The Xerox DocuShare CPX Extensible Database—Real Time Connection of XML Content

The Xerox DocuShare CPX Extensible Database—

Real Time Connection of XML Content

White Paper

April 2007

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The Xerox DocuShare CPX Extensible Database—

Real Time Connection of XML Content

With the majority of today’s business content passing through Internet-

based networks, XML has become the de facto language for transferring

structured information among many business applications and processes.

XML is now the informational fluid for managing the movement of data

across an organization in ways not previously possible. Its inherent flexibil -

ity enables myriad options to format and structure that information.

But as a consequence, the structural variety of fles passed makes them

impossible to connect without either a precise matching of the XML

structure (schema) or the use of some intermediary translation. Effective

integration requires advanced knowledge of the detailed application or

process schema, so that connection points can be pre-determined and

accommodated in the XML code. Without that “prior alignment,” conver -

sion steps are often needed, involving costly and time-consuming human

intervention.

Harnessing the true potential of XML as the conduit of informational con-

nectivity requires a seamless mapping of structured content regardless of

the source fle’s XML construction. Previously, this capability did not exist.

Now, Xerox DocuShare CPX offers an extensible database (XDB) that

enables simple, direct XML-to-XML connection, quickly and automatically

linking diverse organizational content to accelerate business processes

and productivity.

DocuShare CPX Takes XML to a New Level

Unlike many XML information passing systems, the DocuShare CPX

extensible database retains an original document (such as a Microsoft

Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe PDF, or Adobe FrameMaker fle) while

also providing direct access to the information contained within the

document. The XDB summarizes that information into XML and then

uses the converted XML to extract and share relevant data for other

organizational needs, such as quickly creating reports that pull from

multiple source documents.

This capability not only applies to new documents created after business

processes are defned, but also extends to archived or legacy documents

which are already associated with a process. CPX XDB spans all structured

information to identify common process touch points, eliminating manual

intervention in mapping source document structures. To ensure adher -

ence to established security policies, once information is brought into

DocuShare CPX, its access permissions are enforced, whether the infor -

mation is accessed in XML or in the original source format.

Over 80% of data within

enterprises is estimated

to be in unstructured

formats like Microsoft

Word and Excel as well

as Adobe PDF fle formats.

There are 300 million

Excel installations world-

wide, 200 million PDF

documents on the Web,

and 100 million new

Microsoft Offce docu -

ments created every day.

—Informatica, Inc., November 2006

1 .xls

2 .pdf

3 .doc

XML Index Data

Document Renditions

Metadata

Relational Database

DocuShare File Store

Extensible Database (XDB) Technology

DocuShare Repository

XDB Indexer

Source Content Files

XDB Intake and Indexing Process

Content Parsers

.xml Data

Source File

XML Data

Files submitted to DocuShare are added to the DocuShare File Store and associated metadata is indexed into a relational database.

When XDB processing is enabled, incoming files are also processed through a specific file parser that creates an XML file that represents

the structure and hierarchy of information components. Each new XML file is then processed using a patented schema-less mapping

algorithm that indexes the hierarchical content structure into a relational database. Once the XML representation is indexed, it is added

to the DocuShare repository as an alternative rendition of the original content.

1 .xls

2 .pdf

3 .doc

XML Index

Metadata

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Intake and Indexing—with a Twist

DocuShare’s extensible database accomplishes these connectivity goals

through its unique intake and indexing process.

The process begins with the source content fles, including today’s most

common formats. With the standard DocuShare CPX content management

system, source fles are added to the DocuShare repository where they are

stored and where metadata is added to facilitate content management.

However, when the XDB is enabled, an additional process on the incoming

content is performed in tandem. The original source fle is passed through

a content parser that creates an associated XML fle. The XML fle is stored

in the DocuShare repository as a second rendition of the original document.

The XML rendition is then passed through the CPX XDB Indexer,

a technology used by DocuShare that indexes the content into a relational

database management system (either Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server).

The resulting XDB index in the database co-exists along with the metadata

attached in the standard DocuShare CPX process, becoming part of

a flexible DocuShare knowledge network through which users can easily

search for and retrieve stored content.

Process manager uses the Excel Summari-

zation Template to design an automated

summarization spreadsheet in Excel. This

spreadsheet can then be retained on the

desktop or uploaded to DocuShare.

Process manager creates a form in Excel

utilizing the Excel Submission Template

and uploads it to DocuShare.

Process participants download and

complete the forms then upload them to

DocuShare by clicking the Submit button.

XDB intakes, processes, and indexes

the information from each submission.

Query

Process manager views an aggregated

report of all inputs in the Excel summari-

zation spreadsheet. Information in this

spreadsheet is automatically updated

based on dynamic queries to the XDB.

XML Indexer

Because incoming content is

converted to XML and indexed

based on its structural organiza-

tion, XDB reports can access

information that is embedded

in viturally any type of docu-

ment, including Microsoft

Word and E-form responses.

DocuShare Repository

E-form Pathway

Word Pathway

XDB In Action

Updated

Information

Excel Pathway

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Because the information is indexed based on contextual identifers, the

XDB can easily access information represented in the content and summa -

rize it across documents whenever needed. These optional processes are

easily enabled by the DocuShare CPX administrator who specifes what

types of content should be subject to XML conversion and XDB indexing.

Find and Repurpose Specific Content Strings

One of greatest strengths of the XDB technology is its ability to fnd

and assimilate specifc content components from similarly structured

business documents like contracts, presentations, or spreadsheets.

The individual components can be retrieved and re-assembled by

the XDB to create concise summaries of relevant information across

multiple source documents.

The components are found based on the XML context that is associated

with them. For instance, a company may use standard contracts created

in Microsoft Word as part of a specifc business process. Each contract

has a unique termination clause as part of its content, which is identifed

based on textual markers (headlines, bolding, underlining, page position,

etc.) and tagged as context during the XML conversion. The XDB has a

simple-to-use search function that queries the context information to fnd

all occurrences of the termination heading. It then returns the text in the

“Enterprises must recog -

nize that the thousands of

uncontrolled spreadsheets

their employees use every

day represent a signifcant

risk. Poorly managed

spreadsheetsmay—through

negligence, incompetence

or deliberate criminal con-

duct—result in signifcant

business losses, exposure

to legal liability, damage to

reputation and unwelcome

regulatoryaten

t tion.”

—From Gartner, Symposium/ITXpo 2006,

“The Information Explosion and What

to Do About It,” Toby Bell, October 2006

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paragraphs of just that clause for each contract fle within a designated

DocuShare collection. The retrieved content summary can be either saved

to a report format or repurposed, wholly or in part, into another document

through a simple cut and paste.

This capability is especially useful for highly complex content structures

such as those found in Excel spreadsheets. Excel content can vary

from basic names of columns or rows to detailed cell ranges. The XDB

content parser identifes spreadsheet content based on range names,

attaches XML context data, and then passes it on to the XDB Indexing

process and into the RDBMS. The content is then readily retrieved

and shared on demand. Because Excel information so frequently drives

corporate business processes, the XDB can be a particularly powerful tool

for integrating systems around Excel spreadsheets or quickly accessing

summarizations of Excel data from disparate sources.

Even further, the extensible database is impartial to the original source

format of stored data. Once it is passed through the XDB Indexing

process, identically named data from varying source documents and

formats, such as from Word and Excel, can be retrieved to the same

report. For example, a column labeled ‘location of travel’ from Excel-

based expense reports can be combined with ‘location of travel’

information contained in standard Word-based sales trip reports.

Accumulated studies by

audit frms since 1998

show that as many as 94%

of corporate spreadsheets

may have some form of

error, ranging from negli-

gible to extremely serious.

—Results of research by R. Panko, “What

We Know About Spreadsheet Errors,”

University of Hawaii, January 2005

Faster, More Accurate Business Intelligence with XML Submission and Summary:

Universities Space Research Association

60 person hours each month to capture

and collate the necessary information

into useful reports. This manual process

also generated a high number of tran-

scription errors—an audit of one $700M

program with over 00 mile-stones

revealed a 0% discrepancy rate.

USRA addressed this growing problem

by creating a performance management

tool with NASA that leveraged the XML

submission and rendering capabilities

built into the DocuShare CPX extensible

database. USRA uses XDB as an XML-hub

for managing, storing, and synchroniz -

ing project data among source documents,

including integration with the organiza -

tion’s core systems from Oracle and

SAP. The solution enables project

managers to automate submission of

content through XDB-enabled source

documents, such as Excel spreadsheets.

The Universities Space Research

Association (USRA), a non-profit

research organization chartered to foster

cooperative research, development, and

education associated with space science

and technology, helps the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) manage its business intelligently.

With billions of dollars worth of research

and development projects currently

underway, certain centers within NASA

were facing efforts required to manage

information resources for its fnancial

and project performance reports. Manag -

ers were required to manually copy

and paste detailed fnancial and project

information from many disparate sources

into numerous reports. This resulted in

valuable time being spent consolidat -

ing data rather than analyzing it. For

example, one report alone took up to

XDB then reassembles the XML content

as required by each manager into accurate

summary documents. $ .B of internal

activity is now managed using the tool.

The resulting time and labor effciencies

have made project performance informa -

tion available to managers in a much more

timely, accurate, and effective manner.

By automating the process, report creation

time was signifcantly reduced, from 60

person hours down to for example,

and discrepancies were virtually elimi -

nated. Now managers and analysts can

spend time actually analyzing and using

data rather than consolidating it.

For more information, contact USRA’s

Research Institute for Advanced

Computer Science (

www.riacs.edu)

info@riacs.edu

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Would You Like to Learn More?

For more information on DocuShare CPX XDB, please call

1.800.735.7749

or visit

docushare.xerox.com

About DocuShare CPX

Xerox DocuShare CPX, a highly intuitive and secure Enterprise Content

Management (ECM) application, enables document intensive organiza -

tions to dynamically capture, manage, retrieve and distribute information

easily, regardless of skill level or location. Part of the Xerox DocuShare

family of ECM products, DocuShare CPX customers can signifcantly

improve productivity, streamline business processes, and reduce the

time and cost of managing routine business documents and information.

Leading the industry in speed of deployment and ease of administration

and use, DocuShare CPX signifcantly reduces installation and complexity,

and flexibly extends into an existing infrastructure, resulting in lower total

cost of ownership and faster return on investments. Tightly integrated

with Xerox Document Centre and WorkCentre Pro, DocuShare CPX can

manage both hard copy and electronic content with unsurpassed ease

and convenience.

Xerox DocuShare Business Unit

A Division of Xerox Global Services

00 Hillview Avenue

Palo Alto, California 9 0

U.S.A.

1.800.7 .77 9

information now allowed by statutory or judicial law or hereinafter granted. Xerox, DocuShare, and WorkCentre are registered trademarks

of Xerox Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies and are recognized as such.