Reusing system configuration information and metadata for related operations

1. A method for managing stored content, comprising:

providing, via a content server, access to one or more content objects managed by a content management system, the content management system including content management system configuration information, the one or more content objects and content management system metadata describing the one or more content objects;

grouping a plurality of content management system commands, into a related set for updating at least one of the configuration information and the metadata;

determining whether the group of content management system commands operate on data previously cached by the content management system; and

updating at least one of the content management system configuration information or the content management system metadata by performing the group of content management system commands on the previously cached data, if the grouped commands are determined to operate on the previously cached data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grouping comprises receiving an explicit indication that the group may be treated as a related set.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the indication is received from a client application or other client process with which the content management system commands are associated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of grouping, determining and updating are performed only in the event a user preference or other indication has been provided indicating that the at least one of the content management system configuration information or content management system metadata should or need be updated only once for purposes of processing the group of commands.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that a first content management system command is a member of the group of content management system commands based at least in part on whether an indication associated with the end of the group has been received.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

updating includes updating, once and only once, access related information which controls access to one or more content objects managed by a content management system; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the access related information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

updating includes updating, once and only once, policy related information associated with the promotion, retention, migration, and/or destruction of the one or more content objects; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the policy related information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

updating includes updating, once and only once, identification of a custom process associated with at least one of the one or more content objects; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the identification of the custom process.

9. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the group of content management system commands include a second group of commands nested within itself.

10. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein a content management system command among the group of content management system commands may operate on data from which the previously cached data is generated, according to an exception or specific instruction.

11. A content management system, comprising:

a content server configured to:

provide access to one or more content objects managed by a content management system, wherein the content management system including content management system configuration information, the one or more content objects and content management system metadata describing the one or more content objects;

grouping a plurality of content management system commands, into a related set for updating at least one of the configuration information and the metadata;

determine whether the group of content management system commands operate on data previously cached by the content management system;

update said at least one of the content management system configuration information or the content management system metadata by performing the group of content management system commands on the previously cached data, if the grouped commands are determined to operate on the previously cached data; and

a communication interface coupled to the content server and configured to enable the content server to retrieve from one or more databases at least one of the content management system configuration information or the content management system metadata.

12. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein the content server is configured to group the content management system commands to be treated as a related set at least in part by receiving an explicit indication that the group may be treated as a related set.

13. The content management system of claim 12 , wherein the indication is received from a client application or other client process with which the content management system commands are associated.

14. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein the content server is further configured to determine that a first content management system command is a member of the group of content management system commands based at least in part on whether an indication associated with the end of the group has been received.

15. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein:

the content server is configured to update by updating, once and only once, access related information which controls access to one or more content objects managed by a content management system; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the access related information.

16. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein:

the content server is configured to update by updating, once and only once, policy related information associated with the promotion, retention, migration, and/or destruction of the one or more content objects; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the policy related information.

17. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein:

the content server is configured to update by updating, once and only once, identification of a custom process associated with at least one of the one or more content objects; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the identification of the custom process.

18. A computer program product for managing stored content, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

providing, via a content server, access to one or more content objects managed by a content management system, the content management system including content management system configuration information, the one or more content objects and content management system metadata describing the one or more content objects;

grouping a plurality of content management system commands, into a related set for updating at least one of the configuration information and the metadata;

determining whether the group of content management system commands operate on data previously cached by the content management system;

updating said at least one of the content management system configuration information or the content management system metadata by performing the group of content management system commands on the previously cached data, if the grouped commands are determined to operate on the previously cached data.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 18 , wherein the grouping comprises receiving an explicit indication that the group may be treated as a related set.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 19 , wherein the indication is received from a client application or other client process with which the content management system commands are associated.

21. The computer program product recited in claim 18 , wherein the steps of grouping, determining and updating are performed only in the event a user preference or other indication has been provided indicating that the at least one of the content management system configuration information or the content management system metadata should or need be updated only once for purposes of processing the group of commands.

22. The computer program product recited in claim 18 further comprising computer instructions for determining that a first content management system command is a member of the group of content management system commands based at least in part on whether an indication associated with the end of the group has been received.

23. The computer program product recited in claim 18 , wherein:

the computer instructions for updating include computer instructions for updating, once and only once, access related information which controls access to one or more content objects managed by a content management system; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the access related information.

24. The computer program product recited in claim 18 , wherein:

the computer instructions for updating include computer instructions for updating, once and only once, policy related information associated with the promotion, retention, migration, and/or destruction of the one or more content objects; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the policy related information.

25. The computer program product recited in claim 18 , wherein:

the computer instructions for updating include computer instructions for updating, once and only once, identification of a custom process associated with at least one of the one or more content objects; and

a first content management system command is performed without again updating the identification of the custom process.