Configure notifications
If you did not create a mail session on the WebSphere® Application Server during the initial installation, you can configure it afterwards to enable support for email notifications in the IBM® Connections applications.
Before starting
Users are kept informed about new information and events that take place in the IBM Connections applications. For example, the following types of notifications are available for the applications:
ActivitiesNotification events are enabled by default. Email event types are only enabled if you enabled email notifications during the product installation process.
Table 1. Activities notification types
Notification name Description Notification type add-member When an activity owner adds members to an activity, a notification is automatically sent to them to inform them about the activity. Directed autocomplete Activity owners receive an email to warn them that one of their inactive activities will be marked complete if it is not updated. Directed create When a standard activity is created, each member is sent a notification informing them about the activity. When a community activity is created, notifications are sent out only if individual members are added; no notifications are sent when an entire community membership list is added. Directed notify Activity members can send other members notifications about entries. Directed
Blogs
Table 2. Blogs notification types
Notification name Description Notification type approved-comment When a comment is approved, an automatic notification is sent to the comment creator to inform him about it. Moderation approved-entry When a post is approved, an automatic notification is sent to the entry authors, which includes the post creator and its last editor, to inform them about it. Moderation approved-idea When an idea is approved, an automatic notification is sent to the authors, which includes the idea creator and its last editor, to inform them about it. Moderation confirmflagged-comment When a flag on a comment is confirmed, an automatic notification is sent to the flag creator to inform him about it. Moderation confirmflagged-entry When a flag on a post is confirmed, an automatic notification is sent to the flag creator to inform him about it. Moderation confirmflagged-idea When a flag on an idea is confirmed, an automatic notification is sent to the flag creator to inform him about it. Moderation notify Notifications that one user sends to others to inform them about useful blog posts. Directed notify-idea Notifications that one user sends to others to inform them about useful ideas. Directed notifyflagged-comment When a comment is flagged as inappropriate, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to inform them about it. Moderation notifyflagged-entry When a post is flagged as inappropriate, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to inform them about it. Moderation notifyflagged-idea When an idea is flagged as inappropriate, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to inform them about it. Moderation notifyreposted-entry When a post is modified and re-posted, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to inform them about it. Moderation notifyreposted-idea When an idea is modified and re-posted, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to inform them about it. Moderation notifyreview-comment When a new comment is posted, and put in pending status, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to let them know they need to review it. Moderation notifyreview-entry When a new post is added, and put in pending status, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to let them know they need to review it. Moderation notifyreview-idea When a new idea is added, and put in pending status, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to let them know they need to review it. Moderation notifyreview-trackback When a new trackback comment is posted, and put in pending status, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to let them know they need to review the trackback comment. Moderation notifyupdated-entry When a post is edited or updated by other users, an automatic notification is sent to the entry creator to inform him about the update. Response notifyupdated-idea When an idea is edited or updated by other users, an automatic notification is sent to the idea creator to inform him about the update. Response ownermsg When a new comment is posted, an automatic notification is sent to the entry creator about the new comment. Response ownermsg-idea When a new comment is posted for an idea, an automatic notification is sent to the idea creator about the new comment. Response quarantined-comment When a comment is quarantined, an automatic notification is sent to the comment creator and the blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation quarantined-entry When a post is quarantined, an automatic notification is sent to the post authors, which includes the post creator and its last editor, and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation quarantined-idea When an idea is quarantined, an automatic notification is sent to the authors, which includes the idea creator and its last editor, and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation rejected-comment When a comment is rejected, an automatic notification is sent to the comment creator to inform him about it. Moderation rejected-entry When a post is rejected, an automatic notification is sent to the post authors, which includes the post creator and its last editor, to inform them about it. Moderation rejected-idea When an idea is rejected, an automatic notification is sent to the authors, which includes the idea creator and its last editor, to inform them about it. Moderation restored-comment When a comment is restored, an automatic notification is sent to the comment creator and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation restored-entry When a post is restored, an automatic notification is sent to the post authors, which includes the post creator and its last editor, and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation retored-idea When an idea is restored, an automatic notification is sent to the authors, which includes the idea creator and its last editor, and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation returned-entry When a post is returned, an automatic notification is sent to the post authors, which includes the post creator and its last editor, and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation returned-idea When an idea is returned, an automatic notification is sent to the authors, which includes the idea creator and its last editor, and blog owners to inform them about it. Moderation
Bookmarks
Table 3. Bookmarks notification types
Notification name Description Notification type notify Users can send notifications to other users to inform them about useful bookmarks. Directed notifyReplaceURL Users can send a notification to the bookmark author to inform her about a broken bookmark link. Directed
Communities
Table 4. Communities notification types
Notification name Description Notification type broadcastMail Members can send notifications to other members to inform them about important events. Broadcast invite Members can send a notification to a non-member to invite them to join the community. Directed memberAdded Notifications are automatically generated and sent to members when they are added to a community. Directed memberRemoved Notifications are automatically generated and sent to members when they are removed from a community. Directed requestToJoin Users can request to join a community by sending a notification to the community's owner. Directed
Files
Table 5. Files notification types
Notification name Description Notification type collectionMediaAdd Notification sent to users when a file is added to a folder or community they are following. Directed collectionMemberUpdate Notification sent to users when a folder is shared with them, or when their folder access level changes. This applies to individual users, not groups. Directed commentAdd Notification sent to users when a comment is created on a file they are following. Users can follow files by opening the file page and clicking Follow. Follow communityVisibilityUpdate Notification sent to owners of a community when the community was made public and non-public files shared with the community were removed from it. Directed mediaEdit Notification sent to users when a file they are following is edited. Users can follow files by opening the file page and clicking Follow. Follow mediaShare Notification sent to users when files are shared with them. Directed
Forums
Table 6. Forums notification types
Notification name Description Notification type forumTopicCreated Notification sent to users when a topic is added to a forum they are following. Follow topicReplyCreated Notification sent to users when a reply is made to a topic they are following. Follow
Moderation
Table 7. Moderation notification types
Notification name Description Notification type notifyApproved When an entry is approved, an automatic notification is sent to the entry authors, which includes the entry's creator and its last editor, and the entry owners to inform them about it. Moderation notifyAutoQuarantined When an entry is flagged as inappropriate a specified number of times, automatic notification is sent to the Global Moderator and Reviewers. The number of inappropriate flaggings is specified in the contentreview-config.xml file, in the autoQuarantine property. For example, if you specify autoQuarantine at "5", notification is sent after the entry is flagged a fifth time. Moderation notifyFlagged When an entry is flagged as having inappropriate content, and put in pending status, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to let them know they need to review it. Moderation notifyPending When an entry is added and needs approval, an automatic notification is sent to the entry author to let them know that the entry is in the review process. Reviewers and moderators are notified separately by a notifyReview email. Moderation notifyQuarantined When an entry is quarantined, an automatic notification is sent to the entry authors, which includes the entry's creator and its last editor, and the entry owners to inform them about it. Moderation notifyRejected When an entry is rejected, an automatic notification is sent to the entry authors, which includes the entry's creator and its last editor, and the entry owners to inform them about it. Moderation notifyRestored When an entry is restored, an automatic notification is sent to the entry authors, which includes the entry's creator and its last editor, and the entry owners to inform them about it. Moderation notifyReview When an entry is added, and put in pending status, an automatic notification is sent to content reviewers, which includes anyone in the global-moderator role, to let them know they need to review it. Moderation
News
Table 8. News notification types
Notification name Description Notification type dailyDigest If email notifications are enabled on your system, you will have options that are set to Daily Newsletter option by default in the Settings page. Each of the options correspond to a subview within the Home page Updates News Feed view. All options can be customized to a desired frequency. Areas that have this option set will have content included in the Daily Newsletter received, once there has been an update by a person other than yourself within that subview since the last Daily Newsletter. Follow followIndividual If email notifications are enabled on your system, you will have options that are set to Individual E-mails option by default in the Settings page. Each of the options correspond to a subview within the Home page Updates News Feed view. All options can be customized to a desired frequency. Any updates within the corresponding News Feed subview by a person other than yourself are sent to you in individual emails. Follow weeklyDigest If email notifications are enabled on your system, you will have options that are set to Weekly Newsletter option by default in the Settings page. Each of the options correspond to a subview within the Home page Updates News Feed view. All options can be customized to a desired frequency. Areas that have this option set will have content included in the Weekly Newsletter received, once there has been an update by a person other than yourself within that subview since the last Weekly Newsletter. Follow
Profiles
Table 9. Profiles notification types
Notification name Description Notification type notify If a person designates someone else as a colleague, the colleague is sent a notification inviting them to join that person's network. Directed notifyBoardOwnerForComment Board owners are notified when someone comments on their message board. Response notifyBoardOwnerForEntry Board owners are notified when someone posts a message in their message board. Response notifyEntryOwnerForComment Board owners are notified when someone comments on a message board entry. Response
Wikis
Table 10. Wikis notification types
Notification name Description Notification type commentAdd Notification sent to users when a comment is created on a wiki page they are following, or on any page in a wiki they are following.
Users can follow wiki pages or wikis by opening a page and clicking Follow, and then Follow this Page or Follow this Wiki.Follow mediaEdit Notification sent to users when an event occurs in a wiki page or wiki they are following. Events include title or description edits, new tags, and new or deleted pages, edits or comments.
Users can follow wiki pages or wikis by opening a page and clicking Follow, and then Follow this Page or Follow this Wiki.Follow roleAdd Notification sent to users when they are made a member of a wiki, or when their wiki access level is changed. This applies to individual users, not groups. Directed
The following notification types are supported:
BroadcastSent solely to the recipients by email. Broadcast notifications are not shown on the Home Page.
Directed
Sent from one user, or the system, to another user or set of users. Users can opt to not receive these notifications via email through their email preferences settings. Directed notifications are always visible to the recipients and the sender from the Home Page.
Follow
Generated for users who follow a particular resource and who choose to have individual notifications sent for that type of resource on their email preferences settings.
Used solely in the content moderation process.
Response
Used to inform a user when a comment or reply has been left on their content. Response notifications only go to the owner of the content, not followers. These notifications are sent if the user has elected to receive responses through individual emails in their email preferences settings.
Note: Only complete this task if you did not configure notifications during the installation.
About this task
You can configure notifications to be sent in one the following ways:
Send mail from a server found by doing a lookupThis configuration performs a lookup of domain namespace (DNS) MX records to retrieve a list of available SMTP servers. If the DNS lookup does not find any available SMTP servers, then notification fails. If one or more SMTP servers are returned by the lookup, then IBM Connections attempts to send the notification email through one, and then the next until the email is sent successfully. This option avoids the risk of a single point of failure. If you choose this option, make sure your DNS is configured with valid MX records to ensure that available SMTP servers can be found.
Send mail from a specific SMTP server
This configuration uses a single SMTP server. You must define the SMTP server and its associated settings as a mail session that is managed by WAS. This single SMTP server is used to send email notifications. If the server is unavailable, then notification fails.
Sending mail from any available mail server
Configure IBM Connections to perform a lookup of domain namespace (DNS) MX records to retrieve a list of available SMTP servers. If the DNS lookup does not find any available SMTP servers, then email notifications fail to be delivered. If one or more SMTP servers are returned by the lookup, then IBM Connections attempts to send the email through one, and then the next until the email is sent successfully.
Sending mail from a dedicated mail server
Configure IBM Connections notifications to be sent from a specific SMTP server that is managed by WAS. If the designated mail server is unavailable, then notification emails fail to be delivered.
Enable email notifications
Edit configuration settings to enable email notifications in the IBM Connections applications if you did not do so during the installation.
Define valid administrator email addresses
Edit configuration property settings to change the default email addresses from which system notifications, such as a request to join a community, are sent. Notifications are sent from generic administrator email addresses if you do not take action.
Enable users to specify email notification preferences
Edit configuration settings to enable users to specify the email address to which they would like notifications sent, the frequency with which they receive notifications, and what language the notification is written in.
Parent topic
Administer applications
Related concepts
Optional post-installation tasks
Related tasks
Customize email digests