WebSphere Portal v6.1 Administration and Deployment

AUDIENCE: This is a course for administrators who are responsible for installing and maintaining a WebSphere Portal Server based web site. Prior experience with WebSphere Application Server administration is definitely helpful but not mandatory.
PREREQUISITES: A basic understanding of WebSphere Application Server v6 administration is required.
DURATION: 5 days. Hands on.
OBJECTIVES: This course teaches WebSphere Portal Server V6 installation, configuration, performance tuning as well as administration. Portal administration involves, creating pages, installing portlets, configuring security and other day to day operations. This WebSphere Portal Administration training course is an excellent way to gain a broad skill base with the product. At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Plan for a portal installation.
- Install portal, including silent installation.
- Create a customized look and feel.
- Install new portlet application.
- Add portlets to pages and change page layout.
- Configure security.
- Use LDAP for security.
- Migrate databases to DB2 or Oracle.
- Resolve most common problems.
- Perform basic performance tuning.
- Create multiple virtual portal.
- Use Web Content Management to maintain the web site.
COURSE CONTENT:
1. Introduction to the WebSphere Portal Server
What is a Portal
An Example of A WebSphere Portal Site
Benefits of Portal Sites
General Portal Architecture
The Major Components of Horizontal Portals
WebSphere Portal Goals
WebSphere Portal Components
WebSphere Portal Accessibility
WebSphere Portal Packaging
WebSphere Portal Requirements
A Typical Network Architecture for WebSphere Portal
WebSphere Portal Server Architecture
Portal Container
Portal Engine Architecture
Page Aggregation Modules
Portlet
WebSphere Portal Built-in Portlets
Portlet Application
Portlet Mode and State
WebSphere Portlet Content Publishing (WPCP)
Portal Document Manager (PDM)
Search Engine
WebSphere Portal Information

2. WebSphere Application Server Overview
Application Server
Base vs. Network Deployment
Node
Cell
Configuration Repository
Administration Service
Cluster
Web Container
Web Request Processing
Plugin Configuration
Virtual Host
Managed Process
Basics
Key Possibilities
Coexistence Scenarios
Common Topologies
All in One
Vertical Scaling Server Separation
Multi-tier
Horizontal Scaling
Web Server Horizontal Scaling
J2EE Modules
J2EE Application Assembly
Web Module
Configuring Web Applications
EJB Modules
Enterprise Application Modules
Installing an Enterprise Application
Relationship Between WAS and WPS

3. Installing WebSphere Portal Server
WPS Components
Optional Component: Database
Optional Component: LDAP Server
Process Server
Optional Component: HTTP Server
Installation Architectures
Development Environment
Functional Testing
Integration Testing
Production Environment
Clustering Considerations
Hardware Requirements
Software Requirements
Supported Databases
Supported LDAP Servers
Supported Web Servers
Preparing The OS
Installation Source
Running The Install Program
Simple Install Example
Install Complete
Test

4. Basic Administration
Starting Portal Server
Accessing The Home Page
The Portal Home
The Portal Admin Page
Portlets
Administrative Portlets
Utility Portlets
Application Portlets
Stopping Portal Server
Getting Server Status
Looking At Log Files
SystemOut.log

5. Portal Page Hierarchy
Elements of a Portal Site
Screen
The Home Screen
Screen
Page and Label
Page/Label Hierarchy
URL
Theme
Skin
Putting it all together
Creating Pages and Labels
Setting Page Properties
Layout Of A Page
Page Locking
Private Page
Adding Portlets To A Page
Delayed Cleanup Of Deleted Portal Pages
Deleting Orphaned Data
Creating URL
URL Link
Behavior Of The Back Button
Configuring Anchors

6. Portlet Administration
Terminologies
Portlet Instance Types
Instance Type Summary
Portlet Applications and Concrete Portlet Applications
Portlet Modes
Example of Using Edit Mode
Portlet Window States
Portlet API
Portlet Deployment Descriptors
portlet.xml (IBM API)
portlet.xml JSR-168
Relationship between web.xml and portlet.xml
Relationship between Portlet and Concrete Portlet
Installing a Portlet Web Module
How is a Portlet Web Module Installed?
Managing Applications
Managing Portlets
Adding A Portlet To A Page
Configuring A Portlet
Copying A Portlet Application
Copy A Portlet
Removing A Portlet From A Page
Uninstalling A Portlet Application

7. Customizing the Look and Feel
Customization Basics
Customization Technique
Theme Basics
Creating a Theme
How Does a Theme Work
Theme at Work
Customizing the New Theme
Creating a Skin
Skins And Layouts
How Does a Skin Work
Customizing a Skin

8. Business Integration
Portlet Templates
CSV Portlet Template
Copy the CSV
Add the Portlet
Configure the Portlet
View the CSV
HTML Portlet Template
Copy The HTML Resources
JSP and Servlet Portlet Template
Importing Content From External Sites
Web Page Portlet
Web Clipping Portlet
Configuring the Web Clipping Portlet
Clipping Options
Clipping Type
HTML Clipping
RSS Portlet
Configure the RSS Portlet
Add the RSS Portlet
Third Party Portlets

9. Document Manager
What is Portal Document Manager (PDM)?
Productivity Components
Creating A Document Library
Configuring the PDM Portlet
Document library Management
PDM Operations
Access Control
Document Search
Approval Workflow
Versioning

10. Search Engine
Key Features
Taxonomy and Categorization
Summarization and Stemmer Support
Administrator Tasks
Administering Portal Search
Search Engine Organization
Creating Document Collection
Add A Content Source
Crawl The Source
Collection Status
Search Center Portlet
Using the Search Portlet

11. Security
Key Concepts
Authentication
Portal User Registry
Alternate Security Registries
LookAside Enabling
The ConfigWizard
Using An Alternate Database
Enabling Security with LDAP
Single Sign On (SSO)
Authorization
How Does Authorization Work?
Roles
More on Authorization
Resources
Common Access Rights
Managing Users and Groups
Setting Resource Permissions
Resource Permissions GUI
Enabling SSL
Credential Vault
Components of Credential Vault
Structure of the Credential Vault
Slot Scope
Credential Access Level
Single Sign-on Scenario Vault Administration

12. Composite Applications
What Is A Composite Application?
What Is A Component?
Components and Applications
Benefits Of Composite Applications
Template
Composite Application Design and Use
Creating A Template
Configuring A Template
Edit The Template Layout
Creating The Application
Configuring The Application
Using The Application
Protecting Applications and Templates
Defining Roles
Roles Portlet
Assign Application Members

13. Web Content Management Basics
Key Features
Main Components of WCM
How Does it Work?
Enabling WCM
Accessing WCM Authoring Tools
Using the WCM Tool
Authoring Template
Presentation Template
Corporate News Presentation Template
Presentation Template XML Markup
Site and Site Area
Content
Creating a Content
Security and Workflow of a Content
Components
Showing a Component from an Authoring Template
Rendering Content in a Web Site
The Web Content Viewer Portlet
Summary

14. WCM Security and Workflow
Common Security Requirements
Where is Security Configured?
Super User Access to WCM
Setting Library Access Structure Designers
Granting Access for a Component
Authors
Readers
Workflow Basics
Content Status
Content Rejection
Basic Steps to Create a Workflow
Creating Actions
Creating Stages
Creating a Workflow
Following the Workflow

15. Portal Configuration
Global Settings
Portal Configuration Services
The WAS Admin Console
Using The WAS Admin Console
Changing A Parameter
Configuring Various Services
Credential Vault Service
External Access Control Service
Auditing Service
Enabling Auditing Service
Persistent Session State
Session State Level
Portlet Filters
Enable Filtering
Register The Filter
Assign The Filter To Portlet
HTTP Proxy
URL Mapping
URL Mapping Portlet
Unique Names
Custom Unique Names Portlet

16. Configuration Management
Configuration Utilities
wpsconfig Utility
ANT Script File
How wpsconfig Uses ANT?
More on Properties
Property Precedence
What Can You Do With wpsconfig?
ConfigWizard
Transfer Database
Database Domains
Transferring To A Database
Create The Database
Select The Domains
Specify the Drivers
Specify The Database Password And Finish
Introduction to xmlaccess
Running xmlaccess
Example Input File
Basic Syntax
XML Input Structure
Export Example
Deleting Users
Detail XML script reference
Portal Resources represented in XML
Object ID
Looking up objects
Symbolic Reference
Example Symbolic Reference
Guidelines
Portal Scripting Interface
JACL
Script Beans
Profile Scripts
Example Add Pages
Running the example

17. Problem Determination
Types of Problems
Problem Isolation
HTTP Server Access Log
HTTP Server Error Log
HTTP Server Start Up Error
WebSphere Specific Notes
Tools for Resolving WebSphere Problems
Admin Console Messages
Configuration Problems
Runtime Messages
Message Details
Important Log Files
Log Types
Log Detail Levels
Configuring Log Files
Viewing Logs
Log File Format
Configuring Tracing
Reading Java Exceptions
dumpNameSpace Tool
Debugging
IBM Tools
Problem With Installation
Application Server Does Not Start
404 File Not Found
500 Internal Server Error
Cannot Find Server or DNS Error
Virtual Host Not Found
JSP Compilation Problem
Class Not Found Error
JNDI Name Not Found
High CPU Usage
Application Server Hanging
Portal Server Logs
Portal Server Tracing

18. Portal Server Clustering
What is Clustering
Sample Topology
Basic Steps
Install Network Deployment
Install/Federate Primary Node
Federating Primary Node
Create The Cluster
Install Additional Nodes
Add Additional Members: Horizontal
Add Additional Members: Vertical
Enable Security
Generate plugin-cfg.xml
Start and Validate the Cluster
Installing a Portlet Web Module
Deploying Themes and Skins
Configuring Dynamic Cache

19. Performance Tuning WebSphere Portal Server
Basic Concepts
WebSphere Tuning
JVM Heap Tuning
Database Tuning
topas
Advanced topas Use
svmon
Generating svmon Reports
The monitor Tool
Network Buffer Tuning
Network Dropped Packets Resolution
Network Statistics Report
TCP/UDP Buffer Tuning
System Activity Report
Disk I/O Report
Reduce IO Bottleneck
Using filemon
Using vmstat
Tuning VMM Policy
The vmstat Command
The mpstat Command
The iostat Command
The netstat Command
netstat (cont.)
Increasing the Connection Backlog
Minimize Packet Fragmentation
Reduce Socket Overhead
Recover from Browser Disconnects
Kernel Tuning
Performance Tips
Performance Testing Guidelines
Tune Service Properties

20. ReleaseBuilder
High Level Concepts
Preparing a Staging Server
Making a Release in Staging
Exporting Shared Configurations
Computing the Differences
Applying Changes in Production
Caveats

21. Virtual Portals
Characteristics of virtual portals
Creating Virtual Portals
Pre-configuring Virtual Portals
Virtual Portals - Actions
Virtual Portals Content & Search