Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a Document Management System (DMS)?

A DMS is a program used to create, store, take out and put away documents in a virtual library. Typically your projects (one or more documents and folders) are no longer stored on your local computer, but on one central computer accessed by many users over a network. Projects are only stored on your computer as you take them out of this library. It gives all users secure access to the projects they need without the hassle of having to manage the storage and backup of those projects themselves. DocHaven expands this metaphor for personal users by allowing the whole DMS to run on one computer without the need for a network or servers.

DocHaven is one application that performs a number of functions. At its core it is a document management system, but under the menus you can view and operate the other features: messaging, cashless sales and CRM.

Do I need to run anything else?

No additional applications are needed for running DocHaven Solo or DocHaven Cloud, but you will have to run one MySQL server application and at least one FTP server application to run DocHaven Sharing.

What else does DocHaven do for me?

Document Management
Create Template Projects of standard documents so everyone is working from the latest correct version. Grouped related documents (such as wp, spreadsheets, drawings, sounds, databases, clipart or mail-merge) into one Project. Each project is compressed before storage saving up to 90% of File Server space. Access projects from within your LAN or across the internet. Save the projects already taken out automatically with the auto-backup synchronisation feature. For large disparate networks, allocate local FTP servers for faster access. Additional Password protection is available for individual projects. Unlimited versions stored for later retrieval if necessary. Allocate up to 9 levels of administration privileges to all areas of access on a per-user basis. Optional notification to the Project Owner whenever a project is accessed. Automatic logging of all project access, login, and administrative functions. Send messages to members of any Group. Archiving and unarchiving of old projects. Timed nightly backups.

Cash Handling
CashHaven allows you to give each user a certain cash allocation. Over a period they can ‘purchase’ items through CashHaven. The purchase is logged and the account reduced only after two passwords are entered – that of an administrator and of the purchaser themselves. Cash returns as also possible. The idea is that accounts can be kept without the security, danger and corruption from handling actual cash.

Short Messaging
TwitHaven allows user to communicate with their group members with small messages. The message colour changes as your approach and exceed 140 characters (the limit of SMS). Messages can be forwarded to email systems or email-based SMS systems.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
CRMHaven lets you share a list of contacts. Search clients on over 50 criteria. Enter Survey data. Export records and templates to Word and Excel for mailmerging. Send mass eMailshots through mailmerged emails. Track seven types of events. Keep lists of Quick Contacts for quick access. Look up contacts addresses in Google Maps.

Is MySQL and FTP free?

Yes and No. You can download MySQL from Sun’s servers and run it for free forever. Commercial sites are usually required by the licence to pay a fee. Also there are free FTP servers (e.g. PureFTP and Cesar FTP), but you may choose to use a commercial FTP server application instead. DocHaven uses only simple Get, Put and Delete commands on the FTP server, so most FTP server software will work fine.

Does DocHaven have DRM?

No. With DocHaven 3.0 all DRM has been removed. You will still be nagged every hour to buy a serial number, but it will not stop DocHaven working at all. Please don’t use this as an excuse to steal, but as a freedom to try DocHaven more freely.

Is there are Demo version of DocHaven available?

Yes. All downloaded versions of DocHaven now run as a fully working version. If you want to play with DocHaven then either run DocHaven Solo with the included sample projects, or log on to DocHaven Cloud as username ‘Demo’ and password ‘demo’.

What's wrong with Personal File Sharing, File Servers and Email?

Apple, IBM and Microsoft have provided us with a great ability to share our files with services such as Personal File Sharing, SharePoint, Lotus Notes, X-Servers, FTP and .Mac. But none of these products allow us to easily collaborate on projects because we don't know who is working on what document. Usually we get over these problems by emailing files around, but this not only increases storage but jeopardises whether we have the documents with the latest changes.

For example, four people are producing a company's monthly budget by collaborating on a common Excel file on a File Server. They will have to ring around (or more likely guess) that the others are not using the spreadsheet before opening the file. Should others in the office have read access to the budget folder on the server they can see potentially privileged information. If someone wanted to edit the file at home, a copy is usually made onto their laptop without the others being informed. Should the laptop be lost, their changes would be lost. Should wrong changes be made and copied back onto the File Server, there is no way to return to the previous version without having to restore from backup tapes. DocHaven solves all these problems with extensive security (login password, users, groups & clients) and multiple versions.

What's wrong with iDisk?

Apple's iDisk is a service that allows the sharing of common files on Apple's servers on the internet — it is part of Apple’s Cloud computing. While it solves the two problems of speed of access (as it keeps a local copy of files) and offsite storage, it has the same collaborative problems as file servers i.e. if two people edit a file at the one time a synchronise error will ask which one you want to keep (the other is deleted). It also has no sub-account security - if you can see one file, you can see them all.
Despite this, DocHaven can work well with iDisk: create a folder called ‘DocHaven’ and another called ‘DocHaven Server’ in the Documents folder on your iDisk. Create aliases for these folders and place them in your Documents folder in your user account on your hard drive (you may need to move the existing folders first, then place any files from the original folders into the new aliases) ensuring they are names ‘DocHaven’ and ‘DocHaven Server’ respectively. The next time DocHaven looks for these folders it will be redirected to the iDisk image. This way your files will be stored offsite immediately with no user intervention or loss of speed. Note, you may decide to make an alias of just one of the folders (i.e. the ‘DocHaven Server’ folder) to reduce your internet network traffic.

What's wrong with Apple's Time Machine?

Apple's new Time Machine feature built into MacOS 10.5 Leopard is a great tool to backup your whole hard drive hourly to another hard drive either attached to your Mac or Time Capsule router. It performs a number of good functions: it is very unobtrusive, it creates a backup separate to your hard drive and it stores multiple versions of files. While there is no reason why DocHaven (DH) and Time Machine (TM) cannot both be run at the same time, there are a number of features of DocHaven that may make Time Machine less necessary for you: TM only runs on Leopard while DH runs on MacOS X 10.3, 10.4, Windows and Linux; TM doesn't share documents while DH does; TM has no security while DH does; TM copies everything (opt-out) while DH only copies what you want (opt-in); TM keeps every version while DH keeps only the specified number of versions; TM fills up a drive until it gives a full error message while DH quotas can limit files to less than full space; TM takes up more space since it does not compress the files while DH zip compresses all files; TM retrieves individual files while DH can export whole folders of files still compressed to iPod or flash drive; TM cannot create an offsite backup in case of fire or burglary while DH can store files on any internet FTP server, iDisk or export to DVD.

What's wrong with backup programs such as Retrospect?

Retrospect Backup solves the off-site storage, multiple versions, exporting and cross-platform issues of backup. The problem with backup programs is: they are complex; they are a hassle; they usually are run only once per day at most and we usually forget to run them! This is fine for IT departments, but not individuals or small groups. Each time a user puts a project away in DocHaven they are making a new version backup without even knowing it! The buttons to take out, put away, create new and find are non-technical – more akin to a library. For larger sites it is recommended that a utility such as Retrospect be used to backup the MySQL and FTP servers and store these files offsite.

Aren't Document Management Systems only for large companies?

Yes, in the past – since they're the only ones who could afford a DMS. But now we have thousands of documents taking up gigabytes of storage, the same issues of managing and sharing these documents remain for all groups of people, whether individuals or companies, whether for-profit or charity, whether academic or commercial. Run DocHaven Solo for a week and see if you benefit from a ‘clean desk’ i.e. having out of the library on your computer only those projects that you are currently working on.

Choosing DocHaven Solo or DocHaven Sharing or DocHaven Cloud?
DocHaven Solo, Sharing and Cloud are the same application. The only difference is how you choose to configure DocHaven:

DocHaven Solo
If only one person will be using DocHaven, even if they are backing up the documents of a number of users, then DocHaven Solo is the configuration to choose. They can create an unlimited number of user accounts, one for each user, and store the files without having to worry about the complexity of turning on FTP access or installing MySQL because, by default, DocHaven Solo uses an internal SQLite server and documents are stored wherever the application is (in the DocHaven.rsd file). Yet even with DocHaven Solo, you can configure it to store the projects on one or more FTP servers if you choose. Note that even if you place DocHaven Solo on a shared drive, only one computer at a time can access the data file.

DocHaven Sharing
If you need two or more people to access DocHaven at one time you will need to configure the program as DocHaven Sharing. You will have to install MySQL Server once and it is recommended that you turn on at least one FTP server that all users can access. Note that one user can be logged in at the same time on multiple computers.

DocHaven Cloud
Whether you need one person to access your Projects or hundreds, the DocHaven Cloud hosts the MySQL and FTP servers for you – there is nothing to configure. Please remember that no internet site is perfectly secure and while all data is encrypted in transfers no sensitive information should be kept on the DocHaven Cloud, but remain on personal servers. Users on the DocHaven Cloud cannot see each other’s information, but groups of users can be set up on the cloud for this purpose.

What does the Cloud do for me?

DocHaven Cloud allows you to get access to a DMS without having to set up anything! Just download the DocHaven application from anywhere onto almost any computer and you can view all your documents, change them, share them and put them away without any need for help from anyone. Your documents, messages, cash balances and CRM data is only accessible by you.

Can I trust the Cloud?

Yes, in fact it is safer than your personal computer. Your documents are stored off-site saving you from loss of data from burglary and fire. If your laptop is stolen then the thief only gets access to the few documents on it and you have the latest versions on the Cloud. If you purge projects, only the administrator can delete all versions. If you’re worried the Cloud might go away, you can use the backup window to keep an automatic copy of all your latest projects on your own own hard drive daily. The Cloud computers used by DocHaven are sited in the USA and the UK in secure facilities in specially controlled computer rooms. The servers are manned 24/7 in case of any downtime. The connection is guaranteed 24/7/365 with 100 mbit connections directly to the internet. The Cloud metadata is backed up weekly. The Cloud projects are backed up immediately via Raid 0 servers. There are no bandwidth limits on the Cloud servers, so feel free to copy the projects in and out as much as you want. Remember that none of these facilities are run or managed by HMS, so if you have any Cloud issues please contact HMS immediately. Remember, if you can set up your own Cloud on your own servers securing them in the same way, but you will be responsible for their uptime.

Can you set up a Cloud for me?

Yes. You can either choose to be added to the DocHaven Cloud or, for an additional fee, HMS can set up a DocHaven Cloud for you which you will be the only occupants on with full administrator rights and higher security.

What is your Privacy Policy?

For users DocHaven Solo and DocHaven Sharing HMS have no access to user information or Projects, nor is any or any kind data transferred to HMS, so your data is entirely private. No account information, projects or user data will be supplied to third parties. As mentioned above, HMS host the DocHaven Cloud on third party sites. As such HMS has no control over who has access to the Projects or data on these sites, but has no reason to suspect these operators. Information on the site hosts can be provided. While HMS have administrator access to all Project data and documents, unless requested or with owner permission, no data will be removed, opened or inspected in any way. This does not prohibit any security, government or court order access.

Is the Cloud Backed up?
DocHaven Cloud holds the Project data and Projects themselves on third party server computers on the internet. These computers are part of Raid-based server farms for secure storage accessed by thousands of people. Some of this data is backed up offsite weekly by the third party, others are not. While HMS would do our best in the case of a server crash to repair the user data, HMS is not and will not be liable for any loss of data caused by either the user, the third party or any other party. HMS will not be making backups of the user data or Projects. While these third party hosts make all attempts to secure the integrity and accuracy of the data, it is recommended that users perform a periodic Backup of at least the latest version of the Projects using DocHaven’s built-in backup feature.

What are DocHaven's System Requirements?

DocHaven Solo
The client can be any computer running MacOS X 10.3 and above (PPC or Intel), Windows 2000-Vista or Linux with GTK+ 2.x. By definition you won't be using MySQL or FTP servers (FTP is optional), but it does run SQLite internally. An unlimited number of users and accounts can access DocHaven Solo, but only one user at one time. The DocHaven application requires about 16 M RAM and 40 M hard drive space. Document space needed depends on the number, compression, size and versions of documents.

DocHaven Sharing
The client can be any computer running MacOS X 10.3 and above (PPC or Intel), Windows 2000-Vista or Linux with GTK+ 2.x. The MySQL Server needs to be run on a remote computer (it can be the same computer as the FTP server) and is available for Macintosh, Windows and Unix systems. An unlimited number of users and accounts can access DocHaven Sharing at one time, up to the licence purchased. The DocHaven application requires about 16 M RAM and 20 M hard drive space. MySQL and FTP server space needed depends on the number, size and versions of documents.

FTP Server
One or more FTP servers need to be available such as MacOS X's built-in FTP server on Macintosh, the Cesar FTP server on Windows or any other remote FTP server. SFTP requires an FTP server that supports SSL transfers — MacOS X and Cesar FTP do NOT support SFTP, but PureFTP for MacOS X, Windows and Linux does.

DocHaven Cloud
Same as DocHaven Sharing for the client. The MySQL and FTP servers used by the DocHaven Cloud are not provided by HMS, but third parties (SiteGround.com for MySQL and others for FTP). As such, HMS is not able, nor is liable, for the reliability or continuance of these servers. All effort will be made by HMS to ensure the service remains reliable, but it is suggested that users make periodic backups. These services have been chosen because they are not only reliable, but have massive limits on the bandwidth that can be consumed for access.

Server Speed Limitations
DocHaven is very CPU intensive for compression and decompression, but mainly disk and network intensive. A fast desktop computer is perfect for up to 1,000 users (not all simultaneous!). The MySQL server only stores text data about each Project, so a standard Mac Mini could store the information about millions of projects. The FTP server may reach its limit when the number of projects becomes excessive. For sites with massive numbers of users or highly intense usage, the MySQL and FTP services should be run on separate computers and have as fast a CPU and as much RAM as affordable. The FTP services can also be divided amongst multiple machines to speed access. A massive site may employ dozens or hundreds of local FTP servers — DocHaven has no limit to the number of FTP servers is can support.

Do the MySQL & FTP Servers need to be logged in to run?

No. MySQL and FTP will run in the background of any Macintosh or PC whether logged in or not. This is a feature of MySQL and FTP, not DocHaven, and makes the server more secure.

Is there anything the Macintosh Client can do that the Windows or Linux version cannot?

Yes. After printing a document from within DocHaven, the Macintosh version quits the application whereas Windows and Linux do not. Macintosh clients can set up Smart Projects automatically, whereas Windows and Linux users must copy their shortcuts manually. Macintosh and Windows computers support speech, but Linux does not. There are minor display issues amongst the different versions due to font sizes. Macintosh and Windows computers show the file icons correctly, but Linux does not. Macintosh computers support Leopard’s QuickLook function, Windows and Linux do not. Other than this they are identical.

What types of files can DocHaven store?

DocHaven will store any file or folder (even sub-folders to any depth) that can be stored in the operating system with the exception of aliases (they are resolved on Put Away, but not Boomerang). It can therefore store Microsoft Office documents, Photoshop images, FileMaker & Access databases, fonts, sound files, movies, etc even Macintosh Classic applications with Type & Creator codes and resource forks. Please note that locked files will become unlocked upon unzipping. Macintosh files or folders with custom icons may lose their icons (you may want to zip them first inside the Project). These are limitations of the zip format. Files that are pre-zipped before storing inside a DocHaven project are not unzipped when taken out - they remain zipped.

Why can't Aliases (or Shortcuts) be stored on the server?

Aliases pose a problem with compression and restoration. Where possible aliases are resolved and the original file is stored (such as Smart Projects). You therefore need to ensure you don't create an infinite loop such as an alias of the DocHaven folder inside a Project! When you take the Project out again, only the original file will remain, not the alias. If you want to keep a project that has aliases where the original files get backed up, but that the alias itself never gets resolved then use the Boomerang feature to place a copy of the project on the server yet keep the project out.

How does DocHaven store the files?

DocHaven stores your files in a uniquely numbered folder called a ‘Project'. When this folder has been taken out of DocHaven it is stored in a folder named with that number and padded with zeroes at the beginning up to the format set in the Preferences window. This project folder resides in a folder (called ‘DocHaven’) which by default is inside your Documents folder (‘My Documents’ in Windows). When you ‘Put Away’ a project, it is usually zip compressed and either copied to your hard drive or FTP'ed to an FTP Server as a single file with it's version number appended (e.g. 0000000099-0100.zip is Project 99 version 100). Each user's files are stored together in a folder e.g. User #1's projects are all placed in a folder named ‘User0000000001’ on their designated FTP server. This makes moving users or servers from one FTP server to another much easier. The administrator may set up as many FTP Servers as they desire. The format for version #1 of project #1 owned by User #1 whose projects are stored on Server #1 is therefore:
Macintosh
Users:~:Documents:DocHavenServer:Server0001:User0000000001:0000000001-0001.zip
Windows
C:\My Documents\DocHavenServer\Server0001\User0000000001\0000000001-0001.zip
FTP Unix
Default path/DocHavenServer/Server0001/User0000000001/0000000001-0001.zip

Note that uncompressed Projects are the same except they remain on the server as folders (not files) without the ‘.zip’ suffix.

Why do I need Versions?

Normally on a computer, if you save changes over a document the original is lost forever. Having multiple versions of projects automatically stored for us each time we put a project away saves us having to keep old copies around ourselves. If someone else (or you) makes a change to a document in a project and puts the project away you can change your mind later and go back to a previous version. Use the ‘Export’ or ‘Previous’ commands to access previous versions of whole projects or individual documents. The number of versions kept is 10 by default, but can be any number from 1 to 9999 (or higher) and is set per user. Note: do NOT set the versions to zero, else all versions will be removed from the server.

What is Synchronising for?

Synchronising is the automatic backup of all the projects you currently have out. It also covers people who take out projects, make changes and never put them away. Once set up, it works without you having to do anything. If your computer dies or is stolen, you will have a copy of your ‘out’ projects on the server. Every new user has a synchronise document by default, but it can be turned off. The default time between synchronisations is 60 minutes, but can be changed. If you don't have any projects out or you haven't changed any projects since the last synchronisation, the synchronisation will not occur. There are multiple versions of synchronise projects, just like normal projects. Synchronise projects cannot be taken out, but they can be copied out or exported.

Does DocHaven use standard Zip formatting?

Yes. The only issue you might face is that files with Macintosh Resource Forks are stored in MacBinary format in the zip file. While DocHaven zips and unzips the files itself behind the scene, the files can just as easily be unzipped on any standard Macintosh, Windows or Linux PC. This can be used by an administrator in an emergency. While you can use the MacOS X Finder or WinZip to unzip projects, it is recommended that you use the ‘UnZip’ menu in DocHaven or StuffIt Expander to expand zipped files because they continue to decode any MacBinary files as well.

Are there any limits on the size of files?

Yes and No! The total size of each given compressed Project or each file within a Project can only be up to Zip's file limit of 4 Gigabytes (after compression). Projects larger than 4 Gigabytes should be broken into two or more smaller Projects. Optionally, users can store Projects in an uncompressed format (not zipped) removing any size limitation, but this is not recommended for normal use.

Why can all the descriptions be changed?

The label descriptions for what you call items (folders, documents, user, client, group, etc) can be reconfigured at any time. This allows DocHaven to be configured for any context. For example a Group may be called a ‘Class’ in a school or ‘Department’ in an office, or a template may be called a ‘Precedent’ in a law firm.

Are there quotas?

Yes. Each user has a limit on the total number of projects they can store on the server (including all versions), the maximum size of any of these individual projects in compressed form, and the maximum total size of all their compressed projects added together. Once any one of these limits are met the user cannot put away more projects and may need to purge some projects, delete or archive some projects or request more space. These quotas are set on a per-user basis and can be viewed at any time from the Window menu.

Is DocHaven a Universal Binary?

DocHaven 2.0 is now available as a Macintosh Universal Binary (UB) application. It runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel processors as a Carbon application. Contact HMS if you want a PowerPC-only or Intel-only version. For technical (i.e. plug-in) reasons there is unfortunately no version of DocHaven for Macintosh Classic (MacOS 9 and below).

Does DocHaven use any special Leopard or Vista technologies?

Not really. The speech can use the new ‘Alex’ voice in Leopard. The QuickLook function is based on Apple’s technology. SpotFind is modelled on Spotlight in Leopard, but it is not using Leopard's Spotlight.

Is there a web-based version of DocHaven?

Not as the moment. Most of the web-based solutions have two problems - they are very slow and they are limited in functionality. Once these can be overcome then a web version may come.

Is DocHaven available in other languages?

Not as the moment, apart from being able to customise the descriptions, but it will be added. Please contact HMS if you have a language preference.

How does DocHaven compare with its competitors?

There are many DMSs and CRMs including Optix, Daylite 3, FileMaker Pro, Microsoft SharePoint, LiveLink, Lotus Notes, Google Search Appliance, SaleSmartz, SalesForce, BrowserCRM, Now Up-to-Date and Contact, MailDrop, Perfect PA, Relationship, INtex Contact vX etc. A starting list is available from Wikipedia. DocHaven supports all functional areas (Location, Filing, Retrieval, Security, Disaster Recovery, Retention, Archiving, Distribution, Creation and Authentication/Approval) with the exception of Workflow. Some alternatives limit the number and type of file that can be included (e.g. FileMaker Pro, DayLite 3). While some alternatives start inexpensive, they can incur a high per-user charge (e.g. Lotus Notes, MS SharePoint) or they require development costs (e.g. FileMaker Pro). Some solution start with a high cost (e.g. Google Search Appliance starts at £19,000) and require consultants and support staff to install it. Some of the solutions are not cross-platform, unable to run on MacOS X or Linux. Those that are cross-platform usually operate through a web browser, but this limits available functions and is often very slow. All of the competitive solutions require the installation of a dedicated server platform for the storage of metadata and projects, and so cannot operate as a functional system on a single computer without a large server load. Many of the competitors require you to purchase expensive hardware and store their data in proprietary database systems, limiting your ability to choose alternative hardware and operating systems as their underlying basis. Many of the competitors require administrators who have been trained extensively in the use of the system, further increasing the costs. Heavy upgrade and maintenance fees also come to bear with the larger systems.

There is no DMS solution other than DocHaven that is so inexpensive to purchase, install, operate and maintain, with such a choice of client & server platforms, that operates as well for a single user as a network of users, and is as easy to understand and use with online video-tutorial help, and is as extensible to your needs.

It costs too much for my school/church/charity/non-profit organisation. Is there a cheaper solution?

Cost is the easiest problem in the world to solve. Contact HMS and I'm sure we can arrange something!

Is DocHaven suitable for schools or universities?

Yes! You can turn all the unwanted services off, encrypt all transfers, turn on quotas, run off the Cloud to students can access projects from home, set up dozens of FTP servers for fast departmental access and give teachers special privileges. You can even use the messaging for students to get instructions from teachers or submit assignments.

How can a non-technical person use DocHaven?

Buy and run DocHaven Cloud to get accustomed to DocHaven. If you can handle DocHaven Cloud, then DocHaven Sharing works the same way but over a local network. Go to the Apple and CesarFTP web sites for help on FTP serving to see if you could set up a DocHaven Sharing system. Visit the MySQL web site for help on running MySQL. Contact a PC-literate friend or HMS for help. Finally, and at a cost, you can have DocHaven pre-installed for you.

What if I have more questions?

Contact HMS and we'll try to answer all requests for information. Chargeable consulting services are also available to help you install, support and train in DocHaven.