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Connect a PLOSSYS 4 System

At the PLOSSYS 4 server, the node-p4rest service has to be installed. In the SEAL Operator context, the PLOSSYS 4 (p4) connector is already activated by default. You still need to specify some connection keys in Consul.

Caution - breaking change

Starting with SEAL Operator version 1.5.0 node-p4rest version 6.0.0 or higher is required.

Caution - access to the directories of PLOSSYS 4

The service account running the node-p4rest service needs writing access to the gate directories of PLOSSYS 4.

To connect a PLOSSYS 4 system as backend system for SEAL Operator, execute the following steps:

Install the node-p4rest Service

At the PLOSSYS 4 server, install the node-p4restservice:

  1. In a browser, log on to the SEAL Systems delivery platform with your logon data:

    https://delivery.sealsystems.de

    Hint - logon data

    You receive the logon data from your Technical Project Manager at SEAL Systems.

  2. Download the node-p4rest-6.4.6.759.msi file from the SEAL Systems delivery platform. It is saved as node-p4rest-6.4.6.759.msi.

  3. Execute node-p4rest-6.4.6.759.msi. With this, the node-p4rest service will be installed.

  4. Open the Windows System dialog and select Advanced System Settings.

  5. In the System Properties dialog, select Environment Variables.

  6. Specify the following mandatory keys in System Variables:

    Example - set system variables

    AUTH_ISSUER_URL=https://localhost:32769/realms/SEAL
ID_PROVIDER_NAME=https://localhost:32769/realms/SEAL

    Hint - changed URLs as of Keycloak 21.0.1

    As of SEAL-specific Keycloak version 21.0.1, the URL needed for AUTH_ISSUER_URL and ID_PROVIDER_NAME has changed.

    • old value: https://<hostname>:32769/auth/realms/SEAL

    • new value: https:/<hostname>:32769/realms/SEAL

  7. Specify the following optional keys in System Variables unless the respective default fits:

    • ID_PROVIDER_CERT (optional): Path and file name of the certificate generated by the OIDC identity provider. This key is only needed if the automatic request of the certificate from the OIDC identity provider fails.

    • INFOSERVER_URL (optional): URL of PLOSSYS Infoserver, default socket://localhost:7125

    • PLSHOST (optional): Server name of PLOSSYS Infoserver, default localhost

    • PLSPORT (optional): Port number of PLOSSYS Infoserver, default 7125

    • PLSROOT (optional): PLOSSYS 4 installation directory, default c:\SEAL\applications

    • PGHOST (optional): Server name of the PLOSSYS 4 PostgreSQL database used for the job reply, default localhost

    • PGPORT (optional): Port number of the PLOSSYS 4 PostgreSQL database used for the job reply, default 7128

    • RLIGATE (optional): Name of the target directory for the repro list files (rli, rlist), default rlipdmgate

    • SERVICE_URL (optional): URL under which the service can be accessed

    Literature - PLOSSYS 4 system variables

    For further information about the PLOSSYS 4 system variables, refer to the PLOSSYS 4 System Description.

  8. Start the service:

    operator service start node-p4rest

Configure the Connector

In SEAL Operator, activate the connector and specify the keys for the connection:

  1. Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell.

  2. Export the complete configuration of SEAL Operator from Consul to a YAML file with the following command. So you're making sure the current configuration settings are being used.

    operator config export <filename>.yml --insecure

  3. Edit the exported file <filename>.yml.

  4. In the section of the PLOSSYS 4 (p4) connector, set cstatus to on. The Fileupload (scratch) connector has to be activated as well.

    operator:
  connectors:
    ...
      p4:
        cstatus: 'on'
        serviceName: operator-p4
        url: 'https://localhost:3010'
      scratch:
        cstatus: 'on'
        serviceName: operator-fileupload
        url: 'https://localhost:3009'
    ...

    Caution - do not turn off

    Do not deactivate the Fileupload (scratch) connector due to the PLOSSYS 4 (p4) connector will not work otherwise!

Single PLOSSYS 4 Backend

  1. In the env section, specify the following keys for the seal-operator-p4 service:

    env:
  service:
  ...
    operator-p4:
      tag:
        any:
          ACTION_EXECUTOR: P4
          PLOSSYS_URL: 'https://<plossys_4_server_name>:3011'
  ...

    Literature - keys

    For further information about available keys, refer to the Key Reference.

  2. Specify the following optional keys if required:

    • APW_URL: URL of the APW REST server

    • JWT_USERNAME: User name set in the JSON Web Token (JWT)

    • PLOSSYS_TIMEOUT: Timeout for connecting and retrieving data from the PLOSSYS 4 system

    • STAMP_META: Flag if additional sheets are stamped as well

    • TARGET_CONTENT_TYPE: PLOSSYS 4-specific job format, repro list or set collation

    • TARGET_FILE_KEY: Key where to put the names of local files when exporting to a repro list

    • USER_NAME_KEY: Key where to put the name of the logged-in user when exporting to a repro list

  3. Save the file.

  4. Re-import it to Consul.

    operator config import <filename>.yml --insecure

Multiple PLOSSYS 4 Backends

In case of multiple PLOSSYS 4 backends, they are defined in the SYSTEMS subsection of the operator-p4 environment. It is strongly recommended to make those changes by exporting the existing configuration to a YAML file, adding the entries and re-importing the configuration. For details how to make those changes in Consul see the hint below.

  1. In the env section, specify the following keys for the seal-operator-p4 service:

    • ACTION_EXECUTOR: Backend system, here P4

    • SYSTEMS: Section containing a list of PLOSSYS 4 systems. Every list entry stands for a P4 system. In YAML format every list entry starts with a dash (-). When using Consul to make those changes another indexed subsection for every system is needed. For more details see the hint in the next step.

  2. Below the SYSTEMS section specify the following keys:

    • PLOSSYS_URL: mandatory; URL of the PLOSSYS 4 system to which SEAL Operator has to connect

    • PLOSSYS_NAME: optional; Arbitrary unique name for backend system, default is hostname in PLOSSYS_URL

    • TARGET_CONTENT_TYPE: optional; PLOSSYS 4-specific job format, repro list or set collation

    • TARGET_FILE_KEY: optional; Key where to put the names of local files when exporting to a repro list

    • USER_NAME_KEY: optional; Key where to put the name of the logged-in user when exporting to a repro list

    Example configuration in YAML format

    env:
  service:
  ...
    operator-p4:
      tag:
        any:
          ACTION_EXECUTOR: P4
          SYSTEMS:
            - PLOSSYS_NAME: <system_1_name>
              PLOSSYS_URL: 'https://<plossys_4_server_1_name>:3011'
            - PLOSSYS_NAME: <system_2_name>
              PLOSSYS_URL: 'https://<plossys_4_server_2_name>:3011'
  ...

    Hint - structure in Consul

    When setting the key via Consul another indexed subsection is needed since Consul doesn't know enumerations.

    The same configuration as above transformed to Consul structure:

    env:
  service:
    operator-p4:
      tag:
        any:
          SYSTEMS:
            0:
              PLOSSYS_NAME: <system_1_name>
              PLOSSYS_URL: 'https://<plossys_4_server_1_name>:3011'
            1:
              PLOSSYS_NAME: <system_2_name>
              PLOSSYS_URL: 'https://<plossys_4_server_2_name>:3011'

    The PLOSSYS_URL for the first system in Consul UI. Take notice of the emphasized breadcrumb line on top:

    Consul UI

  3. In the env section, specify the following connector-specific keys for the seal-operator-p4 service if required.

    • APW_URL: optional; URL of the APW REST server

    • JWT_USERNAME: optional; User name set in the JSON Web Token (JWT)

    • PLOSSYS_TIMEOUT: optional; Timeout for connecting and retrieving data from the PLOSSYS 4 system

    • STAMP_META: optional; Flag if additional sheets are stamped as well

    Literature - keys

    For further information about available keys, refer to the Key Reference.

  4. Save the file.

  5. Re-import it to Consul.

    operator config import <filename>.yml --insecure

  6. Make sure every PLOSSYS 4 backend system has a node-p4rest service installed and running.

Connect P4 Pannel

To connect the P4 pannel, you need to specify the logon data for PLOSSYS 4 in the user interface:

  1. In a browser, call the following URL to open the user interface and log on to it.

    https://<operator_server>:3000

  2. Open the Server Settings by selecting Settings in the user menu.

    Open server settings

  3. In the PLOSSYS 4 section of the server settings, change to edit mode, specify user name and password and save the settings.

    Logon data for PLOSSYS 4

Configure the Panel (Optional)

The PLOSSYS 4 panel pre-configuration comes with some standard parameters already set. But it is normally not sufficient to replace an existent P2P or PAD installation. For how to customize the panel, refer to PLOSSYS 4 Panel Customization.

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