Configuring active content filters (whitelists)

IBM® Connections provides a set of active content filter (ACF) configuration files that you can apply to component applications to allow users to contribute only accepted types of content.

Before you begin

This is not a required procedure. Only perform this if you want to change the level of filtering performed by the active content filter.

About this task

By default, all of the Connections applications that use whitelisting allow content with a wide range of HTML tagging to be uploaded. Exceptions include scripts (for example, JavaScript), Flash animations, and certain types of styling. You can refine the whitelist by applying predefined rule sets in a copy of the ojhs-whitelist-default.xml file.

Procedure

  1. Copy the ojhs-whitelist-default.xml file and modify it for your update.
    1. Locate the ojhs-whitelist-default.xml file and make a copy of it with a slightly different name.

      For example, add a brief description of the update to the new file's name, as in: ojhs-whitelist-update_description.xml

    2. Edit the new file and modify it using the rules described in the topics within this section.
    3. Save and close the file.
  2. Now modify the acp-configkey__default.xml file to reference the new whitelist XML (the ojhs-whitelist-update_description.xml file).
    1. Locate the acp-configkey__default.xml file and make a copy of it with a slightly different name.

      For example, add a brief description that matches the updated rules file name: acp-configkey__update_description.xml.

    2. In the file, update the defaultKey setting to reference the update_description part of the ojhs-whitelist-update_description.xml file name.

      For example, if you renamed the file to ojhs-whitelist-pilot.xml in step 1, use "pilot" as the defaultKey value:

       <param value="defaultKey=pilot"/>
    3. Save and close the file.
  3. Modify the LotusConnectionsConfig.xml file so that its sloc entry acf_config_file points to the new acp-configkey__update_description.xml file.

    To edit configuration files, you must use the wsadmin client. See Starting the wsadmin client for details.

    Important: Be sure to leave the wsadmin session open so you can check in the updated file.
    1. Enter the following command to load the IBM Connections configuration file: execfile("connectionsConfig.py")

      If you are prompted to specify a service to connect to, type 1 to select the first node in the list. Most commands can run on any node. If the command writes or reads information to or from a file by using a local file path, you must select the node where the file is stored. This information is not used by the wsadmin client when you are making configuration changes.

    2. Enter the following command to check out IBM Connections configuration files:

      LCConfigService.checkOutConfig("working_directory","cell_name")

      where:
      • working_directory is the temporary working directory to which configuration files are copied. The files are kept in this working directory while you edit them.
        Notes:
        • When you specify a path to the working directory on a system that is running Microsoft Windows, use a forward slash for the directory. For example: "C:/temp".
        • AIX®, and Linux only: The directory must grant write permissions or the command fails.
      • cell_name is the name of the WebSphere® Application Server cell that hosts the IBM Connections application. If you do not know the cell name, display it by typing the following command in the wsadmin client: print AdminControl.getCell()
        Note: This input parameter is case-sensitive.
    3. Open the LotusConnections-config.xml file in a text editor.
    4. Find the <sloc:serviceReference> element for the application for which you want to change filtering levels. The application name is specified in the serviceName attribute.
    5. Add the acp-configkey__default-update_description.xml file name to the acf_config_file= element as shown in the following example.
      <sloc:serviceReference 
       bootstrapHost="myServer.example.com" 
       bootstrapPort="2817" 
       clusterName="" 
       enabled="true" 
       serviceName="blogs" 
       ssl_enabled="true" 
        acf_config_file="acp-configkey__pilot.xml"> 
        <sloc:href>
          <sloc:hrefPathPrefix>/blogs</sloc:hrefPathPrefix>
          <sloc:static 
           href="http://enterprise.example.com:9082" 
           ssl_href="https://enterprise.example.com:9447"/>
          <sloc:interService href="https://enterprise.example.com:9447"/>
        </sloc:href>
      </sloc:serviceReference>
    6. Save and close the LotusConnections-config.xml file.
    7. After making changes, you must check the configuration files back in during the same wsadmin session in which you checked them out. See Applying common configuration property changes for information about how to save and apply your changes.
  4. Synchronize the nodes using the Integrated Solutions Console for the network deployment system.
  5. Restart the WebSphere Application Server.