Workplace Tools

This last group of tools in the Administration View deals directly with the BOU Website Content Management System’s Workplace.

There are five Workplace Tools: Set Login Message, Re-Initialize the Workplace, Synchronization Settings, Broadcast, and Log File.

6.3.4.1 Set Login Message

Normally, when users log in, they go directly from the login form to the Workplace. The Set Login Message tool lets you add a text message that will be displayed on the user's screen after login, but before the Workplace loads.

It also allows you to temporarily prevent all non-administrator users from logging into the Workplace, for example during system maintenance.

In the Message Activation box, if Enabled is checked, then the message entered below will be displayed to all users when they log in to the Workplace.

In the Login Message Configuration box, there are four fields for configuring the message notification.

The first, Message, is for the text you want displayed to your users.

The Lock out users checkbox, if checked, will prevent any user from logging in, unless that user is a member of the Administrators group.

The remaining two fields are optional. You can specify an automatic Start time and an End time using these two fields. These automatic times are especially handy when used in conjunction with a task run automatically from the Scheduled Jobs tool.

Once you click Ok, the message takes effect. This is unless you set a Start time later than the present, in which case the message is not displayed until the appropriate time. In the case where users have been locked out, when they try to log in, they will see a message like this:

Note that even if you are an Administrator, you will see a similar alert after you log in, though you will not be prevented from accessing the Workplace.

Only one login message can be configured at a time, and to edit the message, you can simply go back to the Set Login Message tool and edit it.

6.3.4.2 Re-Initialize the Workplace

In some cases, such as after you have installed a new module that modifies the way the Workplace operates, you may need to force the Workplace to re-load. This can be done using the Re-Initialize the Workplace tool.

The Re-Initialize the Workplace screen just has an Ok button and a Cancel button. Clicking Ok will re-initialize, and bring you back to the Workplace Tools screen.

6.3.4.3 Synchronization Settings

Synchronization is an advanced feature of the BOU Website Content Management System, which allows developers to work on their content outside the virtual file system, and then synchronize the local copy with the virtual file system. While this may be useful for developing JSP files or static content, it should be used with care, because it bypasses many of the safeguards of the system.

Synchronization is considered a developer's tool. It is mainly used to help software developers edit JSP files. It can also be used as a sort of backup tool. But it is not designed to assist editors in editing content. While you can edit content in a synchronized copy, it is typically inconvenient to do so, as you will be editing raw XML.

The Synchronization Settings tool is used for setting up synchronized directories.

In the Synchronization activation box, the Enabled checkbox must be checked, for synchronization to be activated. Otherwise, no synchronization will occur.

In the Destination path in the real file system box, the Target folder field should be set to the full path of the folder, on the server's file system, where the synchronized files will be written to and read from. The Java Servlet engine must have permissions to read from, and write to that folder.

In the box titled Resource paths in the OpenCms virtual file system, use the Resource field to specify which directory you want synchronized to the hard disk. If you need to synchronize more than one directory, you can add more Resource fields by clicking the button with the green plus sign (+), on the right side of the field.

Clicking Ok will return you to the Workplace Tools screen. Synchronization is now configured, but no synchronizing has occurred.

The next time you log in, you will see a new icon in the Workplace toolbar – a folder with two blue arrows. It is located after the preferences button.

Clicking this button will bring up a confirmation screen. Click Ok to synchronize. You will then see the progress of the synchronization.

When all is done, copies of the resources you identified within the system’s virtual file system should have been written to the server's file system. This is what my synchronized directory looks like:

As you may notice, the root folder is not bou/, but sites/. The bou/ folder is in sites/default/bou/. The structure of the synchronized folders represents the path from the root of the virtual file system.

That way, if you add any other resources later, they will be located in the correct place in the server's file system.

If you create a new file within the synchronization copy directory, in the local file system (on the computer where the system runs), and then click the Synchronize folder icon in the BOU Website Content Management System’s Workplace, the new file will be imported into the virtual file system.

So will any changes to the existing files. And at the same time, all of the changes made to files in the system will be written to the server's local file system. In short, the two copies will be kept synchronized.

Again, synchronization management is a developer tool, and is not intended to become the primary interface for working with the system. When used correctly, it can expedite development time.

However, its abuse can lead to lost data and corruption of content.

You may notice the special file named #synclist.txt. It contains information about the contents of the synchronized copy. Do not edit this file, or you may be unable to resynchronize the local copy back into the system’s virtual file system.

The files synchronized to the server's local file system are exact copies of those in the system’s virtual file system. Many of these files will contain JSP and Java source code, XML, or even compiled Java bytecode. Be very careful what you edit.

6.3.4.4 Broadcast

The Broadcast tool is a utility for sending notification messages to the system’s Workplace users.

At the top of the Broadcast screen, there are two tools in the Broadcast Tools box: Send Email to All, and Send Broadcast to All. When you click either of these buttons, you get a form where you can enter the message to send out.

At the bottom of the screen, the Current Sessions table lists all of the users who are currently logged in.

The Send Email to All tool can be used to send email messages to all of the users currently logged in to the system.

The To and From fields are automatically generated. You can use the Cc field to send a copy of the message to additional email addresses. Complete the Subject and Message fields, and click Ok to send the message.

The Send Broadcast to All tool is for sending messages to users on the system by way of the Workplace.

You will need to have the <mail> settings configured in the system’s

$CATALINA_HOME/webapps/opencms/WEB-INF/config/opencms-system.xml file, in order to successfully send email messages.

The message will automatically go out to all of the users logged in to the Workplace. Simply enter the Message, and click Ok.

Each user will be notified (as soon as they do something in the Workplace) with a pop-up message.

However, if a user is idle, the message will not be delivered. You can track the progress from the Current Sessions table on the Broadcast screen. Users who have not yet received the notification will have a red exclamation mark (!) next to their User Name (in the column marked P).

You can also send an email or broadcast message to selected users, by selecting the users from the Current Sessions table, and then using the Send Broadcast or Send Email buttons in the upper-right corner of the Current Sessions box.

6.3.4.5 Log File

The Log File tool can be used to access the system’s log.

Logs are stored on the local file system (on the computer where the system runs), where you can access them with a regular text editor. They are located in the folder

$CATALINA_HOME/webapps/opencms/WEB-INF/logs/.

The log file is displayed on the lower half of the screen. At the top of the screen, there are two items in the box labelled Controls: Logfile Viewer Settings, and Download.

The Logfile Viewer Settings screen can be used to customize the way the log file is displayed.

The Download screen displays some basic information about the log file: its File name, File size, File path, and Last modified. It then gives you the option of downloading the file to your local file system for local viewing.