Below is a detailed explanation on how the Knowledge Document Version works.
Using the document versioning capabilities of Knowledge Management, an analyst with editing privileges can create a Rework-Draft version of a document. A rework version starts as a copy of the document that is replaced in the knowledge base after it is verified and republished. The need to unpublish the document first is avoided. During the entire life-cycle of a Knowledge document, there will be only 1 Primary document id associated with the document. Any new versions of the document will get a new document id depending on the user selection. All the Document versions of a document can be accessed via the "3. History and Versions" Tab present on the Knowledge Document.
SCENARIO 1:
The document will still be available for the end users to search for, while the new version of the document is being worked upon in the background.
If the user wants the document to be available for search while working on a new version of the same document then "Keep Published Version Available" check-box should be checked when the "Rework" Button on the Published Knowledge document is clicked.
When the "Rework" button is clicked and the user selects "Keep Published Version Available" check-box:
- The original Knowledge document will still be available for search with the original contents.
- A new "Document id" will be generated for this Published document.
- The status of the document will be "Rework Draft" for the new document version.
- The "Version Number" will be increased by 1.
After making the changes, when the user Publishes this new Reworked version of the document, the earlier Published document (Version # 1) that was available for users till now will be replaced by this newly edited document. When this happens
- There will be no change in the "Document id" after the Reworked Version of the document gets Published with the new contents.
- The new document id that was generated for the "Reworked" document, will now be marked as "State Rework Published" and gets an active_state id of -101 which will be visible only in the Database "Skeletons" table.
- The Version # 1 (original document) contents will not be available for the users.
SCENARIO 2 :
The document will not be available for the end users to search for, while the new version of the document is being worked upon in the background.
In this scenario:
- The user will not be selecting "Keep Published Version Available" check-box when the "Rework" Button on the Published Knowledge document is clicked.
- No "Rework Draft" of the document is created as the document will be in a "DRAFT" status.
- There will be no new Document id generated as in Scenario 1.
- Once the changes are made and the user Publishes the document, it will be again available for the users.
So Versioning of the Knowledge document depends on the business requirement. Whether you want to have the document available for search while you still make the changes OR you un-publish the document and then make the changes and publish it again.
- Nas