About Dynamic Server Pages

A Dynamic Server Page (DSP) is a document embedded with special codes (tags) instructing IBM® webMethods Cloud Container to perform certain actions. DSPs are used to build browser-based clients and allow you to construct a more secure and flexible user interface. The DSP URL within a custom package in IBM webMethods Cloud Container can now be shared upon request to external clients.

Create a Dynamic Server Page

Creation of DSPs include the following steps:

  1. Verify that all the Integration Server’s pre-requisites have been met
  2. Create a user for DSP activities in the IBM webMethods iPaaS
  3. Create an access profile in IBM webMethods Cloud Container
  4. Assign the access profile to the user
  5. Generate the DSP URL

Pre-requisites

  1. Assign a new user group and ACLs to determine the server resources that a client is allowed to access when performing DSP services. Users who are assigned the Administrators role can configure user groups and ACLs in Integration Server. However, make sure you add the Administrators role in the list of permitted actions. For more information about creating and managing user groups in Integration Server, see Managing Users and Groups in IBM webMethods Microservices Runtime and IBM webMethods Integration Server Administrator's guide.

  2. Create the custom packages for DSP services and add the DSP file in the pub directory of the package. For example, to deploy a DSP in the orders package you copy it to:

    Integration Server_directory\packages\orders\pub

  3. Add .access file in the pub directory.For each file in the directory that you want to protect, add a line in the .access file to identify the file and the ACL you want to use to protect the file. For example, assume you have a directory that contains index.html file. You want to protect the index.html file with the dspacl (custom ACLs created for DSP services) so that only defined users can access this file. To accomplish this, you would place the following lines in the .access file:

    Index.html dspacl * Administrators

    For more information on assigning ACLs, see Assigning ACLs to Files the Server Can Serve in IBM webMethods Microservices Runtime and IBM webMethods Integration Server Administrator's guide.

  4. Deploy Integration Server custom packages and configuration assets created for DSP services to IBM webMethods Cloud Container. When you deploy a package to IBM webMethods Cloud Container from Integration Server, make sure you use the Properties dialog box to view information about packages and to assign permissions.

  5. To open the Properties dialog box, right click on the package in the Package Navigator of Designer and select File > Properties. Make sure you select the Include runtime configurations check box when deploying assets to webMethods to Cloud Container.

    After you ensure the above steps are completed, you are now ready to proceed with creating IBM webMethods iPaaS user in IBM webMethods Cloud Container.

Create a user for DSP activities in the IBM webMethods iPaaS

You can manage a user for DSP services from the Administration page in IBM webMethods iPaaS. The user will then be added to the Users page. An email to update the password is sent to the user at the specified work email address.

  • A new user is automatically created when someone logs into the Cloud Container for the first time.

  • Only the Cloud-Tenant-Administrators can create and modify users.

Create access profiles in IBM webMethods Cloud Container

You create access profile to grant global permission that enables all administrative actions or individual administrative permission to the user.

Before you begin

  • Ensure you verify that the package list has the right ACL assigned.

    To achieve this, navigate to <Solution-name> > Manage > Administration > Package List ACL and verify that the package list has the right ACL assigned.

To create an access profile

  1. From the IBM webMethods Cloud Container navigation bar, go to Settings > Access Profiles.

  2. Click Add Access profile to add a new access profile.

  3. On the Add New Access Profile > Access Profile Information tab, complete the following fields.

    • Name : Provide a name for the access profile.

      You can reference the profile by name when assigning it to a user.

    • Description: Provide a general description for the access profile.

  4. On the Solution Permission page, select a solution and an Integration Server instance and then map webMethods Integration Server user groups to an access profile.

    IBM webMethods Cloud Container users who are assigned to this access profile will then be a part of the webMethods Integration Server user group(s) and can perform tasks allowed for those user groups. For complete information about user groups, see Managing Users and Groups in IBM webMethods Microservices Runtime and IBM webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s guide.

  5. On the Available Custom Packages, select the custom packages.

  6. On the Administrative Permissions page, under Global Permission, enable Allow Package Home Access and Allow User Interface Access options to provide access for DSP activities to the user.

  7. Click Add.

The new access profile appears on the Access Profiles page.

Assign the access profile to the user

To assign access profile to the user

  1. From the IBM webMethods Cloud Container navigation bar, click Settings > Users.

  2. Select a user from the list, and then click Edit.

  3. On the Basic tab for the Access Profile field, assign the access profile created for DSP services.

  4. Click Apply.

This authorizes access to the user to individual custom packages by user groups, through the use of ACLs.

Generate a DSP URL for a package

To generate a DSP URL

  1. Navigate to the Assets Explorer page.

    Assets Explorer provides you with two layout options to view packages in a solution, namely List view and Card view.

  2. Select the custom package from the server instance

  3. Click the ellipses icon on the relevant card, and then click Home URL.

  4. Click the copy icon to copy.

  5. Open a new browser window and paste the URL

Always verify the pages and operations saved for the user profile before sharing the DSP URL.

Important: Be careful when deleting a custom package from the Assets > Deploy page. Because, if access to the custom package is exposed via the DSP URL and the custom package is unknowingly deleted, then the DSP access might not work as expected. In that case, it is recommended to remove the custom package association from the Solution Permission page.