Welcome

The BEA AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel provides an interface that allows portal users to create customized portal Web Services that access Microsoft Excel files. The interface can be customized to meet the needs of a variety of users.

How to Use This Book

This book describes how to install and deploy AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel 1.2. It also provides instructions for upgrading to Excel Portlet Framework 1.2 from earlier versions.

Audience

This guide is written for the user responsible for installing or upgrading Excel Portlet Framework. This user must have an understanding of the existing portal deployment, knowledge of how to administer objects in the portal, and knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

Organization

This chapter provides information on how to use this guide and describes other resources available to help install, deploy, upgrade, and administer Excel Portlet Framework.
Pre-Installation Procedures provides hardware and software requirements, as well as environmental and third-party software prerequisites. You must read this chapter and meet the prerequisites prior to proceeding to the installation or upgrade.
Installing Software provides detailed instructions for installing Excel Portlet Framework.
Post-Installation Procedures provides detailed instructions for configuring Excel Portlet Framework.
Registering Excel Portlet Framework with the Portal provides detailed instructions for registering Excel Portlet Framework in the portal and configuring the file types, content crawlers, and security for Excel Portlet Framework.
Upgrading Software provides instructions for upgrading to Excel Portlet Framework 1.2.
Uninstalling Software provides instructions for uninstalling Excel Portlet Framework.

Typographical Conventions

Table 1-1 Typographical Conventions
Convention	Typeface	Examples/Notes
File names Folder names Screen elements	bold	Upload Procedures.doc to the portal. The log files are stored in the logs folder. To save your changes, click Apply Changes.
Text you enter	`computer`	Type `Marketing` as the name of your community.
Variables you enter	`computer with angle brackets (<>)`	Enter the base URL for the Remote Server. For example, `http://<my_computer>/`.
New terms Emphasis Object example names	italic	Portlets are Web tools embedded in your portal. The URI must be a unique number. The example Knowledge Directory displayed in Figure 5 shows the Human Resources folder.

BEA Documentation and Resources

Table 1-2 BEA Documentation and Resources
Resource	Description
Installation Worksheet	This worksheet helps you to gather and record prerequisite information necessary for installing AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel. It is available on http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/index.html and on the application CD.
User Guide	This book describes how to create and configure portlets with the Excel Portlet Framework. It is available on http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/index.html and on the application CD.
Release Notes	These files are written for Excel Portlet Framework administrators. They include information about new features and known issues in the release. They are available on http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/index.html and on the application CD.
Online Help	The online help is written for all levels of Excel Portlet Framework users. It describes the user interface for Excel Portlet Framework and gives detailed instructions for completing tasks in Excel Portlet Framework. To access online help, click the help icon.
Developer Guides, Articles, API Documentation, Blogs, Newsgroups, and Sample Code	These resources are provided for developers on the BEA dev2dev site (dev2dev.bea.com). They describe how to build custom applications using AquaLogic User Interaction and how to customize AquaLogic User Interaction products and features.
Deployment Guide	This document is written for business analysts and system administrators. It describes how to plan your AquaLogic User Interaction deployment. It is available in electronic form (PDF) on http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/index.html.
AquaLogic User Interaction Support Center	The AquaLogic User Interaction Support Center is a comprehensive repository for technical information on AquaLogic User Interaction products. From the Support Center, you can access products and documentation, search knowledge base articles, read the latest news and information, participate in a support community, get training, and find tools to meet most of your AquaLogic User Interaction-related needs. The Support Center encompasses the following communities: Technical Support Center Submit and track support incidents and feature requests, search the knowledge base, access documentation, and download service packs and hotfixes. User Group Visit the User Group section to collaborate with peers and view upcoming meetings. Product Center Download products, read Release Notes, access recent product documentation, and view interoperability information. Developer Center Download developer tools and documentation, get help with your development project, and interact with other developers via BEA's dev2dev Newsgroups. Education Services Find information about available training courses, purchase training credits, and register for upcoming classes. If you do not see the Support Center when you log in to http://support.plumtree.com, contact ALUIsupport@bea.com for the appropriate access privileges.
dev2dev.bea.com	Download developer tools and documentation, get help with your development project, and interact with other developers via BEA's dev2dev Newsgroups.
Technical Support	If you cannot resolve an issue using the above resources, BEA Technical Support is happy to assist. Our staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to handle all your technical support needs. E-mail: ALUIsupport@bea.com Phone Numbers: U.S.A. +1 866.262.PLUM (7586) or +1 415.263.1696 Europe +44 1494 559127 Australia/NZ +61 2.9923.4030 Asia Pacific +61 2.9931.7822 Singapore +1 800.1811.202