The IBM WebSphere Application Server InfoCenter provides central navigation and search of the entire product documentation set.
Though you will probably find it easy enough to learn about the InfoCenter simply by using it, this article describes how to get the most from the WebSphere Application Server part of the WebSphere InfoCenter. See also Using the WebSphere InfoCenter.
Select a goal:
Here is a description of the navigational features of a typical article (document) in the InfoCenter. Click here to display a typical article in a separate browser window so that you can view its features in the context of this discussion.
The ancestor list at the top of an article provides links to the ancestors of the article that you are viewing.
The "ancestors" reveal how this article fits into the overall InfoCenter, from the highest level (InfoCenter Home) downward. Typically, you will see a progression of the articles from general (InfoCenter Home) to more specific (the current article in which you are viewing the ancestor list). Use the links on the ancestors to quickly climb to higher, more general levels of the documentation set.
Note, the ancestor list does not show the "peer" or "sub" topics of the current article. Links to articles clustered beside and below the current article (envisioning the arrangement of the InfoCenter articles as a tree with InfoCenter Home as the root) are included in the Related topics area.
The Related topics area of an article contains links to other articles in the InfoCenter, or sometimes to documents outside of the InfoCenter (on the Internet).
The first link under "Related topics" is the InfoCenter Home, meaning the Getting started page where you can find information for -- well, getting started!
The additional links under "Related topics" are categorized as such:
Links to other parts of the InfoCenter are generally listed first, or links to topics that are neither sub-topics nor peer topics of the current article, but are notable anyway. Many times, the article has been cited in the text of the current article as a possible next destination.
Note, the terms "related topics" and "related information" are equivalent, as used throughout the documentation in the InfoCenter.
The links and headings in the "Related topics" area are subject to change, again based on feedback about what users find helpful.
The Back and Forward buttons provide a way to navigate the articles as though you are flipping through the pages of a book.
The Forward sequence mimics the organization of a book that uses index numbers to indicate its sections and subsections. A sample Forward sequence of article numbers (that does not necessarily reflect the articles currently available in the InfoCenter) is:
1 -> 1.1 -> 1.2 -> 1.3 -> 1.3.1 -> 1.4 -> 2 -> 2.2 -> 2.2.1 -> 2.2.2 -> 2.2.2.1 -> 2.2.2.2 -> 3 -> InfoCenter Homewhere -> represents a click of the Forward button. (The last article in the sequence returns to InfoCenter Home). The Back sequence is simply a reversal of the Forward sequence.
Note, article numbering does contain gaps in places, as illustrated above by the gap between 2 and 2.2. Articles are organized according to an "ideal" tree structure established across product releases and editions, meaning articles are omitted from the tree when they do not apply to a particular release or edition. You might click Forward from article 6.6.3 and go to 6.6.5 instead of 6.6.4. Article numbers are provided mainly to help you uniquely identify an article, while providing a rough sense of its context. See the discussion of article numbers for more information.
Also note that the Back and Next buttons are hard-coded, not dynamic. If you use a route other than the sequence of article numbers to arrive at an article, that article's Back button will not lead you through the path that you just took. It will set you on the path of visiting the articles according to their fixed numerical sequence.
The sequence visited by the Back and Forward buttons is not all-inclusive, though all of the numbered articles are included, with the exception of conceptual ("What are concept?") topics numbered 00*. Certain topics are omitted because they do not lend themselves to a sequential, one-by-one viewing, such as the set of HTML articles that are grouped into various case-specific installation documents.
Send your feedback and suggestions for the contents of Related topics and other navigational features!
Key product Web sites are documented in the README file.
The following table summarizes the location of the product documentation.
| What is it? | Where can you find it? | How current is it? |
|---|---|---|
| README | Product CD root, and in InfoCenter | Current. Rarely needs an update |
| InfoCenter download
Includes "Getting started" view |
Download it from
Application Server InfoCenter page
Install it locally to overwrite and add to your back-level, existing InfoCenter |
Very current |
| "Full" InfoCenter online version |
Browse it from the Application Server InfoCenter page | Could be slightly more current than the corresponding InfoCenter download, but typically matches |
If you installed the InfoCenter from the product CD (or as part of the product download), or if you have not updated the original version in a while, it is highly recommended that you download the latest InfoCenter to replace your existing files.
The InfoCenter installation instructions are posted on the Web page from which you can download the InfoCenter updates:
Application Server InfoCenter page
For a summary of the changes to each InfoCenter version, see the online revision history, also available in the online InfoCenter on the InfoCenter Web page cited above.
A local copy is installed with your InfoCenter, but could be somewhat back-level, to the extent that your locally installed InfoCenter is back-level.
To print the InfoCenter, use the following options.
As discussed earlier, the latest InfoCenter is available for online viewing from the IBM Web site. But what if your machine is not connected to the Internet, or even an intranet?
If you are going to be offline for a while, or will be using a very slow connection, you can view a locally installed InfoCenter to avoid needing network access. Before you disconnect, download the latest InfoCenter from the WebSphere Application Server Web site and install it.
The locally installed InfoCenter is quite self-contained, providing access to documentation, help files, and the product Javadoc without requiring network connectivity. You need only a Web browser and an optional Adobe Acrobat Viewer for accessing PDF files.
Nearly everything is available in one place, although you will need a connection to view the online prerequisites information and some Web sites referenced in the documentation, usually as supplemental information.
An additional option is to print the needed information and take it with you, as described in the previous section.
To find information quickly, use the following features.
The book suggests a combination of reading and product use for each role, directing users to the most relevant activities for their purposes.
The master table of contents lists the available HTML files in the product documentation, with the exception of the installation documents, which are combined into handy PDF versions. Only a couple of documents are available in PDF only (see next entry).
A key use of the master table of contents is to ensure that you have performed an exhaustive search for information. If you cannot find a topic on the master table of contents, it is highly probable that the information is not in the InfoCenter, unless it is described with different terminology than you are using.
Consider right-clicking the browser frame containing the master table of contents, then using your browser Find or Search option to locate keywords or article numbers that you jotted down earlier.
The PDF files vary in quality from no-frills "print solutions" for printing many related HTML files easily, to complete IBM softcopy books.
Most InfoCenter articles have a unique identifying number (ID). Here is some information for understanding and utilizing the numbering scheme:
For example, it does not really matter whether you read 6.1.2 before or after its sibling 6.1.3. It is advised that you read 6.1 (the parent to both articles) before reading either article.
View article 1.3 for a link to the prerequisites Web site.
The Web site is the ultimate source of accurate supporting software information for current product releases. Because the site provides centralized access to detailed prerequisite information, the InfoCenter documentation is written in a more general way with respect to citing specific prerequisite brands and versions.
The following problems and workarounds apply to the InfoCenter and the related help systems for the product interfaces.
| Problem | Op System | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| When opening the InfoCenter or its files using a Netscape browser,
you might receive this message: file not found This message refers to the name and path of the file you are attempting to open, for example: 'c:\WebSphere\AppServer\web\doc\ begin_here\filename.html' not found |
Windows NT/2000 | Do the following:
With the Use DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) option off, the window errors that complain that a local file (like the Readme) is not found should not appear. |
| Using the Netscape browser, the InfoCenter and Help display blank pages or give Java/Javascript errors when opening InfoCenter or Help topics. | Solaris | Set up the Netscape browser environment to
allow use of the InfoCenter and Help system (setup consists of putting all Netscape .jar files in the
CLASSPATH, followed by the required WebSphere JDK):
|
| If Netscape Navigator (or Communicator) is the system default browser and a browser is already open for a purpose other than displaying WebSphere Application Server help or documentation, the open browser might ignore a request to display the WebSphere Application Server help or documentation. The help or documentation is not displayed in the open browser, and no new browser instance is launched for displaying the requested file. | Windows NT/2000 | If instances of the default browser are already open for other purposes, close these browser instances, if possible, before requesting help or documentation from WebSphere Application Server using the Help menu on the WebSphere Administrative Console or the Start menu on Windows NT. |
| The online help for the Administrative Console accessible from the Help menu choices sometimes does not work. | Solaris, HP-UX | Fixes and workarounds are being investigated so that you
can access context-sensitive help reliably from the product interfaces.
Note, as a workaround the help files are available from the InfoCenter, with an administrative tasks, tools, and resources quick reference providing easy access. See also the administrative topology quick reference. |