Definitions of Terms

Use

For the purposes of this section, a document comprises administrative data and content.

  • Administrative data identifies and describes a document.

  • The content of a document refers to closed datasets. The administrative data identifies and describes the content. A single closed dataset is known as a content unit.

In SAP terminology, a content server is any server that manages content. A content server may be a database, a file server, an SAP system, or an external archive.

The data administration terms content repository, document header, and component are of particular importance in identifying documents.

  • A content repository is the administrative entity that accesses the logical storage space for documents on a content server. Several content repositories can exist on one content server. A content repository is identified by the parameter contRep.

  • The document header is an administrative entity comprising several components. It is identified by the parameter docId. A document header is assigned to one particular content repository.

  • A component represents, on the administrative level, one particular content unit. It is assigned to one particular document header and is identified by the parameter compId.

The relationship between content repository, document header, component, and content is illustrated in the diagram below:

The combination contRep/docId is the unique address of a component.

The combination contRep/docId/compId is the unique address of a component.

In certain circumstances, documents have a security level. This means that functions executed on the document must be authenticated. For each document header, you can define whether authorization is necessary for particular functions. However, this information is not defined in the document header for each function of the HTTP Content Server Interface, but via access modes.

The H yper T ext T ransfer P rotocol (HTTP) is the communication protocol typically used to access objects on the W orld W ide W eb (WWW).

The W3C (WWW Consortium, http://www.w3c.org) is currently further developing this protocol. There are two versions of the HTTP protocol, HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/1.0, and either can be used for the communication process. R equest F or C omment (RFC) 2068 specifies the protocol HTTP/1.1. HTTP/1.1 contains more specific regulations than HTTP/1.0 (RFC 1945), with the intention of making implementations of the protocol more reliable.

The SAP Content Server HTTP interface is designed in such a way that the client SAP system always initiates communication. The content server being addressed by the SAP system is always a server and never a client, which means that it never instigates communication with the SAP system.

H yper T ext M arkup L anguage (HTML) is a standard format and description language for Internet pages.

U niform R esource L ocators (URLs, see RFC 2396) are a standardized mechanism used to address uniquely defined objects on the WWW. As well as serving as addresses, URLs can also contain functions and parameters that are interpreted by the object being addressed.

UTC (the common abbreviation for U niversal T ime C oordinated) is used for all expressions of time in this specification.