Configuring PeopleSoft Applications to Use Oracle WebCenter Related Content Services

This chapter provides an overview of the Oracle WebCenter integration, and discusses how to:

• Configure Oracle WebCenter options.

• Synchronize Oracle WebCenter and PeopleSoft application security.

• Manage WebCenter links.

Understanding the Oracle WebCenter Integration

Oracle WebCenter is a collaborative portal environment that provides an infrastructure for enterprise-wide collaboration. Oracle WebCenter Spaces and Oracle WebCenter Services provide a comprehensive set of standards-based components that enrich your PeopleSoft applications with the most complete and open set of Enterprise 2.0 capabilities in the industry.

Oracle WebCenter Spaces allows users to work more effectively with project teams and work groups, including teams that span multiple geographies and include external members. Within the context of a space, Oracle WebCenter Services provide the capability to include wikis, blogs, communications, content collaboration and social networks. PeopleTools, by leveraging the PeopleSoft Related Content Framework, enables you to integrate WebCenter group spaces and many of the accompanying features with PeopleSoft transaction pages. The following WebCenter related content services are standard with your PeopleTools installation and are available for use with any PeopleSoft transaction page:

• Blogs

• Discussions

• Documents

• Links

• Wikis

Understanding WebCenter Spaces

Within any company, large groups or departments often must create smaller groups to focus on a particular goal, project, or even topic. To help these groups organize themselves, Oracle WebCenter uses the concept of spaces as the nexus for bringing content together. Spaces provide a meaningful way to manage all project details involving any group of users. The WebCenter Spaces application creates spaces to help PeopleSoft application users share information and interact in a collaborative setting.

Templates

Oracle WebCenter Spaces application provides templates for building spaces that support different types of endeavors. When a user accesses a transaction page for the first time, WebCenter creates a new group space for the page or its transaction instance. The template specifications determine the services that appear by default in the new group space. You can install and use the PeopleSoft template that your PeopleTools installation includes, you can use an out-of-the-box WebCenter template, or create and install your own custom template using an existing group space as the basis for the template.

When you configure the WebCenter options in your PeopleSoft applications, PeopleTools requires that you specify the default template for use with new PeopleSoft transaction group spaces. PeopleTools uses web services to retrieve group space template information from the WebCenter server, and then display the group space services in the bottom related content frame.

Understanding WebCenter Services

Oracle WebCenter exposes social networking and shared productivity features through a comprehensive set of services. The services are integrated so that you can use them together. For example, you can add a discussion forum to enable shared discussion, upload documents for shared review, and a blog to keep your personal notes regarding a particular PeopleSoft transaction. You can associate these Oracle WebCenter services with PeopleSoft application pages through the Manage Related Content component:

• Oracle WebCenter Blogs service

• Oracle WebCenter Discussions service

• Oracle WebCenter Documents service

• Oracle WebCenter Links service

• Oracle WebCenter Wikis service

While the related content service definitions are provided in PeopleTools, an active Oracle WebCenter database is required to provide the services and to store the related data.

Important! With the exception of the links service, each WebCenter service uses a set of corresponding WebCenter pages for managing the elements of the group space. The WebCenter application, not PeopleTools, controls the behavior of these pages.

See Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide for Oracle WebCenter, http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E21764_01/webcenter.1111/e12405/wcadm_getstarted_app.htm

Oracle WebCenter Blogs Service

The Blogs service enables users to create instance specific or shared WebCenter blogs. When users access the service for the first time from a transaction page, WebCenter creates a new group space and associates it with that transaction page. Blog posts to the group space become shared blogs of that transaction page, which means the blogs appear for all transaction instances of the transaction page. When you specify one or more transaction key fields, WebCenter creates an additional group space and associates it with the transaction instance. Blog posts of the group space appear when the user selects the specific transaction instance on the transaction page.

This service supports Related Content Security only. The permissions that the service creates for the group spaces are set equivalent to the content reference for the associated transaction page. All user roles with access to the content reference become user group members and are granted the contributor privilege to the group spaces. If you specify a default moderator role on the WebCenter Options page, a moderator is also added.

When the transaction page permissions change, you should run the WebCenter security sync batch process to synchronize content reference permissions to the group spaces.

Important! Currently, the service does not support transaction instance-level data security.

Oracle WebCenter Discussion Service

The Discussions service lets you expose discussion forums on your application pages, so users can create forums, post questions, and search for answers. For example, customers can share product reviews, or a customer service department can answer questions online. Discussion forums additionally provide the means to preserve and revisit discussions.

The Discussion service enables users to create instance specific or shared WebCenter discussions. When users access the service for the first time from a transaction page, WebCenter creates a new group space and associates it with that transaction page. Discussions in the group space become shared discussions of that transaction page, which means the discussions appear for all transaction instances of the transaction page. When you specify one or more transaction key fields, WebCenter creates an additional group space and associates it with the transaction instance. Discussions posts of the group space appear when the user selects the specific transaction instance on the transaction page.

This service supports Related Content Security only. The permissions that the service creates for the group spaces are set equivalent to the content reference for the associated transaction page. All user roles with access to the content reference become user group members and are granted the contributor privilege to the group spaces. If you specify a default moderator role on the WebCenter Options page, a moderator is also added.

When the transaction page permissions change, you should run the WebCenter security sync batch process to synchronize content reference permissions to the group spaces.

Important! Currently, the service does not support transaction instance-level data security.

Oracle WebCenter Documents Service

The Documents service provides features for accessing, adding, and managing folders and files; configuring file and folder properties; and searching file and folder content in the connected content repositories. When you set up a content repository connection to integrate the Documents service, you can add content to the transaction pages of the PeopleSoft application.

The Documents service enables users to create instance specific or shared WebCenter discussions. When users access the service for the first time from a transaction page, WebCenter creates a new group space and associates it with that transaction page. Documents in the group space become shared documents of that transaction page, which means the documents appear for all transaction instances of the transaction page.

When you specify one or more transaction key fields, WebCenter creates an additional group space and associates it with the transaction instance. Documents in of the group space appear when the user selects the specific transaction instance on the transaction page.

The Documents service uses corresponding WebCenter pages for actions such as, uploading new documents, listing and searching documents in the group space, and managing documents. The WebCenter application, not PeopleTools, controls the behavior of these pages.

This service supports Related Content Security only. The permissions that the service creates for the group spaces are set equivalent to the content reference for the associated transaction page. All user roles with access to the content reference become user group members and are granted the contributor privilege to the group spaces. WebCenter also adds a moderator user group member, if you specify a default moderator role on the WebCenter Options page.

When the transaction page permissions change, you should run the WebCenter security sync batch process to synchronize content reference permissions to the group spaces.

Important! Currently, the service does not support transaction instance-level data security.

Oracle WebCenter Links Service

The Links service provides a way to view, access, and associate related information. For example, in a list of project assignments, you can link to the specifications relevant to each assignment. In a discussion thread about a problem with a particular task, you can link to a document that provides a detailed description of how to perform that task.

Unlike other WebCenter related content services, the Links service is a PeopleSoft component-based page. The Links service enables users to search and create links to existing WebCenter group spaces. The service also enables users to add links to external web pages. When you click the links that appear on the service page, the target opens in a new browser window.

The Links service enables users to create instance-specific or shared WebCenter links to resources.

This service supports Related Content Security only. When the transaction page or instance includes other WebCenter related content services such as the WebCenter Document service or the WebCenter Discussion service, the group spaces created for those services appear as related links by default; you cannot remove these links. Conversely, the service does not alter user access to a linked service. When one user does not have access to a group space that is the target of a link added by other users, the group space link does not appear to the unauthorized user.

Note. For this service, related content security governs whether links appear. The service does not control the security of the target content.

Oracle WebCenter Wiki Service

A wiki is a collection of useful content or information that users can browse, update, and remove, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and the variety of operations make wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring, where multiple people create written content together.

The wiki service enables users to create instance specific or shared WebCenter wiki. When users access the service for the first time from a transaction page, WebCenter creates a new group space and associates it with that transaction page. Wikis in the group space become shared wikis of that transaction page, which means the wiki page appear for all transaction instances of the transaction page.

When you specify one or more transaction key fields, WebCenter creates an additional group space and associates it with the transaction instance. Wikis in the group space appear when the user selects the specific transaction instance on the transaction page.

This service supports Related Content Security only. The permissions that the service creates for the group spaces are set equivalent to the content reference for the associated transaction page. All user roles with access to the content reference become user group members and are granted the contributor privilege to the group spaces. WebCenter also adds a moderator user group member, if you specify a default moderator role on the WebCenter Options page.

When the transaction page permissions change, you should run the WebCenter security sync batch process to synchronize content reference permissions to the group spaces.

Important! Currently, the service does not support transaction instance level data security.

Understanding Security Synchronization

To function correctly, the permissions of the group space must be the same as the associated content reference object of the transaction page. Your PeopleSoft applications use the WebCenter SpaceWebService to create and maintain group spaces security that is synchronized to PeopleSoft security. You must configure the web service security for the WEBCENTER node before using any of the WebCenter related content services. Currently, SAML token web service security is the only security type that the WebCenter application supports to consume WebCenter web services.

When a WebCenter service creates a groups space for a transaction page or its transaction instances, all user roles with access to the content reference object are added as user group members with the contributor privilege. WebCenter supports transaction data security at the role level only. Any user who has access to a transaction page is granted access to all group spaces that are created for that page or its transaction instances. If permissions change for a transaction page, the same changes must be reflected in the WebCenter permissions. You synchronize security by running the WebCenter Security batch process.

WebCenter Security Batch Process

The WebCenter Security sync batch process maintains security synchronization between PeopleSoft transactions and WebCenter services.

Important! You should run this process when the permissions of any transaction page that uses one of the WebCenter related content services changes.

The WebCenter Security synchronization process:

1. Retrieves a list of expected user group members of the group space.

   This list consists of the roles that have access based on the permission lists that appear on the Security tab of the content reference object for the transaction page.

2. Adds the user roles that do not exist in the list.

3. Adds a moderator user group member, if you specify a default moderator role on the WebCenter Options page.

4. Removes user group members that do not appear in the list.

5. Removes individual user members that do not have one of the listed user roles.

Note these points about the security synchronization process:

• The batch process should be run only once after a transaction page permissions are changed to update permissions of existing group spaces.

• The batch process updates only those group spaces that the WebCenter related content services created.

• The batch process does not change the permissions of group spaces that are linked to a transaction page or its transaction instances by the WebCenter Links service.

  Note. Links do not appear to users if permission to access the associated target is not granted.

Related Language Considerations

Note these points about the use of related language in the WebCenter integration:

• WebCenter and PeopleSoft applications support related language data differently.

• A related language item that you translate into the nonbase language appears to users of all languages.

• You cannot configure a translated item to appear to base language users only, instead of the base language.

• Both the base language and the nonbase item can coexist in the same system.

Important! WebCenter currently does not support Canadian French or UK English as a local language option.

Example

If you have an application that uses English as the base language and French as a related language:

• If a French-speaking user enters a related language item, then it appears to users of all languages.

• An English-speaking user can not provide an English translation of that item to show to English users only, instead of the French version.

• Both English and French items can appear simultaneously in the same system.

Prerequisites

These tables discuss the prerequisite steps to configuring Oracle WebCenter options in the PeopleSoft application.

Perform these tasks in the WebCenter application.

Perform these tasks in the PeopleSoft application.

See Also

Using the Integration Network

Employing Signon PeopleCode and User Exits

Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide for Oracle WebCenter 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.5.0) http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E21764_01/webcenter.1111/e12405/toc.htm

Configuring Oracle WebCenter Options

This section discusses how to configure WebCenter options:

Page Used to Configure Oracle WebCenter Options

Setting the WebCenter Integration Options

Access the WebCenter Options page (Select PeopleTools, Portal, WebCenter Integration, WebCenter Options).

WebCenter Options

Privilege Role Mappings

Use the fields in the Privilege Role Mappings grid to correlate the PeopleSoft privilege to the WebCenter group space role. This grid appears when you select a valid default group space template. All fields in this grid are required when you select a default group space template.

Synchronizing Oracle WebCenter and PeopleSoft Application Security

This section discusses how to run the WebCenter Security Sync batch process.

Page Used to Synchronize Oracle WebCenter and PeopleSoft Application Security

Running the WebCenter Security Sync Batch Process

Access the WebCenter Security Synchronization page. (Select PeopleTools, Portal, WebCenter Integration, WebCenter Security Sync).

To run the WebCenter Security Synchronization batch process:

1. Click the Run button.

2. Click the Process Monitor link to verify success.

Managing WebCenter Links

This section describes how to:

• Manage instance-specific links.

• Manage shared links.

• Add group space links.

• Add external URL links.

Pages Used to Manage WebCenter Links

Managing Instance-Specific Links

Access the Instance Specific Links page (Select the Instance Specific Links tab).

To add new instance-specific links, click the Add New Links button. The Add New Links page appears.

See Adding Group Space Links, Adding External URL Links.

To delete instance-specific links, click the Delete Link(trash can) icon.

Note. Links to services within the current group space appear automatically and cannot be removed.

Managing Shared Links

Access the Shared Links page (Select the Shared Links tab).

To add new shared links, click the Add New Links button. The Add New Links page appears.

See Adding Group Space Links, Adding External URL Links.

To delete shared links, click the Delete Link(trash can) icon.

Note. Links to services within the current group space appear automatically and cannot be removed.

Adding Group Space Links

Access the Add New Links page (Click the Add New Links button).

To add new group space links:

1. Select Group Space Link as the content type.

2. To search the group spaces that are available to you in your WebCenter application, enter keywords and click the Search button.

   Note. Keywords for each group space are managed by the WebCenter administrator in the WebCenter application

3. Select the group spaces for which you want to add links.

4. Click the Add Selected Group Spaces button.

   The application returns you to the WebCenter Links page.

Click the Return button to go back to the previous page.

Adding External URL Links

Access the Add New Links page (Click the Add New Links button).

To add new external URL links:

1. Select External URL Link as the content type.

2. Enter the label that you want to appear in the Related Links grid on the WebCenter Links page.

3. Enter the target address of the external link in the Link URL field. Use this example as a model: https://support.oracle.com.

4. Click the Add button.

   The application returns you to the WebCenter Links page.

Click the Return button to go back to the previous page without saving your entry.