iconuk 2015 - installing connections add-ons tips and tricks

UKLUG 2012 – Cardiff, Wales September 2012

Presenter: Victor Toal

Company: ToalSystems

* And other nifty stuff

ICON UK 2015IBM Connections - Installing the Free "Extras" and Integrating with other Products*

UKLUG 2012 – Cardiff, Wales

Victor Toalaka “Dr. Vic”

20+ Years of talking tech

IBM Connections, Sametime, WebSphere, DB2,

Notes and Domino

[email protected]

Twitter: @TheToal

Skype: victor_toal

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/victortoal/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/victortoal/

http://www.toalsys.com/

http://www.toalsys.com/


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 bookmarks

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


CCM – Connections Content Manager / IBM Filenet integrationRequires 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 MailIntegrate 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 ViewerA 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 IntegrationSee the online status of other Connections users and initiate IM/chat sessions with them

IBM DocsSimilar 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.


** 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


•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


Architecture - Clustered

Web Layer

Application Layer

Services Layer

User HTTP Traffic

Connections Server 1Deployment Manager

Application Node1

Connections Server 1Application Node2

DB2 Server File Server ShareShared File Services

Web Server 1

Access to sharedfile repository

DB Access Share File Services

CNX5.ToalSys.SocialConnections 5.0 Architecture

Clustered

Clustered Components:Connections URL: http://cnx5.toalsys.socialServer1: CNXSrv01.intranet.toalsys.comServer2: CNXSrv02.intranet.toalsys.comHTTP: HTTP01.intranet.toalsys.comDB2: dbSrv01.intranet.toalsys.comFile server: space01.intranet.toalsys.comConnections Data File Share: \\fileserver.toalsys.social\cnxdata\


Architecture – Non Clustered

Web Layer

Application Layer

Services Layer

User HTTP Traffic

Connections Server 1Deployment Manager

Application Node1

DB2 Server File Server ShareShared File Services

Web Server 1

Access to sharedfile repository

DB Access Share File Services

CNX5.ToalSys.SocialConnections 5.0 Architecture

Non-Clustered

Non Clustered Components:Connections URL: http://cnx5.toalsys.socialServer1: CNXSrv01.intranet.toalsys.comHTTP: HTTP01.intranet.toalsys.comDB2: dbSrv01.intranet.toalsys.comFile server: space01.intranet.toalsys.comConnections Data File Share: \\fileserver.toalsys.social\cnxdata\ORD:\IBM\Connections\Data\shared


IBM Connections Mail

Let’s start with email - 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!


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

http://ibm.co/1WwMtxe

http://ibm.co/1fj77z4

http://ibm.co/1qzXtYE


•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


ICMail with Domino•Install documentation link: http://ibm.co/1UML83j

•Requires only WebSSO with the Domino server, easiest if

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

http://ibm.co/1UML83j

http://ibm.co/1Nl1tv2


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

http://ibm.co/1UML83j

http://bit.ly/1MCXJVN


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


ICMail Installation Continued . . .

Choose the Install Package and click next

Enter the location you want the files to be

installed on


ICMail Installation Continued . . .

Review the settings one final time and install.

When the system is done you will see the below screen


Set the correct access 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


<config id="socialmail-discovery-config" version="1.3" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="socialmail-discovery-config.xsd">

<discovery>

<ServerConfig name="exchangeconfig" enabled="true">

<ConfigType>EXCHANGE</ConfigType>

<DirectoryServer>FQHNofDomainController</DirectoryServer>

<DirectoryServerDomain>FQDomainName</DirectoryServerDomain>

<DirectoryUser>LDAPBindUSer</DirectoryUser>

<DirectoryPW>Password</DirectoryPW>

<CertificateFile>E:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\java\jre\lib\security\cacerts</CertificateFile>

<CertificateFilePW>changeit</CertificateFilePW>

<ADDomainUser>ADDomainName\USerAccountLDAPBind</ADDomainUser>

<ADDomainPW>Password</ADDomainPW>

<MailPattern type=“Domain.com"/>

</ServerConfig>

</discovery>

<GadgetConfig>

<GadgetPreference id="MailSearchInterval">15000</GadgetPreference>

<GadgetPreference id="MailPollOnBadge">false</GadgetPreference>

<GadgetPreference id="MailCheckOnLoadInterval">300000</GadgetPreference>

<GadgetPreference id="MailPollInterval">300000</GadgetPreference>

<GadgetPreference id="ExchMaxUploadSize">15800000</GadgetPreference>

</GadgetConfig>

</config>

Example: socialmail-discovery-config.xml for Exchange


<config id="socialmail-discovery-config" version="1.3" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"

xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="socialmail-discovery-config.xsd">

<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


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!


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 significantly 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.


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.

Tip1: 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!!

http://ibm.co/1LjGpSs

http://ibm.co/1E61Czw


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 create them during the install.


IBM File Viewer Continued[Conversion]

conversion_install_root=D:\IBM\IBMConversion

docs_shared_storage_type=local

viewer_shared_storage_type=local

docs_shared_storage_local_path=D:\IBM\DocSharedStorage

docs_shared_storage_remote_server=nas-docs.ibm.com

docs_shared_storage_remote_path=/opt/IBM/docs_data

viewer_shared_storage_local_path=D:\IBM\DocSharedStorage

viewer_shared_storage_remote_server=nas-docs.ibm.com

viewer_shared_storage_remote_path=/opt/IBM/viewer_data

viewer_url=http://cnx5.toalsys.social/viewer

was_install_root=D:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer

was_soap_port=8879

scope=Cluster

scope_name=ConversionCluster

node_name=

sym_count=4

sym_start_port=8100

software_mode = Premise

[Viewer]

viewer_install_root=D:/IBM/FileViewer

shared_data_dir=D:/IBM/DocSharedStorage

was_install_root=D:/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer

was_soap_port=8879

conversion_url=http://cnx5.toalsys.social/conversion

files_path=D:/IBM/Connections/data/shared/files/upload

editor_installed=No

scope=Cluster

scope_name=ViewerCluster

node_name=

browser_cache=No

enable_print=No

auth_type=FORM

auth_host=

multi_tenancy=false

convert_on_upload=yes

housekeeping_frequency=weekly

housekeeping_age_threshold_of_rendition_latest_version=30

housekeeping_size_threshold_of_rendition_cache=256

[ICExt]

ext_install_root=D:/IBM/IBMViewer/extension

was_dm_profile_root=D:/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01

was_soap_port=8879

enable_upload_conversion=Yes

auth_type=BASIC

viewer_admin_j2c_alias=

files_scope=Cluster

files_scope_name=CnxCluster

files_node_name=

news_scope=Cluster

news_scope_name=CnxCluster

news_node_name=

common_scope=Cluster

common_scope_name=CnxCluster

common_node_name=

viewer_server_url=http://cnx5.toalsys.social/viewer

restart_connections=False

Non-Clustered / Local Server Install WINDOWS


[Conversion]

conversion_install_root=D:\IBM\IBMConversion

docs_shared_storage_type=local

viewer_shared_storage_type=local

docs_shared_storage_local_path=\\fileserver.toalsys.social\cnxdata\DocSharedStorage

docs_shared_storage_remote_server=nas-docs.ibm.com

docs_shared_storage_remote_path=/opt/IBM/docs_data

viewer_shared_storage_local_path=\\fileserver.toalsys.social\cnxdata\DocSharedStorage

viewer_shared_storage_remote_server=nas-docs.ibm.com

viewer_shared_storage_remote_path=/opt/IBM/viewer_data

viewer_url=http://cnx5.toalsys.social/viewer

was_install_root=D:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer

was_soap_port=8879

scope=Cluster

scope_name=ConversionCluster

node_name=

sym_count=4

sym_start_port=8100

software_mode = Premise

[Viewer]

viewer_install_root=D:/IBM/FileViewer

shared_data_dir==\\fileserver.toalsys.social\cnxdata\DocSharedStorage

was_install_root=D:/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer

was_soap_port=8879

conversion_url=http://cnx5.toalsys.social/conversion

files_path=\\fileserver.toalsys.social\cnxdata\files\upload

editor_installed=No

scope=Cluster

scope_name=ViewerCluster

node_name=

browser_cache=No

enable_print=No

auth_type=FORM

auth_host=

multi_tenancy=false

convert_on_upload=yes

housekeeping_frequency=weekly

housekeeping_age_threshold_of_rendition_latest_version=30

housekeeping_size_threshold_of_rendition_cache=256

[ICExt]

ext_install_root=D:/IBM/IBMViewer/extension

was_dm_profile_root=D:/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01

was_soap_port=8879

enable_upload_conversion=Yes

auth_type=BASIC

viewer_admin_j2c_alias=

files_scope=Cluster

files_scope_name=CnxCluster

files_node_name=

news_scope=Cluster

news_scope_name=CnxCluster

news_node_name=

common_scope=Cluster

common_scope_name=CnxCluster

common_node_name=

viewer_server_url=http://cnx5.toalsys.social/viewer

restart_connections=False

Clustered / Non-Local Server Install

WINDOWS


•Run the installers . . . . In order


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:\IBM\IBMConversion

• D:\IBM\IBMViewer\extension


•Set up the scheduled tasks

NOTE: If you install on clustered servers, this has to run on all Nodes/servers that run the Conversion task


Finally – do the usual WebSphere Stuff:

•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


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.social\cnxdata\DocSharedStorage on both servers for the

WebSphere messages stores.

•Check the sib-engines.xml in the folder

C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\Dmgr01\config\cells\CNXCell01\clusters\ViewerCl

uster

•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


Surveys / IBM Forms Builder ExperienceIt’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!


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


Add the Widget definition to the widget-config.xml<widgetDef defId="Surveys" description="Surveys.desc" bundleRefId="formiwidget" primaryWidget="true" showInPalette="true"

modes="view edit fullpage" uniqueInstance="true" loginRequired="false"

url="{webresourcesSvcRef}/web/com.ibm.form.integrations.formiwidget/Surveys.xml"

helpLink="/topic/com.ibm.lotus.connections.communities.surveys.help/community_survey_frame.html"

iconUrl="{webresourcesSvcRef}/web/com.ibm.form.integrations.formiwidget/images/survey_widget_icon.png">

<itemSet>

<item name="formSeverBaseUrl" value="/forms"/>

<item name="surveyNumberInOverview" value="5"/>

<item name="communitiesSvcRef" value="{communitiesSvcRef}"/>

<item name="webresourcesSvcRef" value="{webresourcesSvcRef}"/>

<item name="opensocialSvcRef" value="{opensocialSvcRef}"/>

<item name="version" value="{version}"/>

</itemSet>

<lifecycle remoteHandlerURL="http://cnx5.toalsys.social/forms/secure/org/lifecycle"

remoteHandlerAuthenticationAlias="connectionsAdmin">

<event>community.members.added</event>

<event>community.members.removed</event>

<event>widget.added</event>

<event>widget.removed</event>

<event>community.updated</event>

<event>community.visibility.changed</event>

<event>community.prepare.delete</event>

<event>community.members.modified</event>

<event>community.org.changed</event>

</lifecycle></widgetDef>


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


•Run though the Install Process


•Surveys Continued . . .

•More Installation Joy



•Map The App to the HTTP server


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

http://cnx5.toalsys.social/forms



•Do the Setup Steps …


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 LARGE TABLESPACE USERSPACE8K PAGESIZE 8 K MANAGED BY AUTOMATIC

STORAGE BUFFERPOOL FEB8KBP


CREATE LARGE TABLESPACE USERSPACE16K PAGESIZE 16 K MANAGED BY

AUTOMATIC STORAGE BUFFERPOOL FEB16KBP


Ta-TAAAAAAA!

“Oohh, of questions many you have?”

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