial explaining all the features and demonstrating several uses of Db::Documentum.
etc/dm_check_password.pl
This Perl version of dm_check_password knows how to authenticate
users in the following ways:
1. Local passwords in /etc/passwd (/etc/shadow, whatever).
2. Against a Kerberos KDC using the user's kerberos password.
3. Against a Kerberos KDC using the user's kerberos service ticket.
It should be installed setuid root with appropriate permissions. See
the existing dm_check_password for the right settings.
Method #2 should be deprecated, given the fact that there doesn't
appear to be any session encryption between the documentum client
and server during the authentication phase. Exposing your
kerberos password to the network is potentially hazardous to the
health of your network, and certain to make your network administrator
unhappy (or it should).
Checking works like this:
- If the user supplies the additional optional arguments to connect,
the first one is ignored, and the second one is assumed to be
the encrypted nonce for this session, as long as it is at least
8 characters long. We ignore the first one since the server
doesn't appear to pass it properly.
- If a nonce is found, method 3 is tried (Kerberos service ticket).
- If a nonce is not found, the user is authenticated against the
local passwd file. If the user has a local entry, but the password
does not match, the session is denied.
- If the user does not have a local passwd entry, then they are
authenticated against the Kerberos KDC (a la krb_get_pw_in_tkt).
If the password doesn't match here, the session is denied.
- If for some reason we don't exit before this point, the session
is denied (just in case).
Error passing back to the user is pretty primitive. Also I don't
pay attention to any of the password-aging stuff.
etc/idql.pl
This Perl version of the Interactive DQL Editor is provided for your
convenience and as an example of Db::Documentum programming power.
etc/tickler.pl
Sample application that checks for items in your inbox.
If you encounter problems with the module that appear to be confined to the module (or can't tell), please let me know. If you find this module useful, let me know as well.
Scott Roth <scott@dm-book.com>
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