Basic Differences in Documentum

1) What is the difference between Permission and Privilege in Documentum?

    Permission is for an Object where as Privilege is for entire Repository.

The basic permission levels of global access are: 

• None. The user cannot see any object or any object attributes.
• Browse. The user can see attributes but no object content.
• Read. The user can see the attributes and the content of any object.
• Relate. The user can do everything that Read permission allows as well as add annotations.
• Version. The user can do everything allowed under Relate permission as well as change the object content, but the user cannot change content without updating the version and cannot alter attributes.
• Write. The user can do everything allowed under Version permission in addition to changing content without updating the version. Write also allows the user to alter object attributes.
• Delete. The user can do everything allowed under Write permission as well as delete any object.

You can also assign extended default permissions to individual users. If you grant a user one of these permissions, he or she can perform the function unless restricted by an object-level permission. The extended permissions are:

• Execute Procedure. The user can execute external processes.
• Change Location. The user can move the location of an object within a repository.
• Change State. The user can change the state of a lifecycle object.
• Change Permission. The user can modify the permissions of an object.
• Change Ownership. The user can change the ownership of an object.
• Extended Delete. The user can delete objects but cannot alter the content of object attributes.

The Extended delete permission is not equivalent to the base Delete permission. Extended delete permission does not grant Browse, Read, Relate, Version, or Write permission.

Basic and Extended Privileges are not Hierarchical
Basic Privileges

• None
• Create Type
• Create Cabinet
• Create Group
• SYSADMIN
• SUPERUSER

The SYSADMIN privilege does not override a user's object -level permission though he can peform all Administrative functions.
Extended Privileges are

• None
• Config Audit
• Purge Audit
• View Audit

2) What is the difference between Workflow and Lifecycle in Documentum?
Workflow is the flow of work from one user/group to another .Where as Lifecycle is the flow of document   though different life cycle states.
In a workflow you forward the document to next group/user where as in Lifecycle you promote a document to next state.
Object Type of Workflow is dm_process where as for Lifecycle is dm_policy.

3) What are ACLs or Permission Sets?
    Permission sets are applied to objects and determine the actions a user can perform on an object.

4) What is an Alias ?
An alias is a placeholder reference that is resolved at run time. Aliases are grouped into alias sets.