CMIS Import (Import Provider)

CMIS Import is an Import Provider used to import content over a CMIS Connection, allowing users to import from various external storage platforms.

Documents are imported from CMIS Connections using either the "Import Descendants" or "Import Query Results" providers. These can be used in two ways:

• To perform manual "ad-hoc" imports from Grooper Dashboard.
• To perform automatic, scheduled imports using one or more Import Watcher services.

Use Cases

Grooper has the ability to connect to the following storage platforms by setting the "Connection Type" property when adding a new CMIS Connection. Storage locations in these platforms are then available to CMIS Import as CMIS Repositories

• The ApplicationXtender document management platform.
• The FileBound document management platform.
• CMIS (CMIS Binding)|Content management systems]] using CMIS 1.0 or CMIS 1.1 servers.
• The following Microsoft content platforms
  • The Microsoft Exchange mail server platform.
  • The Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage platform.
  • Microsft SharePoint sites.
• FTP (File Transfer Protocal) and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocal) servers.
• IMAP mail servers
• The Microsoft Windows NTFS file system.

Version Differences

2.72 CMIS+ Infrastructure

As of 2.72, Grooper utilizes what we call the CMIS+ infrastructure.  This unifies all content platforms under a single framework as CMIS endpoints.  Prior to version 2.72, there was only one type of CMIS Connection, a CMIS connection using CMIS 1.0 or CMIS 1.1 servers. Now, connections to additional non-CMIS document storage platforms can be made via "CMIS Bindings".

The settings and logic used to connect Grooper to an individual storage platform is contained in its corresponding CMIS Binding. For example, the AppXtender Binding contains all the information Grooper uses to connect to the ApplicationXtender content management system. Which binding you use (and therefore which platform you connect to) is set by creating a CMIS Connection and choosing the appropriate binding as the "Connection Type".

Using this architecture, Grooper is able to create a more standardized import and export workflow. You now use CMIS Import and CMIS Export providers regardless of the storage platform. They connect to a CMIS Repository imported from a CMIS Connection and use that as Grooper's import or export path.

Only how you create a CMIS Connection differs from CMIS Binding to CMIS Binding, as each binding has a different way of connecting to it (You don't connect to an Outlook inbox the same way you connect to a Windows file folder, for example).

2.72 Legacy Providers

Old import and export providers should be replaced with this new functionality. While Grooper's older import and export providers are available as "Legacy Import" and "Legacy Export" providers, these components are depreciated. They will still function but will no longer be upgraded in future versions of Grooper.

Grooper can import documents using CMIS Connections via "Import Descendents" and "Import Query Results". Grooper can export via the CMIS Export providers, Mapped Export and Unmapped Export.

2.72 New Connection Types

By creating the CMIS+ architecture, we have been able to create new connections between Grooper and content management systems. Grooper can now connect to Microsoft OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange via new CMIS Bindings. Since these were created as CMIS Bindings, they can be used by the CMIS Import and CMIS Export providers. Instead of having to create three new import providers and three new export providers for a total of six brand new components, we can use the already established CMIS import and export providers in the CMIS+ framework. A user can create a CMIS Connection using the OneDrive, SharePoint or Exchange Bindings, and use the same import and export providers for them as any of the other CMIS Bindings.

This will also allow Grooper to create CMIS Bindings to connect to currently unavailable content management systems in the future much quicker and easier.

2.72 Import Mode

In version 2.72 the "Import Mode" property replaces previous versions' "Sparse Import" property.

Import Mode allows control over the connections Grooper makes and/or retains to the imported documents.

Mode	Speed	Comments
Full	Slow	Full import of content and their properties. Required if deleting content from the source on import.
Sparse	Fast	Imports a link to the document's source and its properties but not their content. This produces a usable document in Grooper without copying the full content into Grooper, saving time upon import. This mode is the same as enabling the old "Sparse Import" property in previous versions.
Link Only	Fastest	Only imports a link to the document's source. Does not produce a usable document. The document's properties must be loaded in a step in a Batch Process.

Full

Both properties and content will be loaded. This is the slowest import mode, because the full content of each document is copied during a single-threaded import process. As such, this mode is not well-suited for high-volume imports, but provides some useful advantages in low-volume import scenarios.

For example, Normal mode allows items to be deleted immediately on import, which can be important when using the Import Watcher service. Also, Normal mode avoids the need for any follow-up load operations in the Batch Process.

Sparse

Properties will be loaded, but content will not. This mode is much faster than a Full import, because no content files are copied into Grooper. Instead, a link is saved on each Grooper document, and content is retrieved on demand directly from the CMIS Repository. This type of document is called a sparse document. Sparse documents can be used just like any other document, with the caveat that display and processing speeds may be reduced.

After a Sparse import, document content can be loaded in parallel using the "Execute" activity in a Batch Process. Choose CMIS Document Link as the "Object Type" and Load Content as the "Command"

Link Only

No content or properties will be loaded, making this the fastest import mode. It imports nothing more than a link to each document, and offloads all property and content loading to parallel operations in the Batch Process.

After a LinkOnly import, document properties and/or content can be loaded using the "Execute" activity in a Batch Process. Choose CMIS Document Link as the "Object Type" and Load Content as the "Command"

2.72 Import Disposition

2.72 also adds an Import Disposition property to CMIS Import. This allows you to change your documents disposition upon importing them into Grooper. You can delete them, move them to a folder, or update one or more properties on the document itself. This can be leveraged with Import Watcher to prevent repeatedly importing the same document.

Disposition	Comments
Delete Item	Enables or disables deletion of the input item immediately after import Can only be enabled if "Import Mode" is set to "Full"
Move to Folder	Specifies an optional folder in your CMIS Repository to which items are moved after import.
Update Properties	Defines one or more property values to be updated on import. Allows you to type a list of "key-value pairs" where the "key" is the name of the property and the "value" is what change you want to make to that property. You can type one entry per line in the format key=value Examples: Archive=true Sets the archive attribute on a file Status=PENDING Sets the "Status" field on ApplicationXtender documents. Imported=true Sets the "Imported" field on SharePoint documents. IsRead=true Sets the "IsRead" flag on an Exchange message.