Administration Guide : Xinet Database Overview : How does the Xinet database work?

How does the Xinet database work?
On each of your existing Xinet volumes, you can choose whether or not you want the Xinet database to track the data that’s on the volume. If you do, all the information about each file on the volume will be read into the database. This includes the embedded AppleShare comments and XMP metadata. You can also add additional categories of information that you wish the database to record.
After you turn on the database for a Xinet volume, the database records everything that happens to the files in that volume. It notes whenever files are changed or edited, whenever they are moved or their names are changed, or whenever anyone makes copies of them.
Xinet software was designed so that it doesn’t need to rely upon a “check-in” and “check-out” system because Xinet didn’t want to require that a person sit in front of the database to ensure that it worked properly. Instead, the database runs in the background silently gathering data for later use without interfering with your production workflow.