Creating a Repository

You can create a repository that can be accessed across your organization's network. The process of creating a repository can be split into two separate tasks: first, prepare your third-party database application for the creation of a Laserfiche repository, and second, create the Laserfiche repository.

Preparing your database

The first task can be performed using the appropriate third-party utilities for your database management system (DBMS).

Creating a repository

Repositories are created in the Laserfiche Administration Console. When creating a repository, make sure to specify the full path to the folder where you want to store the repository. This folder must be accessible to the Laserfiche Server service.

To create a repository

  1. You can pre-create your database, but doing so is not required.
  2. Start the Laserfiche Repository Creation wizard.
    1. Open the Laserfiche Administration Console. You must be logged in as a Windows user who has been designated as a System Manager.
    2. Expand your Laserfiche Server. If the desired Laserfiche Server is not present, register it.
    3. Select the Repositories node.
    4. From the Action menu, point to New, and select Create New Repository. This will open the Laserfiche Repository Creation Wizard.
  3. Click Next to begin repository creation with the Connect to a Laserfiche Server step.
  4. Under Laserfiche Server, select the Laserfiche Server that will host the repository to be created.
  5. Under DBMS, select the database management system that this repository will use. If using Team edition, you must select Microsoft SQL Server.
  6. Click Next to continue to the Laserfiche Specific Settings step.
  7. Under the Repository name option, specify the name that will be assigned to your Laserfiche repository and displayed to Laserfiche users.

    8. Note: A repository name may contain letters (including accented letters), numbers, characters (such as Chinese characters), and some symbols, but may not contain spaces. Any name that is a valid domain name according to the IDNA mechanism is also a valid repository name in Laserfiche.

  8. Under the Repository path option, specify the full path (e.g., C:\Repositories\Repository Name) to the location on the computer hosting the Laserfiche Server where repository-related files will be stored. This path also identifies the location that will be used as a starting point for relative volume paths.
  9. Under the Volume name option, specify the name that will be assigned to the first volume that will be created for your repository.
  10. Under Location, specify where the files that will be associated with the default volume will be stored. You can store them in a subfolder of the repository path or you can manually specify a different path. To use a path other than the repository directory, specify a UNC path or a path to a local folder. (If the volume files will be stored in a folder that is not on the same computer as the Laserfiche Server, you should use a UNC path and not a mapped drive path.)
  11. Click Next.
    • Instructions for Microsoft SQL Server
      1. In the Server option, select the name of the SQL Server that will host your Laserfiche database. If you are using Team edition with MSDE or SQL Express, the server name will be Server\LASERFICHE.

        Note: You can override the default port used for communicating with your SQL server by following your SQL server name with a comma and then the port number you wish to use. For example, to use port 1234 to connect to the server "ServerName" on the domain "example.com," you would type the following: ServerName.example.com,1234

      2. Below the Server option, determine how the Laserfiche Server will authenticate to the SQL Server. Do one of the following:
        • To authenticate to SQL Server using Windows Authentication, select the Use Windows Authentication option.
        • To authenticate to SQL Server using a SQL Server login account, select the Use SQL Server Authentication option. In the Username option, specify the name of the desired SQL Server login account. In the Password option, type the password that corresponds to that account.

        Important: The specified Windows or SQL Server login account must have sufficient permissions to SQL Server. To view the required permissions, see the Preparing a SQL Server Installation topic.

      3. The Database option determines the SQL database that will be associated with the Laserfiche repository being created. If you have not already created an empty database for use with Laserfiche, type the name of the new database to be created. If you have created an empty SQL database, select it from this step.
  12. Click Next to proceed to the Search Engine Specific Settings step.
  13. In the Search Engine Specific Settings step, select Use Default Settings if your full-text search engine is on the same computer as your Laserfiche Server and you want to use the default port and path settings. If it is not, select Use Customized Settings and perform the following steps:
    1. In the Search Engine Host option, type the name of the computer on which the Laserfiche Full-Text Indexing and Search Service is installed.
    2. In the Port option, type the port number you want to use. This must match the port configured for use by the Search Engine; see Server Settings for more information. The default is 5053.
    3. In the Catalog Path option, type the path where you want to store the new catalog on the Search Engine Host computer.
  14. To specify a default search catalog other than English, select another language in the Default Language option.
  15. Click Next to proceed to the Summary of Creation Parameters step.
  16. Verify the settings that will be used to create a Laserfiche repository. If you are satisfied with the current configuration, click Finish to create your Laserfiche repository. If not, click Back until you reach the desired setting and make the appropriate modifications.

For more information on a specific repository administration topic, return to the repository administration home page.