Configuring Look Aside database

Portal server has a concept of Property Extension Database or which is more commonly known as lookaside database, that you can use to store additional attributes that cannot be stored in the LDAP user registy.

Ex. Lets say you configured portal to use your LDAP server but your LDAP server is either read-only or you need a custom attribute say favoriteMovie that cannot be added to LDAP server. In that case you can configure a lookaside database, and use it store the favoriteMovie attribute for the user.

Follow these steps to configure look aside database

• First execute this configuration task
  /ConfigEngine.sh wp-la-install-ear -DWasPassword=password
  


• Propagate your changes by restarting both server1 and WebSphere_Portal server


• Execute these commands on your DB2 database to create LASIDE database
  

  
  db2 "CREATE DB LASIDE using codeset UTF-8 territory us PAGESIZE 8192"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING applheapsz 4096"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING app_ctl_heap_sz 1024"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING stmtheap 32768"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING dbheap 2400"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING locklist 1000"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING logfilsiz 4000"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING logprimary 12"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING logsecond 20"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING logbufsz 32"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING avg_appls 5"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE USING locktimeout 30"
  db2 "UPDATE DB CFG FOR LASIDE using AUTO_MAINT off"
  

  
  


• Create new vmmdbJDBC JDBC provider that will be used to connect to DB2 database
  
  
  


• Create new vmmladbDS JDBC provider that will be used to connect to DB2 database
  
  


• Change the wp_add_LA.properties file to set the values required for executing add
  

  
  # JdbcProviderName: The name of jdbc provider to be used
  # keep federated.db.JdbcProviderName in sync for the same db type
  # la.JdbcProviderName and federated.db.JdbcProviderName must be different for different db types
  la.JdbcProviderName=vmmdbJDBC
  
  # DbType: The type of database to be used for VMM lookaside db domain
  # for information about suported values please check wkplc_comp.properties
  la.DbType=db2
  
  # DbUrl: The VMM lookaside DB domain database URL
  # for information about suported values please check wkplc_comp.properties
  #la.DbUrl=jdbc:db2:LASIDE
  la.DbUrl=jdbc:db2://192.168.174.1:50000/LASIDE
  # DbName: The name of the VMM lookaside database
  # Note: This value should also appear as the database element in DbUrl. Please verify that you point to the same DB
  # Note: Non-Windows platforms when using DB2 only. This value is the TCPIP
  # Alias for the database.
  la.DbName=LASIDE
  
  # DataSourceName: The name of datasource to be used for 
  # VMM Federated DB domain
  la.DataSourceName=vmmladbDS
  
  # DbUser: The database administrator user ID
  la.DbUser=db2admin
  
  # DbPassword: The database administrator password
  la.DbPassword=db2admin
  
  
  ###############################################################################
  ##
  ##     Advanced Properties
  ##
  ###############################################################################
  
  # DbSchema: The VMM lookaside DB domain database schema name
  #           Follow the documentation of the target database management system
  #           in order to define a valid schema name as restrictions apply for
  #           some database management systems.
  la.DbSchema=federate
  
  # **Required for DB2 for z/OS and OS/390 only**
  # DbNameOnZos: 
  # If running db2_zos as remote database, the name of the remote 
  # VMM lookaside database.
  # If portal is running on z/OS with db2_zos, must be set equal to DbName.
  la.DbNameOnZos=WPSTST02
  
  # **Required for Non-Windows platforms when using DB2 only**
  # **Required only for local DB2 database using Type 2 JDBC driver
  # XDbName: The VMM lookaside database alias that needs to be set if you want to call
  # create-database
  #la.XDbName=wps6TCP
  
  # **Required for Non-Windows platforms when using DB2 only**
  # DbNode: This value is the node for the VMM lookaside domain
  # database and needs to be set if you want to call create-database
  #la.DbNode=wpsNode
  
  # **Required for DB2 for z/OS and OS/390 only**
  # DbStorageGroup: The storage group for the VMM lookaside database
  # jcr wcm
  #la.DbStorageGroup=WPSSG
   
  # **Required for DB2 for z/OS and OS/390 only**
  # DbVolumes: The volumes for the VMM lookaside database
  la.DbVolumes=*
   
  # **Required for DB2 for z/OS and OS/390 only**
  # DbVcat: The VCAT for the VMM lookaside database
  la.DbVcat=DSN810
   
  # **Required for DB2 for z/OS and OS/390 only**
  # Db4KBufferPoolName: The 4K bufferpool name for the VMM lookaside database
  la.Db4KBufferPoolName=BP0
   
  # **Required for DB2 for z/OS and OS/390 only**
  # Db32KBufferPoolName: The 32K bufferpool name for the VMM lookaside database
  la.Db32KBufferPoolName=BP32K
  
  ###################
  # Create LA tables
  ###################
                    
  # Specifies whether to report SQL errors while setting up databases.
  la.reportSqlError=true
  
  # Configure LA repository
  # Specifies the maximum number of entities that the system can retrieve from the DB with a single database query.
  la.entityRetrievalLimit=50
  
  ########################################
  # Add property
  # The following properties are used by wp-add-la-property and wp-add-property 
  # wp-add-(la-)property does use a secured connection to WebSphere
  # please visit wp_profile/properties/sas.client.props and ensure the following settings
  # com.ibm.CORBA.securityEnabled=true
  # please set com.ibm.CORBA.loginSource to stdin or prpreties if you are using a remote telnet connection
  ########################################
  
  # Provider URL
  # This defines the remote endpoint where your portal server installation is available
  # please check the value for localhost:port The port should point to the bootstrap Port of WebSphere_Portal
  la.providerURL=corbaloc:iiop:localhost:10031
  
  # Name of the property to be added.
  la.propertyName=
  
  # A list of entity types, the new property is applicable to
  # Can be one of the following:
  #  PersonAccount 
  #  Group 
  #  PersonAccount,Group
  la.entityTypes=
  
  # Data type. For example String.
  la.dataType=
  
  # Defines if the property can contain multiple attributes or not. true or false
  la.multiValued=
  
  # For wp-add-property only: list of repositories, the new property will be added to
  # leave blank if you want to add the property to all repsitories
  # note: Adding a property to VMM config of a repository does not add it to the backend system (e.g. LDAP)
  repositoryId=
  

  
  


• Execute the Configuration task to add Look aside database.
  ./ConfigEngine.sh wp-configure-la-complete -DWasPassword=wasadmin -DparentProperties=/software/WebSphere/wp_profile/ConfigEngine/config/helpers/wp_add_LA.properties
  


• Propagate your changes by restarting the WebSphere_Portal server