WP721: IBM WebSphere Portal V6.1: Administration 2

This is an advanced course for IBM customers, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and IBM technical staff. Architects and developers, who are new to WebSphere Portal and responsible for implementing solutions using WebSphere Portal 6.1 will benefit as well.

This advanced course is designed for portal administrators, new to IBM WebSphere Portal, who need to design, build, and manage a high-availability portal environment. This includes clustering, cross-environment deployment, and deployment of resources into a cluster. In this course, those who are new to WebSphere Portal explore the advanced operational aspects of a WebSphere Portal 6.1 environment. Practice the necessary skills for an administrator or architect to administer an existing WebSphere Portal environment, including configuring a horizontal portal cluster, deploying resources (such as portlets) in a clustered environment, troubleshooting a portal clustered environment, moving the portal from staging to production, and performing administrative tasks in a clustered environment

Before taking the course you should have:

Intermediate administration skills using WebSphere Application Server 6.0 or 6.1 acquired through experience and/or completion of IBM WebSphere Application Server Administration (SW246) or (WA361) Knowledge of portals and WebSphere Portal, acquired by completing IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.0 Fundamentals (WP010)

Basic knowledge of portal security concepts, acquired by completing IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Administration 1 (WP711)

Lesson 1: Configuring Web Content Management
Topic 1A: Introduction to Web Content Management

• What Is Web Content Management?
• The Architectural Role in Portal 6.1

Topic 1B: Configuring Web Content Management

• Overview of Configuring Web Content Management
• Navigating Web Content Management
• Creating Libraries
• Creating Site Frameworks
• Creating Workflows
• Creating Authoring Templates
• Creating Presentation Templates
• Creating Template Maps
• Creating Content
• Displaying Content on a Portal Page

Lesson 2: Exploring Portal Topologies
Topic 2A: Introduction to Portal Topologies and Benefits

• The Portal Environment
• Benefits of Using WebSphere Portal

Topic 2B: Components of a Scalable Portal

• High-Availability Environment
• Stand-Alone Portal Installations
• Federated Portal Installations
• Components of a Clustered Portal
• Scalable Topologies
• Eliminating Single Points of Failure
• Configuring a Portal for High Availability
• The Implications of the Portal Configuration Split

Topic 2C: Creating a Portal Cluster

• The Portal Cluster Creation Process

Lesson 3: Deploying Portlets to a Cluster
Topic 3A: Deploying Portlets to a Cluster

• The Mechanics of Clustered Portlet Deployment
• Installing Portlets to a Cluster
• Updating Portlets in a Cluster

Lesson 4: Moving from Staging to Production
Topic 4A: Defining Portal Environments

• The Desktop Development Environment
• The Test Environment
• The Staging Environment
• The Production Environment

Topic 4B: Transitioning From One Environment to the Next

• The Transition Process
• The XML Export Capabilities of Portal
• Using the Release Builder Tool

Lesson 5: Creating Virtual Portals and Realms
Topic 5A: Realms and Multiple LDAPs

• What Are Realms?
• Realm Requirements
• WebSphere Manager Member Configuration Files
• Creating a Realm

Topic 5B: Virtual Portals

• What Is a Virtual Portal?
• Comparing True and Virtual Portals
• Use Cases for Virtual Portals
• Planning Considerations for Virtual Portals
• Scoped and Non-Scoped Resources
• Creating a Virtual Portal
• Customizing the Provisioning Script for Virtual Portals

Lesson 6: Troubleshooting a Clustered Portal
Topic 6A: Troubleshooting Methodologies for Clustered Portals

• Problem Determination Methodology
• Log Files
• Isolating Problem Components
• Tracing Portal Problems
• The IBM Support Assistant
• Monitoring for Performance

Lesson 7: Examining Production Procedures
Topic 7A: Production Procedures

• Backing Up Portal Resources
• Using XMLAccess as a Production Tool
• Backing Up and Mirroring Configuration Databases
• Backing Up and Mirroring LDAPs
• Applying WebSphere and Portal Updates in a Production Environment
• Implementing a Configuration Split in a Clustered Environment