1. WebFOCUS 8: Technical Overview
Jim Thorstad
Technical Director, WebFOCUS Product Management

2. Agenda
WebFOCUS 8 Architecture
Security Model
Enhancement Highlights
Demo
Q & A

3. Introducing WebFOCUS 8

4. Why Did We Create WebFOCUS 8? A Strategic Platform Initiative
WebFOCUS 8 Supports Information Builders Customers Across Four Key Markets
Enterprise BI
SaaS
Small Business
WebFOCUS ExpressTM
IBM DB2 Web QueryTM
OEM
WebFOCUS Version 8
WebFOCUS Version 8 Platform
WebFOCUS 8 is much more than just a new version number; it’s a strategic platform initiative for Information Builders.
WebFOCUS 8 addresses the needs of organizations that deploy WebFOCUS in an enterprise BI or Software as a Service model. WebFOCUS Express, a specially packaged version of WebFOCUS 8, enables us to reach the small business market through our partner channel. And you may not know this but Information Builders has a very successful OEM partnership with IBM, which has shipped over 40,000 copies of DB2 Web Query, a BI that is based on WebFOCUS and which will be moving to the WebFOCUS 8 platform in 2012.

5. Why Did We Create WebFOCUS 8? What’s Common Across these Markets?
A rich customizable portal
WebFOCUS 8 Platform
Enterprise BI
Easy to use tools
SaaS
A fine-grained security model
WF Express
Integrate with external systems
Web Query
Why does this matter?
All of these markets need a rich, fully customizable portal that encourages collaboration. Easy to use tools that produce informative and engaging output. A fine-grained security model with customizable roles and built-in support for multi-tenancy. The ability to integrate with external applications and security systems. A secure system that is easy to operate and administer. And as always, it must be easy for existing customers to upgrade to WebFOCUS 8.
By focusing our resources on a platform that delivers these capabilities we’ve been able to get a better product for all of our customers.
Easy to administer
A migration path

6. What is Included in WebFOCUS 8 Marquee Features
WebFOCUS Client and Managed Reporting
Integrated repository
Fine-grained security model
External security integration
Business Intelligence Portal
Rich interface for content & collaboration
Drag-and drop and live preview
Page-level security
WebFOCUS 8 sits on top of a new repository that fully integrates Managed Reporting, ReportCaster, and BI Portal content. Repository content is secured by a new fine-grained security subsystem that offers complete control over how content and BI capabilities are granted to users. WebFOCUS 8 also includes new capabilities for integration with external authentication and authorization systems. There are also many enhancements to Developer Studio, WebFOCUS graphics, Active Reports and our Geographic Information add-on so I encourage you to review the documentation to learn more.
[CLICK] One of the biggest changes is the new BI Portal, which brings a rich new interface for deploying content to end users. The drag and drop paradigm with live preview makes it even easier for users to customize their own portal view. We are also introducing page-level security in WebFOCUS 8 so designers have better control over who can see different content

7. What is Included in WebFOCUS 8 Marquee Features
InfoAssist
Rich interface for creating reports & graphs
Ribbon-style interface replaces Java applet
HTML5 charts and a dozen new features
ReportCaster
Full integration with WebFOCUS 8
Ribbon-style interface replaces Java applet
Group schedule administration

8. What’s New in WebFOCUS Report Server 7.7.04 Released April 2012
Ribbon-based Console
Over 110 Enhancements
Language (22)
Active Technology (6)
Server and Console (29)
Adapters (30)
DataMigrator (19)
Resource Analyzer/Gov (5)
Required by WebFOCUS 8.0
… making this a compelling update to consider even if you are not ready to move to WebFOCUS 8.
masterindex/html/html_wf_7704/snfhilit/snfhilit.pdf

9. WebFOCUS 8 Architecture

10. WebFOCUS 8 Updates the Middle-tier
What is WebFOCUS 8? Understanding Middle-tier vs. Server-tier Components
WebFOCUS 8 Updates the Middle-tier
Report Server +
WebFOCUS Client
Managed Reporting
ReportCaster
BI Portal/Dashboard
WebFOCUS Report Server
Users
Data
What is WebFOCUS 8?
WebFOCUS 8 is a refresh of the middle-tier, which includes the WebFOCUS Client, Managed Reporting and ReportCaster. WebFOCUS 8 introduces the Business Intelligence Portal, replacing BI Dashboard with an updated experience for developers and end users. Dashboards created in a previous release are still supported in WebFOCUS 8 but the Dashboard is functionally stabilized and we encourage you to explore the new capabilities available in the BI Portal.
WebFOCUS 8 requires a Report Server. This presentation is primarily about WebFOCUS 8, but I will summarizes the highlights of the server release in a moment.
WebFOCUS 8.0
Report Server +
WebFOCUS

11. WebFOCUS 8 Architecture Integrated Repository
WebFOCUS Client
Managed Reporting
BI Portal
ReportCaster
WebFOCUS Report Server
Users
Groups
Security
Reports
Schedules
Content
Metadata
Uploaded Data
Note that BI Dashboard data is still stored in the /worp directory outside of the new WebFOCUS 8 repository
WebFOCUS 8 Repository
Application Directories

12. Information Builders File System WebFOCUS 8 Architecture Is Built Around IBFS
IBFS Service Layer – Internal Subsystem
IBFS Path – an Object Addressing Scheme
IBFS paths used in drill-down links, schedules, security rules
For backward compatibility, migrated content can still be accessed via HREF properties

13. Information Builders File System IBFS is All-Encompassing
IBFS Used to Reference
Reports, portal pages
Schedules, output
Users, groups
Report Servers
IBFS governs access to everything
IBFS is Hierarchical and Enables
Security policy inheritance
Group nesting
Full control over content organization

14. Information Builders File System IBFS Enables Full Control of Content Organization
Mandatory folders in 7x are migrated “as is”
… but are no longer required in 8.0
Reports, reporting objects, and library output can be deployed in the same folder
Though there is a limite of 1040 characters for the folder path because of our dbms column definition.
Folder depth not limited to one sub-folder

15. RC Distribution Server
WebFOCUS 8 Architecture All Content is Accessed via the IBFS Service Layer
HTTP Service
IBFS Service Layer
RC Distribution Server
Core WF MR/BIP/RC
ReportCaster uses an IBFS Service API to access report procedures in the repository
Eliminates problematic HTTP requests to the web tier
WebFOCUS 8 Repository

16. WebFOCUS 8 High-level Architecture Running Report Requests
WebFOCUS runs interactive requests through IBFS
User ID and Groups can be passed to the Server:
Connection=Trusted/IBIMR_user
IBI_WFRS_Passthrough_Groups=ALL
HTTP Service
IBFS Service Layer
Core WF MR/BIP/RC
Web Requests
u=jim, g=Tenant22
WebFOCUS Report Server
WebFOCUS 8 Repository

17. WebFOCUS 8 High-level Architecture Running Report Requests
But ReportCaster still runs scheduled jobs through JLINK
HTTP Service
IBFS Service Layer
RC Distribution Server
Core WF MR/BIP/RC
JLINK
Scheduled Jobs
WebFOCUS Report Server
Passing the user’s WebFOCUS groups not yet supported
WebFOCUS 8 Repository

18. WebFOCUS 8 High-level Architecture Running Report Requests
Roadmap: interactive and schedules jobs run the same
HTTP Service
IBFS Service Layer
RC Distribution Server
Core WF MR/BIP/RC
IBFS Support
u=jim, g=Tenant22
WebFOCUS Report Server
Scheduled Requests
WebFOCUS 8 Repository

19. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model

20. Why a New Security Model? Customer Feedback Related to WebFOCUS 7x
Managed Reporting Role Security was Limiting
Only 5 base roles and 9 permissions
One role for all Domains
Domain Security Model was Limiting
Couldn’t customize security on sub-folders
Content Sharing was Limiting
Couldn’t share with specific people
Challenging for Multi-tenancy SaaS Deployments
Couldn’t allow sharing in a common Domain—user’s would see content from other tenants
Dilemma: abandon common domain or drop sharing?
WebFOCUS 8 Addresses These Challenges!

21. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Basic Security Concepts
Security Rules Connect…
Subjects – groups/users to authorize
Roles – collection of privileges
Resources – objects to secure
Access – type of rule: permit, deny, ...
Apply To – scope of rule: folder, folder & children, ...
Security Policy – Collection of Security Rules
Effective Policy – Evaluation of the Security Policy
Bob has privileges A, B, C on resource X
Takes into account rule inheritance, rule conflicts, group membership, user-specific rules (if any)
The Security Model in WebFOCUS 8 Provides Complete Control of Your Security Policies

22. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Understanding Group Membership
Policy Evaluation Includes Processing of a User’s:
Explicitly assigned groups
Implicit groups
Bob is assigned to the Sales Basic Users group
Bob
explicit
Sales Basic Users belongs to Sales Group
implicit
Therefore Bob implicitly belongs to Sales…
And the rules associated with both groups apply

23. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model WebFOCUS 8 Security Center – Users & Groups Tab

24. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model WebFOCUS 8 Security Center – Roles Tab

25. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model WebFOCUS 8 Security Center – Role Customization
Select all or a portion of the privileges within each category
Choose whether users select a Master File or Reporting Object with InfoAssist
Choose whether users can upload a spreadsheet to the Reporting Server

26. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Creating Security Rules
Select any IBFS resource …
and then Security > Rules…
You Must Be Authorized to Create Rules
Member of the Administrators group
Have one of the Assign Rules… permissions
Select a Resource and then select Security > Rules…
Select the Subject
Select the Permission Set
Select the Action and Apply To
Repeat with next Permission Set as necessary
Repeat with next Subject as necessary
Close Security Dialog and Verify Rules Created
Select Security > Rules on this Resource…

27. You Must Be Authorized to Create Rules
WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Creating Security Rules – Security Rules Dialog
You select a subject…
The resource
…role, type, and scope
Click OK to
create rule(s)
You Must Be Authorized to Create Rules
Member of the Administrators group
Have one of the Assign Rules… permissions
Select a Resource and then select Security > Rules…
Select the Subject
Select the Permission Set
Select the Action and Apply To
Repeat with next Permission Set as necessary
Repeat with next Subject as necessary
Close Security Dialog and Verify Rules Created
Select Security > Rules on this Resource…

28. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Managing Your Security Policies
Rules on this Resource answers: “Who can access this?”

29. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Managing Your Security Policies
Rules for this Group answers: “What does this group have access to?”

30. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Understanding the Built-in Global Groups
Consider Using Global Groups Carefully
Global groups have access to all content through inheritance

31. WebFOCUS 8 Security Model Benefits
Flexible Security Model
Over 150 assignable privileges
You can develop custom roles
Sub-Groups and Inheritance Simplify Policy Creation
Tools simplify Creation and Management of Policies
Possible to Address Enterprise and SaaS Markets
Possible to Address Each Customer’s Unique Needs

32. WebFOCUS 8 Enhancement Highlights

33. WebFOCUS 8 Enhancement Highlights
Resource Templates
Private Content, Publishing, and Content Sharing
Localization
Licensing
Authorization Mapping

34. Resource Templates The Deployment Challenges Facing Administrators
What are our security requirements?
How do I design and implement a security policy?
How long will it take to create security rules?
What best practices should I be aware of?
Where do I start?

35. Resource Templates Simplifying the Creation of Security Policies
Resource Templates Automate the Creation of
Folders, portals, groups, roles, security rules
WebFOCUS Includes Two Resource Templates:
Enterprise Domain template
SaaS Tenant Domain template

36. Resource Templates Simplifying the Creation of Security Policies
The Enterprise Domain Template Creates:
1 Domain-specific Folder, Portal, and Group
4 Sub-groups
21 Domain-specific Rules
8 Configurable Roles

37. Resource Templates Simplifying the Creation of Security Policies
The SaaS Tenant Template Creates the Same Things Plus
A Common folder
The EVERYONE group is hidden

38. Resource Templates Simplifying the Creation of Security Policies
The template also creates the required security rules

39. Resource Templates Support Site and Roadmap
Latest Information on Templates:
Download the Policy Design Worksheet
Use this to plan your custom deployment
Roadmap: Create Your Own Templates
/wbf/v8templates/wbf_8_resource_templates.html

40. Private Content, Publishing, and Sharing Private Content
All Content Initially Created as Private
Visible only to owner
Doesn’t inherit security
Administrators with Manage Private Resources can access private content
Authority to Create Private Items Outside of a My Content Folder Can be Assigned
In private content is indicated with a grayscale overlay on the icon

41. Private Content, Publishing, and Sharing Publishing Private Content
Authorized Users Can Publish a Private Resource
Published resources inherit security rules from parent
Create, Publish & Un-Publish are separately assignable
Contrast with Formal Change Control Model
Isolated DEV/TEST/PROD environments
Developers don’t have write access to TEST/PROD
But a Useful Alternative in SaaS Deployments
SaaS tenant developers only interact with PROD
Tenant developers can work out of view from users
Publishing completed reports is simple
IBFS paths don’t change
Consider Developing In-Place with Private Content

42. Private Content, Publishing, and Sharing My Content Folders
End-Users Need to Create Resources in Production
This is facilitated by special My Content folders
A Folder Property Enables Support for My Content
Assignable Privilege Determines Who Gets One
Private content, created and saved by a user to their My Content folder

43. Private Content, Publishing, and Sharing Content Sharing
Complete Control Over Content Sharing
Share – simple sharing determined by WebFOCUS
Share with – user determines who to share with
Configurable Policy Determines Available Users/Groups
Enhanced Shared Content View
Only Users Sharing Content are Shown
Shared content
Assignable sharing options

44. User Attribute in Oracle LDAP
Authorization Mapping Key Requirement for Enterprise & SaaS Deployments
What if you Manage Authorizations in LDAP/AD via…
The user’s group memberships
A custom attribute on the user entry
Authorization Mapping is Built-in to WebFOCUS 8
User Attribute in Oracle LDAP
Groups in AD/LDAP

45. Authorization Mapping Key Requirement for Enterprise & SaaS Deployments
Administrator Maps the Value to a WebFOCUS Group
Resource Templates Can Configure the Mapping
Group DN or user attribute value is mapped to WF group

46. LDAP Authorization Mapping Key Requirement for Enterprise & SaaS Deployments
Mapped WebFOCUS groups have a link icon
User accounts are automatically created during sign-on

47. Other Security Enhancements Password Policies, Auditing
For Customers Using Internal Authentication
Strong encryption for password hashes
Configurable password policies
Built-in Protection from Web Vulnerabilities
Built-in User and Administrative Activity Auditing
This user
Used this API
To move this user
[ :30:13,267] INFO groups ed214e45667f0f1 thoja13 addUserToGroup SUCCESS user:smija03 ( ) group:IBFS:/SSYS/GROUPS/Retail/Developers ( )
Into this group

48. Localizable Content Titles A Complete Solution for Localized Applications
Repository data can be localized
User sees label based on their language preference

49. WebFOCUS 8 Client License New for WebFOCUS 8
Enforces Licensed Options
Features: BI Portal, InfoAssist, ReportCaster, etc.
Managed Reporting user count
InfoAssist user count (future release)
Work with Customer Support/Account Team
Make sure your site code (XXXX.nn) reflects your products
WebFOCUS 8 includes a new licensing system. The WebFOCUS client verifies that features being accessed are licensed and that the number of users in the repository doesn’t exceed the number specified in the license key. The Managed Reporting user count is enforced for BI Portal access and for access to legacy Dashboards, for those who are migrating Dashboards created in 7x to WebFOCUS 8. In the future we will also be enforcing the number of InfoAssist users licensed. License keys can be obtained through your account team or through Customer Support—simply open a support ticket for assistance. WebFOCUS 8 client keys are tied to specific Site Codes but not to specific machines so they do not need to be changed as your hardware is upgraded. They do have an expiration date and we are currently creating customer keys with an validity period of about 10 years. A warning is displayed 30 days in advance of expiration.
You can update license keys, view their expiration date, and see what is being enforced within the Administration Console.

50. Migrating to WebFOCUS 8

51. Migrating to WebFOCUS 8 Built-in Utilities to Simplify the Process
Utility Migrates 7x Content
ReportCaster Content
Managed Reporting Content
Dashboards
Dashboard Conversion to BI Portals
Not Automatic
User Experience and Policies Preserved
Identical folder structure
Identical security policy
8.0 7x

52. Understanding a Migrated Policy MR7x to WF8
MR 7x users had only a single role and optionally a few extra privileges
The role was defined on the user
Migration creates a policy with this same behavior
Requires the User Default Role (UDR) Setting

53. Understanding a Migrated Policy MR7x to WF8
Sets special system Roles between migrated Groups and Domain folders

54. Understanding a Migrated Policy MR7x to WF8
Enables Default Role tab on the user account
Here the user’s 7x “role” and “privileges” are defined
They apply to all Domain folders

55. Migrating to WebFOCUS 8 Managed Reporting Realm Driver
WebFOCUS 8 Does Not Include Realm Driver
External authentication & authorization support is built-in
Using Realm Driver for Authentication Only?
Simply configure authentication in WebFOCUS 8 Console

56. Migrating to WebFOCUS 8 Managed Reporting Realm Driver Configurations
Using Realm Driver for Authorization?
During migration, external authorization data is read
UDR security policies are created
Effective security policy is identical after migration
However, WebFOCUS 8 no longer looks at external data

57. What If I Need to Authorizing to External Data?
Migrating to WebFOCUS 8 Managed Reporting Realm Driver Migration Planning
What If I Need to Authorizing to External Data?
LDAP or Active Directory
Switch to the LDAP mapping feature
RDBMS
SQL updates to WebFOCUS 8 repository not supported
RDBMS mapping feature (8.0.01/.02)
Use RESTful web services (8.0.01)
Custom Security
Java plug-in interface for authN/authZ mapping (8.0.01/.02)
Please create a support case to get assistance with any migration topic

58. Summary

59. WebFOCUS 8 Technical Overview Summary
Rich Portal and Tool Interfaces
Replace BI Dashboard and Java Applet UIs
Integrated Repository Based on IBFS
Unified, fully localizable repository for MR, BIP, RC
Full control of content organization and security policy
Resource Templates simplify security policy creation
Enhanced Content Publishing and Sharing
External Authorization Built-in
Migration Utilities Streamline Upgrade
WebFOCUS requires Report Server

60. Thank you!