5.5 Global document storage directory

Note: Tasks in this section are required only if you are changing the location of your GDS directory on the system you plan to upgrade to AEM forms on JEE.

The global document storage (GDS) directory is used to store long-lived files that are used within a process as well as critical AEM forms on JEE product components. The lifetime of long-lived files is intended to span multiple restarts of a AEM forms on JEE system, and can span days and even years. These files may include PDF files, policies, or form templates.

Long-lived files are a critical part of the overall state of many AEM forms on JEE deployments. If some or all long-lived documents are lost or corrupted, the existing server may become unstable and unusable for an upgrade. Input documents for asynchronous job invocation are also stored in the GDS directory and must be available in order to process requests.

You must create the GDS directory before you initialize the AEM forms on JEE database. See 5.5.1 Location of the global document storage directory for information.

You can reuse the existing GDS directory or copy it’s contents to a new location.

5.5.1 Location of the global document storage directory

You configure the location of your GDS directory with Configuration Manager after you install AEM forms on JEE. The GDS directory you specify should be highly available and should have low access time to enhance performance. If the GDS directory is on a shared network drive, it is recommended that you specify the location in UNC style as \\computer_name\GDS .

If you changed the GDS location while installing AEM forms on JEE, you can determine the location of the directory as follows:

  1. Log in to administration console and click Settings > Core System Settings > Configurations.

  2. Note the location that is specified in the Global Document Storage Directory box.

If you must change the GDS directory location after completing the installation (see AEM forms on JEE administration help ), you should plan an appropriate location for the GDS directory.

Important: Module deployment will fail on Windows if the GDS directory is at the drive root (for example, D:\). For GDS, you must make sure that the directory is not located at the root of the drive but is located in a subdirectory. For example, the directory should be D:\GDS and not simply D:\.

5.5.2 Sizing factors for the global document storage directory

The size of the global document storage directory depends on expected AEM forms on JEE usage factors for the deployment. You should allocate a minimum of 10 GB of disk space for the GDS directory.

While upgrading to AEM 6.1 forms on JEE from a previous version, you must factor in the existing GDS data while allocating space for the GDS directory. This actual size required for the GDS directory may be in excess of 10 GB.

The following factors also affect the sizing:

  • The typical volume of documents that your existing installation processes. Processing high volumes of documents requires a larger GDS directory.

  • The typical size of documents that AEM forms on JEE processes. Processing large documents requires a larger shared GDS directory.

  • The complexity of documents that AEM forms on JEE processes. Processing complex documents, such as documents that are processed by multiple services that are part of AEM forms on JEE, require a larger GDS directory.

5.5.3 Securing the global document storage directory

Access to the GDS directory must be secure. The long-lived documents in this directory may contain sensitive user information, such as information that requires special credentials when accessed by using the AEM forms on JEE SDK or user interfaces.

Use a security method that is appropriate to your operating system. It is recommended that only the operating system account that is used to run the application server has read and write access to this directory.

Note: Deleting files or directories from the GDS directory can render the AEM forms on JEE server inoperative.

5.5.4 Backing up the global document storage directory

The global document storage directory should be backed up to allow administrators to restore AEM forms on JEE in case of failure.

If the global document storage directory becomes unavailable or is lost due to failure, AEM forms on JEE will not run until the GDS directory and database are restored by a consistent back up or AEM forms on JEE is reinitialized with a new installation.

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