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Contents Chapter 1 Introduction to RoboInfo___________________________________ 1 About RoboInfo Publisher __________________________________________ 1 About RoboEngine________________________________________________ 2 Contacting eHelp Corporation_______________________________________ 4 Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo_______________________________________ 9 Installing RoboEngine ____________________________________________ 10 Organizing engine licenses ________________________________________ 10 Creating the
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Chapter 5 Using RoboInsight Reports ________________________________ 47 Question grouping ______________________________________________ 49 Viewing reports_________________________________________________ 50 Chapter 6 Connecting to Content ____________________________________ 51 Connecting to content using an Active Server Page (ASP) file_____________ 51 Connecting to content using the RoboAPI.
Chapter 1 Introduction to RoboInfo RoboInfo™ is software to create and manage policy and procedure information on an intranet. It includes a publishing tool, RoboInfo Publisher, to leverage and create content, and an optional server component, RoboEngine™, with advanced features including natural language search functionality, feedback reports, and support for team development. RoboInfo Publisher: This component enables you to import, create, publish, and manage content.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual RoboInfo Publisher includes ways to manage files using folders (left side) and create content using the WYSIWYG Editor (right side) About RoboEngine RoboEngine is the optional server-side component of RoboInfo. RoboEngine integrates seamlessly with your projects to give your information the extra power only a server can provide.
Chapter 1 Introduction To RoboInfo Key features of RoboEngine: n Tracking and reporting of user problems using the RoboInsight technology n Scanning of a wide variety of content, including Web pages, Microsoft Office documents, and PDF files to create an extensive database that can be queried by your users (through natural language search).
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Contacting eHelp Corporation eHelp is the worldwide leader in automated user assistance software. Our innovative tools are easy to use and greatly improve the usability of information. Address: eHelp Corporation 10590 W. Ocean Air Drive San Diego, CA 92130 U.S.A. Telephone: 1-858-847-7400 Fax: 1-858-847-1415 World Wide Web: www.ehelp.com Email: information@ehelp.com Office hours: Monday to Friday 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Chapter 1 Introduction To RoboInfo Technical Support eHelp Corporation is committed to providing you with the best overall product experience. This includes intuitive technical products and flexible options to fit your support needs. Our products are designed with superior quality and ease of use in mind, but we understand that issues do arise from time to time that need the backing of our support resources.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Documentation feedback At eHelp Corporation, we strive to produce the highest quality documentation products and welcome your feedback. If you have comments or suggestions about our online Help or printed guides, you can email us.
Chapter 1 Introduction To RoboInfo Other helpful resources A good list of resources can make all the difference in terms of support, guidance, and inspiration. As the recognized leader in user assistance development solutions, eHelp Corporation leads the way by offering a list of helpful resources on our Web site at www.ehelp.com. You’ll find the latest user assistance resource information, including books, periodicals, helpful Internet links, training, and more.
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Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo This chapter provides you with instructions for setting up RoboInfo and gives you steps for testing the system to make sure it’s working correctly. Some of the steps for deploying RoboInfo are completed in RoboEngine and some are completed in the RoboInfo Publisher authoring tool. The following steps are discussed in this chapter.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Installing RoboEngine Installing RoboEngine is a straightforward process. Simply insert the RoboEngine CD into the CD-ROM drive on the server where you are going to host your content, type in the serial number provided by eHelp Corporation, and follow the on-screen instructions. For more details, including system requirements, see the RoboEngine Installation Guide packaged with the program CD.
Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo To open the License Manager: 1 Open the Configuration Manager. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop.) 2 on the From the Help menu, select License Manager. The License Manager displays.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Creating the engine After installing RoboEngine, it is important to create and configure an engine properly. Once an engine has been configured, authors can publish their content to the engine. You use the RoboEngine Configuration Wizard to create the engine. To create an engine: 1 Open the Configuration Manager. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop.) 2 From the File menu, select New Engine.
Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo 4 Select the Web site where you want to publish content. Identify a Web site for your engine The default Web site that is listed in the dialog is created by the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) when it is installed. If you want to use a Web site that is different from the default, you must properly configure a new Web site using IIS. The Configuration Wizard only recognizes properly configured Web sites.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual 6 Select the database where you want to store user feedback and usage patterns. Configure a database for your engine The built-in database option uses a Microsoft Access database. If you want to use either a Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle 8.0 or higher database, first purchase a RoboEngine Connectivity Pack license. After you install the RoboEngine Connectivity Pack, select the Microsoft SQL Server/Oracle 8.0 or higher radio button and fill in the appropriate information.
Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo 7 Click Next. The RoboEngine Configuration Wizard completes the steps necessary to create the engine. View your engine being created 8 Click Next. 9 Click Finish. Testing the engine After you create the engine, you should test it. To test that the engine is working: 1 With the Configuration Manager open, select the Projects panel. (If the Configuration Manager is not open, double-click the Configuration Manager icon 2 on the desktop.) Click the View Project button.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Obtaining the name of the engine It is important to obtain the correct name or address of the engine. You need to assign the name to your projects, using RoboInfo Publisher Project Settings, in order to publish content to the engine. If the engine, the authoring computer, and your users are all on a local area network (LAN), you can simply use the name of the computer where the engine is installed.
Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo Obtaining the name of a Windows NT Server on a LAN You can identify the name of a Windows NT Server through the Network Neighborhood Identification tab. To obtain the name of a Windows NT Server on a LAN: on the desktop. 1 Right-click the Network Neighborhood icon 2 Select Properties. 3 Select the Identification tab and write down the Computer Name.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Obtaining the IP address of the engine Following is one way to determine an IP address. To determine if an IP address is selected for a particular engine: 1 Open the Microsoft Internet Information Service Manager. (It may be located in the following default location: from the Start menu, select Programs - Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack - Microsoft Internet Information Server - Internet Server Manager.) 2 Right-click on the intended engine and select Properties.
Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo Opening a project You can open an existing project or create a new project. To open an existing project: 1 Open RoboInfo Publisher by double-clicking the RoboInfo Publisher icon on the desktop. 2 Double-click on the name of your project, or double-click More Files to browse to a project and click Open. RoboInfo Publisher opens. To create a new project: 1 Open RoboInfo Publisher by double-clicking the RoboInfo Publisher icon on the desktop.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Publishing content In order for users to see content, authors must publish their project(s) to the engine. Following are the basic steps — for more detailed information, see the RoboInfo Publisher online Help system. To publish content: 1 Open RoboInfo Publisher by double-clicking the RoboInfo Publisher icon on the desktop. 2 Double-click on the name of your project, or double-click More Files to browse to a project and click Open. RoboInfo Publisher opens.
Chapter 2 Setting up RoboInfo Viewing projects Once the project is published to the engine, you can view the project and ask questions using the natural language search option. This is the best way to test your system because you see exactly what your users will see. You can view a project directly from the Configuration Wizard or from within RoboInfo Publisher. The project opens in your default browser.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual If you view the project from RoboEngine, you can see all of the serverdependent features and use the natural language search option to ask questions. To ask questions using the natural language search option: 1 After the project has opened in the browser, click on the Search tab. 2 Type various questions, using plain English, into the search field. (Asking a few different types of questions adds information to the reports so you can view them in the next step.
Chapter 3 Leveraging Existing Content RoboEngine contains information that your users can search using the natural language search option. In order to best serve your users, it is important to have high-quality content. Creating content from scratch can be time consuming, so RoboEngine makes it easy to leverage content you may already have outside of your project, including a variety of document types. If you have HTML files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, or .
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Scanning process The scanning process is comprehensive, so completely re-scanning an entire project when only a few documents have changed wastes valuable computer resources. To solve this problem, the scanner only scans documents when they have changed (e.g., added, removed, or modified).
Chapter 3 Leveraging Existing Content Including project documents You can include existing documents in your project and make them available to users in the natural language search option without converting the documents into HTML format. The method described below adds the document to your project's Baggage Folder. This makes it easy for you to update and publish the document right from the project.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Including global documents in your project You can include existing documents not referenced in your project in the natural language search option. The method described below enables you to manually place the document in a special folder on the engine. The document content is then scanned directly from the engine. This method is particularly appropriate for legacy documents that do not change frequently, but that you want to make available to your users.
Chapter 3 Leveraging Existing Content n File Transfer (FTP): These documents are served from any standard FTP server. The engine and end users need anonymous access to these resources. The file transfer (FTP) protocol looks like this: ftp://someserver.com/SomeDocument.doc n Network File (FILE): These documents are served from a shared network resource such as a shared drive. The engine and end users need access to these shared network resources.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual 4 In the Right drop-down menu, select Act as part of the operating system. 5 Click Add. 6 In the List Names From drop-down menu, select your RoboEngine machine name. 7 Click Show Users. 8 Select IWAM_. 9 Click Add. 10 Click OK to close the Add Users and Groups dialog. 11 Click OK again to close the User Rights Policy dialog. Viewing external documents from the engine If you have links to external documents (e.g.
Chapter 3 Leveraging Existing Content To schedule an engine scan: 1 Open the Configuration Manager. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop.) on the 2 Open the engine. 3 Click on the Projects icon select Projects. 4 Select the check box next to Rescan Engine Documents. This enables you to establish a schedule for scanning.
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Chapter 4 Managing Engines This chapter discusses how to use the Configuration Manager, how to work with engines and projects, and how to set up the natural language search option to obtain the most search results. Using the Configuration Manager The Configuration Manager is the main interface for managing an engine. The Configuration Manager provides an intuitive interface for configuring, managing, and maintaining the engine.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual On the left side of the Configuration Manager are icons representing panels. Each of the following panels manages a different set of functionality: n Projects Panel n Database Panel n Troubleshoot Panel The following menus are available on the menu bar: n File menu n View menu The following options are available on the toolbar: to display the Configuration Wizard. This dialog enables you to New: Click create a new engine.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines Projects panel The Projects panel enables you to set project order, merge projects, establish natural language search settings, and schedule regular scans of your documents.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual To display the Projects panel: 1 Open the Configuration Manger. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop. 2 Open the engine. 3 Click on the Projects icon click Projects. on the on the left side, or from the View menu, Database Panel The Database Panel enables you to specify the type of database you are using and conduct several maintenance tasks.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines To display the Database panel: 1 Open the Configuration Manger. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop. 2 Open the engine. 3 Click on the Database icon menu, click Database. on the on the left side, or from the View Troubleshoot panel Errors can occur for a number of reasons, such as an engine not containing any projects or no default project defined.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual The Troubleshoot panel displays all engine errors and allows you to review and delete the errors. Use the Troubleshoot panel to view and manage engine errors To display the Troubleshoot panel: 1 Open the Configuration Manger. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop. 36 2 Open the engine. 3 Click on the Troubleshoot icon menu, click Troubleshoot.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines Working with engines Use the Configuration Manager to manage your engines. The Configuration Manager makes it easy to create, open, maintain, and delete engines. Creating an engine An engine displays the content that your users view. An engine is essentially a container that holds one or more projects. There is one engine for each Web site. Note: Each configured engine requires its own license.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual About RoboEngine databases RoboEngine supports several different types of databases, depending on the specific license you purchased. With the standard RoboEngine product you can use a Microsoft Access database. If you purchased the RoboEngine Connectivity Pack, you can use Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL, or Oracle (8.0 or higher). Following are brief descriptions of the three different kinds of databases that are compatible with RoboEngine.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines About the ODBC Administrator If you purchased the RoboEngine Connectivity Pack, you can use a Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle 8.0 or higher database for your engine. (You'll need a system DSN before using a SQL or Oracle database.) Microsoft's Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) API allows the engine to connect to any database without needing to use database specific functions. The ODBC Administrator is used to create an ODBC data source.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Opening an engine An engine displays the content that users view. The Open an engine dialog allows you to open a previously configured engine or create a new one. Once an engine is opened or created you can add projects, review settings, and make other changes. To open an engine: 1 Open the Configuration Manger. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines 3 Click on the Troubleshoot icon menu, click Troubleshoot. on the left side, or from the View 4 Any errors that have occurred are displayed. You can click on an error and then click More Info to obtain additional information on the error. 5 To reduce the amount of error data being stored, click Delete Old. Enter a date in the "Year-Month-Day-Time" format and click Delete. Watching the database size You should periodically check that the database size is not too large.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Deleting an engine You may need to use this option when you have created a test engine and want to remove it. To delete an engine: 1 Open the Configuration Manger. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop. on the 2 From the Open an engine dialog, select the engine you want to delete. 3 Click OK. 4 From the File menu, select Delete Engine. 5 Select Yes to delete this engine.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines Working with projects Once you have created a project, you can add the project to an engine, set a default project (if you publish more than one project to the same engine), and merge multiple projects. Adding projects to an engine In order for users to see content, add projects to the engine. Use the authoring tool, RoboInfo Publisher, to add projects. Following are the basic steps – for more detailed information, see the RoboInfo Publisher online Help system.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Setting a default project If you are merging multiple projects into one project to display to your users, you should set one project as the default or "master" project. This default project is used to resolve name conflicts among windows, topics, etc. The default project's settings are used by the other projects in the engine. Also, if the default project has a skin attached to it, all other projects will display with the same skin.
Chapter 4 Managing Engines In order to do a custom project merge, the automatic merge feature must be turned off in RoboEngine (by default it is "on"). For more information about custom merging, see the RoboInfo Publisher online Help system. To turn off the automatic merge feature: 1 Open the Configuration Manger. (On the computer where you installed RoboEngine, double-click the Configuration Manager icon desktop. on the 2 Open the engine. 3 Select the Projects panel.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Obtaining more search results One of the biggest problems that users face when conducting searches for information is receiving too many, mostly irrelevant, results. The natural language search feature in RoboInfo solves the problem by returning topics in order of prominence for the searched word. This is an effective technique for engines containing a large amount of information, but can be inefficient when used with a limited amount of content.
Chapter 5 Using RoboInsight Reports RoboEngine's most powerful feature is its feedback mechanism that uses RoboInsight technology. Through this feature, you receive real-time feedback on what is confusing or missing from your online information. You can see where users are entering the system, what questions they are asking, and most importantly, what questions are going unanswered. Armed with this information, you can focus on updating the specific areas of your content that are known trouble spots.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual n Question Trends: This report shows the number of answered versus unanswered questions over time. n Content Errors: This report displays errors such as missing data and broken links that occur while the engine is delivering content to end users.
Chapter 5 About RoboInsight Reports Question grouping The RoboInsight technology in RoboEngine intelligently and logically groups similar questions together in reports. This feature enables authors to read and share reports that are more accurate. Question grouping helps solve the problem of looking at a report that contains long lists of questions that are similar, but phrased in slightly different ways.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Viewing reports You can view reports from the RoboInfo Publisher authoring tool or from the RoboEngine Configuration Wizard. Security when accessing reports over the Internet Two security issues concerning remote reporting are browser support and browser access. We recommend using Microsoft Internet Explorer for viewing and executing reports. Internet Explorer 4.x and higher provides complete integration with the Windows NT platform.
Chapter 6 Connecting to Content In order for users to see the content you have written, you need to connect the content to an engine. There are two ways to connect content to an engine: n simple method using an Active Server Page (ASP) file n advanced window control using a JavaScript (JS) file Connecting to content using an Active Server Page (ASP) file There is a simple Active Server Page (ASP) file that can be addressed to view content. The default hyperlink is http:///RoboAPI.asp.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Active Server Page (ASP) call example When the Configuration Wizard is used to create an engine, a "RoboAPI.asp" file is also generated. This file is located in the root of the Web site in which the engine is created. The ASP file is used to link published projects together. Following are some ASP file options you can use to display your projects. n Default usage: Displays the first default topic found in the project within a new browser window.
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Chapter 6 Connecting to Content Connecting to content using the RoboAPI.js API RoboEngine includes a simple JavaScript file named RoboAPI.js that you can use to connect your content to the engine. A .JS file is a JavaScript file that contains a list of the RoboEngine functions. These functions are used to invoke the engine. The file works by including the functions within the content to launch or "call" the engine. Note: In order to access the functions in RoboAPI.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual n Function Type n Function Data n Window Server This function specifies the location of the engine. The parameter can use any of the following examples (note that the http:// is optional): n http://www.helpserver.com n helpserver n http://206.19.76.35, 206.19.76.
Chapter 6 Connecting to Content n Project Call Results: Displays the default topic in the default window of the project specified. If the project has no default window or topic, then the first default window or topic found in the list of projects on the server is used. If no project has a default window or topic, then the system default window or topic is used. Server=help.ehelp.com Function Type=project Function Data=master_help
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Chapter 7 Security Options for RoboEngine RoboEngine functions within a network environment to provide Web services. There are two different types of users RoboEngine must manage when connected to the network: n Users who view content n Authors who publish content and view reports RoboEngine is 100% compatible with all authentication and encryption services implemented by Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 and 5.0.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Before installing the RoboEngine software If you are using our recommended security model and set system permissions, you should create a local user group and set file permissions for the group before you install the RoboEngine software. To create a local user group: 1 Log on to the server where the RoboEngine software is to be installed. The account used to logon to the server should be part of the "Administrators" user group for the server.
Chapter 7 Security Options for RoboEngine Notes on file and folder permissions: § In Windows NT Server 4.0, the "Change" permission includes Read, Write, Execute, and Delete. § MDAC 2.1 overwrites several files located in WINNT and WINNT\System32. Refer to http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q232/0/53.asp for the complete listing of files installed.
RoboInfo Deployment Manual To set file permissions for the publishing and reports group: 1 Give the RoboPublisher group "Read/Write" permissions to the Projects folder under the engine for which you wish to grant access. 2 Give the group "Read/Execute" permissions to the Reports folder, including all subfolders and existing files, under the engine for which you wish to grant access. 3 This group also needs the following: n "Write" permission to the root of the drive that the engine was installed to.
Chapter 7 Security Options for RoboEngine Securing reports By default, users of RoboInfo Publisher can view all reports and have full control of the \reports folder and files. Write permission to this folder (via the Internet Management Console) is not selected. This setting should not be changed.
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Index A D Adding projects common problems, 45 to engines, 43 Data deleting old, 41 Assigning engine address, 19 engine name, 19 Automatic merging of projects, 44 C Checking engine errors, 40 Configuration Manager Database panel, 34 opening, 32 Projects panel, 33 starting, 32 Troubleshoot panel, 35 Contacting eHelp Corporation, 4 customer service, 5 documentation feedback, 6 sales, 4 technical support, 5 Content leveraging existing, 23 publishing, 20 Creating engines, 12, 37 new projects, 19, 20, 21, 25
RoboInfo Deployment Manual Engines adding projects to, 43 assigning name in RoboInfo Publisher, 19 checking for errors, 40 creating, 12, 37 databases for, 38 deleting, 42 deleting errors in, 42 maintaining, 31, 40 managing, 31 obtaining IP address, 18 obtaining name, 16 obtaining URL, 18 publishing documents, 26 scheduling scans, 28 testing, 15 Errors deleting engine, 42 Event log, 40 K Knowledge Base, 7 L Leveraging content, 23 License Manager opening, 11, 29 using, 10 Licenses for RoboInfo, 10 M Mainta
Index O R Obtaining engine URL, 18 IP address of engine, 18 name of engine, 16 Reports viewing, 22 ODBC Administrator opening, 39 overview, 39 Opening Configuration Manager, 32 License Manager, 11, 29 ODBC Administrator, 39 projects, 19 Oracle database, 14, 38 Overview Database panel, 34 ODBC Administrator, 39 Projects panel, 33 Troubleshoot panel, 35 P PDF files scanning, 23 PowerPoint scanning files, 23 Project documents including in project, 25 Projects adding to engines, 43 creating new, 19, 20, 2
RoboInfo Deployment Manual T V Technical support, 5 Viewing external documents, 28 projects, 21 reports, 22 Testing engines, 15 Troubleshoot panel displaying, 36 overview, 35 U URL obtaning engine, 18 66 W Word scanning files, 23