The help system is packaged
as a Web archive (WAR) file that is deployed on your application server.
It starts and stops when you start or stop your product. The help
system contains help content that can be updated manually. You can
also configure the help system to serve the help content from the
ibm.com Web site, so the content is always up-to-date. The third
option is to have the help content served by an intranet server.
Definitions
The
following definitions are used in help content delivery:
- Local help
- Help content that you access from a local server that hosts the
product or an intranet server. You can also access help from your
computer.
- Remote help
- Help content that you access, or download, from the ibm.com Web site.
- Intranet help
- Help content that you access from an intranet server. The content
is initially downloaded to the intranet server from the Web.
- Local help updater
- When you use local or intranet help, this utility helps you download
initial content or updated content from the Web.
- Help updater site
- The ibm.com site where the information center for your product
is hosted. This site can be accessed with a browser or from the product
help system. This site is also the source for the local help updater.
- Help download site
- The Web site (http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/rationalsdp/documentation/updatesites/)
contains compressed files of the help content for your product to
populate either local or intranet help. The
file has this format: prod_coden.n_updateSite.zip,
where prod_code is the product code and n.n is
the version number.
Introduction
This product
offers help content that can be updated independently from product
updates. By default, your product is configured to access help content
locally, which means that the help Web archive (WAR) file contains
all your help content and is installed when your product is installed.
There are three options for help content access, including local access:
- You can access content from the server that hosts the product.
- You can access help content from the Web.
- You can access help content from an intranet server.
Accessing help content on the product
server
The default option installs help content on the server
the hosts your product.
Administrator:
installing and configuring: Install the product. Nothing else
is required.
Administrator: updating content: The content
is updated manually using either Help updater site or the Help download site.
User:
accessing help: Browse to the product and start using it. When
you need help, click to open the Help in a window. Nothing more is required.
Accessing help content from the Web
If
your administrator configured this option, then you will be linked
to your product information center through an ibm.com Web site. You can access
the Web-based help for the product only when you are connected to
the Internet. When you are disconnected, you can access a limited
number of help topics. For more details, see the Help contents topic
under Reference.
Note: You
must have an Internet connection to use this help option.
Administrator:
installing and configuring:- Install the product.
- Start the product and the help.
- Delete the existing help content in the help WAR file.
- Configure remote help to point to the public information center
for the product.
Administrator: updating content: The content is
always the latest information that is available.
User: accessing
help: Browse to the product and start using it. When you need
help, click to
open the Help in a window.
Accessing help content from
an intranet server (Enterprise solution)
Depending on company
support, you might be able to access help content from internal intranet
servers. This method assumes that your intranet administrator has
set up a link to a server behind your firewall where product help
content is installed. By selecting this option, you must specify the
link to your intranet server. Administrators must make scheduled updates
to the help content.
Administrator: installing and configuring:- Install the product on the product server.
- Install and configure the intranet help.
- Start the product.
- Delete existing content from the help.
- Configure the remote help to use the intranet server by using
the information that you used in step 2.
Administrator: updating content: The content is
updated manually on the intranet server using either Help updater site or the Help download site.
User:
accessing help: Browse to the product and start using it. When
you need help, click to open the Help in a window. Nothing more is required.