Creating a service instance for OpenPages from the web client

After you install OpenPages, you must create at least one OpenPages service instance. Each service instance must be in a different Red Hat® OpenShift® Container Platform project. You can create a service instance in the operands project or in a project that is tethered to the operands project. If you are a IBM® Software Hub user, you can use the web client to create service instances. The web client guides you through the process of creating service instances.

Who needs to complete this task?
To create a service instance from the web client, you must have the Create service instances permission in IBM Software Hub.
When do you need to complete this task?
Complete this task only if you want to create a service instance from the web client.
Alternative methods for creating a service instance

Before you begin

This task assumes that the following prerequisites are met:

Prerequisite Where to find more information
OpenPages is installed. If this task is not complete, see Installing OpenPages.
If you're using an embedded Db2 database and you want to run Db2 with limited privileges, configure Db2. See Specifying the privileges that Db2U runs with.
If your deployment is using an external database, ensure that the database is ready.
See the following tasks.
Ensure that you have the information that you need from your cluster administrator. See Preparing to provision an OpenPages instance.
If you want to integrate OpenPages with Cognos Analytics, ensure that the Cognos Analytics instance is provisioned and running.
Note: During the provisioning process for OpenPages, Cognos Analytics will be restarted.
 Creating a service instance for Cognos Analytics

Procedure

  1. Log in to the IBM Software Hub web client as an administrator.
  2. Switch to the IBM Cloud Pak for Data experience, if needed.
  3. From the navigation menu, select Services > Instances.
  4. Click New instance.
  5. Click the OpenPages tile. Then, click Next.
  6. Type a name (maximum of 25 characters) and description for your instance.
  7. Click Namespace and select the project (namespace) where you want OpenPages installed. Click Next.
    • If you're using a tethered project for OpenPages, select the tethered project.
    • Otherwise, select the project where IBM Software Hub is installed.
  8. Select a size for your instance, and then click Next.
  9. Choose configuration options for the database server.
    Use the information provided by your cluster administrator.
    Internal database
    Click Internal database and select Db2 for the Database vendor.

    If you want to use dedicated nodes for the database, click Use dedicated nodes and type the label of the dedicated nodes.

    Select the storage classes to use for the database. Get this information from your cluster administrator.

    External database
    If your deployment is using a database that is outside of IBM Software Hub, click External database, select the database vendor, and type the name of the database secret.
  10. Choose configuration options for the application servers.
    OpenPages stores application files in a directory that is called openpages-storage. Select the storage class that you want to use for the openpages-storage directory. Get this information from your cluster administrator.
  11. If you want to use Global Search, select the Enable Global Search check box.
  12. If you want to use Cognos Analytics, select the Enable integration with Cognos Analytics check box.
    Note: During the provisioning process for OpenPages, Cognos Analytics will be restarted.
  13. Click Next and review the information.
  14. Click Create.
    Wait for the provisioning process to complete.

    The provisioning process can take some time to complete. Wait for the process to complete before you log in to OpenPages.

    If you are using an external database, you need a separate database for each OpenPages instance. The databases can be on the same database server.

  15. If you enabled Cognos and you're using Oracle external database, complete these steps:
    1. Log on to IBM Cognos® Analytics as a user with administrative privileges by doing one of the following steps:
      • In OpenPages, click Analytics.
      • Or, go to the following URL: http://<hostname>/ibmcognos/bi

        Where <hostname> is the name of the Cognos server.

    2. Click Manage > Administration Console to launch the IBM Cognos Administration page.
    3. Click the Configuration tab.
    4. Click OpenPages DataSource under Data Source Connections.
    5. Click Actions > More > Set Properties.
    6. Update the JDBC connection information.
      1. Click the Connection tab.
      2. Click the pencil icon next to the Connection String box to edit the field.
      3. Click the JDBC tab.
      4. In the Port number field, enter 1521.
      5. In Oracle Service ID field, enter OP. Make sure there is no other text in this field.
      6. Click OK.
    7. Click OK.

What to do next

After you provision the instance, you need to do some post-installation tasks before users use OpenPages.