Presentation on IBM Conenctions V5.0 and how to install several of the free entitlement software packages such as IBM FileViewer, IBM Connections Mail, IBM Forms Experience Builder / Surveys and Sametime Integration
Diamond Application Development Crafting Solutions with Precision
MWLUG 2015 - IBM Connections - Installing the Free "Extras" and Integrating with other Products
1. IBM Connections - Installing the Free
"Extras" and Integrating with other
Products
Victor Toal - ToalSystems
2. Victor Toal
aka “Dr. Vic”
20+ Years of talking tech
IBM Connections, Sametime, WebSphere, DB2,
Notes and Domino
victor@toalsys.com
Twitter: @TheToal
Skype: vtoal
3. IBM Connections
•IBM Connections is IBM’s Flagship product in the Social Network
Software Category.
•It comes with everything you need to set up and run a social
community inside of your firewall – and since Version 5 – also
make it easily available outside of your firewall as well.
•Activities (similar to to-dos)
•Blogs – stand-alone or as part of a Community
•Bookmarks – share and store important booksmarks
•Files - individual user file and community files
•Forums – discuss topics, ask questions, find answers
•Wikis – stand-alone or as part of a Community
•Communities – A place where all of the above applications can be
grouped around a specific theme or group of people
stand-alone or as part of a Community
4. What Add-ons Are There?
CCM – Connections Content Manager / IBM Filenet integration
Requires a license for any user accessing the CCM portion of Connections. Can be
integrated with an existing FileNet implementation for the full document lifecycle
experience.
IBM Connections Mail
Integrate your Domino or Exchange email into IBM Connections and display links in the
Website header to access email and calendar entries from your email system
IBM File Viewer
A subset of the IBM Docs features – but without any editing ability. View all office type documents that
are uploaded into Files of CCM directly in the browser without having to download them first
Surveys / IBM Forms limited integration
Sametime – Awareness Integration
See the online status of other Connections users and initiate IM/chat sessions with them
IBM Docs
Similar to Google Docs or Office Online – this gives you the ability to view, edit and save
documents and spreadsheets directly in the browser without having to download the files
onto a PC and edit them with an MS Office or other like software.
5. Our Topics of Choice ….
** IBM Connections Mail **
** IBM File Viewer **
** IBM Forms **
Why?
These are the most commonly installed add-ons, or in he case of
Sametime, the most common integration
6. Basics of an Install
• Most Applications will run on either Linux/AIX or Windows
• Surveys (IBM Forms) requires DB2, will not work with other
database systems at this time
• You install the app, enable with by updating config files – mostly
as a widget that gets added to a community
• Most add-ons can run either on single WebSphere servers or in a
clustered environment
7. Let’s start with email
Let’s Start
IBM Connections Mail
It’s Simple, Really:
1. Add Repository
2. Install Product
3. Create socialmail-discovery-config.xml
4. Edit the application security for COMMON
5. Sync nodes
6. Restart Common
Ta-Taaaa!
8. IC Mail - Resources
• Latest version is currently 1.6
• But the version to install depends on what version of Connections
you are running
• Different versions of ICMail have different WebSphere and
Connections version requirements and compatibility limitations
(mainly regarding Exchange) – check the Greenhouse Catalog for
details:
• ICMail V1 -> Connections V4.0 – Greenhouse link: http://ibm.co/1WwMtxe
• ICMail V1.3 iFix2 -> Connections 4.5 – Greenhouse link: http://ibm.co/1fj77z4
• ICMail V1.6 iFix2 -> Connections 5.0– Greenhouse link: http://ibm.co/1qzXtYE
9. ICMail Continued . . .
• ICMail can be enabled for all users, individuals or on a group
membership basis for both Exchange and Domino back-ends
• This is done by updating the COMMON application in
WebSphere with either individuals, all users or groups.
Some gotchas:
• If you have customized the Connections header.jsp, make sure
you have the latest version, there is code in it that helps the
browser recognize whether ICMail is enabled and if the user is
allowed to access it.
• The config file [socialmail-discovery-config.xml] can contain
username and password information so be sure to utilize the
encrypted methods so not to leave potential security holes in
your environment
10. ICMail Continued . . .
ICMail with Domino
• Install documentation link: http://ibm.co/1UML83j
• Requires only WebSSO with the Domino server, easiest of
Domino is your LDAP source
• Must exchange LTPA Token/key between WebSphere servers
and the Domino WebSSO document
• Domino servers must be set to authenticate HTTP as multi-
session using LtpaToken
• Here is a good document with all the details on how to enable
SSO between WebSphere / Connections and Domino:
http://ibm.co/1Nl1tv2
11. ICMail Continued . . .
ICMail with Exchange
• Install documentation link: http://ibm.co/1UML83j
• Requires SPNEGO with KERBEROS as your WebSphere SSO
authentication method
• Easiest if LDAP is AD based and the same AD domain as
Exchange
• Requires much more in terms of configuration and settings
• AD Settings also needed
• Make sure you read this document by Michele Buccarello
http://bit.ly/1MCXJVN
TIP: when configuring KERBEROS, always write all domain names,
server names, URLs etc. in UPPER CASE
12. ICMail Installation
• Install is via the IBM Installation Manager on the Deployment
Manager
• Add the package as a new repository to your existing IIM
• The just click “INSTALL” and IVM Connections Mail will appear as
an option
13. ICMail Installation Continued . . .
• Choose the Install Package and
click next
• Enter the location you want
the files to be installed on
14. ICMail Installation Continued . . .
• Review the settings one final
time and install. When the
system is done you will see
the below screen
15. ICMail Installation Continued . . .
• Set the corrct acces settings for mail users in the COMMON
application. Go to ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS -> WEBSPHERE
ENTERPRISE APPLCIATIONS -> click on COMMON and choose
SECURITY ROLE TO USER / GROUP MAPPING
17. Example:
• <config id="socialmail-discovery-config" version="1.3" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="socialmail-discovery-config.xsd">
• <!--NOTE: This template includes examples of both encrypted and unencrypted usernames and passwords, but it is unusual to use both in one
config file.-->
• <discovery>
• <ServerConfig name="waters-redirect" enabled="true">
• <ConfigType>REDIRECT</ConfigType>
• <RedirectURL>https://URL_TO_REDIRECTOR:443?nocache=1&nostore=1</RedirectURL>
• <MailPattern type=“DOMAIN.COM"/>
• </ServerConfig>
• </discovery>
• <GadgetConfig>
• <GadgetPreference id="MailSearchInterval">5000</GadgetPreference>
• <GadgetPreference id="MailPollOnBadge">false</GadgetPreference>
• <GadgetPreference id="MailCheckOnLoadInterval">300000</GadgetPreference>
• <GadgetPreference id="MailPollInterval">900000</GadgetPreference>
• <GadgetPreference id="UseConfiguredProtocol">true</GadgetPreference>
• <GadgetPreference id="useConfiguredProtocol">true</GadgetPreference>
• </GadgetConfig>
•
• </config>
Example: socialmail-discovery-config.xml for Domino
18. Here goes the File Viewer
IBM File Viewer
It’s Simple, Really:
1. Create WebSphere Servers/Cluster
2. Choose version – download - unpack
3. Update properties.config files
4. Install Conversion, Viewer and Viewer Extension (in this order)
5. Synch nodes, regenerate HTTP plug-in and deploy
6. Restart Common, Files and CCM (or just the whole server)
7. Ta-Taaaa!
19. IBM File Viewer
IBM File Viewer – Some Details
• Is a subset of the full IBM DOCS product. You get conversion (so the office file
can be rendered in a browser) and the viewer, but no editing capability
• The latest version 1.0.7 will also work with CCM/Libraries – but is more work to
install
Tip 1: If you don’t have CCM, install 1.0.6 – the code is the same for
Conversion and Viewer and the install is a bit easier
• If you need additional languages other than English, install more language
packs on Windows. You can buy or download fonts or language packs. For
example, you can download Windows Server 2008 R2 Multilingual User
Interface Language Packs.
• Also, you can get font packages from third-party venders, then get the .ttc and
.ttf files from the package, and install them on your server.
20. IBM File Viewer Continued
• Choose the right documentation:
1.0.6: http://ibm.co/1LjGpSs
1.0.7: http://ibm.co/1E61Czw
• Read the documentation – then create the WebSphere server
infrastructure you intend to use it on.
Tip2: even if you only want ONE WebSphere server to run it on, create
that server as a cluster member – that way you can more easily expand
in the future if you want to
• If you are installing on a separate physical/virtual server from
your existing Connections environment (=add a new node) make
sure this server can access the shared file resources or this will
not work . . . .
Tip2: make sure you read SW requirements for Linux – python!!
21. IBM File Viewer Continued
• Fill in ALL the cfg.properties for all three components first. There
are variables in them that have to match for each of the
components. If you do not, there is trouble!
• Pay attention to anything that is called
[xxx_shared_storage_xxx] -> those have to be the same value
for all systems. Create the actual folders manually, the installer
will not.
25. IBM File Viewer Continued
If you are installing on multiple Nodes
• Copy the install folders over to the other server
• Rename the [cfg.node.properties] to something else ad rename
the [cfg.properties] you updated earlier to [cfg.node.properties]
• Run the install_node.bat/.sh install executable
• Sit back and relax
• Look for error in the install log files -> they are inside the
installation folders you configured, in this case:
D:/IBM/FileViewer
D:IBMIBMConversion
D:/IBM/IBMViewer/extension
26. IBM File Viewer Continued
• Set up the scheduled tasks
NOTE: If you install this on clustered servers, this has to run on all
Nodes/servers that run the Conversion task
27. IBM File Viewer Continued
Finally – do the usual:
• Sync the Nodes (even though the scripts – allegedly – do that
• Regenerate the HTTP Plug-in and deploy it
• Restart the HTTP server(s)
• Restart Connections (all apps)
• Restart the Viewer and Conversion server(s)
• Look for errors in the WebSphere log files
28. IBM File Viewer Continued
A potential Issue to look for – if you installed as a cluster
• The installer uses the [shared_data_dir] as the location to put the WebSphere Cluster
Message Stores for the cluster you created
• When using UNC file locations, in some cases (depends on server) WebSphere does not
interpret them correctly and creates a new folder in the drive that WebSphere is
installed in named exactly as your share file folder – in our case:
D:fileserver.toalsys.socialcnxdataDocSharedStorage on both servers for the
WebSphere messages stores.
• Check the sib-engines.xml in the folder
C:IBMWebSphereAppServerprofilesDmgr01configcellsCNXCell01clustersViewe
rCluster
• Change the line to match the same location as the Connections cluster settings:
logDirectory="${MESSAGE_STORE_PATH}/ViewerCluster/log“
permanentStoreDirectory="${MESSAGE_STORE_PATH}/ViewerCluster/store"
temporaryStoreDirectory="${MESSAGE_STORE_PATH}/ViewerCluster/store“
This puts all WebSphere specific message stores into the same location in the share file
location
29. Here goes the Surveys App
Surveys / IBM Forms Builder Experience
It’s Simple, Really:
1. Create WebSphere Servers/Cluster
2. Create the DB2 Database
3. Download - unpack
4. Install the First Server, Then The cluster server (if you plan to)
5. Update widget-config.xml, Map app to HTTP server, Synch nodes
6. Regenerate HTTP plug-in and deploy – Restart HTTP server
7. Connect to the Forms Screen and run the setup
8. Add extra Indexes to the DB2 server
9. Add the Widget information into the widget.config.xml
10. Synch nodes, restart Connections and Forms server(s)
11. Ta-Taaaa!
30. Surveys Continued . . .
Create the DB2 Database
• Surveys / Forms Experience Builder REQUIRES DB2 – so if you use
SQL or Oracle for your Connections environment and want
Surveys you need to install a DB2 server
• When creating the dB use these commands, the commands in the
documentation are partially incorrect and badly formatted:
CREATE DB FEBDB using codeset UTF-8 territory us PAGESIZE 32768
connect to FEBDB
CREATE BUFFERPOOL BUFFERFEB IMMEDIATE SIZE 250 PAGESIZE 32K
CREATE USER TEMPORARY TABLESPACE LARGE_USERTEMP PAGESIZE 32k MANAGED BY
AUTOMATIC STORAGE EXTENTSIZE 16 PREFETCHSIZE 16 BUFFERPOOL BUFFERFEB
grant dbadm on database to LCUSER
32. Surveys Continued . . .
Install Forms Experience Builder
• Using IBM Installation Manager on the actual FORMS server, not
the Deployment manager – unless that is where FORMS is
running
• Unpack FEB 8.5.1 and add the repository to IIM
36. Surveys Continued . . .
Do the WAS Stuff
• Sync Nodes, Regenerate the HTTP plug-in, Deploy it, restart HTTP
server(s) and start the FORMS server(s)
• Connect to the Forms interface – in my example that is:
http://cnx5.toalsys.social/forms
38. Surveys Continued . . .
Create some more DB2 indexes to improve performance
• Use these commands …. Same reason as before
Connect to FEBDB
CREATE BUFFERPOOL FEB4KBP IMMEDIATE SIZE 250 AUTOMATIC PAGESIZE 4 K
CREATE LARGE TABLESPACE USERSPACE4K PAGESIZE 4 K MANAGED BY AUTOMATIC STORAGE
BUFFERPOOL FEB4KBP
CREATE BUFFERPOOL FEB8KBP IMMEDIATE SIZE 250 AUTOMATIC PAGESIZE 8 K
CREATE LARGE TABLESPACE USERSPACE8K PAGESIZE 8 K MANAGED BY AUTOMATIC STORAGE
BUFFERPOOL FEB8KBP
CREATE BUFFERPOOL FEB16KBP IMMEDIATE SIZE 250 AUTOMATIC PAGESIZE 16 K
CREATE LARGE TABLESPACE USERSPACE16K PAGESIZE 16 K MANAGED BY AUTOMATIC STORAGE
BUFFERPOOL FEB16KBP