Configuring help content for web-based products

The help system is packaged as a web archive (WAR) file that is deployed on your application server. It starts and stops when you start or stop your product. The help system contains help content that can be updated manually. You can also configure the help system to serve the help content from the ibm.com website, so the content is always up-to-date.  The third option is to have the help content served by an intranet server.

Definitions

The following definitions are used in help content delivery:

Local help
Help content that you access from a local server that hosts the product or an intranet server. You can also access help from your computer.
Remote help
Help content that you access, or download, from the ibm.com website.
Intranet help
Help content that you access from an intranet server. The content is initially downloaded to the intranet server from the web.
Local help updater
When you use local or intranet help, this utility helps you download initial content or updated content from the web.
Help updater site
The ibm.com site where the information center for your product is hosted. This site can be accessed with a browser or from the product help system. This site is also the source for the local help updater.
Help download site
The website (http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/rationalsdp/documentation/updatesites/) contains compressed files of the help content for your product to populate either local or intranet help. The file has this format: prod_coden.n_updateSite.zip, where prod_code is the product code and n.n is the version number.

Introduction

This product offers help content that can be updated independently from product updates. By default, your product is configured to access help content locally, which means that the help web archive (WAR) file contains all your help content and is installed when your product is installed. There are three options for help content access, including local access:
  • You can access content from the server that hosts the product.
  • You can access help content from the web.
  • You can access help content from an intranet server.

The three help content options.

Accessing help content on the product server

During product installation, help content is installed on the server the hosts your product.

Administrator: installing and configuring: Install the product. Nothing else is required.

Administrator: updating content: The content is updated manually using either Help updater site or the Help download site.

User: accessing help: Browse to the product and start using it. When you need help, click Help (?) to open the Help in a window. Nothing more is required.

Accessing help content from the web

If your administrator configured this option, then you are linked to your product information center through an ibm.com website. You can access the web-based help for the product only when you are connected to the Internet. When you are disconnected, you can access a limited number of help topics. For more details, see the Help contents topic under Reference.

Note: You must have an Internet connection to use this help option.
Administrator: installing and configuring:
  1. Install the product.
  2. Start the product and the help.
  3. Delete the existing help content in the help WAR file.
  4. Configure remote help to point to the public information center for the product.

Administrator: updating content: The content is always the latest information that is available.

User: accessing help: Browse to the product and start using it. When you need help, click Help (?) to open the Help in a window.

Accessing help content from an intranet server (Enterprise solution)

Depending on company support, you might be able to access help content from internal intranet servers. This method assumes that your intranet administrator has set up a link to a server behind your firewall where product help content is installed. By selecting this option, you must specify the link to your intranet server. Administrators must make scheduled updates to the help content.

Administrator: installing and configuring:
  1. Install the product on the product server.
  2. Install and configure the intranet help.
  3. Start the product.
  4. Delete existing content from the help.
  5. Configure the remote help to use the intranet server by using the information that you used in step 2.

Administrator: updating content: The content is updated manually on the intranet server using either Help updater site or the Help download site.

User: accessing help: Browse to the product and start using it. When you need help, click Help (?) to open the Help in a window. Nothing more is required.


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