The installation process

Review the steps that are required to install IBM® Connections.

About this task

Installing IBM Connections in a production environment involves several procedures to deploy the different components of the environment.

Procedure

  1. Review the software and hardware requirements for the systems that hosts IBM Connections.
    For more information, see the IBM Connections system requirements topic.
  2. Install the required software, choosing a supported product in each case:
    • WebSphere® Application Server
    • IBM HTTP Server
    • LDAP directory
    • Database server (DB2®, Microsoft™ SQL Server, Oracle Database)
    • Tivoli® Directory Integrator
    • IBM Cognos®
    • IBM Connections Docs Viewer
    Notes:

    If you want to use Connections Content Manager, you must configure Connections and FileNet® with the same WebSphere federated repositories. When IBM Connections is installed, the installer provides a user name and password for a system user account that is created by the installer to handle feature-to-feature communication. The Connections installer also creates a J2C authentication alias name connectionsAdmin. This alias is filled with the specified user and maps that user to a set of application roles.

    For many advanced security scenarios (especially IBM Security Access Manager and Siteminder) and in cases where an existing FileNet server is used with IBM Connections Content Manager, the connectionsAdmin user should be in an LDAP directory or a common directory that is available to all services.

  3. If you plan to use mail notification, ensure that you have the SMTP and DNS details of your mail infrastructure available at installation time.
  4. Prepare the LDAP directory, install WebSphere Application Server, and create databases for the IBM Connections applications that you plan to use.
    For more information, see Pre-installation tasks.
  5. Install IBM Connections and, optionally, IBM Connections Content Manager.

    You can rerun the installation program to add IBM Connections Content Manager after an initial installation of IBM Connections only, or you can install both at the same time.

    For more information, see Installing IBM Connections.

  6. Complete the postinstallation tasks that apply to your configuration.
    For example, map the installed applications to IBM HTTP Server. For more information, see Post-installation tasks.
  7. Update IBM Connections with the newest interim fixes or Cumulative Refresh.