Create a syndication relationship using the Administration view

Overview

We can set up HCL WebSphere Portal syndication using the Administration Portlets or the command line. Before using syndication, ensure that the subscriber has sufficient memory to receive the data that is syndicated from the syndicator. For example, to syndicate all libraries, then we need at least as much space on the subscriber as the database used by the syndicator. Ensure that we have at least as much swap space allocated on the subscriber server as we have physical memory. Cross version syndication is supported. Syndication from a newer release to an older release is not supported. First-time syndication to an existing library is not supported. If you attempt to syndicate a library to a subscriber that already has a library with the same name, an error results.

To syndicate a library that contains more than 10000 items, update the maximum Java heap size used by the portal application server on the subscriber server:

1. In the WebSphere Integrated Solutions Console, browse to the Java virtual machine settings.

   Stand-alone server:

   Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > HCL WebSphere Portal > Java and Process Management > Process definition > Java Virtual Machine

   Clustered server:

   System administration > Deployment manager > Java and Process Management > Process Definition > Java Virtual Machine

2. Update the value in the Maximum Heap Size field. A value of at least 1024 MB is recommended.

3. Click OK, and then save your changes.

To set up syndication between web content libraries on two HCL Web Content Manager applications, establish a relationship between a syndicator and a subscriber. The syndicating server contains the data to be replicated, and the subscribing server receives the replicated data.What can and cannot be syndicated:

• Changes to only the library name or description are syndicated. Changes to other library properties, such as user access are not syndicated. For those manually make the same changes to any subscriber libraries.
• If content from one library (Library A) uses an item from another library (Library B), we must include both libraries in the syndicator. Including both libraries ensures that all items are syndicated successfully.
• If you include only Library A in the syndicator, any items in Library A that reference items in Library B are not syndicated. Syndication errors are also generated.
• If you add a library to a syndicator after the initial syndication, we must click Rebuild to force the new library to be syndicated immediately.
• If we are creating a two-way syndication relationship, we must use a consistent syndication strategy. For example, if you syndicate "All items", then both syndication relationships must be syndicating "All items".

Set up Syndication

1. Ensure both the subscriber and syndicator are running and that they can access each other over a network.

2. On the subscriber server, log in to HCL WebSphere Portal.

3. (Optional) If using HCL WebSphere Portal 9.5, go to the Practitioner Studio interface.

4. Go to...
   Administration > Security > Manage Users and Groups

   ...and create a shared credential vault slot. The user assigned access to the credential vault must exist on the syndicator and must have Administrator access to the WCM REST SERVICE virtual resource and Content Root...

   Web Content Libraries portlet > Set Access on Root

5. Go to...
   Web Content > Subscribers > Subscribe Now

6. Enter the syndicator URL in the form of...
   http://HostName:HostPort/WcmContextRoot

   For example:

   http://authoring:10039/wps/wcm

7. Enter a name for the syndicator item.

   This name is used for the syndicator item that is created on the syndicator server. Enter a name that helps identify the syndication relationship. This name must be unique and cannot be the same as an existing syndicator name.

   To reuse syndicator names of previously deleted syndication relationships on a subscriber, also delete the same relationship on the syndicator.

8. Enter a name for the subscriber item.

   This name is used for the subscriber item that is created on the subscriber server. Enter a name that helps identify the syndication relationship. This name must be unique and cannot be the same as an existing subscriber name.

9. Select the credential vault slot created earlier.

10. Click NextCross-version syndication: If you syndicate to a server where CF3 for HCL WebSphere Portal is not installed, steps 11-12 are skipped.

11. Select a syndication schedule mode:

    Configured	Use the mode configured in the WCM WCMConfigService service.
    Automatic	Syndication is scheduled automatically based on the configured syndication interval.
    Manual	Syndication occurs only when requested using the administration portlet.

12. Select Update syndication when a syndication pair is created to run a one-off syndication event when the syndication pair is successfully created. This is not related to any automatic configuration settings.

13. Click Next
14. Select the libraries that we want to subscribe to and the syndication type.

    Published items:

    Published item syndication is mostly used when we syndicate to a staging or delivery server. The following items are syndicated:

    • Published
    • Expired

    Draft items, projects, project templates, and items in a project are not syndicated.

    All items:

    Use "All items" syndication to gradually syndicate projects to a staging or delivery server, rather than waiting until all items in a project achieve a published state. The following items are syndicated:

    • Published
    • Expired
    • Draft items
    • Projects that contain draft items saved in the configured library. See Projects and syndication for further information.

    Project templates are not syndicated.

    All items and versions:

    "All items and versions" syndication is mostly used when we syndicate between servers within an authoring environment. Selecting this option can increase the amount of time taken for syndication because it includes versions and deleted items.

    The following items are syndicated:

    • Published
    • Expired
    • Draft items
    • Projects that contain draft items saved in the configured library. See Projects and syndication for further information.
    • Versions
    • Deleted items

    Project templates are not syndicated.

    If the syndication configuration is updated to change the syndication type to be more restrictive, then a normal rebuild will not remove previously syndicated items that are now out of scope. For example draft items on the subscriber would not be removed if the syndication type is changed from "All Items" to "Published Items". A Rebuild With Mirror can be used to fully synchronize the library with respect to the new syndication type which includes the removal of subscriber modifications and previously syndicated items.

    Action on syndicator	Syndication type on syndicator	Rebuild: Action on Subscriber	Rebuild with mirror: Action on subscriber
    Update Live items on the syndicator.	Published items	Updates Live items on the subscriber.	Updates Live items on the subscriber.
    Update Live or Draft items on the syndicator. Delete Live items on the syndicator. Restore Live items on the syndicator.	All items	Update Live or Draft items on subscriber. Purge items on the subscriber. Create items on the subscriber.	Update Live or Draft items on subscriber. Purge items on the subscriber. Create items on the subscriber.
    Update items on the syndicator. Delete items on the syndicator. Restore items on the syndicator. Purge items on the syndicator.	All items and versions	Update items on subscriber. Delete items on the subscriber. Restore items on the subscriber. No action.	Update items on subscriber. Delete items on the subscriber. Restore items on the subscriber. No action.

    Action on subscriber	Syndication type on syndicator	Rebuild: Action on Subscriber	Rebuild with mirror: Action on subscriber
    Update Live items on the subscriber.	Published items	No action.	Revert Live items on the subscriber.
    Update Live or Draft items on the subscriber. Delete Live items on the subscriber. Restore Live items on the subscriber.	All items	No action. Add items on the subscriber. Create items on the subscriber.	Revert items on the subscriber. Add items on the subscriber. Delete items on the subscriber.
    Update Live or Draft items on the subscriber. Delete Live items on the subscriber. Restore items on the subscriber. Create items on the subscriber. Purge items on the subscriber.	All items and versions	No action. Add items on the subscriber. Delete items on the subscriber. No action. No action.	Revert items on the subscriber. Add items on the subscriber. Purge items on the subscriber. Purge items on the subscriber. No action.

15. Click Finish.
16. To begin syndication, click Update Subscriber.

What to do next

Use a security proxy: The setup of a syndication pair assumes that the subscriber host name that the syndicator uses is the same as the host name used to access the subscriber to run the wizard.

In the case where a security proxy is in place in front of the subscriber cluster, this host name is the host name of the security proxy. Syndication must be set up directly between the syndicator and subscriber, not through the security proxy. After creation of the syndication pair, the syndicator must be manually edited and changed to use the actual subscriber host name rather than the host name of the security proxy. Without this extra step, syndication will not be successful.

Parent topic: Manage syndicators and subscribers