The document discusses managing multiple websites with the OpenCMS 9 Site Manager Tool, highlighting features like web-server configuration and the ability to generate configurations dynamically. It details the use of specific Apache configurations and simple administrative tools for site management, eliminating the need for deep web-server knowledge. The conclusion emphasizes the benefits of an automated and user-friendly site management experience, allowing administrators to manage sites effortlessly.

1. Rüdiger Kurz, Alkacon Software
WORKSHOP TRACK
The OpenCms 9
Site Manager Tool
09.10.2013

2. ● Managing sites with OpenCms 9
● Multiple Sites in OpenCms (+DEMO)
● Web-Server Configuration (+DEMO)
● What does happen behind the walls
● Virtual Host Template files
● Configure Settings and Defaults
2
Agenda

3. Multiple Sites in OpenCms
3

4. ● One OpenCms installation can be used to
maintain multiple websites
● Every site has its own set of resources and
can be addressed with an URL by the public
● Optional server aliases and a secure server
(https) can be configured for each site
● This information is stored in the OpenCms XML
configuration (opencms-system.xml)
4
Sites in OpenCms

5. ● To add new or to manage existing sites
administrative server knowledge and
permissions were required
● Edit the OpenCms XML configuration
● Configure the Web-Server’s files manually
● Restart the servlet container
● The simple Site Manager’s UI helps to
decrease the configuration complexity
5
Requirements of former days

6. 6
Site Management Tool intro
Demo
Demo Demo
Demo
デモ

7. 7
Web-Server Configuration

8. ● OpenCms requires a specific Apache
configuration to
● Access a site with a nice web address
● Get rid of /opencms/opencms in the URL
● Serve static resources directly by Apache
● Configure the Web-Server is as well as editing
the OpenCms configuration a painstaking task
● Therefore OpenCms 9 supports generating
Web-Server configurations on-the-fly
8
Integrate Apache in front

9. ● Prepare Apache Web-Server
● mod_proxy, mod_proxy_http, mod_rewrite and mod_jk
● Include a directory where for the virtual host files
● Create ONE virtual “by hand” for the OpenCms
workplace server
● Prepare Apache Tomcat
● Enable AJP connector and set session cookie path to
“/”, if OpenCms is not running as ROOT
● Prepare OpenCms (opencms-importexport.xml)
and replace the RFS and the VFS prefixes with
9
Environment preparation
<rfs-prefix>/export</rfs-prefix>
<vfs-prefix></vfs-prefix>

10. 10
Web-Server configuration
Demo
Demo Demo
Demo
デモ

11. Configure Settings and Defaults
11

12. 12
Configure Settings and Defaults

13. 13
Configure Settings and Defaults
Module parameters: “org.opencms.workplace.tools.sites”

14. Virtual Host Template files
14

15. 15
String Template based generation
<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot "$DOCUMENT_ROOT$"
ServerName $SERVER_NAME_WITH_PORT$
$ALIAS_DIRECTIVE$ $SERVER_ALIASES$
[...]
</VirtualHost>
● By default the distribution contains an Apache
virtual host “String template” that is working
with OpenCms out of the box …

16. 16
String Template based generation
$CONFIG_FILENAME$
$LOGGING_DIRECTORY$
$WEBAPP_NAME$
$DOCUMENT_ROOT$
$CONTEXT_PATH$
$SERVLET_PATH$
$DEFAULT_ENCODING$
$SERVER_URL$
$SERVER_NAME_WITH_PORT$
$SERVER_PROTOCOL$
$SERVER_NAME$
$SERVER_ALIASES$
$SECURE_URL$
$SECURE_SERVER_NAME$
$SECURE_SRV_WITH_PORT$
$SECURE_SERVER_PORT$
$SECURE_SERVER_PROTOCOL$
$ALIAS_DIRECTIVE$
$SITE_TITLE$
$ERROR_PAGE$
● Such a template file can contain „macros“, that
will be replaced when executing the „Update
Web-Server“ action

17. ● Generated configuration files are written to a
specified location on the server's RFS
● As a very last step you can let the servlet
container execute a Shell-Script
17
String Template based generation
cp ~Web-Server.tmp
/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/happy.managers.org
** only added for illustration purposes (something equivalent is done in Java) **
#!/bin/bash
# simple script reloading the apache web server
/etc/init.d/apache2 reload

18. ● In a default OpenCms installation you'll find the
example files on the server at
<OPENCMS_HOME>/WEB-INF/server-scripts
18
String Template based generation
 available-macros.txt (with explanation in it)
 script.bat (Restarts the Apache on Windows)
 script.sh (reloads /etc/init.d/apache2 on Unix)
 vhost.template (for none secure sites)
 vhost-secure.template (for secure sites)
 worker.conf (example for mod_jk)
 worker.properties (ajp13 config)

19. Conclusion
19

20. ● Administrators can now create new sites and
manage existing sites using a simple GUI
● Global settings like the workplace server, the
default URI or the shared folder location can be
selected using the new Admin-Tool
● Automated configuration update by OpenCms
● Generate Web-Server files 100% dynamically
… automatically run a script after generation
… and getting rid of /opencms/opencms/
… without deep knowledge about the Web-Server
● No servlet container restart required anymore
20
Today’s benefits

21. 21
Any Questions?
Fragen?
Questions ?
Questiones?
¿Preguntas?質問

22. Rüdiger Kurz
Alkacon Software GmbH
http://www.alkacon.com
http://www.opencms.org
Thank you very much for your
attention!
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