Metacat

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#AdminLoginOverview">Admin Log In</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#LoggingIn">Logging In</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#MainConfigOverview">Main Configuration Overview</a></div>

  <div class="toc1"><a href="#GlobalConfig">Global Properties Configuration</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#GlobalConfigOverview">Global Properties Overview</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#AutoDetection">Property Auto-Detection</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#GlobalConfigBackup">Global Property Backup</a></div>  

  <div class="toc1"><a href="#SkinsConfig">Skins Configuration</a></div>  

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#SkinsConfigOverview">Skins Overview</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#ChoosingDefaultSkin">Choosing a Default Skin</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#ConfigOnlineRegistry">Configuring Online Registry</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#DatabaseConfigOverview">Database Configuration Overview</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#DatabaseNewInstall">New Database Installation</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#DatabaseUpgrade">Database Upgrade</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#GeoserverUpdatePassword">Geoserver Password Update</a></div>

    <div class="toc2"><a href="#GeoserverManualUpdate">Geoserver Manual Update</a></div>  

  <div class="toc1"><a href="#CompleteConfig">Complete the Metacat Configuration</a></div>

  <p> See the following sections for descriptions of how each of these work.  For more

  information on each field, click on the blue question mark icon to the right.</p>

<a name="LdapOverview"></a><div class="header2">LDAP Overview</div>

<a name="AdminLogin"></a><div class="header1">Admin Log In</div>

<a name="AdminLoginOverview"></a><div class="header2">Admin Log In Overview</div>

  <p>Once LDAP has been configured, you will be required to login as an 

  administrative user if you haven't already.  You will be taken to 

  the administrator login screen (fig 2).  You can also get to the login

  screen by choosing the "log in as different user" link at the bottom of

  any configuration screen.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/admin-login.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 2 </div>

<a name="LoggingIn"></a><div class="header2">Logging In</div>

<p>You need to log in with an account that was configured as an administrative

user in the LDAP configuration section.  If you did not set up the correct user 

there, you will need to go through the 

<a href="#ConfigLdapNoAuth">Changing LDAP Configuration Without Authentication</a>

instructions to set up the user.</p>

<p>Enter your user name.  This is the uid part of the ldap identifier that you 

entered in LDAP configuration.  Select your organization, enter your password and

hit enter.  You should successfully log in.</p>

<a name="MainConfig"></a><div class="header1">Main Configuration Page</div>

<a name="MainConfigOverview"></a><div class="header2">Main Configuration Overview</div>

  <p>The main configuration screen acts as a gateway into individual configuration

  sections (fig 3).  You should see that the LDAP is already configured.</p>  

  <p>Each section is listed with a status to the left which can be one of:</p>

  <ul>

    <li><font color="red">[unconfigured]</font> - the section has yet to be configured</li>

    <li><font color="green">[configured]</font> - the section has been configured</li>

    <li>

      <font color="green">[bypassed]</font> - this is currently only used for Geoserver 

      configuration.  The administrator can choose not to configure the Geoserver user/password.

      In essence, the bypass status acts like the configured status.

    </li>  

  </ul>

  <p>To the right of each section is an option which can be one of:

  <ul>

    <li>Configure Now - click on this link to configure that section</li>

    <li>Reconfigure Now - the section was already configured, but you can choose to reconfigure it.</li>

    <li>

      Configure Global Properties First - this section has a dependency on the global

      properties section.  Once global properties is configured, the option to configure

      this section should become available.

    </li>  

    <li>Version: X.X.X - this is used for the Database Installation/Upgrade section.  The system

      detects the database schema version.  If that version is the same as the application version,

      that version will be displayed (i.e. 1.9.0) and no further database configuration is

      required.

    </li>

  </ul>

  <p>All sections must be in a configured or bypassed state in order to run Metacat.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/main-config.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 3 </div>

<a name="GlobalConfig"></a><div class="header1">Global Properties Configuration</div>

<a name="GlobalConfigOverview"></a><div class="header2">Global Properties Overview</div>

  <p>Metacat global properties are the bulk of the core properties needed to run Metacat 

  (fig 4).  For detailed instructions on setting these properties, refer to the blue 

  question mark icon to the right of each property.  Be sure that each of these are set

  appropriately.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/global-config.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 4 </div>

<a name="AutoDetection"></a><div class="header2">Property Auto-Detection</div> 

   <p>The first time you install Metacat, the system will attempt to auto-detect

   some values.  These are:</p>

  <ul>

    <li>Metacat Context - Name of the context under which Metacat will run. This is the name 

        of the Metacat war file that was deployed (minus the .war extension).</li>

    <li>Server Name - The DNS name of the server where Metacat will be available, not including

        port numbers or the http:// header.</li>

    <li>HTTP Port - The non-secure port where Metacat will be available. </li>  

    <li>HTTP SSL Port - The secure port where Metacat will be available.</li>

    <li>Deploy Location - The directory where the application is deployed.</li>

  </ul>

  <p>You should be extra careful that these were detected correctly.</p>

<a name="GlobalConfigBackup"></a><div class="header2">Global Property Backup</div>

  <p>When you save global properties, they are saved in a backup file that is 

  located in the following directory:</p>

  <div class="code">/var/metacat/.metacat</div>

  <p>When you update Metacat, the system will look for these backed up properties

  so you won't have to re-enter all the information from previous installs.</p>

<a name="SkinsConfig"></a><div class="header1">Skins Configuration</div>

<a name="SkinsConfigOverview"></a><div class="header2">Skins Overview</div>

  <p>Metacat allows for a customized look and feel for the Metacat front end and for the 

  online data registry services.  There are two major functions provided by the

  skins configuration.  The first is to choose which skin will be the default.  The

  second will be to configure the look and feel of the online data registry pages.  For

  more information on the online data registry option, refer to the 

  <a href="./registry_installation.html">Metacat Registry Installation</a> documentation.</p>

  <p>Note that if you are not using the online registry, and you don't have a custom skin,

  you can just save the default skins configuration and move on to the next configuration

  section.</p>

<a name="ChoosingDefaultSkin"></a><div class="header2">Choosing a Default Skin</div> 

  <p>There are several skins available to choose from in Metacat (fig 5).  If you have a 

  skin that has been developed specifically for your instance of Metacat, you should

  select the checkbox next to that skin.  When you do, the form will open up with 

  several options for that skin (fig 6).  choose the 'Make "skin_name" default" radio selection.

  You should see "(default)" appear next to that skin name.  Save the configuration

  and that skin will be the one that appears when users visit your Metacat site.  Note

  that if you do not have a custom skin, you should leave your skin as the "default" skin.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/skins-config.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 5 </div>  

<a name="ConfigOnlineRegistry"></a><div class="header2">Configuring Online Registry</div> 

  <p>The online registry code provides a web interface for entering data into Metacat.  The

  screens are somewhat configurable as far as which fields show up and which are required.

  You should select each for which you want to activate the registry and then select the

  appropriate fields for that skin.</p> 

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/skins-config-2.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 6 </div>  

<a name="DatabaseConfig"></a><div class="header1">Database Configuration</div>

<a name="DatbaseConfigOverview"></a><div class="header2">Database Configuration Overview</div>

  <p>Metacat will detect the schema version of your database, and upgrade it if necessary.  Once the

  global Metacat properties have been configured, the Database Installation/Upgrade link 

  will become active on the main Metacat configuration page (see fig 3).</p>

<a name="DatabaseNewInstall"></a><div class="header2">New Database Installation</div>

  <p>If this is a installation of Metacat, the database install/upgrade utility will

  inform you of this (fig 7).  It will list the sql scripts that will get run in order

  to create a database schema for the version of Metacat that you are installing.  If

  there is any question as to whether the database is new, you should choose to cancel.

  When you choose to continue, the server will run the scripts you saw earlier.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/database-config.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 7 </div> 

<a name="DatabaseUpgrade"></a><div class="header2">Database Upgrade</div> 

  <p>If this is an upgrade of Metacat, the database install/upgrade utility will

  inform you of the current version of the database (fig 7).  It will list the sql scripts 

  that will get run in order to update the database schema to the upgraded version of 

  Metacat.  If there is any question as to whether the detected database schema version is 

  correct, you should choose to cancel. When you choose to continue, the server will run 

  the scripts you saw earlier.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/database-config-2.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 8 </div> 

<a name="GeoserverConfig"></a><div class="header1">Geoserver Configuration</div>

<a name="GeoserverOverview"></a><div class="header2">Geoserver Configuration Overview</div> 

  <p>Metacat comes bundled with a Web Mapping Service called Geoserver which 

  converts spatial data into web-deliverable map images.  For more information, see the

  <a href="./spatial_option.html">Metacat Spatial Option documentation</a>.  Geoserver 

  installs with a default admin username and password.  You should change these so that

  only local administrators can make changes to Geoserver.</p>

<a name="GeoserverUpdatePassword"></a><div class="header2">Geoserver Password Update</div>

  <p>When you choose the Geoserver Configuration link on the main configuratio page, you

  will go to a page that will prompt you for a user name and password (fig 9).  When you 

  enter a user name and password, the metacat server will contact the embedded Geoserver

  server and change the login credentails.</p>

  <p>You also have the option of choosing "bypass".  This will leave Geoserver configured

  with the default user name and password.  The main configuration screen will show the 

  bypassed status.  The system will interpret the bypassed status the same as the configured

  status.</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/geoserver-config.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 9 </div> 

<a name="GeoserverManualUpdate"></a><div class="header2">Geoserver Manual Update</div>

  <p>You also have the option of changeing the Geoserver username and password by logging

  in directly to the Geoserver.  For more information on changing the credentials directly,

  refer to the <a href="./geoserver-manual-configure.html">Geoserver Password Change documentation</a>.

  Note that once you change the credentails manually, you will not be able to use the 

  Metacat admin tool to change it again (until a new Metacat Upgrade or installation).

<a name="CompleteConfig"></a><div class="header1">Complete the Metacat Configuration</div>  

  At this point, all the sections of the main configuration should be in a configured or

  bypassed state (fig 10).  If you are configuring because of a Metacat install or upgrade,

  you will have the option to click on the "go to metacat" link and you should get taken

  directly to the running version of Metacat.  Note that this may take some time depending

  on the amount of data in your database, since Metacat goes through an indexing process

  at start-up time.</p>

  <p>If you are reconfiguring an already running version of Metacat, you will not have the

  option to go directly back to Metacat.  You will need to restart the server (Tomcat).</p>

  <img class="screenshot" src="./images/main-config-2.png"/>

  <div class="fig-text"> fig 10 </div>