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Reviewer's Guide: Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One
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Frequently Asked Questions
 

This FAQ contains answers to many of the most commonly asked questions about instant information sharing with Oracle Instant Portal. 

FAQ Contents

Overview

Installation and Configuration

Content Layout

Globalization

Search

Administration

Overview

What is Oracle Instant Portal?

Oracle Instant Portal is an out-of-the-box portal solution to share and communicate information. No upfront development is needed to create a simple portal with preconfigured pages for publishing and organizing content by department or function. Your first instant portal is generated automatically when Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One is installed. With a single click, you can invoke a wizard to create additional portals instantly. Each portal includes a set of preconfigured pages for publishing and organizing content by department or function. By default these pages map to Sales, HR, Marketing and Finance departments but they are easy to customize to suit the needs of any organization. Each portal also includes a simple home page for displaying company news and announcements as well as for highlighting newly added content and user favorites. Navigation and search facilities are also built right in.

To simplify the process of customizing and managing a portal, Oracle Instant Portal features an innovative in-place editing experience. It really is as simple as point and click to control all aspects of Oracle Instant Portal. A toggle switches users from view to edit mode. Users never leave the page–rather the editing experience comes to them in the form of a layered UI with in-context toolbars and menus to manipulate the page and its content. Editing features include point-and-click portal branding and styling, page management, content management, user management and access control.

In summary, Oracle Instant Portal:

  • Is an out-of-the-box portal application
  • Is an incredibly easy to use point-and-click customizable application
  • Supports rich text content, uploaded images and files, URL/Web site links, and email addresses
  • Includes user management and access control

What is OracleAS Portal and how is it different from Oracle Instant Portal?

OracleAS Portal offers a complete and integrated framework for developing, deploying, and managing world-class enterprise portals. Oracle Instant Portal is an application that was built using a subset of OracleAS Portal technology. While Oracle Instant Portal provides a preconfigured portal that enables users to publish and share information with no development expertise required, OracleAS Portal provides an extensible portal framework for developing your company's Web presence. Both features are included in Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One.

What types of content does Oracle Instant Portal support?

Oracle Instant Portal supports rich text content, uploaded images and files, and links to Web sites and email addresses. The rich text editing toolbar provides a WYSIWYG experience for basic font formatting, adding and manipulating tables and lists,and embedding images and links. Capabilities such as undo, redo, cut/copy/paste are also provided. Users have the option of cutting and pasting HTML directly from other sources or manipulating the HTML in place for even greater control.The Home page features precreated portlets for displaying news and announcements, recently added content, and a personalized list of the user’s favorite content.

How many engineers and administrators do I need to build my Oracle Instant Portal site?

None! Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One and Oracle Instant Portal are both designed so that business users can manage and maintain their own portals, freeing limited technical resources for other tasks.

Exactly how easy is user management and access control?

Users can be created, deleted, and granted privileges directly inside Oracle Instant Portal. A simplified security model organizes users into viewers, contributors or managers for each of the main portal pages. A bulk upload capability for users is available in Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One.

What are the key benefits?

Oracle Instant Portal: 

  • Provides a prebuilt portal application for sharing information easily and securely
  • Enables fast discovery of new and personalized information
  • Provides a point-and-click interface to edit the site and content in place
  • Requires minimal technical resources
  • Is easy and compelling for end users 

What kinds of portals can I build with Oracle Instant Portal?

Here are some examples:

Employee Intranet Use to publish documents, news, and other Web content securely inside your organization
Customer Portal Secure area for your customers to publish support information and other communiques
Partner Portal Secure area your business partners to share proposals, business information, and collateral

How do I get started?

  1. Download Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One from the Oracle Technology Network (link).
  2. Unzip the file and run the Oracle Installer. In a couple of hours, you'll be up and running.
  3. Click the link to Oracle Instant Portal from the Welcome page or open a browser, enter the URL for your Oracle Portal instance, and press [Enter]. Use the following format for the URL: http://<host name> :<port number>:/pls/portal.
  4. Enter your username and password and click Login.

    The default portal, My Company, opens, ready for you to customize.

When will the features in Oracle Instant Portal be available in Oracle Application Server Portal?

They will be available in Oracle Application Server Portal 10.1.2 Phase 2.

How many languages does Oracle Instant Portal support? 

Oracle Instant Portal supports all 28 languages supported by OracleAS Portal. 

Is Oracle Instant Portal accessibility compliant? 

Yes. Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One and Oracle Instant Portal are coded to meet ADA Section 508 and WCAG 1.0, subject to the comments in the VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) accessible from http://www.oracle.com/accessibility. 

How many users can Oracle Instant Portal support?

Oracle did load testing on a 2 CPU Intel Pentium III 1.26 GHz machine with 4GB RAM, running the Linux Operating System version 2.4.9-e.57smp.  Our testing included a mix of interactions among different user types, and the  system was able to accommodate well over 1,000 users without performance degradation.

What's the difference between Oracle Instant Portal and Oracle HTML DB?

Oracle HTML DB is a rapid Web application development tool for the Oracle database. Oracle Instant Portal is an out-of-the-box portal application to share and communicate information.

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Installation and Configuration

How do I install Oracle Instant Portal?

Oracle Instant Portal is installed with Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One. Detailed installation and configuration instructions are provided in the Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One installation zip file.  

What do my end users need before they can access my Oracle Instant Portal?

End-users must have access to a browser! They also need a username and a password.

Which browsers are certified with Oracle Instant Portal?

Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One and, therefore, Oracle Instant Portal, are certified with the following browsers:

  • Internet Explorer 6.0
  • Netscape 7.2
  • Mozilla 1.7.5
  • Firefox 1.0.4

For the most current list of supported browsers, check the Oracle MetaLink site.

Is there any difference between the Oracle Instant Portal user experience between browser types?

Because of differences between browsers, users will experience some different behavior between the browser types. The main differences are:

  • In Netscape and Mozilla browsers, the Forward button appears blank and does not work if you go back from the history page.
  • In Edit mode, table editing is different: In Netscape/Mozilla you can use the arrow keys displayed within the table to add rows and columns. In IE, a table editing menu is displayed from which you can perform table operations.

Will Oracle Instant Portal work through my proxy server?

Oracle Instant Portal is able to request content through any standard proxy server.  It does make HTTP and HTTPS connections, so the proxy must support both HTTP and HTTPS protocols.   

How will I obtain updates on Oracle Instant Portal?

Updates for Oracle Instant Portal are included with updates for Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One and are available from Oracle MetaLink and the Oracle Technology Network (OTN).

Can I upgrade from Oracle Instant Portal to Oracle Application Server Portal?

Customers who want to scale up can migrate from Oracle Instant Portal to OracleAS Portal 10.1.2.0.2 (or later). The upgrade process requires you to export your Oracle Instant Portal page groups and then import them into OracleAS Portal 10.1.2.0.2 (or later). This is the only supported way to migrate pages from Oracle Instant Portal to OracleAS Portal.

If I've already implemented an Oracle Application Server Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition Portal, can I plug in the Oracle Instant Portal features in that instance?

Yes. You should upgrade to Oracle Application Server (Standard or Enterprise Edition) 10.1.2.0.2 (or later).

Can I convert an existing non-Oracle Portal page group into an Oracle Instant Portal page?

No. You can only create new portals using Oracle Instant Portal.

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Content Layout

What is the taxonomy of the default My Company instant portal?

The default My Company portal includes the following tabbed pages and child pages:

Sales tab
  Sales Reports
Presentations
Customers
  Information
References
Services
  Training
Proposals
Collateral
Pricing

Marketing tab

  Press Library
  Press Releases
Press Coverage
Press Kits
  Events
Corporate Graphics Library
Market Intelligence
  Analysts
Competitors
  Advertising
Marketing Campaigns
Finance tab
  Accounting
Financial Reports
Budgeting
Asset Management
Payables
Receivables
Order Management
Policies and Procedures
Contracts
Expenses
Human Resources tab
  Benefits
  Health
401k
Vacation and Holidays
  Recruitment
Employee Handbook
Human Resources Policies
Career Development
Compensation

How do I build an Oracle Instant Portal application?

Use the Oracle Instant Portal Wizard/Portlet which is located on the Build tab of the Oracle Portal Builder. The wizard can generate a site with the default My Company structure described above or from a structure that you provide in an XML file.

What is the format of the XML file that the Oracle Instant Portal generator can use?

Here's an example that implements the default My Company page structure described above. Note: The indenting is for readability and has no impact on the generated portal.
<taxonomy>
<page title="Company" />
<page title="Sales">
  <page title="Sales Reports" />
<page title="Presentations" />
<page title="Customers">
  <page title="Information" />
<page title="References" />
<page title="Services" />
  </page>
<page title="Training" />
<page title="Proposals" />
<page title="Collateral" />
<page title="Pricing" />
</page>
<page title="Marketing">
  <page title="Press Library">
  <page title="Press Releases" />
<page title="Press Coverage" />
<page title="Press Kits" />
  </page>
<page title="Events" />
<page title="Corporate Graphics Library" />
<page title="Market Intelligence">
  <page title="Analysts" />
<page title="Competitors" />
  </page>
<page title="Advertising" />
<page title="Marketing Campaigns" />
</page>
<page title="Finance">
  <page title="Accounting" />
<page title="Financial Reports" />
<page title="Budgeting" />
<page title="Asset Management" />
<page title="Payables" />
<page title="Receivables" />
<page title="Order Management" />
<page title="Policies and Procedures" />
<page title="Contracts" />
<page title="Expenses" />
</page>
<page title="Human Resources">
  <page title="Benefits">
  <page title="Health" />
<page title="401k" />
<page title="Vacation and Holidays" />
  </page>
<page title="Recruitment" />
<page title="Employee Handbook" />
<page title="Human Resources Policies" />
<page title="Career Development" />
<page title="Compensation" />
</page>
</taxonomy>


Does Oracle Instant Portal include predefined styles?

Yes. Oracle Instant Portal includes 10 predefined color schemes from which you can choose.

Can I customize the Oracle Instant Portal styles (change color schemes, font settings, and so on)?

No, not as a native portal user. The styles and color schemes come from a cascading style sheet (CSS) that is on the Oracle Application Server mid-tier.

Can I place portlets on the same page as other content on my Oracle Instant Portal site?

No, not at this time.

What types of items can I add to an Oracle Instant Portal page?

The following types of items can be added to an Oracle Instant Portal page:

  • Rich Text Item
  • Expandable Rich Text Item
  • File Item
  • Image Item
  • URL Item
  • Email Item

How do I add content to an Oracle Instant Portal page?

You need to have Contribute privilege on the page. Use the New Item pull-down to select one of the item types described above. You can also use the Edit Mode Toolbar to add tables and images, and to format your text items.

Does Oracle Instant Portal support WebDAV?

Yes, Oracle Instant Portal supports WebDAV. See the Oracle Instant Portal Online Help for more details. Oracle Instant Portal users with Contribute privileges can use WebDAV support to create and delete items, while those with only View privilege can access and copy content from Oracle Instant Portal. An Oracle Instant Portal user with Manage rights should create pages within Oracle Instant Portal instead of using WebDAV.

Will Oracle Instant Portal content be visible on my mobile devices?

No, not at this time.

Can I personalize an Oracle instant portal?

Absolutely. You can easily add pages, text items, and file items to the Favorite Content portlet on the home page.

Can I build Oracle Application Server Portal page groups and pages in Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One?

Yes. Oracle Instant Portal includes all the capabilities within Oracle Application Server Portal 10.1.2. However, you cannot use the rich page editing features with pages and page groups created outside of the Oracle Instant Portal Generator.

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Globalization

How do I install multiple languages in Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One?

The Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One Oracle Universal Installer offers a custom installation option that allows you to install additional languages. It is also possible to install additional languages after Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One is installed. Refer to the configuration guide of each component for instructions.

I have installed multiple languages with my Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One installation. How do I switch between the languages when working with Oracle Instant Portal?

The way to switch between languages when working with Oracle Instant Portal is to set the preferred language in your Internet browser. When switching between languages, you'll need to log out and log back in to see content rendered in the new language.

How do I create a new Oracle Instant Portal in a different language?

To create a new Oracle Instant Portal in a different language, you first need to install the other language into your Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One installation, if you haven't already done so. After the other language is installed, switch to that language by configuring your browser's language setting. Log in to your Oracle Instant Portal and navigate to the Build tab. Use the Oracle Instant Portal portlet to create a new Oracle instant portal. If you don't supply an XML file with your custom taxonomy, the portlet will create a new Oracle instant portal with the default taxonomy in your new language.

Can a single Oracle Instant Portal support multiple languages?

No, this release of Oracle Instant Portal does not support multiple translations for one site, which means each instance of Oracle Instant Portal can support only one language. However, within a single Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One installation, you could create multiple Oracle instant portals, where each Oracle Instant Portal is of a different language.

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Search

Does Oracle Instant Portal include a search engine?

Yes. Content published within Oracle Instant Portal is searched by the embedded Oracle Text search engine. Oracle Text will search the content of the items as well as the name and description attributes.

After I add content to my Oracle instant portal, how long will it take to see the information in the search results?

It can take up to one hour, depending upon when the Oracle Text search engine last crawled your site.

Can I configure Oracle Instant Portal to use the included Oracle Ultra Search engine?

Yes and no. Although you can configure Oracle Ultra Search to crawl the secured Oracle Instant Portal content, the use of the Oracle Ultra Search engine is not supported.

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Administration

Is there a self-service means for my users to reset their password if they forget it?

Yes, users can reset their password via the Reset My Single Sign-On Password Wizard that is accessible from the Reset Your Single Sign-On Password link on the Single Sign-On page. To use the password reset facility, you first need to configure a password hint via the Change Profile link in the Oracle Instant Portal banner. 

What administration operations does an Oracle Instant Portal administrator need to do?

The portal administrator needs to perform only minimal administration.  Many of the values are set by default. Administrators can create users, assign privileges, perform backups, and apply critical security update patches.  

What user privileges does Oracle Instant Portal include?

Oracle Instant Portal supports the following types of user:

This type of user Can perform these tasks
Oracle Instant Portal Administrator

Create and delete users as well as control overall privileges for any user for any page in any Oracle Instant Portal. For example, the Oracle Instant Portal administrator is the only user who can create a top-level page, or re-order top-level pages (tabs), or change the style for the portal.
Note: An Oracle Instant Portal Administrator is either the user who created the portal or a user who has been granted Manage rights on the Home page.
Manager Set privileges for the pages on which he or she has manage privileges. For example, if you have Manage privileges on a page, you can control which users can access the page and to what level.
Contributor Add, edit, move, and delete items on the page, even if the items were contributed by a different user.
Page Viewer See the page and its content.
Note: Every user can log in/log out of the portal, edit his or her own profile, and search for content. All users see the Home page, but only users with View privilege on the Company page can see the content in the News and Announcements portlets. A user who does not have at least View rights on a page other than the Home page cannot see the page.

Note: A Manager automatically has Contribute and View rights. A Contributor automatically has View rights. A user who has only View privileges on all pages can see the Oracle Instant Portal Edit icon, but cannot access the Edit toolbar.

Can an administrator add additional access/edit rights?

No. Only the rights available in the Oracle Instant Portal Edit Rights dialog (that is, View, Contribute, and Manage) can be assigned.

How can a Oracle Instant Portal administrator control who has access to an Oracle instant portal?

Oracle Instant Portal administrators can manage users and access rights via the Manage Users dialog. Administrators can set View, Contribute, and Manage privilege rights for a user from this dialog, and can also add and delete users from this dialog.

Can I take Oracle Instant Portal offline to perform some site maintenance?

Yes. Oracle Instant Portal can be taken offline from Oracle Enterprise Manager. Refer to the Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One Administrator's Guide for more information.

How do I back up and restore Oracle Instant Portal?

Use Oracle Enterprise Manager to perform a backup or a restore. Refer to the Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One Administrator's Guide for more information.

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