Setting Up Content Synchronization

39.1 Enabling Content Items for Synchronization

Content items are typically enabled for synchronization by WebCenter Content users. They set the Sync to Sites option for each item to True, as shown in the following figure. Valid content items are documents and digital assets.

Figure 39-1 Sync To Sites Option on the WebCenter Content Server Update Form

Description of "Figure 39-1 Sync To Sites Option on the WebCenter Content Server Update Form"

Synchronization-enabled content items are available to the WCC connector for processing. However, you can import them into WebCenter Sites only when the WCC connector is enabled to import them into the correct asset types. You will enable the connector in the next few steps.

39.2 Determining Which Renditions to Synchronize

Content items enabled for synchronization in Enabling Content Items for Synchronization have renditions. Default rendition types are primary and web:

A primary rendition is the native (original) file that is checked in to WebCenter Content (for example, a Microsoft Word document, before any renditions are created).
The web rendition of a content item is a web-viewable version of a native file. For example, a PDF version of a Microsoft Word document is a web rendition of the Word document.

Custom renditions may also be available. To determine which renditions to import into WebCenter Sites, consult with site designers who work with WebCenter Sites. You will specify the renditions for the connector in a later step (in Connecting to WebCenter Content).

39.3 Selecting or Creating Target Asset Types

Complete the following steps:

Ensure that your target asset types meet synchronization requirements:
- Your asset types meet the minimum requirements outlined in Asset Type Mapping. For example, they must belong to the flex family.
- Your asset types are configured to accept the content items that are enabled in Enabling Content Items for Synchronization.
To change the default mapping of the dDocName metadata field (to an attribute other than name), do so now by resetting the wcc.keyfield parameter in the wcs_properties.json file. After the parameter is reset and synchronization has started, do not edit this value again.

For information about dDocName, see Content Identifier Attribute. For information about the wcc.keyfield parameter, see User Configurable Parameters.
If your asset types have a template attribute, copy the display names of the templates exactly as they appear in the WebCenter Sites Admin interface and paste them into a text file.

39.4 Connecting to WebCenter Content

In this section, you will connect WebCenter Sites to WebCenter Content and specify which renditions (determined in Determining Which Renditions to Synchronize) must be available for use in the attribute mapping part of the connector rules.

To connect to WebCenter Content:

From the Connector Admin node, select Configuration to open the Connector Configuration form.

Figure 39-2 Connector Configuration Form with Example Values

Description of "Figure 39-2 Connector Configuration Form with Example Values"
In the Connector Configuration form, fill in the following fields:
1. In the Server URL field, provide the address of the WebCenter Content instance to connect to. The HTTP, HTTPS, or IDC protocols can be used. For more information about determining the URL path of a WebCenter Content instance, see Accessing Oracle WebCenter Content in Administering Oracle WebCenter Content.
2. In the Server User field, provide the name of a user with administration privileges for the WebCenter Content instance.
  
  Note:
  
  If you specified the IDC protocol in the Server URL field, then you must define the user name as that of a local user with administrative privileges (by default, sysadmin).
3. In the Server Password field, provide a password for the administrative user only if you specified an HTTP or HTTPS connection in the Server URL field.
  
  Note:
  
  For IDC connections, a server password is not required. The IDC protocol uses a trusted port configured on the WebCenter Content server.
4. In the Rendition Names field, add the names of all renditions you plan to import.
  
  To add a rendition, click Add New Rendition and enter its name. If you add a video rendition, use a colon-separated format such as media:rendition-name. For example, media:flash8.
  
  Figure 39-3 Example Video Rendition
  
  Description of "Figure 39-3 Example Video Rendition"
  
  The rendition types primary and web are provided by default. You can keep or delete them, depending on your requirements.
Click Test to test your entries. If your entries are valid, a confirmation message opens.
Click Save to save the entries. A confirmation message opens when the configuration has been saved successfully.

39.5 Creating an Active Rule

An active rule is a set of instructions enabled for the connector to follow when it runs. The connector uses active rules to do the following:

Sample the content items that are enabled in Enabling Content Items for Synchronization, and retrieve items that match your active rules.
Create receiving assets in the target asset types that you selected or created in Selecting or Creating Target Asset Types and named in your active rules.
Synchronize the renditions that you specified in Connecting to WebCenter Content and in your active rules.

Note:

Before creating rules, read Connector Rules for planning and configuration guidelines.

You can enable rules when you create them (in this step), or in a later step (in Prioritizing Active Rules and Managing Rules).

To Create a Rule:

From the Connector Admin node, select Rules.
In the Connector Rules form, click Add New Rule.
The rules wizard opens. Perform each step in the rules wizard, as described below.

Rules Wizard: Step 1 Name

Use this step to name your rule, add a description for this rule, and enable your rule.

Enter a name for this rule (required). Only alphanumeric characters and hyphens are allowed.
Enter a description for this rule (required).
Select the Enabled option to enable this rule.

Note:

If the Enabled option is not selected, the rule is not activated and the connector will not run the rule. You can enable or disable the rule at any time from the current wizard or the Connector Rules form.
Continue to Rules Wizard: Step 2 Rule.

Rules Wizard: Step 2 Rule

Use this step to set up a rule statement specifying which metadata the connector must sample when polling the content items.

In this step of the rules wizard, you will select a metadata name, choose an operator, and then specify the metadata value. You can specify multiple metadata names and values by adding AND/OR statements.

Figure 39-4 Step 2 Rule Page with Example Values

Description of "Figure 39-4 Step 2 Rule Page with Example Values"

To specify which metadata the connector must sample:

In the left-hand list, select a metadata name.

The list displays all metadata names defined in WebCenter Content. For descriptions of the metadata, see Metadata Fields in the Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

Common metadata names include, for example:
- dDocName: The Content ID for the content item on WebCenter Content.
- dDocType: The content item type on WebCenter Content.
- dDocTitle: The content item title on WebCenter Content.
- dExtension: The file extension (such as txt, doc, pdf, and jpg) on WebCenter Content.
- xComments: The comment field on WebCenter Content.
In the middle list, select an operator:
- matches: The connector searches for metadata values that match the entire string you provide in the right-hand field. For example, if your statement is dDocType matches image, the connector recognizes image, but not images.
- contains: The connector performs a substring search on the metadata value you provide in the right-hand field. For example, if your statement is dDocName contains abc, the connector recognizes abc, abcde, and any other dDocName that contains abc.
- starts with: The connector searches for metadata values that begin with the string you provide in the right-hand field.
- ends with: The connector searches for metadata values that end with the string you provide in the right-hand field.
- is greater than: Applies to integers only (not valid for strings).
- is less than: Applies to integers only (not valid for strings).
In the right-hand field, enter a value for your chosen metadata field.
Add as many OR statements as wanted.
Add as many AND statements as wanted.
Continue to Rules Wizard: Step 3 Target.

Rules Wizard: Step 3 Target

Use this step to select the target asset type, content management sites where the asset type is enabled, and any other information for which you are prompted.

Note:

The content of this step depends on the asset type.

To specify the target asset type and the content management site where it is enabled:

Select the target asset type from the list.

Depending on the asset type you select, different options are displayed on the form.
Select the asset subtype.
Enable the parents from the list.
The Sites list names the content management sites on which your selected asset type is enabled. Select one or more sites. The connector imports content items and metadata into the target asset type on all of your selected sites.
Provide any other information for which you are prompted.
Continue to Rules Wizard: Step 4 Attributes.

Rules Wizard: Step 4 Attributes

Use this step to map the metadata of the synchronization-enabled content items to the attributes of your target asset type.

The Step 4. Attributes page of the Rules Wizard lists the attribute names and their data types in the asset type you selected in step 3 Target. Attributes marked with a red asterisk are required. Attributes whose data type contain (M) are multi-valued attributes. Such attributes can contain a single value or multiple values separated by a semicolon (;). For example: value1;value2;.

Figure 39-5 Step 4 Attributes Page with Example Values

Description of "Figure 39-5 Step 4 Attributes Page with Example Values"

To map content item metadata to asset type attributes:

For each attribute, go to the Take From column and select an option from the list. Options depend on the attribute type. The options are:

Literal or Metadata: These options apply only to attributes of type other than blob.
- If you select Literal, enter a standard text string in the Value column. Your selected attribute displays the same text for all content items that you import with this rule.
  
  Also note the following:
  - If your asset type has a template attribute, enter the template name in the Value column, exactly as it is in the WebCenter Sites Admin interface. We recommend copying the name and pasting it into the Value column (you can use the name that you pasted into the text file in Selecting or Creating Target Asset Types).
  - For attributes of type date (for example, attributes named startdate or enddate), select Literal to pick a date using the date-picker.
- If you select Metadata from the list in the Take From column, select the metadata name from the Value column.
  
  Note:
  
  When you select Metadata, the list in the Value column lists metadata fields whose data type matches the data type of the attribute you want to target. For example, if your attribute is of type date, the Value column lists metadata fields of type date only. For detailed descriptions of metadata types, see Meta Services (Core Content Server) in Services Reference for Oracle WebCenter Content.

Rendition or Conversion: These options apply to attributes of type blob only.

If you select Rendition from the list in the Take From column, select the rendition type from the Value column (for example, web, primary, or other rendition type).

Note:

When you select Rendition, the list in the Value column names only the rendition types that you specified in the Connector Configuration form, in Connecting to WebCenter Content.
If you select Conversion from the list in the Take From column, select the conversion type from the Value column. Your only options are html and images (the Conversion option is strictly for HTML conversions).

For example, to import an HTML conversion, you can create a map such as the following (assuming the target attributes are named HTML and Images):

Table 39-1 Attribute Map Entries

Attribute	Type	Take from	Value
HTML	blob	Conversion	html
Images	blob (M)	Conversion	images

Rules Wizard: Final Steps:

Click the Save icon in the toolbar to commit your rule to the WebCenter Sites database.

Note:

If you did not select the Enabled option in "Rules Wizard: Step 1 Name," the rule is saved but not enabled. You can enable or disable it at any time from the Connector Rules form.
Create additional rules, if necessary.

39.6 Prioritizing Active Rules and Managing Rules

An important aspect of managing rules is to enable them for the connector and prioritize them in order of execution. The order can determine how the connector distributes content items among the target asset types in a synchronization session. For more information about prioritization, see Connector Rules.

You can complete other operations, such as editing, deleting, and adding rules in the same form you use to enable and prioritize rules.

To prioritize and otherwise manage rules:

From the Connector Admin node, select Rules to open the Connector Rules form.

Figure 39-6 Connector Rules Form with Example Rules

Description of "Figure 39-6 Connector Rules Form with Example Rules"
To prioritize rules for the connector, continue with this step (otherwise, skip to step 3 for descriptions of all the rule management options, such as editing and deleting, in the Connector Rules form):
1. Ensure that the rules you want to prioritize have their Enabled check box selected.
2. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrows to change the rule order. Enabled rules are executed by the connector in the arranged order. If a content item matches one active rule, the content item is synchronized according to that one rule. All other rules for synchronizing that content item are ignored.
3. Click Save.
To perform any of the possible operations listed on the Connector Rule form, see the list below for descriptions of your options:
- Click the Edit icon (pencil) of a rule to edit that rule. The rules wizard opens. For information about configuring rules, see Creating an Active Rule.
- Click the Delete icon (trash can) of a rule to delete that rule.
- Click the Move Up or Move Down arrows to change the rule order. Enabled rules are executed during connector polling in the arranged order. If a content item matches one active rule, it is synchronized according to that one rule. All other rules for processing that content item are ignored.
- Select or deselect the Enabled option of a rule to enable or disable that rule. Click Save after making any changes.
  Note:
  - If a rule is disabled, that rule and its matching content items are ignored by the connector when it runs.
  - If an active rule is executed and then disabled (or deleted), content items imported according to that rule remain in WebCenter Sites.
- In the Name column, click the rule name to view or edit that rule. The rules wizard opens.
- The Description column provides the rule description. This description is defined when you create a rule.
- Click Add New Rule to add a new rule. The rules wizard opens.
- Click Save to save any changes, such as enabling or disabling a rule.
After you have optimized, enabled, and prioritized your active rules, you should start the process of manually running the connector.

39.7 Manually Running the Connector

In this step, you will manually run the connector to test the rules you configured and prioritized in Creating an Active Rule and Prioritizing Active Rules and Managing Rules.

To run the connector:

From the Connector Admin node, select Console to open the Connector Console.

Figure 39-7 Connector Console with Example Server Information

Description of "Figure 39-7 Connector Console with Example Server Information"
Verify that the Connector Console displays the information you specified in Connecting to WebCenter Content:
- The Server URL field lists the address of the WebCenter Content instance.
- The Server User field lists the user with administration privileges for the WebCenter Content instance.
Click Run Now With Token.

The connector starts running and the token field displays the current token value. For more information about tokens, see Rolling Back the Synchronization Point.

Note:

You can schedule the connector to run on a timed basis, as described in Scheduling the Connector.
While the connector runs, you can monitor its activity from the same form you are now using.

39.8 Monitoring the Connector

When the connector runs, the Connector Console (populated in the previous step) displays the Recent Activity table, shown in the following figure.

Figure 39-8 Connector Console Form with Filled Recent Activity Table

Description of "Figure 39-8 Connector Console Form with Filled Recent Activity Table "

The Recent Activity table lists ten rows at a time, within the last 24 hours. You must manually refresh the table to provide up-to-date information. Each row represents a batch. By default, the connector processes content items in batches, up to 50 items per batch. Batch size can be changed, as described in User Configurable Parameters.

To determine whether the connector is importing any content items into WebCenter Sites, refresh the table and read the Updated column.
All options and statistics in the Recent Activity table are described below:
- Click Refresh to update the table.
- Click Cancel to cancel the currently running connector. Note that processing of the next batch (if any) is cancelled. The current batch is processed to completion.
- Click the Inspect this item icon (magnifying glass) to view connector history for the selected batch. See Viewing Connector History for a Single Batch.
- The Timestamp column shows the date and time of batch processing.
- The Launched By column lists whether batch processing was launched manually (from the Connector Console) by the named user, or launched automatically (AUTO) by the connector schedule in the SystemEvents table. See Scheduling the Connector.
- The State column lists batch processing status. Possible values are Submitted, Running, Cancelled, Error, Reset, or Finished. Click Refresh to view the updated state. This table does not auto-refresh.
- The Batch size column lists the number of items in the batch. By default, the maximum is 50 items per batch. For information about changing maximum batch size, see Working With WCC Connector Configuration Files.
- The Updated column lists the number of items that are updated in WebCenter Sites during batch processing. The number includes assets that are created, updated, or deleted.
- The No Rule column lists the number of content items that did not match any active rule.
- The Error column lists the number of processing errors for this batch.
You can gather additional information about connector activity by viewing the connector history (for all or selected batches). Continue to Viewing Connector History.

If you prefer to inspect the synchronized assets to ensure they are stored in the intended asset types, skip to Verifying Imported Content.

39.9 Viewing Connector History

All connector sessions are archived. You can view the entire archive, or selected batches (one by one). You can also drill down to individual content items for detailed information about their processing. Archived information can be deleted.

This section covers the following topics:

39.9.1 Viewing the Entire Connector History

To view connector history for all batches:

From the Connector Admin node, select History to open the Connector History table.

Figure 39-9 Connector History Table with Example Activity

Description of "Figure 39-9 Connector History Table with Example Activity"
The Connector History table displays the following information and options:
- Each row of the Connector History table represents a batch. By default, the connector processes content items in batches, up to 50 items per batch.
- Click the Inspect this item icon (magnifying glass) to view connector history for the selected batch. See Viewing Connector History for a Single Batch.
- The Timestamp column shows the date and time of batch processing.
- The Launched By column lists whether batch processing was launched manually (from the Connector Console) by the named user, or launched automatically (AUTO) by the connector schedule in the SystemEvents table. See Scheduling the Connector.
- The State column lists the batch processing state. Possible values are Submitted, Running, Cancelled, Error, Reset, or Finished. Click Refresh to view the updated state.
- The Batch size column lists the number of items in the batch. By default, the maximum is 50 items per batch. For information about changing maximum batch size, see in Working With WCC Connector Configuration Files.
- The Updated column lists the number of items that are updated in WebCenter Sites during batch processing. The number includes assets that are created, updated, or deleted.
- The No Rule column lists the number of items that did not match any rule.
- The Error column lists the number of processing errors for this batch.
- Select the All option and then click Delete to delete all activity listings.
- Select a batch (a row) and click Delete to delete that batch.
To view connector history for a single batch, select the batch. The Connector History table lists all items that were processed in the batch. For an example, see the figure in Viewing Connector History for a Single Batch.

39.9.2 Viewing Connector History for a Single Batch

To view connector history for a single batch:

From the Connector Admin node, select History to open the Connector History table.
Locate the batch (a row), and click its Inspect icon (magnifying glass).

The Connector History table lists all items that were processed in the selected batch.
The Connector History table for a single batch displays the following information and options:
- Each row represents a single item in the batch.
- The Content ID column lists Content ID for each item in the batch.
- The Asset ID column lists Asset ID for each item in the batch.
- The Status column lists the synchronization status for each item in the batch. Common status flags are Added, Error, Updated, Not Matched (no rule matched), Not Present (asset not found), and Deleted (asset was deleted).
- The Remark column provides additional information for each item in the batch. Toggle its Show Details icon (plus sign) or Hide Details icon (minus sign). For an example and descriptions of commonly returned messages, skip to step 4.
- Click the Back button to go back to the previous table (which displays the history for all batches).
The following figure shows an example of possible messages in the Remark column. A more comprehensive list is available below the figure.
Figure 39-10 Connector History of a Single Batch with Details in the Remark Column

Description of "Figure 39-10 Connector History of a Single Batch with Details in the Remark Column"

Some common messages are listed here:
- No valid rule found: Indicates that either no rules are defined, or the defined rules are invalid.
- No record found: Indicates that no record could be found in the database table, meaning that there are no entries for the particular table being viewed.
- Delete QueueToken {0}: Value {0} is the token ID. This message indicates that the item from WebCenter Content is marked for removal from WebCenter Sites.
- Asset {0} deleted from site {1}: Value {0} is the assetType_assetID. Value {1} is the site name. This message confirms deletion of the listed asset from the specified content management site.
- Asset deleted: Confirms asset deletion.
- Asset not found: Typically, this message means that an attempt was made to locate an item to delete, but the item has been deleted.
- Asset created: {0:1} to sites: {2}: Value {0:1} is the asset type and asset ID. Value {2} is the site name or a comma-separated list of site names. This message indicates that the listed asset was created in the listed site or sites.
- Asset updated: {0:1} to sites: {2}: Value {0:1} is the asset type and asset ID. Value {2} is the site name or a comma-separated list of site names. This message indicates that the listed asset was updated in the listed site or sites.
- Asset {0} delete failed from site {1} because: {2}: Value {0} is the asset ID. Value {1} is the site name. Value {2} is a message as to why the deletion failed. Typically, a deletion fails because the asset was modified since the last synchronization session and now has references to it. If deletion fails, the item is listed in the Orphaned Content form (see Managing Synchronized Assets).
- Checkin QueueToken {0}: Value {0} is the token ID. This message indicates a queue token check-in request, that is, a new or updated item is ready to be imported into WebCenter Sites from WebCenter Content.
- Rule matched {0}, Wcc request: {1}: Value {0} is the rule name. Value {1} is the WebCenter Content rendition or conversion that was requested in the attribute mapping section of the rule.
- No rule matched: Indicates that no rule matched the item (compare with No valid rule found).
- Rule matched {0}, but mappings not found : Value {0} is the rule name. This message indicates that a rule matched the item being imported from WebCenter Content, but no mappings of metadata to attributes were found.
- Rendition {0} was not returned: Value {0} is the rendition name. This message indicates that WebCenter Content did not return the requested rendition (often due to the rendition not being available). Compare with Available Renditions and Requested Renditions not available.
- Available Renditions: {0}: Value {0} is a list of the available renditions for the item on WebCenter Content.
- Requested Renditions not available: Indicates that the requested rendition is not available. See Available Renditions for a list of available renditions.
- Error on field {0}, fieldDef: {1}:{2}: Values {0} and {1} are the attribute name (the values are identical). Value {2} is the error message for the exception. This message is returned when an unknown or unexpected exception occurs while the connector is mapping a content item metadata field to an attribute.
Before automating synchronization to run routinely, verify the imported content to ensure it is stored in the intended asset types and with the expected level of detail.

39.10 Verifying Imported Content

At this point, you are likely to have enough information about how well content synchronization meets your requirements. To confirm this, inspect the imported content items to ensure they are stored in the intended asset types, that all metadata values are recorded in the correct attributes, and all other conditions that are specified in the attribute mapping part of the rules are met. To locate the content items and the assets, see the Connector History table for Content IDs and their counterpart Asset IDs.

After verification is complete, do either:

If adjustments are necessary, continue to Modifying Your Setup.
If the results meet your requirements, continue to the following sections:
- Scheduling the Connector
- Managing Synchronized Assets

39.11 Modifying Your Setup

If the results of your synchronization sessions do not meet your requirements, you have several ways to adjust system configuration. Before taking action, it is best to review your options:

You can return to some steps in this chapter; for example, enable more content items for synchronization, disable content items, modify rules, re-prioritize active rules, and so on.

Note:

If you choose to modify or re-prioritize active rules, first delete the synchronized assets from WebCenter Sites. Clearing asset types helps to simplify interpretation of synchronization results after the connector runs again. It also prepares your system for rollback of its synchronization point to the original starting point or to a particular update, should you decide to take that step.
You can use the wcs_properties.json file to reconfigure various parameters, such as maximum batch size. See Working With WCC Connector Configuration Files.
You can roll back the synchronization point to the original starting point, or to a particular update by resetting the token.

Caution:

If you choose to reset the token, all content items at the new synchronization point are re-examined by the connector and resynchronized to WebCenter Sites.

Before rolling back, prepare your system by deleting the synchronized assets from WebCenter Sites. This step is especially important if you modified connector rules in any of the following ways: changed the target asset types, changed their content management sites, or re-prioritized the rules. After the assets are deleted, you can reset the token. See Rolling Back the Synchronization Point.

After you have successfully modified your setup, continue to the following sections:

39.12 Scheduling the Connector

After you have configured and verified content synchronization, you can schedule the connector to run on a timed basis. Use the Explorer utility to add a timed entry to the SystemEvents table.

Note:

Oracle WebCenter Sites Explorer is a Windows-only utility.

To schedule the connector:

Launch the Oracle WebCenter Sites Explorer executable file (ContentServerExplorer.exe) located in the SitesExplorer directory of the distribution file.
Log in to Oracle WebCenter Sites Explorer. (See Oracle WebCenter Sites Explorer in Developing with Oracle WebCenter Sites.)

In Oracle WebCenter Sites Explorer, do the following:

Expand the Tables node.

Figure 39-11 Explorer with Expanded Tables Node

Description of "Figure 39-11 Explorer with Expanded Tables Node"
Select the SystemEvents table (see the preceding figure).
From the main menu, select File, then New, and then Record.
Define the scheduling event for the WCC connector by entering the following information:
- eventname: WCCConnector
- type: 1
- enabled: 1
- times: Leave this field blank for now. You will set it in step e.
- target: ContentServer
- params: pagename=WCC/Pull

Define the schedule for running the connector by entering a time pattern into the times field, in the following format:

h:m:s W/D/M

Fields of the time pattern and their legal values are defined in the following table. Below the table is an example of a time pattern.

Table 39-2 Fields of a Time Pattern in the SystemEvents Table

Field	Legal Values	All Legal Values	Single Value Format	Inclusive Range Format	List Format
`h` (hours)	0–23	*	`h`	`h-h`	`h,h`
`m` (minutes)	0–59	*	`m`	`m-m`	`m,m`
`s` (seconds)	0–59	*	`s`	`s-s`	`s,s`
`W` (day of the week)	0–6, where 0=Sunday	*	`W`	`W-W`	`W,W`
`D` (day of the month)	0–31	*	`D`	`D-D`	`D,D`
`M` (month)	1–12	*	`M`	`M-M`	`M,M`

Example Time Pattern:

2,5-7:0:0 5/*\/*

The first field, 2,5-7:0:0 is a comma-separated list of times that includes a range. It means the event is triggered at 2 AM, 5 AM, 6 AM, and 7 AM at 0 minutes and 0 seconds for every specified hour. The next field (5/) specifies that the event is triggered every Friday. The next field (*\) ensures that the event is not triggered every day of the month. The last field (/*) ensures that the event is triggered in all months.

Specify days with one or both of two fields: day of the week (WD) and day of the month (DD). If both are specified, both take effect. For example, 1:0:0 1/15/* means the event is triggered at 1 AM, 0 minutes and 0 seconds, every Monday, and on the fifteenth day of each month. To specify days by one field only, set the other field to *.

Click Save.
To help content contributors identify and manage synchronized assets start the process of managing synchronized assets.

39.13 Managing Synchronized Assets

After the required content items are imported into WebCenter Sites, you can work with content contributors to help them identify and manage the synchronized assets, especially if synchronization sessions run on a regular basis. Administrators and content contributors who publish also have to know how the assets are affected by synchronization sessions.

The following topics provide information about synchronized assets:

39.13.1 Mapped Attributes

If content contributors modify assets by changing the values of attributes that are explicitly mapped in the attributes mapping part of the connector rules, those values are updated when the content items are updated and resynchronized. All other attributes preserve their values.

Note:

If the value of a mapped attribute is changed, it is overwritten when its content item is updated and resynchronized. Keeping changes to mapped attributes requires copying the assets.

39.13.2 Orphaned Content

One task that synchronization cannot accomplish is deleting synchronized assets that have dependents. This results in orphaned content.

Orphaned content is an asset that you cannot delete when its counterpart content item is either deleted, expired, or disabled from synchronization (by having its Sync To Sites option set to False). You cannot delete the orphaned asset because dependencies were created on that asset since the last synchronization session.

Note:

If a synchronized asset is shared across content management sites, it is deleted, unless it has dependents.

To determine orphaned assets:

From the Admin interface, in the General Admin tree, open the Connector Admin node.
Select Orphaned Content to open the Connector Orphaned Content table.
The Connector Orphaned Content table shows the following columns, which identify the deleted source content items, the orphaned assets, and their dependent assets:
- The Content ID column lists Content IDs for the content items that were deleted or disabled from synchronization in WebCenter Content.
- The Connector Token column lists the update_number for the token, from which you can derive the date and time when the content items were processed by the connector. You can obtain date and time from the WCS Queue Support Information table, described in Rolling Back the Synchronization Point.
- The Asset ID column lists the orphaned assets by their WebCenter Sites asset IDs.
- The Referenced By column lists the dependent assets (which reference the orphaned assets).
- The Remark column lists additional information (if any) for orphaned assets.
Use the Connector Orphaned Content table to locate the orphaned assets in WebCenter Content. More information about deleted content items is available in WebCenter Content.

39.14 Rolling Back the Synchronization Point

WebCenter Sites and WebCenter Content are synchronized through a generated token, which is rarely reset after the content synchronization process is established.

Caution:

Reset tokens during system setup only, when synchronization-related objects (such as rules) are configured, tested, and re-configured. After your system is configured for actual, uninterrupted operation, do not modify token values.

During system setup, however, you may have re-configured rules or asset types and therefore must roll back the synchronization point to either the original starting point or a particular update. Rolling back involves resetting the token.

Before discussing token reset, this section briefly describes a token and how it is updated when exchanged between WebCenter Content and WebCenter Sites:

When WebCenter Sites contacts WebCenter Content for the first time, it receives a token from WebCenter Content. The token value has the following format:

Token Value Format:

ClientID:Internally_used_database_identifier:update_number

Example:

c10013:1344632434389:10012
When checking for updates, WebCenter Sites passes the token to WebCenter Content, which uses the update_number to determine if any changes were made since the last call. Updates include content items whose Sync to Sites option is (or was) enabled. If updates were made, WebCenter Content generates a new update_number and returns the updated token to WebCenter Sites.

You can roll back a token value to its original value (the original synchronization point), or to a particular update, as described next.

Caution:

Do not reset the token for an established content synchronization process.

Replacing a token value with a blank value rolls back the point of synchronization to the original starting point. The next time the connector runs, it re-examines and resynchronizes every content item whose Sync to Sites option is enabled or was enabled at one time.

Note:

The connector re-examines previously enabled content items (which are no longer marked as Sync to Sites) in case their counterpart assets must be deleted from WebCenter Sites.
Replacing the update_number for the token with a previously generated update_number rolls back the point of synchronization to the previous update. The next time the connector runs, it polls content item versions at the new synchronization point. The connector re-examines and resynchronizes every item whose Sync to Sites option is enabled or was enabled at one time. The connector re-examines previously enabled content items (which are no longer marked as Sync to Sites) in case their counterpart assets must be deleted from WebCenter Sites.

A history of token values and update_numbers is available in WebCenter Content, on the WCS Queue Support Information page.

For more information about token value, see About the Generated Token Value.

This section includes the following topics:

39.14.1 Rolling Back to the Original Starting Point

Resetting the token to a blank value rolls back the current point of synchronization to the original starting point.

To resynchronize to the original starting point:

In the Admin interface, select the General Admin tree, and then click the Connector Admin node.
Select Console.
In the Connector Console form, delete the token value (next to the Run with Token button).

Figure 39-12 Connector Console Form

Description of "Figure 39-12 Connector Console Form"

39.14.2 Rolling Back to a Particular Update

Resetting the update_number for the token to a previously generated value rolls back the current point of synchronization to that particular update.

To roll back to a particular update:

Locate the token value to roll back to:
1. Log in to WebCenter Content as an administrator.
2. Select Administration and then WCS Administration.
  
  The WCS Queue Support Information page opens.
  
  Figure 39-13 WCS Queue Support Information Table in WebCenter Content Server
  
  Description of "Figure 39-13 WCS Queue Support Information Table in WebCenter Content Server"
3. At the top of the page, is the WCS Queue Support Information table. Look in the QueueId column (equivalent to Content ID) to locate the item that was updated. Look in the Token column to obtain the update_number for the item.
Reset the token value in :
1. From the Admin interface, open the Connector Admin tab.
2. Select Console to open the Connector Console form and replace the update_number (last set of digits) for the token, with the new update_number.

39.15 About the Generated Token Value

A generated token value has three parts. Each part is separated by a colon (:).

ClientID:Internally_used_database_identifier:update_number

This section describes the parts by using the following value as an example:

c10013:1344632434389:10012

The first part of a token value is the ClientID (c10013, in our example).

This value is generated by WebCenter Content when a client connects for the first time. The value is returned to the client and used in all subsequent calls by that client. If a client re-connects with a blank token, it gets a new ClientID.
The middle part of a token value (1344632434389, in our example) is the unique identifier for the database table in WebCenter Content.

Note:

The middle part of a token value must not be edited. It is used internally for client/server resynchronization.
The last part of a token value (10012, in our example) is the update_number.

WebCenter Content generates update_numbers for content items as follows:
- When a new content item is checked in and its Sync to Sites option is enabled, it receives an update_number. The Content ID and update_number for the item are logged in the WCS Queue table. That information in kept in the table, even if the item is deleted.
- When a content item has its Sync to Sites option enabled, it receives a new update_number, which is logged in the WCS Queue table. The logged information always remains in the table, even if the content item is deleted.
- When a content item is updated or its Sync to Sites option is reset, it receives a new update_numbers, which is logged in the WCS Queue table.
- When a content item is deleted and its Sync to Sites option was enabled, it receives a new update_number. Although the item has been deleted, its ContentId and new update_number remain in the WCS Queue table. This allows notifications of deleted content to be provided.