Using the Intrexx Demo Portal as a Portal Template

INTREXX GmbH provides a demo portal for you. You can select this as a template when creating a portal.

The Intrexx Demo Portal is a fully functional portal that includes, among other things, a wide variety of applications. As an Intrexx user, you can open the demo portal in Portal Manager and make any changes or additions you like.

As a portal user, you can open the demo portal in your browser immediately after it is created and use all of its features.

Step-by-Step

To create a portal based on the Intrexx demo portal, follow these steps:

  1. Click "File > New Portal...". Or press Ctrl+N.

  2. The "New Portal... - General Settings" dialog box appears.

    Portal Name

    Enter a unique name for the portal here.
    When creating the portal, Intrexx uses the name entered here for the portal directory on the Intrexx portal server. Portal-specific files are stored in the portal directory.
    The portal name does not match the URL you use to access the portal in your browser. You configure the URL on the front-end web server. (See " Add a Website in IIS" for more information .)

    Portal Directory

    You can find all of a portal's files on the Intrexx Portal Server in the portal directory. When you enter the portal name, the name of the subdirectory is automatically generated from the portal name.

    Portal Log Directory

    This is where you specify the directory in which all of the portal logog files are stored. Here, too, when you enter the portal name, the name of the subdirectory is generated automatically.

  3. Click "Next."

    The "New Portal... - Portal Template" dialog box appears.

    Switch to the "Standard" tab if it is not already selected.

  4. Click "Next."

    Database server

    After you click "Next," the "Database Server" dialog box will appear.

    Select the database server for your portal here.

    For the Oracle database server, you must obtain the database drivers directly from the manufacturer. Copy your driver to the "/lib" installation directory, and then restart the portal service.

    The following dialog boxes, which are used to establish a connection to the database server, vary depending on the type of database.
    In the following steps of this guide, PostgreSQL is chosen as an example of a database server.
    After you click "Next," the "PostgreSQL - Connection Details" dialog box will appear.


    PostgreSQL - Connection Information

    Database Name

    You can edit the database name here.

    Port number

    Enter the database's communication port here.

    SSL

    Select here whether the connection to the database server should be unencrypted or encrypted.
    During portal setup, you can initially select "No SSL" and, if necessary, set up an encrypted connection to the database server later.
    If you set up an encrypted connection and select "SSL with certificate validation," you must store the certificate in the appropriate location on the database server before creating the portal.
    After creating the portal, if you are using an encrypted connection to the database server, the certificate must also be stored on the Intrexx Portal Server.

    Login

    Enter the name of the database user here.

    Password

    Enter the database user's password here.

    Connection Database

    If you do not want to create a new database, you can select an existing database here.

    CockroachDB Mode

    If you are using CockroachDB, you can enable CockroachDB mode here.

    After you click "Next," the "PostgreSQL - Database Information" dialog box will appear.

    PostgreSQL - Database Information

    Create a New Database

    This option creates a new database.

    Use an existing empty database

    This option uses an existing database.

    Database Name

    You can edit the database name here.

    Encoding

    Select the encoding (character set) for the new database that corresponds to your language setting. The default setting (UNICODE - UTF-8) can usually be left as is.

    After you click "Next," you will be taken to the "Frontend Web Server (Reverse Proxy / Load Balancer)" dialog box.

    Front-end Web Server (Reverse Proxy / Load Balancer)

    In this dialog box, you specify which front-end web server (reverse proxy) to use for communication between the Intrexx Portal Server and the browser.

    For detailed information on using front-end web servers, see the section " Use a Front-End Web Server (Reverse Proxy)."

    Internet Information Services (IIS)

    For Internet Information Service (IIS), Intrexx offers configuration via a graphical user interface.

    Use IIS if you are working in a Windows environment.

    For detailed information about Internet Information Services (IIS), see the section " Setting Up Windows - IIS (Internet Information Services)."

    Please note that when using a front-end web server, you must create an entry in your DNS server (A or AAAA record). For detailed information on this topic, see the section " Configuring Host Names in DNS."

    IIS Website

    Select the website here that you created in IIS for the portal.

    Embedded Tomcat Port

    This displays the port you used in the previous version of Intrexx. You can leave this port as is.

    Note: For a new installation, a free port—such as 1337—is preset here.

    Portal Base URL

    The portal's base URL is displayed here.
    By default, the displayed base URL is derived from the website's binding settings in Internet Information Services (IIS). These are the "Type" and "Hostname" fields. (See the section " Adding a Website in IIS" for more information.)

    The base URL displayed here will be copied to the "Base URL" field in the portal properties under "General" after the portal is created.

    NGINX

    For NGINX, Intrexx offers configuration via a graphical user interface.

    Use NGINX if you are working in a Linux environment.

    For detailed information about NGINX, see the " Linux - Setting Up NGINX" section.

    Please note that when using a front-end web server, you must create an entry in your DNS server (A or AAAA record). For detailed information on this topic, see the section " Configuring Host Names in DNS."

    NGINX Virtual Host

    "NGINX Virtual Host" refers to the embedded Tomcat. NGINX establishes a connection to the Intrexx portal service via the virtual host. Usually, you should enter "localhost" here. (An exception may apply if NGINX is installed on a different server than Intrexx. (In that case, the Intrexx server should be specified here.)

    NGINX Configuration File

    You can generate the NGINX configuration file using Intrexx.

    Enter the path to the directory where you want to create the NGINX configuration file.

    Example: /myfolder/portal.example.com.conf

    Next, copy the NGINX configuration file to the desired location under "/etc/nginx".

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

    Embedded Tomcat Port

    The port for Embedded Tomcat is displayed here. (For a new installation, this is port 1337.)

    Portal Base URL

    The portal's base URL is displayed here. The first part consists of the minutes. Please note that "https " is specified here. The second part consists of specifying the hostname that you have defined in the NGINX configuration file. Note that a trailing slash (/) is included. It is essential that you enter the correct information so that your portal can be accessed in the browser.

    No front-end web server

    Select this option to configure a portal without a web front-end server (reverse proxy).

    Please note that this option is intended only for test and development portals.
    For detailed information about this option, see the section titled " No Front-End Web Server."

    Embedded Tomcat Port

    The port for Embedded Tomcat is displayed here. (For a new installation, this is port 1337.)

    Encryption (HTTPS)

    Select this checkbox if you want to establish an encrypted connection between Intrexx or the embedded Tomcat and the browser.

    Self-signed certificate for "localhost"

    Select this option if you want communication between the embedded Tomcat and the browser to be encrypted using a self-signed certificate (for test or development portals).

    In this case, Intrexx automatically generates a self-signed certificate and uses it for the encrypted connection.

    Certificate File

    You can use the " " icon to locate the certificate file.

    Certificate Type

    Select the type of certificate store (keystore) here where you have saved the certificate file.

    Key Storage Password

    Enter the password here for the keystore where you have stored the certificate file.

    Certificate Key Password

    Enter the key for the certificate file here.

    Note: The keystore password and the certificate key password are often the same.

    Portal Base URL

    The portal's base URL is displayed here. The first part consists of the minutes. Please note that "https " is specified here. The second part consists of specifying the hostname. Note that a trailing slash (/) is included. It is essential that you enter the correct information so that your portal can be accessed in the browser.

    In this dialog box, you can generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request). For detailed information on this topic, see the section " Generating a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) Without Using a Front-End Web Server."

    Manual Setup

    You have the option to manually configure communication between the Intrexx Portal Manager or the embedded Tomcat and the browser. By doing so, you are opting out of the wizard-based setup that is available for the "Internet Information Service (IIS)," "NGINX," and "No Front-End Web Server" options.

    For additional technical specifications regarding manual setup, please refer to the following files. These are included with Intrexx.

    • <portal directory>\tomcat\conf\server-https-default.xml

    • <portal directory>\tomcat\conf\server-http-default.xml

    • <portal directory>\external\htmlroot\WEB-INF\web.xml

    • <intrexx-installation-directory>\samples\web-tls-configuration\nginx\portal-internet.conf

    • <intrexx-installation-directory>\samples\web-tls-configuration\nginx\portal-remote.conf

    • <intrexx-installation-directory>\samples\web-tls-configuration\nginx\portal-intranet.conf

    Please contact the Intrexx Support Center if you need further information.

    Portal Base URL

    The portal's base URL is displayed here. The first part consists of the minutes. Please note that "https" is specified here. The second part consists of specifying the hostname. Note that a trailing slash (/) is included. It is essential that you enter the correct information so that your portal can be accessed in the browser.

    In the following steps of this guide, Internet Information Services (IIS) is used as an example of a front-end web server.
    After you click "Next," the "Front-End Web Server: Internet Information Services (IIS)" dialog box will appear.

    Front-end Web Server: Internet Information Services (IIS)

    IIS Website

    Select the website here that you created in IIS for the portal.

    Embedded Tomcat Port

    This displays the port you used in the previous version of Intrexx. You can leave this port as is.

    Note: For a new installation, a free port—such as 1337—is preset here.

    Portal Base URL

    The portal's base URL is displayed here.
    By default, the displayed base URL is derived from the website's binding settings in Internet Information Services (IIS). These are the "Type" and "Hostname" fields. (See the section " Adding a Website in IIS" for more information.)

    The base URL displayed here will be copied to the "Base URL" field in the portal properties under "General" after the portal is created.

    Solr Search Server

    Every portal has a search function. This is technically implemented using "Solr," Apache's search server.

    In this dialog box, you can choose whether to use the default Solr settings or to configure the system to your own specifications.

    Intrexx Version 12.0.0

    Default settings for Solr installed via 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 username and password are used for authentication on the Solr search server.

    If you are using only one instance of the Solr search server—that is, if you are not using SolrCloud—you can usually select the default setting.

    Custom Solr Configuration

    Select this option if you want to configure custom settings for the Solr search server. This is especially true if you want to make changes to the authentication settings on the Solr search server.

    For detailed information on custom Solr configuration, see the " Custom Solr Configuration" section.

    Intrexx Version 12.0.1

    Starting with Intrexx 12.0.1, you can use OpenSearch or Elasticsearch as a "preview feature" for the portal search.

    OpenSearch/ElasticSearch

    Preview Feature

    Please note that this is a so-called "preview feature." Preview features may be incomplete or contain errors. Therefore, they may currently be used only in test and development environments so that they can be evaluated accordingly.

    Before you use a preview feature, we strongly recommend that you back up your data. INTREXX GmbH. makes no warranty whatsoever regarding the functionality or reliability of preview features. The use of preview features is therefore at the user's own risk.

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

    OpenSearch and Elasticsearch are not included in the scope of delivery. We recommend setting up your own installation using the OpenSearch or Elasticsearch Docker image.

    For more information on this topic, see the following sections:

    After you click "Next," you'll be taken to the "Summary" dialog box.

    Summary

    General Information

    Opens a dialog box where you can edit the portal name and directory.

    Web Server

    Opens a dialog box where you can edit the web server settings.

    Advanced Settings

    Opens a dialog box where you can change ports, the search engine, and other settings.

    Portal Template

    Opens a dialog box where you can change the portal template and the default portal language.

    After you click " Portal Template," the "Portal Template" dialog box appears.

    Click "Next."

    The "Language" dialog box appears.

    Here you can change the portal's default language.

    Database

    Opens a dialog box where you can switch databases.

    Advanced Settings

    Opens a dialog box where you can change ports, the search engine, and other settings.

    After you click "Start," the "Create Portal" dialog box will appear.

    Create a Portal

    View Messages

    Clicking "View Notifications" takes you to a page that lists notifications related to portal creation.

    View Tasks

    Returns to the original page.

    After you click "Finish," the "Success" dialog box will appear.

    Success

    View the portal in your browser

    Opens the portal you just created in the browser.

    You have created a portal based on the Intrexx demo portal.