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IBM Content Collector Server Setup

By Tony Duong posted yesterday

  

IBM Content Collector: Setup Guide

Overview

IBM Content Collector is an archiving and repository connector product. It supports archiving email (Exchange, Domino, SMTP), file systems, SharePoint, IBM Connections, etc., into back‑end repositories like IBM Content Manager, FileNet P8, etc.

This guide will demonstrate and run through the install and set up process for an ICC Cluster involving the following components:

  • Microsoft Exchange

  • Microsoft Outlook

  • FileNet P8

  • Microsoft Server 2019

Thusly, these directions assume one has already completed the server set up for FileNet P8 as well as Microsoft Exchange and has joined a domain and logged in as a user into the server that will be used as the node(s) for the ICC Cluster.

Pre‑Installation: Planning & Prerequisites

Before the installation, ensure you have the following in place:

  1. Hardware & System Requirements

  2. Repository Platform for Archival Prepared

    • Decide on your target repository: IBM Content Manager (CM8), FileNet P8, etc. If using FileNet P8, ensure object store is configured.

  3. Collection Source Systems

    For each system from which archiving is to occur:

    • Microsoft Exchange / Outlook

      • Outlook should be installed and set up.

      • Test connectivity / authentication / certificates for the application.

    • Lotus Domino

    • Service Accounts / Permissions

      • Decide on which user(s) will run the Content Collector services.

      • Do not use the built‑in SYSTEM accounts for services in production; use a service account with sufficient privileges.

    • Other Dependencies

    • Network, Ports, Security

      • File and printer sharing enabled.

      • afuClusterTool.exe needs to be allowed to communicate through firewall. (See step ## below)

      • Ensure firewalls, proxy etc. allow required communication (source systems, repository systems).

      • SSL / certificates if required for secure connections (such as with MS Exchange servers).

    Prerequisite Software Installation Steps

    1. In Server Manager, select the option Add roles and features

    2. Proceed through the wizard until the Features window.

    3. Check the box named .NET Framework 3.5 Features to install this prerequisite for Microsoft Web Services Enhancements

    4. Click next and wait for the installation to complete, a system reboot after is recommended.

    5. Download WSE 3.0 from this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=14089

    6. Extract and run Microsoft WSE 3.0.msi to complete the installation, a system reboot after is recommended.

    7. Download FileNet Content Platform Engine from IBM Passport Advantage Online website: https://www.ibm.com/software/passportadvantage/pao_download_software.html

    8. Make a note of the installation path as denoted by the installer 

    9. Select .NET Client in the FileNet P8 Applications window

    10. Enter the hostname or IP address for your P8 server. Then proceed Next until the installation is complete.

    11. Once the FileNet CPE installer has completed, press the Win + R key or press Start and type run then press Enter to bring up this window 

    12. Enter the following string (as pictured) and press OK. This will bring up a window titled Environment Variables.

      1. rundll32 sysdm.cpl,EditEnvironmentVariables

    13. Ensure there is an entry for IBMAFUFNCEROOT with the value set to the path as noted by Step 8. If not, then create one with the New button. This entry is checked by the IBM Content Collector installer to verify the existence of the CPE prerequisite.

    14. Press OK to confirm changes and exit out of this window.

    15. Finally, install Microsoft Outlook and connect to a mailbox within the Microsoft Exchange Server.

    16. If prompted, install the Exchange Server Certificates by clicking on View Certificates… and Install Certificates

    ICC Installation Steps

    Below is a generic flow for installing IBM Content Collector, pictured: version 4.0.1 FixPack15.

    1. Download the the latest fix pack version from IBM Fix Central: https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral

    2. Extract the downloaded package and run install.exe. You should then be presented with the following screen.

    3. Proceed through the installation wizard, when prompted choose the following source and repository systems:

    4. Deployment Methods and Application Server can be left default. Make note of the hostname used in Application Server.

    5. Proceed to complete the installation, if using Fix Pack 15 the installer will state the there are missing prerequisites - this can be safely ignored if you have completed Steps 7-14 in the previous section Prerequisite Software Installation Steps. This issue will be fixed in Fix Pack 16.

    6. Press Install and wait for the process to complete.

    Post‑Installation Tasks

    1. After the ICC installation completes, run the Initial Configuration Wizard. This sets up basic configuration.

      • NOTE: ONLY run the Initial Configuration in the main node of the cluster, NOT the rest of the nodes in that cluster.

      • Use the following System Configuration when prompted:

      • Enter the Active Directory user intended for use in conjunction with connecting to the Microsoft Exchange Server

      • Fill in the hostname (from Step 10 in the Prerequisite Software Installation Steps) as well the administrator user for the repository. Make sure to use the Validate to ensure that the connection to the server is working.
         

      • Click Next, and enter the user that will log on to P8 for archival - in this example we used the same user as the Content Engine Administrator. Click on Validate to proceed.

      • Then click on Retrieve, this will get the object stores where the ICC repo is created. Once done, click Next.

      • Start Configuration and wait for the configuration and then click Finish.Open Configuration Manager and navigate to the Connectors tab and select Email on the left menu.

      • Enter your Exchanger server details under Manual configuration and a user for connecting to the Exchange Server.

      • Now let’s create a Task Route - click on Task Routes tab and then page icon on the top left to create a new task route. In this example we will be using the default P8_CSS - Default Archiving for MS Exchange template.

      • Click on the newly created Default Archiving (Automatic) (Content Search Services) on the left menu and click on the folder icon atop the tree to configure and activate the task route.

      • Check the Active checkbox to activate the task route in the General tab. Then proceed to set an appropriate Schedule to run this task route - in this example we will use Always.

      • Under the Collection Sources tab, in this example we will add a mailbox that will be indexed and archived for this task route.

      • Now select the green play button on the tree and check the Active checkbox there as well.

      • Hit save (Ctrl + S) or you will lose all the changes made to Configuration Manager.

      • You can now safely close Configuration Manager.

      • Press the Start button and enter services

      • Locate the IBM Content Collector Email Connector service, right click to enter Properties.

      • Here we must change the user under the Log On tab to be the same user that is used to log into this ICC node. (IMPORTANT: that user must also have permissions to manage the mailbox we will be archiving as per Exchange Server Settings)

      Cluster-Related Set Up

      The steps following this is for cluster set up involving multiple nodes acting as the ICC Cluster. It can be safely skipped if you do not intend to set up other nodes. Before proceeding, please make sure all servers intended to be part of the cluster have completed both Prerequisite Software Installation and ICC Installation.

      1. Stop all Content Collector services in the server.

      2. Press the Start button, type and open up regedit.

      3. Create and validate the following keys in regedit:

        1. SOFTWARE > Wow6432Node > IBM > EMRC > 4.0 > Datastores > ibm.ctms.datastore.soliddb > ConfigurationBackupHost = hostname of the configuration backup host 

        2. SOFTWARE > Wow6432Node > IBM > EMRC > 4.0 > Datastores > ibm.ctms.datastore.soliddb > ConfigurationHost = hostname of the configuration host 

        3. SOFTWARE > Wow6432Node > IBM > EMRC > 4.0 > ibm.ctms.datastore_monitor > nodes = hostname1 hostname2 hostname3 (type: multi-string) 

      4. In the ICC install directory (default: C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\ContentCollector\), locate the file named afu_install.properties inside the Configuration folder, verify the following: 

      • CLUSTER_NAME=name_of_cluster 

      • The cluster name should be the same on all nodes.

      1. In the file ContentCollector\ctms\DataStoreMonitor.reg, modify accordingly: 

      • scopes=name_of_cluster 

        config-host=hostname_of_the_configuration_host 

        config-backup-host= hostname_of_the_configuration_backup_host 

        icc-nodes=hostname1 hostname2 hostname3 

      1. In the file ContentCollector\ctms\DataStoreMonitor.cfg, verify that 

      • net.slp.useScopes = name_of_cluster

      1. In the ctms folder, create a new text file with the following contents, the values should match the ones inputted into regedit. Add more nodes as necessary if using more than the 3 nodes in this example.

        1. afuClusterTool.exe -add-node=<primaryhostname> 

          afuClusterTool.exe -add-node=<secondarynode1hostname> 

          afuClusterTool.exe -add-node= <secondarynode2hostname> 

          afuClusterTool.exe -set-config-host= <primaryhostname> 

          afuClusterTool.exe -set-config-backup-host= <secondarynode1hostname> 

      2. Rename the newly created text file to have a .bat file extension.

      3. Restart the following services: 

        1. IBM Content Collector Configuration Store 

        2. IBM Content Collector Configuration Store Manager 

        3. IBM Content Collector Configuration Access 

      4. Run the following command from the <IBM installation Directory>/ ctms folder with Command Prompt

      • afuClusterTool.exe -show

      1. Run the .bat file we created in step 9 & 10.

      2. Repeat the steps 1-23 for the other nodes in the cluster.

      3. Reboot all systems and verify that the cluster set up has completed with ICC system dashboard (other nodes visible in the cluster).

      Upgrading from Earlier Version

      If upgrading (e.g. from ICC 4.0 to 4.0.1):

      • Stop all current ICC processes / services.

      • Back up any customized configuration (property) files.

      • Install new version (4.0.1). Don’t run the Initial Configuration Wizard again (to preserve existing setup).

      • Re‑configure service accounts if they changed. Re‑enable any disabled services (e.g. Web Services).

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