Why does the MIP SDK read the document name instead of the mime type to determine supported document types?

Question

Why does the MIP SDK read the document name instead of the mime type to determine supported document types?

Pat Fennessy 0

OpenText Content Management has an integration with MS Sensitivity Labels (AIP).

Users create documents with a .doc extension (out of habit) even through the document is mime type is .doc (application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document). The MIP SDK is reading the document name with extension .docx and not the docx mime type. The MIP SDK treats the document as an unsupported doc document and does not apply the Sensitivity Label. It would be better if the MIP SDK referenced the document mime type. Thanks.

phemanth 15,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2024-11-07T18:15:49.98+00:00

@Pat Fennessy We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Pat Fennessy 0 Reputation points

2024-11-07T20:39:26.83+00:00

Hi @phemanth Thank you for your quick response. I didn't realize you were expecting a reply back from yesterday.

The workaround is to change the documents' file extension to .docx and readd the document, otherwise the MIP SDK does not support .doc file types so does not catch the sensitivity label on the document.

I can see the importance of performance, but IMO, MIME types/Content-Types are more reliable and accurate than file extensions especially if the extension is not system generated. If you have any other options, I'd appreciate hearing about them. Best.
phemanth 15,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2024-11-08T18:56:08.61+00:00
@Pat Fennessy You’re welcome! You’re right that MIME types are generally more reliable than file extensions, especially when dealing with non-standard or user-generated extensions.

Here are a few additional options you might consider:

File Type Validation: Implement a validation step in your workflow that checks the MIME type before processing. This could help ensure that only correctly formatted documents are accepted, reducing the reliance on file extensions.

Custom Integration: If feasible, consider developing a custom integration that explicitly checks MIME types and applies sensitivity labels accordingly. This could involve modifying the MIP SDK behavior or creating a wrapper that handles file type recognition more robustly.

User Training: Educate users about the importance of using the correct file extensions. While it may not eliminate the issue, it can help reduce the frequency of unsupported file types being uploaded..

Monitoring and Logging: Implement monitoring to log instances where documents are not processed due to unsupported types. This data can help identify patterns and inform future adjustments to your processes.

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phemanth 15,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2024-11-07T18:15:49.98+00:00

@Pat Fennessy We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Pat Fennessy 0 Reputation points

2024-11-07T20:39:26.83+00:00

Hi @phemanth Thank you for your quick response. I didn't realize you were expecting a reply back from yesterday.

The workaround is to change the documents' file extension to .docx and readd the document, otherwise the MIP SDK does not support .doc file types so does not catch the sensitivity label on the document.

I can see the importance of performance, but IMO, MIME types/Content-Types are more reliable and accurate than file extensions especially if the extension is not system generated. If you have any other options, I'd appreciate hearing about them. Best.
phemanth 15,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2024-11-08T18:56:08.61+00:00

@Pat Fennessy You’re welcome! You’re right that MIME types are generally more reliable than file extensions, especially when dealing with non-standard or user-generated extensions.

Here are a few additional options you might consider:

File Type Validation: Implement a validation step in your workflow that checks the MIME type before processing. This could help ensure that only correctly formatted documents are accepted, reducing the reliance on file extensions.

Custom Integration: If feasible, consider developing a custom integration that explicitly checks MIME types and applies sensitivity labels accordingly. This could involve modifying the MIP SDK behavior or creating a wrapper that handles file type recognition more robustly.

User Training: Educate users about the importance of using the correct file extensions. While it may not eliminate the issue, it can help reduce the frequency of unsupported file types being uploaded..

Monitoring and Logging: Implement monitoring to log instances where documents are not processed due to unsupported types. This data can help identify patterns and inform future adjustments to your processes.

Answer 1

@Pat Fennessy

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

The behavior you're observing with the MIP SDK (Microsoft Information Protection Software Development Kit) reading the document name instead of the MIME type to determine supported document types can be attributed to a few key reasons:

Legacy Compatibility: Many systems and applications have historically relied on file extensions rather than MIME types to identify file types. This is particularly true in environments where users are accustomed to certain file extensions (like .doc) and may not be aware of the underlying MIME types. By using file extensions, the SDK can maintain compatibility with existing user habits and workflows.
Simplicity and Performance: Checking the file extension is generally a simpler and faster operation than determining the MIME type, especially if the file is being processed in a context where the MIME type might not be readily available or could require additional overhead to ascertain.
User Expectations: Users typically expect that the file extension they see in the file system will dictate how the file is treated by applications. If the SDK were to prioritize MIME types over extensions, it could lead to confusion or unexpected behavior for users who are accustomed to working with specific file types based on their extensions.
Integration Specifics: In integrations with systems like OpenText Content Management, there may be specific requirements or conventions that dictate how files are processed. If the integration was designed with file extensions in mind, it might not account for the nuances of MIME types.
Potential for Errors: Relying solely on MIME types could introduce errors if the MIME type is incorrectly set or if there are discrepancies in how different systems handle MIME types. File extensions provide a more consistent way to identify file types across various platforms.

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you any further queries.

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Why does the MIP SDK read the document name instead of the mime type to determine supported document types?

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