3
Configuration

To manage Oracle Syndication Server, you must first configure and run the OSSAdmin utility. This chapter describes configuring and running the OSSAdmin utility. See Chapter 5 for information about using the OSSAdmin utility to manage subscribers, affiliates or content providers, and subscriptions, and to do Syndication Server system administration operations.

3.1 Configuring and Running the OSSAdmin Utility

To verify a successful installation, use the OSSAdmin command-line utility (ossadmin on UNIX or ossadmin.bat on Windows NT).

The OSSAdmin utility allows command-line interactions with the Oracle Syndication Server and lets you perform common operations, such as managing subscribers, managing affiliates, managing subscriptions, and doing Syndication Server system administration operations.

3.1.1 Configuring the OSSAdmin Utility

Before you run the OSSAdmin utility, you must configure its configuration XML file, OSSAdminConfig.xml, located in the following directory on UNIX systems:

$<ORACLE_HOME>/syndication/etc/ossadmin/ 

Or, on Windows NT systems:

$<ORACLE_HOME>\syndication\etc\ossadmin\ 

Note that this is the default path where the OSSAdmin utility expects to find its configuration file. You can also have your own configuration file and point to it by running the command shown in Example 3-1 (the -c option and additional options are described later in this section).

Example 3-1 Configure the OSSAdmin Utility

On UNIX systems:
<ORACLE_HOME>/syndication/bin/ossadmin -c <your config file>

On Windows NT systems:
<ORACLE_HOME>\syndication\bin\ossadmin -c <your config file>

The configuration file conforms to the specifications of an XML document containing elements and values. The specific elements that you can configure in the file are described in Table 3-1.

With the basic installation, only connections using your connection description nickname can be used. Change the name SAMPLE to match your connection name. The only other element you need to change is the OSS_URL element. Change the OSS_URL element to point to your database instance that hosts Syndication Server connection descriptor, as shown in Example 3-2.

Example 3-2 Change the OSS_URL Element

<OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTOR name="SAMPLE">
   <annotation>
     -| For Nickname "Sample":                                  
      | These are specifications of the DB Connection pool     
   </annotation>
   <OSS_URL>jdbc:oracle:thin:@<your-host-name>:<your-port-number>:<your-SID></OSS_URL>
   <OSS_POOL_SIZE>5</OSS_POOL_SIZE>
</OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTOR>

To add additional OSSAdmin DB connections, you can add as many OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTOR sections within the OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTORS section as needed, each containing a unique connection nickname and its associated OSS_URL element value. Note that the OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTOR is analogous to a service entry in the Oracle tnsnames.ora file.

Table 3-1 OSSAdmin Utility Configuration Elements  

Element	Description
OSS_ADMIN_CONFIG	The root element of the OSSAdmin utility configuration document.
OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTORS	The connection descriptor section. Contains descriptions of the connection nickname and associated URL.
OSS_CONNECTION_DESCRIPTOR	The connection descriptor. Contains the name attribute describing the nickname for the connection that is used to open Syndication Server connections to be used throughout the lifetime of the OSSAdmin utility.
OSS_URL	The name of the URL. This URL is used to open a Syndication Server connection.The URL can be jdbc:oracle:oci8:@db, where db represents the tnsname of where you installed your Syndication Server schema or jdbc:oracle:thin:@<your-host-name>:<your-port-name>:<your-SID>).

3.1.2 Running the OSSAdmin Utility

Run the OSSAdmin utility by executing the command shown in Example 3-3.

Example 3-3 Run the OSSAdmin Utility

On UNIX systems:
<ORACLE_HOME>/syndication/bin/ossadmin

On Windows NT systems:
<ORACLE_HOME>\syndication\bin\ossadmin

Following each prompt, enter the user name DSGATEWAY, <DSGATEWAY-password> (default is DSGATEWAY), and then enter 1 to select the OSSConnection nickname named for your SID.

The command-line options for running the OSSAdmin utility are described in Table 3-2.

Table 3-2 OSSAdmin Utility Command-Line Options  

Option	Description
-c <config file>	Allows the OSSAdmin utility to load configuration files from any location.
-h	Displays help. Lists the OSSAdmin utility command-line options.
-i <script file>	Allows actions to be scripted through this option. The OSSAdmin utility interprets each command separately and displays the result in standard output.
-u <username>/<password>@<nickname>	Allows a user name, password, and OSSConnection nickname to be specified upon invoking the OSSAdmin utility. Note the nickname must be uppercase.

After you have successfully run the OSSAdmin utility, you can begin using this utility to manage subscribers, manage affiliates or content providers, and manage subscriptions (see Chapter 5 for more information). In addition, you can also begin to develop your own content provider adaptors (see Chapter 4 for more information).