Thanks Rajbir for the suggestion. I thought LDAP and CAS were the same. I'll look deeper into CAS as last time James was also talking about CAS.
On Jul 6, 2014 3:32 PM, Rajbir Saini <[email protected]> wrote: > > One more option you can consider is single sign on (SS0). CAS is one > such system and it can be backed by LDAP or DBMS. Looking at [1] it > looks CAS is already integrated with OFBiz. It should not be difficult > to integrate the JForum with CAS as well. Once you have the SSO in place > (Using CAS or some other product), your users will be able to login once > either using JForum or OFBiz and access both applications seamlessly. > > [1] https://wiki.jasig.org/display/CASC/CASifying+Apache+OFBiz > > Regards, > > Raj > > On Sunday 06 July 2014 05:57 AM, Eric Halim wrote: > > Thank you Ron and Pierre for thorough discussion. Both have points for me > > to consider. > > > > But actually I will go for the easiest solution because I'm such a newbie > > to Ofbiz. I don't really concern whether JForum will be run independently > > or integrated into Ofbiz component. > > > > I will think about these three solutions. > > > > 1. User must register and login from Ofbiz and cannot register from JForum. > > I will disable the register link on JForum. Users data will then be > > replicated to JForum. Then using webservice as Taher mentioned earlier to > > authenticate the users. > > > > 2. Setup Apache Directory Server for managing LDAP and integration. Setup > > LDAP for both Ofbiz and JForum. As Pierre mentioned. Both then authenticate > > against LDAP. > > > > 3. Bring JForum into Ofbiz component then use external login key for > > authentication. This one I still don't know the details how to do it. > > > > Thanks all. > > > > On Jul 6, 2014 6:44 AM, Pierre Smits <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Ron, all, > >> > >> For sure, every contribution added to this discussion will help Eric to > >> make a thought through decision based on various viewpoints. > >> > >> Luckily, we can agree that hardware cost aren't that much of an issue any > >> more these days. Unfortunately, metrics (of various kinds) and/or (other) > >> statistics supporting various business scenarios are not available > >> indicating what path to follow with OFBiz. > >> > >> The statement that some organisations don't want to mix front-end > >> (eCommerce) with back-end (accounting, inventory mgt, etc) on one system > >> supports the advice not to combine OFBiz with a solution like JForum on > >> one > >> system. But OFBiz is also suitable for organisations who do want to > >> separate front-end from back-end. Multi-spoke setup is possible and > >> addresses the scale up aspect. > >> > >> Whether JForum is the way to go is for each individual organisation to > >> investigate. I, for one, just hope that when anyone participant in this > >> community opt for an integration option (whatever it may be), he or she > >> will share experiences here so others can benefit from it. > >> > >> Regards, > >> > >> Pierre Smits > >> > >> *ORRTIZ.COM <http://www.orrtiz.com>* > >> Services & Solutions for Cloud- > >> Based Manufacturing, Professional > >> Services and Retail & Trade > >> http://www.orrtiz.com > >> > >> > >> On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 10:10 PM, Ron Wheeler > >> <[email protected] > >>> wrote: > >>> On 05/07/2014 7:15 AM, Pierre Smits wrote: > >>> > >>>> HI Eric, > >>>> > >>>> First of all, OFBiz has a unique set of functionalities that caters > >>>> first > >>>> to the handling of business transactions. Adding some component > >>>> functionality that isn't inline with that is putting the handling of > >>>> those > >>>> business transactions at risk. In the case of forum functionality > >>>> related > >>>> to eCommerce, it could be so that the number of forum postings grows to > >>>> such proportions that it might jeopardise the transaction handling. > >>>> > >>> OTOH, if the forum increases sales to existing customer by 10%, adds 5% > >>> to > >>> the sales to new customers, reduces product returns by 30% and reduces > >>> customer support costs by 20% it might be worth the extra costs of > >>> scaling > >>> up the OfBiz configuration. > >>> > >>> The reduction in transaction related to returns and customer support > >>> might > >>> not offset the extra transactions caused by additional sales but that is > >>> unlikely to bring complaints from management. > >>> > >>> If the forum activities do not generate addition revenue or customer > >>> satisfaction or reduce costs, you can always turn it off. > >>> > >>> It is difficult to make business decisions or propose IT trade-offs for > >>> organizations that you don't know or for general populations of potential > >>> installations of OfBiz. > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>> So, from a business continuity angle having both in/on one system is not > >>>> advisable. > >>>> > >>> Not sure that this conclusion is true in every case or that there are not > >>> available solutions for scaling problems. > >>> You can make the same argument for many features in an ERP. For example, > >>> many companies do not mix eCommerce with accounting in the same system. > >>> > >>>> Apart from that, leveraging JForum with OFBiz data and vice-versa is > >>>> doable. But there are intricacies. You have to take the following into > >>>> consideration: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> 1. You're JForum participants can also register without ever using > >>>> OFBiz > >>>> > >>>> eCommerce. So you need means to get the user's profile data into > >>>>OFBiz > >>>> 2. When using LDAP as the means to do authentication and > >>>>authorization > >>>> > >>>> in both JForum and OFBiz you need to set both up to use that. > >>>> 3. For OFBiz, currently there is no integrated functionality > >>>>available > >>>> > >>>> that updates the LDAP data when user details (userid, first name, > >>>>last > >>>> name, password, etc) are modified in OFBiz. I expect that to be > >>>>the > >>>> same > >>>> for JForum. > >>>> > >>> I am not sure that JForum is the only way to go and that is a worthy > >>> discussion. > >>> I would also add the suggestion that social networking tools that support > >>> groups and discussion might be a more modern solution that adds meets the > >>> same business need as forums but add ideas such as "following", "liking", > >>> "rich profiling", etc. > >>> > >>> Another way to provide this functionality would be to interface with > >>> LinkedIn and use private and public groups. Facebook might also be a > >>> solution if your business is B2C rather than B2B. > >>> > >>> > >>>> If you want to implement implement functionality in either OFBiz or > >>>> JForum > >>>> to update the LDAP data I suggest you have al look at the Apache > >>>> Directory > >>>> Server project (http://directory.apache.org). Not only does the > >>>> community > >>>> have a (clusterable) Directory server and a good LDAP management > >>>> solution, > >>>> but also api's that you can use for integration. > >>>> > >>>> Regards, > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Pierre Smits > >>>> > >>>> *ORRTIZ.COM <http://www.orrtiz.com>* > >>>> > >>>> Services & Solutions for Cloud- > >>>> Based Manufacturing, Professional > >>>> Services and Retail & Trade > >>>> http://www.orrtiz.com > >>>> > >>>> > >>> -- > >>> Ron Wheeler > >>> President > >>> Artifact Software Inc > >>> email: [email protected] > >>> skype: ronaldmwheeler > >>> phone: 866-970-2435, ext 102 > >>> > >>> >
