Intrexx user - Create a portal from the Portal Manager

Requirements

To create a portal, you must first have installed a database.

The following guide assumes that you are using PostgreSQL.

When creating a new portal, a wizard will lead you through numerous dialogs. In each dialog, you will be asked to define settings and make decisions. These primarily concern the following points:

• Portal name

• Portal template selection

• Database selection

• Front-end web server selection

Start the portal creation process

Intrexx provides you with different ways to start the portal creation process.

	You can create a portal via the Intrexx Portal Builder (The screenshot shows the favorites bar in Ubuntu)
	You can create a portal directly after installing Intrexx. To do this, activate the "Create portal" checkbox.
	You can create a portal in the Portal Manager in the "Start" module via the "File" > "New portal..." menu item create. Or press Ctrl+N.

General settings

Once you have started creating the portal, the "General settings" dialog appears.

Portal name

Enter a unique name for the portal here.
When you create a portal, Intrexx uses the name entered here for the portal directory on the portal server. Portal-specific files are stored in the portal directory.
The portal name does not correspond to the URL used to access the portal in the browser. You define the URL in the front-end web server. (See Add website in IIS)

Portal directory

All of the portal's files can be found in the portal directory on the Intrexx portal server. When you enter a portal name, the name for the subdirectory is automatically formed from the portal name.

Portal log directory

The directory where the portal log files are stored is stated here. The same applies here: When you enter a portal name, the name for the subdirectory is automatically formed from the portal name.

Portal template

After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "Portal template" dialog.
Here you can choose between "Standard", "Online" and "Custom".

Standard

Online

Local

Portal template - Default

Select "Standard" to create an empty portal without sample data.

Portal template - Online

Here you can select portal templates that are made available online by Intrexx. If you select one of the online templates, it will be downloaded from Intrexx GmbH and used to create the portal.
The online Intrexx templates and the applications, processes and layouts they contain can be used as a basis for your portal. Please note, however, that the templates contain preconfigured processes and design elements that you will need to adjust.
If you activate the "Also show templates for older versions" checkbox, online templates from earlier Intrexx versions will also be offered for selection.

Portal template - Custom

This option allows you to use an exported portal as a portal template. The previously exported portal is imported.

You can search for portal export files using the Browse button.

Detailed information on importing portals can be found in the Import portal section.

Database server

After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "Database server" dialog.

Database server

Select the database server for your new portal.

The subsequent dialogs where the connection to the database server is configured varies from database to database.
In this guide, PostgreSQL will be used as an example.
After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "PostgreSQL - Connection data" dialog.

PostgreSQL connection data

Database server

Enter the name or IP address of the database server.

Port number

Enter the communication port for the database.

SSL

Define whether the connection to the database server should be encrypted or not.
You can initially select "no SSL" during portal creation and set up an encrypted connection to the database server later if required.
If you set up an encrypted connection and select the value "SSL with certificate validation", you must store the certificate in the appropriate place on the database server before creating the portal.
Once the portal has been created, you need to add the certificate to the Intrexx portal server for the encrypted connection to the database to work correctly.

Login

Enter the username of the database user.

Password

Enter the password of the database user.

After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "PostgreSQL - Database details" dialog.

PostgreSQL database settings

New database

A new database is created with this option.

Use existing empty database

An existing database is used with this option.

Database name

The name of the database can be edited here.

Encoding

Select the encoding (character set) for the new database here. The preset (UNICODE - UTF 8) can be kept in most cases.

After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "Frontend web server (reverse proxy / load balancer)" dialog.

Front-end web server (reverse proxy / load balancer)

In this dialog, you can define which front-end web server (reverse proxy) should be used for communications between the Intrexx portal server and the browser.

NGINX

Intrexx provides a graphical user interface for configuring NGINX.

Use the NGINX if you are working in a Linux environment.

Detailed information on NGINX can be found in section Setting up Linux -NGINX.

Please note that you must make an entry in your DNS server (A or AAAA record) when using a front-end web server. Detailed information on this can be found in the section Storing host names in the DNS.

No front-end web server

Select this option to configure a portal without a webend front server (reverse proxy).

Please note that this option can only be recommended for test and development portals.

Detailed information on this option can be found in section No front-end web server.

Manual setup

You have the ability to manually configure communications between embedded Tomcat and the browser. This means that you do not need the dialog-based setup that is available for the "Internet Information Service (IIS)", "NGINX" and "No front-end web server" types.

In the following steps of this tutorial, NGINX will be used as an example for a front-end web server.
After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "NGINX" dialog.

Frontend web server: NGINX

NGINX virtual host

"NGINX Virtual Host" refers to the Embedded Tomcat. NGINX connects to the Intrexx portal service via the virtual host. Usually "localhost" is to be entered here. (One exception to this is when NGINX is installed on a different server to Intrexx. In this case, the Intrexx server should be specified here.)

NGINX configuration file

You can generate the NGINX configuration file with Intrexx.

Enter the path to the directory that the NGINX configuration file should be generated in.

Example

/myfolder/portal.example.com.conf

Then copy the NGINX configuration file to the desired location below /etc/nginx.

Example

/etc/nginx/sites-available/portal.example.com.conf

Embedded Tomcat Port

The port that you used in the previous version of Intrexx will be shown here. You can leave this port as it is.

Note For a new installation, a free port, e.g. 1337, is preset here.

Base URL of the portal

The base URL must be stored here.
The first part refers to the protocol. You have configured an encrypted connection between the Intrexx portal server and the browser. The second part is made up of the hostname that you defined in the NGINX configuration file. Please make sure that this ends with a slash (/). It is essential that this is correct so that your portal can be accessed in the browser.

After you have clicked on "Next", you will be taken to the "SolrSearch Server" dialog.

Solr search server

Each portal has a search function. This is technically realized via "Solr", Apache's search server.

In this dialog, you determine whether you want to apply the default Solr settings or a custom configuration.

Intrexx version 12.0.0

Default settings for Solr installed by Setup

By default, the Solr search server is installed in standalone mode. The Solr search server is installed on the same server as the Intrexx Portal Server. The default user and password are used for authentication on the Solr search server.

If you only use one instance of the Solr search server, i.e. you do not use SolrCloud, you can usually select the default setting.

Custom Solr configuration

Select this option if you want to make individual settings for the Solr search server. This applies in particular if you want to make changes to the authentication on the Solr search server.

Detailed information on the individual Solr configuration can be found in section Custom Solr configuration.

Intrexx version 12.0.1

As of Intrexx 12.0.1, you have the option of using OpenSearch or Elasticsearch as a "preview feature" for the portal search.

OpenSearch/ElasticSearch

You have the option of using OpenSearch or Elasticsearch for the portal search.

OpenSearch and Elastiksearch are not included in the scope of delivery. A separate installation with the Docker image of OpenSearch or Elastiksearch is recommended.

Further information on this can be found in the following sections:

• OpenSearch / Elasticsearch

• Search - Settings in the "Tools" module

Summary

General properties

Opens a dialog where the portal name and directory can be edited.

Web server

Opens a dialog where the web server settings can be edited.

Portal template

Opens a dialog where the portal template can be changed.

Database

Opens a dialog where the database can be changed.

Advanced settings

Opens a dialog where the ports, search engine and other settings can be modified.

Creating portal

Daemon user

While Intrexx is creating the portal, you will be prompted to enter the password for the daemon user.

The daemon user is the user that you created or selected during the Intrexx installation. This is not an Intrexx user but a Linux user. You may need to request the password for the daemon user from your Intrexx administrator.

The password must be entered since Linux and Intrexx services must be stopped and restarted when a portal is created.

See also the section

After you have clicked on "Finish", you will be taken to the "Success" dialog.

Success

 

After you have clicked on "Finish", you will be taken to the Portal Manager.

You can now open the portal in the browser.