Create a Meridian Explorer Repository

Meridian Enterprise Server helps you to create and test a connection to a database server where you want to store the repository. You can use the wizard to create connections to SQL Server or Oracle servers.

If you have sufficient privileges to create a new database on the database server, you can create a repository by performing the following task. If you have access to the database server with another account that does not have access from the Meridian Explorer server, see SQL Server Database Creation Script or Oracle Database Creation Script. If you do not have sufficient privileges, a database administrator will have to create the database for you.

ClosedPrerequisites

Before creating a repository, you must complete the following prerequisites.

  1. You must know the name of either a Windows user account or a database account with permissions to access the database server and create database tables, indexes, and stored procedures. You also need to know the account password.

  2. Meridian Enterprise Server requires that the SQL Server or Oracle instance already exist before a repository can be created. If Oracle will be used, an existing user (schema) can be used but we recommend that you can create a new user dedicated to Meridian Enterprise Server. If multiple repositories will be hosted by Oracle, we recommend that you create a separate user for each repository.

  3. Before creating an Oracle Repository or BCConfiguration database, you must configure ODAC.

ClosedProcedures

To create a repository:

  1. In Meridian Enterprise Server Administration Console, in the Repositories group, click Repositories.

    The All Repositories page appears and lists the existing Meridian Explorer repositories and Meridian Enterprise vaults.

  2. Click New.

    The New Repository dialog box appears.

  3. Select Explorer repository.

  4. Click Next.

  5. Click options or type values using the descriptions in the following table.

  6. Click Register.

    A background task is started and you may continue working. Creating the repository can take several minutes. After the new database is created, the new repository name appears in the Repositories list.

Database connection options
Group Option Description
General

Repository Name

Type a name for the repository as you want it to appear to users.
General

Provider

Select a database provider type from the list.
General

Server (SQL Server only)

Type the name of the SQL Server computer that will host the repository.

Note:

If the database server is running SQL Server Express, SQL Server Small Business, or another edition that created a named instance when the software was installed, type the name of the database server and the SQL Server instance name, for example, MyServer\SQLEXPRESS or MyServer\MSSMLBIZ.

General

TNS Network Alias (Oracle only)

Type the name of the Oracle server and instance that will host the repository.

For example, servername:1521/instance where 1521 is the default port of Oracle communication.

Authentication Type

If you selected SQL Server in the Provider option in step 1, select your preference for Windows or SQL Authentication.

Authentication

User name

SQL Server only: If you selected SQL Authentication, type a SQL Server user account with permissions to access the database server and create database tables, indexes, and stored procedures.

Oracle only: Type a valid Oracle user account with permissions to access the database server and create database tables, indexes, and stored procedures.

Authentication Password

Type the password for the user account.

Database

Database (SQL Server only)

To select an existing database or to create a new database:

  • Click Edit.

    The Select Database dialog box appears.

To create a new database:

  • On the New Database page, click options or type values using the descriptions in the following table.

To select an existing database:

  • On the Existing Database page, select an existing database name and click OK.

    The name appears in the Database field.

The options in the following table are only available with the appropriate license. If you think you should have these options and you do not have them, contact your Accruent representative.

Database options
Option Description
Database Type a name for the new database.

Primary path

Type a path on the database server for the repository metadata files.

Content path

Type a path on the database server for the repository content files.

Index path

Type a path on the database server for the repository index files.

Log path

Type a path on the database server for the repository log files.

Use file stream

Enable this option if you want the new database to use the SQL Server FILESTREAM feature. We recommend this option for higher performance. If this option is disabled, content copied from the source vault will be stored inside the database as binary large objects (BLOBs).

Before using this feature, we strongly recommend that you fully understand the advantages, limitations, and implications of the feature by studying the Microsoft SQL Server documentation.

Note:

This option requires that the Windows authentication option be used to access the database server.

By default, the Meridian Enterprise Server copies document content from the stream folders of the source vault. You can configure it as follows to copy the content from an alternative file stream location:

  • Create a plain text file named MRE2368.dat in the folder C:\ProgramData\BlueCieloECM\Hyperion that contains the alternate stream folder settings for each Meridian Enterprise vault to be synchronized. The settings must be in JSON notation like the following example:

    Copy
    {
        "StreamFolders":[{
        "SourceName": "DatastoreName1", 
        "FolderPath": "C:\\Data\\BC-MERIDIAN VAULTS\\DatastoreName1"
    }, {
        "SourceName": "DatastoreName2", 
        "FolderPath": "C:\\Data\\BC-MERIDIAN VAULTS\\DatastoreName2"
    }]
    }

    The synchronization job will attempt to copy the vault stream files from the specified path. If the path does not exist, an error will occur. If a particular stream file does not exist in the specified folder, the job will attempt to copy it from the regular streams folder.

File stream path

If the Use File Stream option is enabled, type a path on the database server for the database Filestream files. This option is only enabled if the database server is compatible.

After creating a repository and before vault synchronization with the repository can occur, at least one synchronization job must be configured.

2022 R2