Understanding Accelerated Content Service (ACS)

The Accelerated Content Services is a lightweight server that handles read and write content operations for web‑based client applications (Webtop, Taskspace or D2). ACS server is not available to handle content read and write requests for users on Desktop client applications.The ACS server runs in the Java method server.
By default ACS caching is disabled (Distributed Configuration Guide 6.5 ). To enables ACS caching set the acs.cache.enabled property to true.

There is one ACS server for each Content Server host installation. It communicates with one Content Server for each repository in the host installation. The ACS server is installed automatically when the first repository on the installation is configured.
If additional repositories are added to the installation, the ACS server’s configuration information is updated so that the server can communicate with the primary Content Server for the new repository.

These are the acs.properties file and acs config objects. Each ACS server has one acs.properties file and at least one acs config object. The file is created when the ACS server is installed. The acs config object is created when a repository is configured. The acs config object resides in a repository. Each repository served by an ACS server must have an acs config object for that ACS server. ACS config objects can be modified only through Documentum Administrator, located here Administration -> Distributed Content Configuration -> ACS Servers.

An ACS server cannot access content in other types of storage areas. Nor can it directly access encrypted or compressed content or virtual documents or XML documents. If an ACS server receives a request for a document that it cannot access, the request is forwarded to its associated Content Server, which will service the request and send the result back to the ACS.

ACS servers by default are configured in push mode for communications with a Documentum Message Services (DMS*1) server. They cannot be run in pull mode.
A Branch Office Caching Services (BOCS) server can communicate with a DMS server in either push or pull mode.

UCF*2 provides support for distributed content by providing integration with ACS and BOCS. Both these technologies providen performance optimizations when content is distributed across different repositories in distant network locations.


*1A DMS server is a message routing server. It runs in the application server. Although part of the Content Server product, DMS is packaged separately, with its own installer and is installed on a host that is different from the Content Server host. It is not installed with Content Server.

*2 Unified Client Facilities (UCF) is a proprietary, lightweight client-server application used for managing content transfer between Documentum repositories and UCF-enabled clients. UCF is a remote content transfer application, and is available in the productivity layer in Java (remote mode only) and .NET.

References

  • EMC® Documentum® Documentum Administrator, Version 6.5, User Guide
  • EMC® Documentum® Content Server, Version 6.5, Distributed Configuration Guide
  • EMC® Documentum® Documentum Foundation Services, Version 6.5 SP2, Development Guide