Administering help content

The help delivery system is packaged as a web archive (WAR) file that is deployed on your help server.
You can access help content in three ways:
  1. Web help from ibm.com (remote help): You can access help content in an information center that is hosted on ibm.com®, so that the content is always up-to-date. This option is sometimes referred to as remote help.
  2. Downloaded help content (local help): You download the help contents to the help server and then the help serves the local files. This option is sometimes referred to as local help.
  3. Web help from an intranet information center (intranet help): You can access help content that is on an intranet server. This option uses remote help to point to the intranet information center and is sometimes referred to as intranet help. This option can be used in enterprise environments so that a single intranet information center can be used for help for multiple products.
The three help content delivery options
The help configuration options are:
  1. Web help from ibm.com (remote help)
  2. Downloaded help content (local help)
  3. Web help from an intranet information center (intranet help)
The administration and usages of the three help content options are in the following table:
Table 1. Help content options
Help option 1. Web help from ibm.com (remote help) 2. Downloaded help content (local help) 3. Web help from an intranet information center (intranet help)
Description

With this option, you access help that is on ibm.com. The help server must have an internet connection.

With this option, you access help from the help server.

With this option, you access help that is on your intranet server. The internet information center must be configured and the help server must have an intranet connection to the intranet server that hosts the information center.

This option might be used for enterprise environments.

Administration This help configuration is the default. If you need set up for web help from ibm.com (remote help):
  1. On the help server, browse to the product help remote information center page.
  2. Configure the help to use remote help from an information center on ibm.com.
To set up for downloaded help content (local help):
  1. On the help server, browse to the Update page.
  2. Download the help from ibm.com to the local help server. For details, see Downloading help content.
  3. Configure the help to not use remote help.
To configure for help server:
  1. On the intranet server, create an information center for your product.
  2. On the help server, browse to the product help remote information center page.
  3. Configure the help to use remote help from your intranet information center.
Update content Updates are not needed. The content is always up-to-date. To update the content for downloaded help content (local help):
  1. On the help server, browse to the local help download page
  2. Update the content. For details, see Updating help content.
Note: If you have automatic updates set, the content will be updated every time you restart the help and the help server has an internet connection to ibm.com.
You might need to update content on the intranet server. To update the content, follow the instructions for downloading help, except use the intranet server instead of the help server.
Usage
To access the help content:
  • Browse to the product.
  • For help, click Help (?). The help content is accessed from ibm.com.
To access the help content:
  • Browse to the product.
  • For help, click Help (?). The help content is accessed from content that is on the help server.
To access the help content:
  • Browse to the product.
  • For help, click Help (?). The help content is accessed from the intranet server.
For Tomcat application servers, the help starts and stops when you start or stop your product. For IBM WebSphere® Application Servers, you must manually start and stop the help WAR file.

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