How you can use the Brio Portal Java

How you can use the Brio. Portal Java API without learning Java Nathan Stratton Treadway Ray Ontko & Co. nathant@ontko. com Insight 2000 Wednesday, May 16, 1: 00 PM

Session Overview • Introduction to SPECT • Comparisons • • ONE/Administrator Tool ONE/Script SPECT Custom Java Applications Example Implementations Downloading and Installing Limitations Possible Future Features

Introduction to SPECT • Brio. Portal implementations involve: • • configuration of users, groups, categories, etc. loading of reports • These can be done manually using ONE/Administrator • Can also be done in a custom Java program using ONE/API • SPECT is designed to fit in the middle ground between these two options

Introduction (continued) • SPECT: Simple Portal-Enhancing Configuration Tool • Written in Java against ONE/API, but designed to be usable without Java programming • Can be customized if needed • source released under GNU Public License • Controlled by standard text files • • can be created using a text editor to automate basic tasks can be generated by some other program to automate more complex tasks • e. g. security feeds from other systems

Introduction: Examples Example control file commands: create user Test. User password=welcome description="Test User" ; update user Test. User email="testuser@somewhere. com"; update category "/Demo/Private" group=Employee permissions=700; delete file "/Demo/Private/Demo. doc";

ONE/Administrator Tool • Graphical environment (GUI) • Cannot be automated • Can do almost anything possible within Brio. Portal • Communicates directly with Portal Services

ONE/Script • Also based on ONE/APl • support for simple scripting language • • • looping, conditional execution variables, integer math reading/writing of arbitrary files • • errors can be ignored, or errors can cause script to abort • e. g. setting of e-mail addresses in Brio. Portal v 6. 0 • very limited options for error handling: • some options available in the ONE/API may not (yet) be supported in ONE/Script

SPECT • Not a scripting language • no looping commands, variables, etc. • Designed to be easy to control using files generated by other programs • • e. g. SQR programs that read configuration information from a database these other programs encode the "business logic" for the implementation • Currently supports many operations that are performed repeatedly in a typical Portal environment • • create/update/delete of users, categories, groups, and files assigning user-group membership

SPECT (continued) • "Installation" or "one-time" tasks are not supported • e. g. configuration of Services, definition of Hosts and Databases • In general, SPECT allows access to all options provided in ONE/API on supported actions. • Error handling flexibility • • Actions that cause errors can be written to a "bad record" file for later review. Processing on rest of control file continues unaffected.

Custom Java Application • Heavy initial effort needed up-front in implementation effort • Extensive Java skills needed to write a robust application from scratch • Application can be completely customized for the specific environment • Business logic can be integrated tightly with Brio. Portal Repository contents • Application can use any ONE/API feature (but may sometimes have to be modified when Portal is upgraded)

Example: PSoft Security Tree • Situation • • Client was maintaining access security in a custom PS Security Tree added to PS Financials Portal security needed to reflect the tree • Solution • SQR program reads security tree tables/views and applies business logic to determine: • • Groups, Users, Categories group memberships SPECT control file is written SQR program invokes SPECT automatically to perform the load

Example: PSoft Security Tree # (Sample PS Security Tree # Interface SPECT file) SETCONFIG WHEN-PREEXISTS=UPDATE; # Groups create group DEPTAA; # Users create user JDOE description="John Doe" password = "700600" group = JDOE home-category="/Project Expense Reports" email="jdoe@corp. com" permissions=740 execute-jobs=false;

Example: PSoft Security Tree # (Sample PS Security Tree Interface # SPECT file, continued ) # Categories create category "/Project Expense Reports/DEPTAA" owner=administrator group=DEPTAA permissions=740 ; # User_Groups (security) add usergroups "JDOE" groups= "PROJECT_EXPENSE_RPTS, DEPTAAS 1, DEPT AAS 2";

Example: Mainframe Reports • Situation • A large number of reports being generated on a mainframe and then sent to Portal for publishing • Configuration info stored in Oracle table and maintained by hand • category to hold report • keywords to be associated with report • who can view it • expiration period

Example: Mainframe Reports • Solution • SQR "load manager" program reads config table for each report in input directory • Originally, generated a data file read by a ONE/Script script • • because of error handling limitations, SQR had to call the script repeatedly until all files were successfully loaded Now, SQR calls SPECT once and uses "bad record" feature to keep track of which reports failed to load

Example: Mainframe Reports SETCONFIG BAD-FILE=/reportmart/stage/spect_bad_23080; SETCONFIG GOOD-FILE=/reportmart/stage/spect_good_23080; SETCONFIG WHEN-MULTIPLE-PREEXISTS=ADD; CREATE FILE "/Common_Rpts/Daily/Archive/RPT 22_20000424. pdf" filespec= "/reportmart/stage/RPT 22_20000424. pdf" description="Sales Report by Region" mime-type=application/pdf group=ABC_CO permissions=740 expiration=+30 keywords="PRINTED, REGION, SALES, TOTALS" ;

Downloading and Installing • SPECT is available from the Ray Ontko & Co. Brio. Portal Library • http: //www. ontko. com/portal/ • You will download the proper. tgz or. zip file • Installation instructions also found here • You must have ONE/API installed on the machine where you will be running SPECT • To edit/recompile SPECT, you will also need a Java development environment for your platform • SPECT should work if you can compile and run the ONE/API sample programs

Limitations • SPECT doesn't support "two-way" interaction with the Repository • "business rules" logic must be independent of the Repository • Not a scripting language • in many cases, a new control file must be generated each time SPECT is invoked • Dependent on ONE/API interface

Possible Future Features • Support for • Loading of dynamic jobs • Manipulation of links • Moving objects between categories • Manipulation of specific versions of a file object • Operations to be performed on input files during report loading • • rename or delete input file based on success and/or failure of load • Accept control file from standard input • Allow listing/display of info about objects in the Repository