System Administration |
System Administration entails planning, installation and maintenance.
This is a quick guide to what to read and what to do. We suggest printing
this page for reference and reading it completely first.
Planning -- see Architecture, Using a Database, Application Security, and Servlet Parameters.
For a quick installation, read this page and then go to Installation.
The Architecture section describes different configurations options. Installing with a database is the preferred method. This enables a scalable, redundant Peer Architecture that deploys to a cluster and automatically scales to larger numbers of servers and instances and allows staging between servers. Without a relational database, only one instance of the application can run on a single machine.
The Application Security section explains how to secure the ViewsFlash application from unauthorized access. Simple password security only requires one parameter in viewsflash.properties. Container managed security uses Application Server Authentication and Authorization and requires determining what Users or Roles will be designated as ViewsFlash administrators. Note that if the viewsflash.properties entries for Container Security are added after the application is up and running successfully, deployment might be easier.
Additional servlet parameters may be useful in viewsflash.properties. The Servlet Parameter reference section summarizes them.
For detailed steps for Installing the ViewsFlash web application, go to Installation.
Where to find the ViewsFlash application
After installation, the ViewsFlash Administrator will usually find the software at http://www.yourcompany.com/ViewsFlash, except in some portals, who must access the application through a portlet's Configure mode. The Administrator will create places, where different users will create their surveys. The place URLs should be distributed to the individual users. If using User Security, the Administrator must grant appropriate access rights to the places.
Application Maintenance -- see Maintenance
ViewsFlash normally runs non-stop for long periods of time unattended. During an orderly shutdown, it will complete all its pending tasks before shutting down. It recovers automatically from shutdown and restarts, both orderly and unplanned.
If the database is scheduled for short periods of down time periodically, it is safe to leave ViewsFlash running; if the database is offline for long periods, it's safer to stop the ViewsFlash application before turning off the database. As a precautionary measure, it is recommended to cycle ViewsFlash periodically, like any other web application.
Other information
The Specifications section describes supported environments and file usage.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of ViewsFlash, please read the Upgrading section