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Promoting Portal Content

Promote a User or Group Permissions Tree


About Promoting a Permissions Tree

As an incremental alternative to promoting the entire Portal Application Tree, you can promote the Permissions Tree for a particular user or group. This is less comprehensive than promoting the entire Portal Application Tree, but it still offers the advantage of moving a complete content set. All supported content types that the specified user or group can access are promoted together, so you do not have to manage the dependencies and relationships among the promoted objects.

Unlike promoting the entire Portal Application Tree, promoting a single Permissions Tree does not cause a loss of personalizations for all users. It does cause loss of personalizations for the specified user or group.

This is the best practice approach for promoting Group Permission Trees with shared content [Shared Pages] from a development system to a production system. You initialize the development system as a copy of the production system. Updates to group content are made in the development system. The entire set of group content, along with the updates, is promoted to replace the group content in the target system. Such promotions occur routinely, so it is important that they do not repeatedly disrupt your end users' experience (by causing a loss of personalizations).

Note:   Beginning with SAS Information Delivery Portal 4.3, you can configure unchallenged users to manage the content for unchallenged access. In order to use the unchallenged access capabilities on the target SAS 9.2 system, you should enable and define the unchallenged access user. For information about unchallenged user access, see Enabling Unchallenged Portal Access.  [cautionend]

The promotion process is as follows:

Step 1: Perform the Required Promotion Tasks on the Source System

Step 2: Perform the Required Promotion Tasks on the Target System

Step 3: Import Content into the Target Metadata Repository

Step 4: Upgrade the Portal Metadata in the Target Repository

Step 5: Validate the Promoted Content


Step 1: Perform the Required Promotion Tasks on the Source System

To prepare the source system, follow these steps:

  1. Perform a complete backup of the source system (including the metadata repository, the configuration directories, and the WebDAV).

    Note:   For instructions, see the SAS Intelligence Platform: System Administration Guide. Use either the SAS 9.1.3 or 9.2 version of this document, as appropriate for the version of your source system.  [cautionend]

  2. In the source host, create a PortalPromotion subdirectory within your equivalent of SAS-Configuration-Directory\Lev1\Web\Applications\SASPortal<ver>\. Copy the promotion scripts into that directory. The portal promotion scripts use the directory paths specified for the JAVA_HOME and the SAS_HOME environment variables.

    • If you have SAS Information Delivery Portal 4.3, the scripts are in the configuration directory under your equivalent of \Lev1\Web\Applications\SASPortal4.3\PortalPromotion

    • If you do not have SAS Information Delivery Portal 4.3, obtain the scripts by contacting SAS Technical Support.

    Note:   The scripts use relative paths, so it is essential that they are present in the correct location.  [cautionend]

  3. Edit the source copy of the PortalPromotion\PermissionsTree.xml file as follows:

    1. Locate the source metadata repository's ID. In SAS Management Console, you can find the ID by navigating to Metadata Manager [arrow] Active Server and selecting Foundation. The repository ID is displayed in the right panel and consists of two 8-digit numbers separated by a period (for example, A0000031.A5BQ25K2).

    2. Edit the PermissionsTree.xml file to specify the source metadata repository's ID in the ReposId parameter. For example: <ReposId>A0000031.A5BQ25K2</ReposId>

  4. In the PermissionsTree.xml file, search for this line:

    <Tree search="*[@Name='SAS Guest Permission Tree']" 
    TemplateName="PortalPermissionsTree"/>

  5. Modify the value for the Name parameter by specifying the user's name. Here is an example:

    <Tree search="*[@Name='Analyst Permission Tree']" 
    TemplateName="PortalPermissionsTree"/>

    Note:   A search string is limited to 60 characters in metadata. If the user name is longer than 47 characters, edit the user name to ensure that the full string is 60 characters or less. Spacing and capitalization for the Name parameter must match the exact name for the User Permissions Tree. If you need to obtain the correct name for the User Permissions Tree, access SAS Management Console. Then, navigate to Environment Management [arrow] User Manager. Select the Show Users check box to display the user names.  [cautionend]

  6. Save the PermissionsTree.xml file.

  7. Open a host command window.

  8. If the source is SAS 9.1.3, set environment variables for SAS_HOME and JAVA_HOME. For example:

    set SAS_HOME=C:\Program Files\SAS\SASFoundation\9.2
    set JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_15\bin

    or

    export SAS_HOME=/disk2/SAS9.2/sasinstall/SASFoundation/9.2
    export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_07/bin/java

  9. Run the appropriate extraction command:

    extractPortalversion.bat PermissionsTree.xml  -user ID  -password AdminPwd

    or

    extractPortalversion.sh  PermissionsTree.xml  -user ID  -password AdminPwd

    Note:   Choose the version of the script that matches your source. For example: extractPortal913.bat (for a SAS 9.1.3 source on Windows), or extractPortal92.sh (for a 9.2 source on UNIX). For more information, see About the Portal Promotion Tools.  [cautionend]

    The extraction script generates the following files:

    • PermissionsTree_deployFile.xml

    • PermissionsTree_expand.xml

    • PermissionsTree_extract.xml

    • extract.log

  10. Open the extract.log file and verify that the file does not contain any errors. If no XML files are generated, the extract.log file should provide an explanation.

  11. If the SAS installation of the target host is on a different machine or platform, copy the extracted XML files to the PortalPromotion subdirectory on the target host.


Step 2: Perform the Required Promotion Tasks on the Target System

To prepare the target system, follow these steps:

  1. Perform a complete backup of the target system (including the metadata repository, the configuration directories, and the WebDAV). For instructions, see the SAS Intelligence Platform: System Administration Guide.

  2. Obtain the metadata repository ID from the target SAS 9.2 system. Later, you will replace the value for the ReposID parameter with the target system's metadata repository ID. As a result, commands that import portal content will verify that the target repository does not contain duplicate content.

    CAUTION:
    If the metadata repository ID in .xml import files is different from the metadata repository ID on the target system, the import processes will fail.   [cautionend]
  3. To obtain the metadata repository ID on the target SAS 9.2 system, follow these steps:

    1. On the SAS Management Console on the target system, right-click Foundation, and select Properties.

    2. Expand Metadata Server Active Manager. The metadata repository ID is displayed in the dialog box. (for example, A0000031.A5BQ25K2).

    3. Make a note of the metadata repository ID so that you can specify it in the appropriate .xml import files.

      CAUTION:
      If the metadata repository ID in .xml import files is different from the metadata repository ID on the target system, the import processes will fail.   [cautionend]
  4. If the target system's version is different from the source system's version (for example, you are promoting content from a SAS 9.1.3 system to a SAS 9.2 system), install the following JAR files in the ANT_HOME/lib directory:

    • bsf.jar

    • BeanShell JAR files: bsh*.jar

    • commons-logging.jar

    You can obtain JAR files from the following locations:

    On Windows: SAS_Installation_Directory \Program Files\SAS\SASVersionedJarRepository\9.2\eclipse\plugins.

    On UNIX: SAS_Installation_Directory/SASVersionedJarRepository/9.2/eclipse/plugins.

    JAR files can also be obtained from http://ant.apache.org/manual/install.html. In the section on Library Dependencies, click the appropriate URL paths to download each set of JAR files.

  5. Open the PermissionsTree.xml file located in the SAS-Configuration-Directory\Lev1\Web\Applications\SASPortal4.3\PortalPromotion directory.

  6. Search for the ReposId parameter. Replace the metadata repository ID with the target system's metadata repository ID, and save the file.

  7. Open the PermissionsTree_deployFile.xml file. Search for the Deploy_Id parameter. Specify the target system's metadata repository ID as the value for the Deploy_Id parameter and the target system's metadata name as the value for the Deploy_Name parameter. Here is an example:

    <RepositoryBase Id="A0000001.A5T8FYJJ"
    Name="Foundation" 
    Deploy_Id="A0000001.A5T8FYJJ ABCD"
    Deploy_Name="Foundation "/>

  8. If the source is SAS 9.1.3, modify the SAS 9.2 metadata as necessary to ensure that the 9.2 user and group names align with the SAS 9.1.3 metadata. In particular, you must adjust the metadata Name of the SAS Administrator and the SAS Trusted User in your 9.2 repository.

    Note:   Any users or groups that exist only in the target are unaffected by the promotion.  [cautionend]

  9. Verify that the portlets that are going to be imported have already been registered and deployed in the target system. Portlets exist independently of the Permissions Tree, so they are not within the scope of its promotion.

  10. Ensure that all SAS content that needs to be associated with the incoming portal data is present in the target. This step is essential to success and can require significant effort. This step involves tasks that are outside the scope of the portal promotion process. See What Cannot Be Promoted through Portal Promotion.

    Note:   As part of this effort, make sure that the supporting SAS content is at the appropriate version level. For example, beginning with the 4.3 release of SAS Information Delivery Portal, data explorations must be converted to reports. Typically, this conversion occurs during a migration or an upgrade to SAS Information Delivery Portal 4.3. If you did not convert data explorations to reports, you will need to manually update the content and adjust directive URLs. Because data explorations can have dependencies on OLAP cubes, make sure the cubes have been built after your migrate, and before you run the scripts for updating content and adjusting directive URLs.

    For more information, see "Server Tier Post-migration Tasks" in SAS Intelligence Platform: 9.1.3 to 9.2 Migration Guide. Also, see Update Content Manually for the SAS Content Server.  [cautionend]

  11. If the User or Group Permissions Tree exists on the target system, then remove it:

    removePortal92.bat PermissionsTree.xml  -user AdminID  -password AdminPwd

    or

    removePortal92.sh PermissionsTree.xml  -user AdminID  -password AdminPwd

    CAUTION:
    This action is irreversible.   [cautionend]

Step 3: Import Content into the Target Metadata Repository

To import content into the target metadata repository, follow these steps:

You can import a Permissions Tree to a SAS 9.2 target system that runs the 4.2 or 4.3 version of the SAS Information Delivery Portal.

To import a Permissions Tree, run the appropriate import command:

importPortal92.bat PermissionsTree.xml  -user ID  -password AdminPwd

or

importPortal92.sh  PermissionsTree.xml  -user ID  -password AdminPwd

Note:   You can import only into a SAS 9.2 system, so you always use the SAS 9.2 script. For more information, see About the Portal Promotion Tools.  [cautionend]

Review the feedback in the output command window. This output is also saved in the import.log file that is located in the PortalPromotion directory


Step 4: Upgrade the Portal Metadata in the Target Repository

To upgrade the portal metadata in the target repository, follow these steps:

  1. Open a host command window.

  2. Set the ANT_HOME environment variable.

  3. Run the upgrade commands.

    CAUTION:
    Complete this step only if the source is not at the appropriate version level.   [cautionend]

Run the appropriate set of commands, in order:

Windows: Commands for Portal Metadata Upgrade
Command (for Windows use .bat instead of .sh) Parameters
upgradeMetadata.sh convertAces -user AdminID -password AdminPwd -trusted_user ID
upgradeMetadata.sh renameAlertsPortlet -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
upgradeMetadata.sh fixDav -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
upgradeMetadata.sh deleteOrphanedForeignKeys -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
upgradeMetadata.sh reparentPermTrees -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
upgradeMetadata.sh movePublicKioskInfo * -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
upgradeMetadata.sh convertIMVtoReportPortlet * -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
upgradeMetadata.sh adjustUrls * -user AdminID -password AdminPwd
* Run this command only if you are upgrading to the 4.3 version of SAS Information Delivery Portal from another version of that product.

For more information, see About the Portal Promotion Tools.


Step 5: Validate the Promoted Content

Log on to the portal as the Permissions Tree user or as a member of the Permissions Tree group. Then, verify the creation of the content for the User or Group Permissions Tree.

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