Configuring the Self Service Portal

You configure the Self Service Portal using the Web Configuration tool. By default, if you left the Run the Web Configuration check box selected on the Completed page of the Setup Wizard, the manager starts after you complete the installation.

You can launch the Web Configuration tool from the Alloy Control Panel or using the Start menu.

INFO: For details, see Using the Alloy Control Panel.

NOTE: After you complete the initial configuration, you can always use the Web Configuration tool to modify your configuration. For details about available settings, see Pre-Configuration Considerations.

To configure the Self Service Portal:

1. On the main menu of the Web Configuration tool, click File > Create > Self Service Portal. This step applies only if you cleared the Run the Web Configuration check box in the last step of the installation procedure on the Completed page of the Setup Wizard.

2. On the Database page, specify the Database Access key that the Self Service Portal will use to connect to your AN2023 database.

   1. Click Import Key and import the Database Access Key. This populates the SQL Server and Database fields with the values from the imported key.

      INFO: For details, see Importing the Database Access Key and Distributing the Database Access Key.

   2. Fine-tune the database connection details, if needed: in the SQL Server field, enter the network address of the SQL Server, which may differ from the SQL Server name specified in the Database Access Key.

   Click Next.

3. On the Web page, type a description of your web application. This description will help you and other administrators identify this Self Service Portal instance on the IIS server.

   Click Next.

4. On the Installation Type page, specify where to install the Self Service Portal:

   • If you want to install the web application as a web site, i.e. to the root directory of a web site, click Install as a web site.

   • If you want to install the web application to a virtual directory on a web site, click Install into a virtual directory.

     INFO: For instructions, see Choosing the Installation Type (SSP).

   Click Next.

5. On the Web Site page, all web sites available on the IIS server are displayed. Choose the site where you want to install the Self Service Portal. If you are installing the web application as a web site, you can specify parameters for the new site. Click Next.

   • If you are installing the web application into a virtual directory, the Virtual Directory page opens. Proceed to the step describing the Virtual Directory page.

   • If you are installing the web application as a site, the User Authentication Type page opens. Proceed to the step describing the User Authentication Type page.

6. On the Virtual Directory page, type the name of the virtual directory to create, or select an existing directory from the list.

   NOTE: The virtual directory name will become a part of the URL you will be using to access the Self Service Portal. For example, if your server's host name is "www.example.com," specifying "hd" as the Virtual Directory Name will result in the following URL: http://www.example.com/hd/.

   Click Next.

7. On the Authentication Method page, choose the authentication type for SSP customers:

   • If you want to use Windows authentication, click Windows Authentication.

   • If you want to use standard (password) or single sign-on authentication, or leverage LDAP authentication, click Standard Authentication.

     To allow password authentication, select the corresponding check box.

     INFO: For details about authentication types, see Choosing Authentication Method.

   Click Next.

8. On the Workflow Integration page, you can specify the URL address for the Self Service Portal Link macro. This macro is used in workflow notifications to generate direct links to objects.

   INFO: For details, see Customizing the Self Service Portal Link Macro.

   The Web Configuration tool detects the URL address automatically and suggests to use this value by default. To replace the auto-detected URL with your custom value, click Replace the macro’s value with a custom URL and type in your custom URL address.

   TIP: Applying the suggested URL is the best choice when the web application is to be accessed only over the local network. When the web application will be accessed over the Internet, you may need to type in the real URL manually. Keep in mind that you can skip this step, complete the configuration, and then run the Web Configuration tool again to replace the macro contents with the real URL.

   Click Next.

9. On the Features page, click Next.

10. On the Modules page, choose which Alloy Navigator modules and tasks will be available for SSP users.

    INFO: For details, see Defining the Self Service Portal’s Scope.

    Click Next.

11. On the Anonymous Access page, specify the areas of your web application that will be available for anonymous (unauthenticated) users.

    INFO: For details, see Enabling Anonymous Access.

    • To allow anonymous users to access SSP areas from the Home page, select the Home Page check box. If you leave the check box clear, unauthenticated users can access SSP pages only by using their direct URLs.

    • Now you can make the following sections exposed to unauthenticated users:

      • To allow anonymous users to view announcements, select the Announcements check box.

      • To allow anonymous users to access specific articles from the Knowledge Base by their direct URLs, select the Knowledge Base Articles check box.

      • To allow anonymous users to browse the Knowledge Base, select the Knowledge Base check box.

    Click Next.

12. On the Select Languages page, select which language packs will be available for Self Service Portal users. Then, in the Default Language list, select the default language. To proceed, at least one language must be selected. Click Next.

    INFO: For details, see Installing Language Packs.

    Click Next.

13. On the Logo Image page, specify the logo for the Self Service Portal.

    • If you want to leave the default Alloy Software logo, click Next.

    • If you want the Self Service Portal to display your custom logo image, select the Custom image option, click Load, select the image file to import and click Open, then click Next.

      INFO: For details, see Customizing the Logo.

14. On the Title and Subtitle page, you can brand your Self Service Portal by adding a title and subtitle to web application pages.

    INFO: For details, see Specifying the Title and Subtitle.

    To add a title and subtitle, type them in the Title and Subtitle boxes. If you don't want to have any title or subtitle on your web application pages, leave these boxes blank.

    Click Next.

15. On the Ready to Apply Settings page, review your settings. To make changes, click Previous to return to the relevant page or pages. When you have finished, click Apply. Wait for the Web Configuration tool to configure the web application.

16. When completed, the Web Configuration tool displays a summary of applied settings.

    NOTE: After you complete the initial configuration, you can always use the Web Configuration tool to modify any settings.

NOTE: If your Self Service Portal does not work as expected and you need to send the debug information to our Support Team, click Help > Debug Information on the main menu. The Web Configuration tool will generate the WebConfigDebugInfo.txt file and open it in Notepad.

NOTE: If you want to view the log file, go to the Error Logs section at the bottom of the Web Configuration tool’s page and click View Details.