Add attributes

The VMM is configured with a default attribute schema that might not be compatible with the LDAP server. Add attributes to extend the VMM attribute schema, and then map them between portal and the user registry. Add multiple attributes at one time by creating an XML file that includes the properties and attributes for each property. The XML file is referred to as a deployment file. Create the XML file before starting this procedure. The following sample is an XML deployment file used to add three properties.

  
<wplc-add-property>
    <resource propertyName="attribute_name_1" 
              dataType="Int" 
              entityTypes="Group" 
              multiValued="true" />
    <resource propertyName="attribute_name_2" 
              dataType="String" 
              entityTypes="PersonAccount" 
              multiValued="true" />
    <resource propertyName="attribute_name_3" 
              dataType="Base64Binary" 
              entityTypes="Group,PersonAccount" 
              multiValued="false" />
</wplc-add-property>

1. In a clustered environment, stop all application servers on the system. Verify the WebSphere_Portal server is stopped. Then, start the node agent and deployment manager servers. In a stand-alone environment, ensure the WebSphere_Portal server is running.

2. Install the enterprise archive (.ear) file on WebSphere Application Server:
   • Standalone...
     ./ConfigEngine.sh wp-la-install-ear -DWasPassword=foo

   • Clustered
     ./ConfigEngine.sh wp-la-install-ear -DWasPassword=dmgr_password -DServerName=dmgrname -DNodeName=nodename

     To find the dmgr_name value, from the WAS console...

     System administrator | dmgr | Configuration tab | General Properties | Name

     To find the node value, from the WAS console...

     System administrator | dmgr | Runtime tab | General Properties | Node Name

3. Stop and restart the appropriate servers to propagate the changes.

4. Edit WP_PROFILE/ConfigEngine/properties/wkplc.properties

5. Find the VMM Property Extension Properties heading.

   • To add a single attribute, update...

     la.providerURL

     The remote endpoint where the portal server or deployment manager installation is available. Check the value for hostname:port. The port points to the BOOTSTRAP_ADDRESS port.

     la.propertyName

     The name of the property we are adding.

     la.entityTypes

     List of entity types the new property is applicable to. To enter multiple values, use a comma to separate each value, for example "value1,value2".

     Valid values: Group, PersonAccount

     la.dataType

     Type of data stored in the attribute being created. If mapped to LDAP, the data type must match the corresponding attribute type in LDAP. If this attribute is stored in the VMM property extension database, the data type must match the corresponding attribute type as defined in VMM's database.

     While it is possible to add attributes of different types to VMM, the Registration/Edit My Profile Portlet is only capable of working with attributes of type String and Int. For UI support for other types, we would need our own custom form or portlet that can process those types. Portal does not have a UI that reads or updates group attributes. The one exception is the UI used to create a group.

     Valid values: String, Int, DateTime, Base64Binary, IdentifierType, Boolean, Long, Double, Short

     la.multiValued

     Defines if the property can contain multiple values or not.

   • To add multiple attributes, update the following properties:

     la.providerURL

     The remote endpoint where the portal server or deployment manager installation is available. Check the value for hostname:port. The port points to the BOOTSTRAP_ADDRESS port of either the WebSphere_Portal server or the deployment manager.

     la.deployfile

     Create multiple properties using a single ConfigEngine operation. Specify the path and name of the XML file containing the properties to add. We can specify a path that is relative to the ConfigEngine or the fully qualified file system path. If we specify a value for this property, do not specify a value for la.propertyName, la.dataType, or la.Multivalued.

   The following is a sample of an XML deploy file used to add three properties.

   <wplc-add-property>
        <resource propertyName="attribute_name_1" 
                  dataType="Int" 
                  entityTypes="Group" 
                  multiValued="true" />
        <resource propertyName="attribute_name_2" 
                  dataType="String" 
                  entityTypes="PersonAccount" 
                  multiValued="true" />
        <resource propertyName="attribute_name_3" 
                  dataType="Base64Binary" 
                  entityTypes="Group,PersonAccount" 
                  multiValued="false" />
    </wplc-add-property>
   

   The resource tag includes attributes specific for the property: propertyName, dataType, entityType, and multiValued.

6. Save the changes to wkplc.properties.

7. Add a property that maps to an attribute in the user registry. This task calls an EJB that must authenticate against WebSphere Application Server. Depending on the configuration in the sas.client.props file, we might receive a prompt that asks for the user ID and password.
   ./ConfigEngine.sh wp-add-property -DWasPassword=foo

   If defining a new property to store in the property extension database, run...

   ./ConfigEngine.sh wp-add-la-property

8. Stop and restart the appropriate servers to propagate the changes.

Parent Add more attributes to VMM

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