2 Getting WebCenter Spaces Up and Running

Getting WebCenter Spaces up and running and ready for use requires input from both the Fusion Middleware administrator and the WebCenter Spaces administrator. This chapter outlines the roles and responsibilities of each administrator who may, in some cases, be the same person.

The chapter also outlines what must be done, after installation, to get WebCenter Spaces up and running. Some roadmaps are provided to guide you through this process.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Audience

The content of this chapter is intended for Fusion Middleware administrators responsible for WebCenter Spaces (users granted the Admin role through the Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console) and WebCenter Spaces administrators (users granted the Administrator role throughWebCenter Spaces Administration).

Note:

Administrators working with custom WebCenter applications developed using Oracle WebCenter Framework, should refer to Chapter 4, "Getting Custom WebCenter Applications Up and Running".

2.1 Role of the Fusion Middleware Administrator

Oracle Fusion Middleware provides a single administrative role with complete administrative capabilities—the Admin role. Fusion Middleware administrators with this role can perform the complete range of security-sensitive administrative duties, and all installation, configuration, and audit tasks. This administrator is also responsible for setting up and configuring WebCenter Spaces immediately after installation, and performing on-going administrative tasks for WebCenter Spaces and other Oracle WebCenter components. Throughout this document we refer to this administrator as the Fusion Middleware administrator.

During installation, a single Fusion Middleware administrator account is created named weblogic. The password is the one provided during installation.

Use this administrator account to log in to the Fusion Middleware Control Console and WebCenter Spaces, and assign administrative privileges to other users:

To find out what other tasks a Fusion Middleware administrator must do to get WebCenter Spaces up and running, follow the Roadmap - Customizing WebCenter Spaces for the First Time.

Note:

The Fusion Middleware administrator is also responsible for all on-going administrative tasks, for details see Section 3.3, "System Administration for WebCenter Spaces (Roadmap) ".

2.2 Role of the WebCenter Spaces Administrator

WebCenter Spaces administrators have the highest application privileges within the WebCenter Spaces application itself. This administrator can view and customize every aspect of the WebCenter Spaces application and is responsible for customizing WebCenter Spaces out-of-the-box and maintaining the application after it is in use.

Out-of-the-box, the default Fusion Middleware administrator (weblogic) is the only user assigned to the WebCenter Spaces Administrator role. The password is the one provided during installation. Use this administrator account to log in to WebCenter Spaces, and assign additional users the Administrator role. For details, see Section 34.2.4, "Giving a User Administrative Privileges".

To find out what a WebCenter Spaces administrator must do to customize WebCenter Spaces out-of-the-box, follow the Roadmap - Customizing WebCenter Spaces for the First Time.

Note:

The WebCenter Spaces administrator is also responsible for all on-going administrative tasks, for details see Section 3.4, "Application Administration for WebCenter Spaces (Roadmap) ".

2.3 Installing WebCenter Spaces

WebCenter Spaces installation is described in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Guide for Oracle WebCenter.

2.4 Setting Up WebCenter Spaces for the First Time (Roadmap)

The roadmap in Table 2-1 outlines the tasks that a Fusion Middleware administrator must perform to get a WebCenter Spaces up and running.

Table 2-1 Roadmap - Setting Up WebCenter Spaces for the First Time

Step Documentation Role

Step 1 - Verify your Oracle WebCenter Spaces installation

Install WebCenter Spaces, start the managed server, log in to the application with default credentials, and assign administration privileges to one or more users:

Tip: WebCenter Spaces URL is http://<host>:<port>/webcenter/spaces

If the default administrator was changed at install time, you must grant that user WebCenter Spaces administrative privileges before logging in to WebCenter Spaces. See Section 24.6, "Granting the WebCenter Spaces Administrator Role to a WebCenter Spaces User."

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 2 - Launch Fusion Middleware Control

Launch Fusion Middleware Control Console, a Web-based management tool for WebCenter Spaces:

Tip: Fusion Middleware Control Console URL is http://<host>:<port>/em

Learn about the command-line administration tool WLST. See "Oracle WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST)".

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 3 - Configure WebCenter Spaces workflows

Connect the application to the BPEL server where WebCenter Spaces workflows are installed:

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 4 - Connect back-end services

Configure back-end services for WebCenter Spaces through Fusion Middleware Control Console. See:

Fusion Middleware Admin

  • Content Repositories

  

  • Mail Servers

  

  • BPEL Servers

  

  • Collaboration Services

  

  • Calendar Services

  

  • Secure Enterprise Search

  

  • Group Space Events, Links, Lists, Notes, People Connections, and Tags

  • No additional set up required. The WebCenter repository and MDS repository required for these services are configured out-of-the-box.

  

Step 5 - Connect external applications and portlet producers

Configure external applications and portlet producers for WebCenter Spaces. See:

Fusion Middleware Admin

  • External Applications

  

  • Portlet Producers

  

Step 6 - Connect back-end severs to the same identity store as WebCenter Spaces

Ensure that back-end servers, supporting wikis and blogs, discussions and announcements, presence, and Oracle Content Server, share the same identity store as WebCenter Spaces:

See also Oracle Fusion Middleware Security Guide.

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 7 - Secure communication with WebCenter Spaces

Configure secure communication:

See also Oracle Fusion Middleware Security Guide.

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 8 - Restart the managed server and WebCenter Spaces

Restart the managed server on which WebCenter Spaces is deployed to effect configuration changes, and then login to WebCenter Spaces with administrative privileges:

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 9 - Verify your WebCenter Spaces configuration

Verify WebCenter Spaces configuration: identity store, services, applications, and so on.

Tip: WebCenter Spaces URL is http://<host>:<port>/webcenter/spaces

Fusion Middleware Admin

Step 10 - Customize WebCenter Spaces and grant application roles

The WebCenter Spaces administrator is responsible for WebCenter Spaces customizations and user role assignments:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

2.5 Customizing WebCenter Spaces for the First Time (Roadmap)

The roadmap in Table 2-2 outlines the tasks that a WebCenter Spaces administrator might perform to customize WebCenter Spaces for a new target audience.

Table 2-2 Roadmap - Customizing WebCenter Spaces for the First Time

Step Documentation Role

Step 1 - Log in to WebCenter Spaces

Login to WebCenter Spaces with administrative privileges and access the administration pages:

Tip: WebCenter Spaces URL is http://<host>:<port>/webcenter/spaces

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 2 - Customize WebCenter Spaces

Customize WebCenter Spaces to suit your audience. Choose a name and logo for your application, apply a corporate brand, set language options, and more:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 3 - Determine self-registration policy

Establish your policy regarding new user registration. Allow users outside of the WebCenter Spaces community by to self -register on an invitation-only basis or extend self-registration to the public:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 4 - Plan the public user experience

First impressions are extremely important. Determine the content displayed on your Welcome page and the appearance of WebCenter Spaces before users login:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 5 - Create roles and delegate responsibilities to other users

Create roles to characterize groups of WebCenter users and determine what they can see and do in WebCenter Spaces. Manage and assign roles for any user in the identity store:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 6 - Customize personal spaces

Design a default personal space for your WebCenter users. Give them instant access to important information and applications relevant to their roles:

Encourage or enforce a consistent look and feel through default page schemes and default page templates:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 7 - Set up discussion forums and announcements

Configure default options for discussion forums and announcements:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 8 - Set up people connection components

Configure defaults for activity streams, personal profiles, connections, messages boards, and feedback:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 9 - Set up mail notifications

Configure default options for everyone's mail:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 10 - Provide group spaces and group space templates

In WebCenter, users can create and manage group spaces without centralized administration. Give them a head-start by creating templates for the types of group spaces they are likely to build:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 11 - Customize the Sidebar

Give users quick access to frequently used applications and collaboration services such as mail, worklist assignments, and personal contacts. Display, hide, reorganize, and lock the content of everyone's Personal Sidebar:

WebCenter Spaces Admin

Step 12 - Organize the applications pane

Make WebCenter the single place a user needs to go. Allow users direct access to applications outside WebCenter Spaces that require an HTML form-based login. Expose key external applications in everyone's Personal Sidebar:

WebCenter Spaces Admin