Configure a property extension database on IBM i

Configure a property extension database to store attributes the LDAP directory does not or cannot store, but which to include in the portal user registry. For example, if the LDAP directory does not allow schema extensions for new attributes. A property extension database extends the user registry, making new attributes available as part of the portal user profile.

• Configure portal security with the main user registry before configuring the property extension database.

  The property extension database configuration becomes unavailable if you complete the steps in this task on the out-of-the-box security configuration, and then configure portal security with the main user registry.

• Due to a limitation with the Virtual Member Manager (VMM), there are no tasks to update attributes.

  To change an attribute, first remove the attribute then add it again. For this reason, ensure you spell all attributes correctly and use caution when adding attributes to the property extension database.

• The VMM database schema has a limit of 36 characters on the repository ID column. For this reason, use a repository Ithat is 36 characters or less.

Configure a property extension database

1. This task requires server connections.

   • In a standalone environment, ensure the WebSphere_Portal server is running.

   • In a clustered environment, stop all appservers on the system including the WebSphere_Portal server and then start the nodeagent and dmgr servers.

2. Install the required .ear file on WebSphere Application Server.
   cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine
   ConfigEngine.sh wp-la-install-ear -DWasPassword=foo

3. Stop and restart servers, dmgrs, and node agents.

4. Create the IBM DB2 for i database:

   1. Login to a remote IBM i session.

   2. Enter the strsql command to start the interactive sql session.

   3. Enter the create schema database_name command, where database_name is the name to use for the database.

5. Define the DbDriver and DbLibrary parameter values:

   1. cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine/properties directory.

   2. Edit wkplc_dbtype.properties

   3. Set the following parameters under the appropriate database type properties heading:

      • db_type.DbDriver

      • db_type.DbLibrary

   4. Save the changes.

6. Specify values for the data source parameters in wp_add_LA.properties.

   1. cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine/config/helpers

   2. Edit wp_add_LA.properties

   3. Specify values for the following parameters:
      • la.JdbcProviderName
      • la.DbType
      • la.DbUrl
      • la.DbName
      • la.DataSourceName
      • la.DbUser
      • la.DbPassword

      Add parameters for a clustered environment: Add the following parameters to the wp_add_LA.properties if we are setting up the property extension database on a clustered environment:

      • la.schemaLocation=/path/to/dmgr/AppServer/etc/wim/setup

      • la.laPropXML=/path/to/dmgr/AppServer/etc/wim/setup/wimlaproperties.xml

      where /path/to/dmgr is the local path on the dmgr node.

   4. Save and close wp_add_LA.properties.

7. Set SOAP request timeout...

   1. cd WP_PROFILE/properties

   2. Edit soap.client.props

   3. Locate com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout and ensure the value is greater than 1000.
      

   4. Save and close soap.client.props.

8. If we are completing this task in a single server environment, proceed to the next step. If you have a clustered environment:

   Create the local dmgr WebSphere variable used to access the database jars

   cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine ConfigEngine.sh wp-prep-vmm-db-secured-environment -DWasPassword=foo -DDbDomain=la -Ddb_type.DmgrDbLibrary=/path/to/db/jars -DDmgrNodeName=dmgr_node_name

   Set db_type to your database type, for example db2_iseries. The /path/to/db/jars should be one of the following options:

   • IBM DB2 for i Type 2 driver: /QIBM/ProdData/Java400/ext/db2_classes.jar
   • IBM DB2 for i Type 4 driver: /QIBM/ProdData/HTTP/Public/jt400/lib/jt400.jar

9. Include each node name as a comma separated list in the command:

   1. Ensure you have specified the property value for la.DbType in the wp_add_LA.properties.

   2. Run the ConfigEngine.sh wp-node-prep-vmm-db-secured-environment -DWasPassword=foo -DDbDomain=la -DVmmNodeName=node_name,node_name,node_name -Ddb_type.NodeDbLibrary=/path/to/db/jars on each node to create the variable used to access the VMM database jars.

      VmmNodeName is a list of one or more nodes names in the cell which share the same database driver paths. The db_type in db_type.NodeDbLibrary should be set to the type of database we are using, for example db2.

      • IBM DB2 for i Type 2 driver: /QIBM/ProdData/Java400/ext/db2_classes.jar
      • IBM DB2 for i Type 4 driver: /QIBM/ProdData/HTTP/Public/jt400/lib/jt400.jar

10. Stop and restart all necessary servers to propagate the changes.
    

Add a property extension repository to the federated or stand-alone LDAP repository.

cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine
ConfigEngine.sh wp-configure-la-complete -DWasPassword=foo -DparentProperties=/path/to/profiles/wp_profile/ConfigEngine/config/helpers/wp_add_LA.properties

Stop and restart servers, dmgrs, and node agents.

Specify values for the following parameters in wp_add_LA.properties.

Add several attributes: You must add attributes to the property extension database one at a time. Complete this step to specify the parameters for a specific attribute then complete the next step to run the task to add that attribute. Repeat both steps for each attribute you plan to add.

1. cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine/config/helpers

2. Edit wp_add_LA.properties

3. Specify values for the following parameters:
   • la.providerURL
   • la.propertyName
   • la.entityTypes
   • la.dataType
   • la.multiValued

   Values for the dataType parameter: Available data types defined in com.ibm.websphere.wim.SchemaConstants:

   • String
   • Int
   • Date
   • AnySimpleType
   • AnyURI
   • Boolean
   • Long
   • Double
   • Short

   A complete overview of valid dataType values can be found in the Configure a property extension repository in a federated repository configuration file. Constant values of DATA_TYPE_* fields are valid input for la.dataType. Only the String data type is valid for displaying attributes in the Profile Management portlet. These attributes can be added to the Profile Management portlet through the configuration mode interface.

Add the attribute to the property extension database.

cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine
ConfigEngine.sh wp-add-la-property -DWasPassword=foo -DparentProperties=/path/to/profiles/wp_profile/ConfigEngine/config/helpers/wp_add_LA.properties
1. Add the attributes to Web Content Manager if we use web content user profiling and/or Category selection trees.

   Ensure you have specified a value for la.providerURL in wp_add_LA.properties.

   cd WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine
   ConfigEngine.sh add-wcm-la-attributes -DWasPassword=foo -DparentProperties=/path/to/profiles/wp_profile/ConfigEngine/config/helpers/wp_add_LA.properties

   If the path name contains blank space, enclose the path in quotation marks.

Receiving an authentication prompt: This task makes an EJB call to WAS, which requires authentication. You may receive a prompt asking for authentication. Enter the appropriate WAS user ID and password.

Stop and restart servers, dmgrs, and node agents.

If you created the clustered environment, including the additional nodes, and then completed the steps in this task, run update-jcr-admin on the secondary nodes.

Parent: Update the user registry on IBM i
Related:
Start and stop servers, dmgrs, and node agents
Enable LDAP security after cluster creation
Related:
Remove attributes