CaRD Workspace for CMIS
A connector is an interface — but the person looking for a document sits in front of it. That is the gap the Workspace closes: a front end for the repository, without having to open SAP.
The repository gets a face
The CaRD Workspace for CMIS is a web front end that sits on the CMIS connector. Users navigate the repository, search by metadata, look at a document’s properties, download, upload and pull entire result lists as an archive file. Everything runs in the browser, with nothing installed at the workplace.
The real benefit shows up with the people who have no SAP access: the mail room, the workshop, reception, external auditors, the colleague in a department who needs one document per quarter. They get access to exactly the section intended for them — without anybody forwarding documents by e-mail.
Permissions are finely cut, deliberately so: read, create, update, delete and administer are five separate rights. The most important case in an archive is “adding yes, changing no” — and that cannot be expressed with two permissions. Sign-in works through Entra ID with assignment in the directory, or through a local user store where no directory service is available.
Protection is visible as well: a document that SAP manages, that carries a hold or that is under a retention period is shown as protected, and the corresponding buttons are absent — not greyed out, simply not there. The interface is available in six languages, with a switch per workplace.
At a glance
- Web front end on the CMIS connector, nothing installed at the workplace
- Search, view, upload, download — including without SAP access
- Five separate rights: read, create, update, delete, administer
- Sign-in via Entra ID or a local user store
- Optional full-text search across document content
- Bulk download of a result list as an archive file
Why this matters
What happens when only SAP can reach the documents.
- Every enquiry runs through somebody with SAP access — and their calendar
- Documents get forwarded by e-mail and then exist everywhere
- External auditors receive either too much or nothing at all
- Handing out an SAP licence purely for look-ups is rarely the cheapest option
- People who cannot search file a second copy just in case
Search and find
From a field value to a word inside the document.
- Freely configurable search fields per installation
- Advanced search with several criteria and folder scoping
- Optional full-text search across document content, with a snippet in the hit
- Text extraction in stages — from embedded text through to text recognition
- Hits are re-checked at search time so a stale index shows no ghosts
Permissions and sign-in
Who may do what — and who decides.
- Five combinable permissions instead of “read or everything”
- Create and update deliberately separated: in an archive, adding yes, changing no
- Entra ID with assignment in the directory; no additional directory permissions needed
- Alternatively a local user store without a directory service
- Without valid configuration the application deliberately refuses to start
Make deletion protection visible
Protection you can see before you click.
- Documents managed by SAP are recognisable
- Holds and retention periods are evaluated and displayed
- Protected documents do not show the button at all
- Unconfigured functions are hidden rather than greyed out
- The connector additionally enforces the locks server-side
Bulk download
For audits, handovers and information requests.
- Selection in the list, or all hits of a search
- A streamed archive file instead of individual downloads
- Table of contents with name, size, date and status
- Missing file extensions are derived from the MIME type
- Every download is logged
Operations
Five delivery variants, one application.
- Windows with IIS, Linux as a service, Azure or Cloud Foundry
- The server delivers the interface itself — no second web server needed
- A database is required only for full-text search
- A configuration assistant ships with every package
- Interface in six languages, switchable per workplace
Frequently asked questions
Do users need an SAP login?
Not for the Workspace — it talks to the CMIS connector, not to SAP. Sign-in goes through your directory service or a local user store. That way colleagues without an SAP workplace can reach the documents intended for them. Which licences your SAP contract requires for which usage is a question for your licensor; we deliberately make no statement on that.
How finely can permissions be assigned?
In five combinable levels: read, create, update, delete and administer. Create and update are separated on purpose, because that is the typical archive case — new documents may be added, existing ones must not be altered. Assignment happens in your directory service, so your existing user management stays the authority.
Is full-text search mandatory?
No, it is explicitly optional. Without it the Workspace runs entirely without a database, and the full-text field never appears in the interface at all. If you use it, you need a PostgreSQL database; text extraction runs in stages so that documents with embedded text never reach the expensive methods.
Can somebody delete an archived document through the interface?
Not if it is protected. Documents managed by SAP, holds that are set and running retention periods are evaluated and shown in the interface; the delete function then does not appear. In addition the connector refuses the deletion server-side, so the lock does not depend on the front end.
Where does the application run?
Wherever you want: under Windows with IIS, under Linux as a service, in Azure or on Cloud Foundry. There is a separate delivery package for each variant, none of them with pre-filled credentials — without configuration the application deliberately refuses to start.
What is the status of the product?
The Workspace is built, verified against the connector and deliverable in all variants. It is a young solution: for the first productive deployment we are deliberately looking for pilot customers and accompany those roll-outs ourselves. If that interests you, we will tell you openly what is already proven and what is not.
Does this match your project?
Talk directly to our consultants — no detours.