File Analysis Suite 3.8.2 Connect Help Center

# Process external metadata

Using an external application, you can extract metadata from documents stored in your file systems. File Analysis Suite lets you process the content of the resulting metadata files in conjunction with the original documents in file system repositories. You can process external metadata for documents regardless of whether you store the document content. During processing, File Analysis Suite reads metadata information from the external metadata files and applies the information according to the defined external metadata file processor. The external metadata files are not processed as part of the repository primary capture rules.

As an example, you use an application to extract content from images, scanned documents, audio files, and video files. This content is saved in files that are directly associated to the original items, such as `image001.tiff` (original item) and `image001.tiff.idx` (extracted metadata file). When viewing a document with processed external metadata in Analyze or Manage, the metadata displays in the document view panel in a section labeled "Metadata Text Content".

The following requirements must be in place to process external metadata for file system repositories.

- The external metadata files that contain the metadata information must be located in the same directory as the original document from which the metadata was extracted. When creating the repository, you will define the file extensions for the files that contain the external metadata.

  The external metadata files should provide well formatted, human readable text. The external metadata text is used as is for identifying and extracting grammar values, tagging, keyword searching, and document preview. Well formatted text such as the use of key value pairs results in better output of processing and searches.

  Sample well formatted external metadata file content

      Company=My Company
      Network=my.company.net
      Region=AMER
      FileRoute=2698A
      EmpID=123-4567
      HRgroup=East

- The external metadata file processor must be a PowerShell script (`.ps1` file extension)located in the path defined by the `ScriptBasePath` in the Agent Admin UI under Advanced Settings > Run Script. By default, this is the `\Agent\Scripts` directory of the File Analysis Suite installation path (for example, `C:\Program Files\Micro Focus\FAS\Agent\Scripts`). When creating the repository, you will specify the file name of the metadata file processor.

  A sample file, `ExternalMetadata.ps1`, is provided with File Analysis Suite and is located in the `\Agent\Scripts` directory of the File Analysis Suite installation path (default is `C:\Program Files\Micro Focus\FAS\Agent\Scripts`).

## Sample external metadata file processor

File Analysis Suite includes a sample external metadata file processor, `ExternalMetadata.ps1`. The sample file reads the metadata information from the external metadata files and adds the metadata to the index for the associated original documents. The sample file can be used as is or used as a guide to create your own external metadata file processor PowerShell script.

When "External metadata file capture" is enabled for a file system Repository, the File Analysis Suite processing agent looks for and reads the external metadata file processor script. For every external metadata file encountered during processing, the agent takes action based on the commands in the script.

© Copyright 2019-2023 Micro Focus or one of its affiliates
Version 3.8.2 | Last updated January 2023
Connect
Micro Focus Marketplace
Learn
Support portal
Documentation
Contact

Send documentation feedback

Close

Send documentation feedback

To send feedback using your default email client, open an email window.

Otherwise, send your feedback and the information below to FAS.docFeedback@microfocus.com.

We appreciate your feedback!

Product: File Analysis Suite 3.8.2

Topic Title: Process external metadata

Submit or view service request