As most Documentum users and administrators will tell you, the login accounts for Documentum are case-sensitive. Regardless of source, LDAP or local, when logging into a Documentum system, you have to match. If the login name is DmAdmin, you have to type “DmAdmin”. If you type “dmadmin”, no matter how often you get the password correct, it will fail to authenticate you.

This has never been much of a problem, and can even be viewed as a little extra security. However, I have found an instance where it can be more than just irritating.

Let’s take the above user name, DmAdmin. If this account is used as the installation owner (all software is installed while authenticated as this user), a new wrinkle is created. In Windows, if you connect to the machine remotely (or locally), you are able to connect using “dmadmin”. Windows doesn’t care. However, should you start installing/updating software, Documentum makes note of the actual case used to connect to the machine.

Now, if you do this, one of Documentum’s services (I suspect the Java Method Server), will use the incorrect case and the account will somehow become locked out. I say somehow as the locking authority is LDAP and it tends not to care. However, speaking from experience, if you run any installation or upgrade after authenticating with the wrong case, you are looking at trouble.

Simple tip. Always connect to your servers using the proper case for your account names. It prevents problems. You can always setup the installation owner accounts using all lower case if you like. If you don’t do that, be sure to pay attention.

Case matters more than you think.