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Client & WebDav

If you are using the recommended XML database eXist (which also is bundled up with the registry), then you may like to know you can get right into the database. The XML database eXist provides you with a WebStartable client allowing you to login in via a GUI and perform numerous amounts of tasks such as changing usernames, backups, reindex, xquery, add/remove everything possible to manipulate the database. Also it supports WebDav which allows you to connect various Applications like XMLSpy or Oxygen, as well as your typical File Manager normally support WebDav meaning you can view the whole database just like any other network drive on your system. Below is the information to get you connected as well as some hints.

Requirements

• If you are running in the default mode of eXist database embedded internally with your webapp because you would not wish to make your database public, you must make a change to a JNDI environment entry (property). Edit JNDI property called "reg.custom.restrict.IPaddresses" allowing you to restrict who has access to the WebDav and client Gui. Just make a comma seperated list of IP addresses you allow. You may even do expressions if desired such as 128.9.*. Much like changing properties during Configure go to the 'Edit Properties' in the menu to change this property.
• The eXist database is not fully initialized until a query happens. This can be done by simply going to almost any jsp page such as the home (index.jsp) page of your registry or when any component calls the registry via a web service call. Hence if you connect via WebDav or client GUI and says the 'eXist' database is not initialized then please go to the home page of your registry which will initialize it. This usually happens when there is a restart of your servlet container or eXist then you immediately tried to access it via WebDav.
• Many people like the use of XML editors such as Oxygen or XMLSpy to validate and edit the XML. But it is easy just to edit the XML directly in the Database with the Client GUI or general text editor via WebDav. Please be sure to take caution and validate the XML. Be sure to set schemaLocations in your XML Editor, so you can validate or to take the XML; and by using the simple "Enter Resource" jsp pages here at the registry put in the XML. So it is validated and certain to go into the registry correctly.

The Client

You can launch a web start client go to

eXist

and click on the 'Launch' button on the left hand side to start a client and follow the options below:

By default the username is "admin" password is empty

Type: Remote
URL: xmldb:exist://{host}:{port}/{context}/xmlrpc

Sample URL for embedded:

URL: xmldb:exist://registry.astrogrid.org/astrogrid-registry/xmlrpc

or most likely this:

URL: xmldb:exist://localhost:8080/helio_registry/xmlrpc

Sample url for external:

URL: xmldb:exist://mssl.ucl.ac.uk:6080/xmlrpc

The external eXist if downloaded is by default on port 8080, but if you download the external zip file this software gives you which has a few of the settings already set then default is 6080 port. This is all you need to know to get into the database and try reindexing, xqueries, backups, setting up users and other. Do read the next 2 important notes:

• Be certain if you change usernames and passwords around then you will need to change the registry JNDI properties to reflect your changes in the database.
• Do not rename xml files in the astrogrid collections, the names are based on the identifier and used for getting one single Resource directly (on the GetResource interface) instead of querying for a Resource.

Other Documentation

WebDAV

WebDav can be used with your database to map your database like a regular network drive, where by you can edit, delete, add various content. Several popular apps that may interest you to connect via WebDav are XMLSpy and Oxygen allowing you to get a more easy interface to the xml documents. All of this can be setup and is explained on the following link:

eXist WebDav Doc

N.B. Many XML Registry Resources will not have the schemaLocation stored in the database XML. Which means for validation and to make an easy to use interface with Oxygen or XMLSpy you will need to set the schemalocation yourself. Down below are a list of various places to obtain the schemaLocation.

Sample Schema Location Places

The schemaLocations below can be found at:

http://software.astrogrid.org
ex: http://software.astrogrid.org/schema/vo-resource-types/VOResource/v1.0/VOResource.xsd

or your local registry at:

http://{yourhost}:{yourport}/{registry context}
ex: http://localhost:8080/helio_registry/schema/vo-resource-types/VOResource/v1.0/VOResource.xsd
---
/schema/vo-resource-types/VOResource/v1.0/VOResource.xsd 1.0 schemas.
/schema/vo-resource-types/VOResource/v1.0/VOResource.xsd
/schema/vo-resource-types/VORegistry/v1.0/VORegistry.xsd
/schema/vo-resource-types/VODataService/v1.0/VODataService.xsd
/schema/vo-resource-types/ConeSearch/v1.0/ConeSearch.xsd
/schema/vo-resource-types/SIA/v1.0/SIA.xsd
/schema/registry/RegistryUpdate/v1.0/RegistryDBStore.xsd

At the time of this writing these schemas were not published:

/schema/vo-resource-types/OpenSkyNode/v1.0/OpenSkyNode.xsd
/schema/vo-resource-types/CEAService/v1.0/CEAService.xsd