Roadmap: Integrating with IBM Connections

Integrating your portal site with IBM® Connections is a multiple step process. Some steps are required and others are optional. Optional steps depend on the level of integration that you need. This roadmap is intended to provide an overview of the process. Links to detailed instructions are provided from the roadmap.

Installing Connections and WebSphere Portal

Before you begin, the following programs must be installed and configured.

Install Connections

Install IBM WebSphere® Portal Express®.

Configure portal to use a federated LDAP server.
  • Documentation resource depends on your WebSphere Portal Express installation scenario, stand-alone server, or cluster.
Note: Do not remove the file system user repository after you federate your LDAP server.

Configuring your portal to work with IBM Connections

Procedure

  1. Import the SSL certificate from Connections to your portal server.
  2. Configure the portal Ajax proxy. The Ajax proxy is updated for the base Connections URLS during the IBM Connections Portlets installation. If FileNet is used, you must still configure the Ajax proxy manually to update for FileNet. Configure the Ajax proxy so that direct requests that the CCM portlet makes to the FileNet server are allowed to pass through the proxy Server.
  3. Configure single sign-on.
  4. Install and Deploy the Portlets
    Note: Before you install the portlets, steps 1 - 3 must be completed.
    1. Download the Connections portlets for WebSphere Portal Express.
    2. Install the portlets.
    3. Add modules that are needed by the Connections portlets to the portal theme default profile.
  5. Configure a common directory service for the portlets.
  6. Integrate community membership to allow access control administration that is based on community membership.
    1. Documentation resource: Integrating community membership with Portal security
    2. Documentation resource: Automatically grant page access to community members
  7. Enhance the deployment of Connections portlets for WebSphere Portal Express with optional configuration steps.
  8. Configure search with the Remote Content Server Search Service Type (RCSS), for a portal cluster setup that is integrated with Connections.