System Maintenance

You can perform system maintenance tasks such as changing the default port numbers, changing password references, and so on.

Application server restrictions
When you are performing system maintenance, be aware of the restrictions for IBM OpenPages application servers.
Port assignments
Both dedicated ports and ports that are dynamically assigned for each installation are used for the IBM OpenPages installation. These default ports can be changed after installation.
Change default port numbers
You can change the default IBM OpenPages port numbers after installation.
Auditing configuration changes
IBM OpenPages provides you with the capability of tracking configuration changes made to your system through the Configuration Audit Report.
Changing the password of the WebSphere Liberty keystore
You can change the password of the IBM® WebSphere® Liberty keystore.
Changing the keystore that is used by WebSphere Liberty
When you install IBM OpenPages, the installation process configures a keystore for IBM WebSphere Liberty. If you have an existing keystore or if you want to use an alternate keystore, you can change the keystore that is used by WebSphere Liberty. This task is optional.
Changing the keystore that is used by Db2
When you install IBM OpenPages, the installation process configures a keystore for IBM WebSphere Liberty. By default, the Liberty keystore is also used for Db2®. If you have an existing keystore or if you want to use an alternate keystore, you can change the keystore that is used by Db2. This task is optional.
Changing the OPSystem password
You can change the password of the OPSystem account. OPSystem is a default service user account that is required by internal system actions.
Changing database password references
If the password of the OpenPages database changes, you need to update password references with the new password.
Changing database name references
If the database name (IBM Db2) or identifier (Oracle) changes, you need to update references to the database.
Storing passwords in a vault
You can use a vault to store the OpenPages database user password, the OPSystem user password, or both.
TLS for OpenPages environments
You can configure OpenPages to use Transport Layer Security (TLS).
Db2 native encryption
OpenPages supports Db2 native encryption.
Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
You can use Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) to encrypt the OpenPages and Cognos® table spaces in the OpenPages database.
Shortening the URL for OpenPages
You can shorten the IBM OpenPages application URL. You might shorten the URL to support privacy or to support some mobile uses of the URL. To shorten the URL, change the values for properties in various files.
Setting allowed hosts for incoming requests
You can use a security feature in IBM WebSphere Liberty to help prevent host header manipulation attacks.
Parameters for cluster members
When working with cluster members, there are values for common parameters. You must enter these parameter values consistently across all of the tasks.
Configuring HTTP compression in OpenPages
HTTP compression is a technique used to reduce the network bandwidth that is used to transfer files from the server to the client by compressing web content. Compliant web browsers automatically decompress the content before displaying it to users.
Factors that affect performance of views
When you design views, keep in mind the following factors that can affect the performance.
Server tuning settings
To avoid time-out issues when using IBM OpenPages, you must configure the servers and the database.
Session expiry and timeout settings
Expiration timeouts are used to minimize the time period in which an attacker can launch attacks over active sessions and hijack them. The shorter the time period, the less time an attacker has available to use the valid session ID. However, sessions that frequently expire can prevent users from completing their tasks. When you set a timeout value, ensure that you balance security and usability.
Installing tools and utilities
Tools and utilities, such as ObjectManager, are available on the application servers. But you can also install them on remote systems, such as your laptop, and run them remotely.
Viewing user actions with session tracing
When you are trying to diagnose functional or performance issues, use session tracing to find out what actions are being taken as a result of a top-level user request.
Using log files
The IBM OpenPages application writes error and other messaging information to a standard set of log files. You can use these log files to troubleshoot reporting and general user errors that may occur.
Viewing information about background processes
You can view information about background processes in the OpenPages user interface.
Business entity move/rename using the UI
You can move or rename Business Entities directly from the IBM OpenPages user interface. It provides the same functionality as the Entity Move/Rename utility. It allows batch processing of multiple business entities for overnight or weekend execution without running the risk of operations that time out.
Backup
You can back up the necessary product files on the server where they're run directly from the IBM OpenPages user interface. Typically backups are made when you're planning to do things that aren't reversible or it's expensive to back out, such as:

Parent topic: Administrator's Guide