I'm writing an add-in for the EPDM client, and I've noticed that it can be quite difficult to get the information you're after via the API. Looking at the vault database, the information is plain as day, and I could get what I want through a simple SQL query.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but EPDM is structured like this:

Client -> Archive Server -> SQL Server.

meaning that the client does not directly access the vault's SQL Server database.

From browsing the forums, it seems that the solution involves storing SQL Server login credentials in a vault dictionary and then connecting the client straight to the database.

Anyway, I have a few questions:

• Is this considered best practice? Or is it preferred that developers try and use the API to retrieve information?
• Is it reasonable to expect that IT departments will expose the SQL Server database to EPDM clients?
• Is there a hacky way to run SQL against the vault database via the archive server instead of the client connecting straight to the database?

Many thanks,

George