SPX (SharePoint eXperience)

SPX (SharePoint eXperience) is the Sharepoint UI to CSC FirstDoc. It is an alternative to the FirstDoc webtop interface.

The interface has been growing over the last few years and with each release new functionality is made available to reduce the gap between the SPX UI and the equivalent webtop UI.

A benefit of the SPX UI is that many users are now used to the look and feel of Sharepoint, so the training timeframe needed to get to grips with it can be rather quick.

Another benefit is that each site can include standard Sharepoint webparts such as calendar, discussions, notifications etc giving a real community look and feel which is something that webtop just can't deliver.

Webtop is being phased out over the next couple of years, so the sooner CSC provide all the webtop functionality in SPX, the better.

New Features by Release:

6.3 New Features

• SPX Document Relationship Manager

• Standard FirstDoc Document Reports

• Bulk Property Update

• Full Text Searching provided in Query webpart

• General Display improvements:

  • Wrapping and scrolling in the Inbox.

  • Aligned the Inbox more closely to the Webtop Inbox.

  • Improved menu behavior when screens are not maximized.

  • Icons in column headers.

  • Horizontal scrolling in the FirstDoc search screens.

  • Less aggressive tooltips to prevent obscuring screen display.

  • Preservation of open folders/cabinets when popping out from a web part

6.2.1 New Features

• Menu granularity based on parameters

• Newer Version Icon Active

• Create PDF Renditions Manually

• Tool tip expand

• Multiple File Selection deployment

• Display Product Alias column views

• Search (Similar to Webtop)

• Subscription Notifications — On/Off

• Recently Accessed Documents latest version

• Saved Searches

• Google type Search Webpart

• Templatized Tool Tips

• View/Manage Clipboard

• Register Interest

6.1 New Features

• Virtual Document ViewerMy Views

• PDF Publisher

• Multi-file Import

• Workflow Status Report

• Import Related Document

  • Import Related Copy Properties

6.0 New Features

• Quick Links

• Context Awareness in Query Webpart and Inbox DQL Restrictions

• Default Property Values

• Configurable Menu Selection

• CRX Integration

• View Relations

• View Audit Trails

• Tool Tip Updates

• Selectable Columns

5.0 New Features

• None recorded

4.3.1 New Features

• DocWay added selectable columns

Recent Experiences and Observations with SPX

I have experience of installing and configuring various SPX sites from full SPX standard user sites, role sites, to locked down product consumer sites.

I have completed an investigation to see if SPX could be installed using just Sharepoint Foundation 2010.

I have performed a backward compatible setup of SPX 6.2.1 integrated into a FirstDoc R&D 5.0 environment.

SPX is loosely coupled. The latest release of SPX can be implemented against an earlier FirstDoc versioned repository although some functions will not be available.

SPX can run on Sharepoint Foundation 2010 giving the benefit of reduced licensing costs.

SPX is not BOCS (Branch Office Caching) aware. This is an issue with the underlying Wingspan Docway Content Transfer mechanism.

SPX is / is not Distributed Remote Content Server aware. This is an issue with the underlying Wingspan Docway Content Transfer mechanism.

Latency for general naviagtion is an issue at remote WAN locations. You MUST Consider WAN acceleration software.

SPX cannot handle Virtual Document authoring. SPX can only display the structure of a VDoc.

SPX does not remove the entire user access need from the Documentum Repository. As soon as the user becomes more than a consumer and performs an action which will commit a transaction within the repository, they need to have a repository user license.

To overcome some of these constraints described above, consider getting EMC Sharepoint Documentum Framework (SDF). This is a consultancy service provided by EMC and could help by providing solutions for full VDoc Management through Sharepoint and Distributed Content Transfer including BOCS.

And Finally...

If you need advice or help with your FirstDoc SPX setup or performance tips, get in touch.