Deploying IBM Workplace Services Express on the IBM eServer iSeries Server

192 Deploying IBM Workplace Services Express on the IBM Eserver iSeries Server

򐂰 Domino Application portlet

You can configure this portlet to access a Domino application on a Domino server. This

portlet has some advantages, including SSO authentication and caching options. This

option does not require a programming effort and can be easily deployed.

When this portlet is called, the portal makes a request to the Domino server. The retrieved

information is transformed to redirect any references to the Domino server to the portal

server. The modified content is then displayed in the Web browser. For details about this

option, see 6.4, “Using the Domino Application portlet” on page 192.

򐂰 Exposing Domino applications as a Web service

To expose Domino applications as a Web service, a Web service must be created that

accesses the Domino information. Then a new portlet is programmed that consumes that

Web service. This has the advantage that if the Domino application is already exposed as

a Web service, the portlet programmer does not need Domino experience since the

objective is only to consume a Web service.

򐂰 Using the Lotus Collaborative Services application programming interface (API)

Another option is to program a new portlet that uses the Lotus Collaborative Services API.

By using this option, programmers can include typical collaborative functions present in

the Domino environment on their applications.

6.4 Using the Domino Application portlet

The Domino Application portlet is one of the options for portalizing Domino applications. This

portlet is installed by default on the Workplace Services Express server, and to be used, it

must only be deployed and configured.

Perform the following steps to configure a new discussion database in Domino and to access

that database using the Domino Application portlet:

1. In our example, we create a new discussion database. From the Lotus Notes client, press

Ctrl+N or select File → Database → New.

2. In the New Database window, complete the values as shown in Figure 6-24. Make sure

you are saving the database on the Domino server. For our example, we use a Domino

server called

dom654, which is in the organization called itso654. After you complete the

information, click OK. The discussion database is now created on the Domino server.

Chapter 6. Integrating the Domino portlets 193

Figure 6-24 Creating a new discussion database on the Domino server

3. To test the new discussion database, open it and write a new message.

To open the database from the Lotus Notes client:

a. Select File → Database → Open.

b. Select the correct Domino server and file name.

c. Click Open.

4. After the Discussion database opens, click New Main Topic and write a new topic.

Figure 6-25 shows an example.

Figure 6-25 Creating a new topic in the discussion database

194 Deploying IBM Workplace Services Express on the IBM Eserver iSeries Server

5. After you create and test the database, open a Web browser and log into the Workplace

Services Express server with an administrative account. In our example, we use wpsadmin

as shown in Figure 6-26.

Figure 6-26 Logging in to the Workplace Services Express server as the administrator

6. It is considered a best practice to clone the Domino Application portlet before you deploy

it, since details of the Domino server and database which the portlet should access are

stored in the portlet’s global configuration. Cloning the portlet allows you to have several

instances of the Domino Application portlet, each with its own configuration pointing to a

different Domino application.

To make a clone of the portlet:

a. Navigate to Administration → Portlets → Manage Portlets.

b. Find the Domino Application portlet in the list (or search for it) and select it.

c. Click Copy.

A new clone of the portlet is generated. See Figure 6-27 for an example.

Figure 6-27 Copying a portlet

Important: If you do not clone the portlet and the same portlet is later deployed, there

can be a conflict to which database the portlet is pointing to. Therefore, we recommend

that you always clone the portlet before you deploy it.