What does a database provide? What features does adding a database underneath Xinet provide? First of all, users will be able to search for files much more quickly whenever there are large amounts of data. Without the database, searching through large amounts of data could be slow, because as it looked for data, Xinet would have to “walk” through the entire file system. Database searching takes much less time because all the information about files is stored in readily-accessible tables. With a database as the searching tool, Xinet users will also be able to initiate more complicated searches and search for multiple targets simultaneously. The Xinet database also opens up broader metadata searching than was previously possible. In fact, you can configure the database to search for any metadata you care to add. This can be good for you, in-house, or when you are working with particular customers who may have special needs. The metadata fields are very flexible, so you can customize searching very easily. You can also control which users can see the metadata that’s associated with files and the way that users are allowed to interact with this information. Can they change the metadata fields? If so, how? By typing in new information, clicking buttons, or using pop-up menus? Xinet also automatically tracks files as well as keeping a historical log of what activities have taken place on the server. Because Xinet software provides the file service, the print spooling system, the image-replacement system, and the Web service, it knows everything that happens to the files on the server, and Xinet automatically logs the information into its database. From those logs, you can see who deleted a particular file, find out how many times a file has been used or saved in other formats, etc.
