Web Service for accepting and storing data in Alfresco

[varun33]

Hello Friends,

I have a requirement of accepting data from an external system using a web service and storing that data in Alfresco so that this data can be used to start an Activiti workflow and can also be used in the search module.

I will need to expose a web service from Alfresco that can be called from the external system.

Please suggest a solution for the same.

I am basically confused about these things:-

1. Whether the data being accepted should be stored in my own database table separately from Alfresco or should I use content modeling to allow Alfresco to maintain that data? Which is better and why?

2. Should I create the web script as a 2 layered web script(data and presentation) or just one data layer web script?

3. Is there anything else that I should consider while designing the solution?

Regards,
Varun

[matjazmuhic]

1. By using content modeling your properties will be indexed and searchable (with a little configuration) and you will be able to use that content in activiti workflows. Don't complicate your life by storing data in another DB. Alfresco already has proper storage capabilities.
2. Alfresco already has webscripts for uploading. Look here http://yourdomain:8080/alfresco/service/index/all (/alfresco/service/api/upload is probably what you are looking for).

If you don't want to store files but only data you can extend the sys:base type otherwise extend cm:content.

[varun33]

Is it better to always use dl:dataListItem rather than using sys:base or cm:cmobject for storing non-content types?