Integration Interfaces

The KnowledgeTree Web Service

This interface uses the SOAP protocol to automate application-to-application communication, and allow third party applications to integrate with KnowledgeTree.

Pros

Provides programmatic access to the repository from third party applications, allowing users to perform most of the core repository actions from within their own applications.

Supported actions include: add new documents and folders, check in/check out, move, copy, change properties, view history, manage workflows.

Platform and language independent – the standards-based SOAP protocol allows access from most modern programming environments.

Cons

Does not allow all document and folder actions supported in the Web interface, such as permissions management and other administrative functions.

PHP API

This interface wraps the core of KnowledgeTree functionality, and is the underlying technology used for developing extensions, portlets, and workflow triggers for KnowledgeTree.

Pros

PHP provides a stable, yet robust and versatile development environment for KnowledgeTree.

Cons

Not suited to client-side development; KnowledgeTree Web Service is best suited to this requirement.

WebDAV

This interface uses the WebDAV protocol to allow established, standards-based WebDAV clients to access KnowledgeTree.

Pros

Allows established third party browsers and clients to download and view documents in the KnowledgeTree repository, from the desktop.

Cons

Does not support all third party WebDAV clients.

Limited functionality, compared to the KnowledgeTree Web Service API.

KnowledgeTree Hot Folders

Note: Previously known as 'Document Workflow Integration (DWI) Service'

Facilitates bulk uploading of documents to the KnowledgeTree repository, including documents scanned to a network folder.

KnowledgeTree Hot Folders monitors a designated local or network folder to upload documents. During upload, the tool auto-populates metadata fields in the repository, using information extracted from an XML file that accompanies each uploaded document.

XML files must comply with the KnowledgeTree Hot Folders XML Schema.

Pros

Allows bulk uploads from any source (scanning, fax, manual file uploads), without having to interact directly with the KnowledgeTree system - i.e. through any of the Knowledge client tools components, or the Web interface).

Useful in environments that produce a high volume of documents as part of the business process, including scanner applications.

Allows auto-population of predefined metadata, allowing fast, efficient storage of files in the repository.

Cons

Auto-population of non-default metadata requires the creation of third party XML files to accompany each uploaded document.

Note: Basic mode uploads allow auto-population of default metadata. See the documentation for more information on the KnowledgeTree Hot Folders upload modes.

Allows only one way integration with KnowledgeTree - used for uploading files to the repository.