Creating a local information center

Before you begin

You need to have access to the Internet and you need to have a system in which you can download content.

Why and when to perform this task

While online information centers are wonderful at providing a communication channel between the product documentation teams and our customers, by allowing fast updates and feedback options, there are times when a local instance of the documentation is preferable. In some cases local documentation in the form of PDFs are fantastic, such as for printing. However, there are times when it is much easier to have the function of the Web hosted information center available locally.

Steps for this task

  1. Download the WebSphere help system.
    The WebSphere help system is available as a zip file at this URL: http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/infocenter.html .
  2. Unzip the WebSphere help system fileset.
    Unzipping the zip file to the local drive results in a folder titled WebSphere Help System being created on the local drive. You can choose to unzip the files to another directory on your local drive.
  3. Read the installation instructions contained in the getting_started.htm file.
    There is a file entitled getting_started.htm that is viewable in a browser and would have been unzipped as a result of the previous step. This file can be accessed by going to \WebSphere Help System\getting_started.htm and is available in six languages in addition to the English version. The getting_started.htm file contents describe in detail how to set up a local information center.

    Note: In particular pay attention to the section in the getting_started.html file that addresses installing the WebSphere Help System. If you have an adequate Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed you should be able to launch the WebSphere help start.bat file to complete the install.

  4. Launch the WebSphere help start.bat file
    The WebSphere help start.bat file is available in this filepath: \WebSphere Help System\WebSphere help start.bat. The bat file may be launched by double clicking it in a Windows browser or calling it in a DOS prompt.
    If a browser window opens with an empty information center, then you are successful. If not, you need to troubleshoot the issue, beginning with the documentation provided in the getting_started.htm file. Be sure to shut down the local information center once successful installation has occurred.
  5. Download the document plug-in zip files of choice.
    Select from multiple product specific WebSphere Application Server documentation plug-ins available at this URL: http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/infocenter.html
  6. Unzip the document plug-in.
    Be sure to extract the document plug-in zip fileset to the following path: WebSphere Help System\eclipse\plugins.

    Note: Please note the architecture of each IBM document plug-in consists of a folder, usually named something like this, com.ibm.xxx.xxx.doc, within which is contained a series of xml files, possibly some additional folders, and a zip file called doc.zip. It is extremely important that the doc.zip file be left as a zip file and not extracted. Extracting the file will render the WebSphere Help System unable to read the documentation plug-in.

  7. Using the WebSphere help start.bat file, launch the help system.
    You should see your documentation plug-in available in your local help system. If you so choose you may download additional documentation plug-ins from other IBM, or third party vendors using an Eclipse based Help System like the WebSphere Help System.

Related topics
The Eclipse Consortium Website



Searchable topic ID:   tovrlocalic
Last updated: Jun 21, 2007 4:55:42 PM CDT    WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment, Version 5.0.2
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.websphere.nd.doc/info/ae/ae/tovr_localic.html

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