Operations Guide

10.1
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HTTP Search Client

MDM-RE supports the use of an Internet Browser as a search client. Web pages containing dynamically generated search dialogues based on your Systems are served up by the MDM-RE HTTP Search Server.

Simply point your browser at the HTTP Search Server by typing its

host:port

in the Location Bar and follow the prompts. The default port number of the HTTP Search Server is 1672.

If prompted for a Rulebase name, the client must supply the information using a Dictionary Alias without the

ids: prefix

. See the Dictionary Alias
section for more information. This is the only acceptable form of Rulebase name and is necessary to avoid passing clear text passwords to the server. To avoid the need for Rulebase names altogether, the administrator should define them in the HTTP Search Server’s

.ini

file. Refer to the Configuring section below.

You do not need to enable any active content facilities such as Javascript. The Web pages are compatible with Netscape 4, Internet Explorer 5 and Firefox 1.0 (or later versions).

Configuring

The HTTP Search Server will not start unless it has been enabled and configured.

It is enabled by allocating the server’s host name

SSA_HTHOST

and port number

SSA_HTPORT

in the

env\mdmres.bat

(Windows) or

env/mdmres

(UNIX) scripts.

The configuration process consists of creating a simple text file named

htserv.ini

. The file can be located in

$SSAINI

$HOME

$SSABIN

, which are searched in that order.

The content of this file determines which Searches and Rulebases are visible to the Web client. It is read at server initialization, so changes to the configuration become effective only after the HTTP Search Server is bounced. Lines starting with a semi-colon (;) are treated as comments. White space in the section headings (example,

[profile:basic]

) is not permitted, except as part of a name.

Generic Mode

The simplest possible file contains the following lines:

[Server]
mode = generic

This directs the HTTP Search Server to prompt the client for a Rulebase name and does not restrict access to any systems or searches. The optional line

rulebase = <dbtype>:<dbid>:<uid>/<pwd>@<svc>

may follow the

mode

line to specify the Rulebase to use. When provided, the client will not be prompted for this information. When omitted, the HTTP Search Server will request the client to enter the name of the Rulebase.

Rulebase names are sent from the client to the server in clear text using the HTTP protocol. To avoid passing database passwords, clients must specify

Dictionary Alias

names without the

ids: prefix

. The HTTP Search Server assumes all Rulebase names received through HTTP are Dictionary Aliases and automatically prefixes them with

ids:

before use.

Custom Mode

Custom mode is use to configure the Systems, Searches and Rulebases visible to the Web client. When the HTTP Search Server runs in custom mode.

[Server]
mode = custom
profiles = basic

the Web client will offer the choice of one of a number of predefined profiles, that have been defined to allow access to a specific Rulebase, System and Search(es).

For example,

[profile:basic]
rules = just_one_search
[rule:just_one_search]
rulebase = odb:0:ssa/ssa@ora10g
system = testx216
searches = Claimant Names
[search:Claimant Names]
sdf-search = claimant-names
sdf-view = names_idt216

The example defines one profile named

basic

, however, multiple profiles can be specified by listing them as a comma separated list. Each profile may contain one or more rules, listed with the

rules

parameter (which is a comma separated list). In this case, there is just one rule named

just_one_search

. Each rule must have a corresponding definition that nominates the Rulebase name, System name and a comma separated list of Searches (

Claimant Names

in this example) that can be used by a user of this profile.

The search names may contain spaces. This is allowed for aesthetic reasons, as the Search names are displayed by the Web client.

Each

must have a corresponding definition that nominates the name of the Search-Definition in the SDF (

claimant-names

). It may also optionally nominate an output view.

Output views are useful in that they can be used to define the order and/or columns displayed by the Web client. They can also add extra statistical information such as the Score or the number of the Multi-Search that returned the data.

A more complicated configuration may provide a second profile for advanced users too. For example:

[profile:advanced]
rules = just_one_search,other_searches
[rule:other_searches]
rulebase = ids:rb
system = testx217
searches = All Names
[search:All Names]
sdf-search = all-names

Profiles, rules and searches may be defined in any order, and must be defined if referenced.

Rename Saved Search

Table of Contents

Operations Guide

Operations Guide

HTTP Search Client

HTTP Search Client

Configuring

Generic Mode

Custom Mode