Quick URL for VRE sites

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[edit] Problem: Complicated / Ugly Sakai site web address

Sometimes a research group might want a simple website address to share with others, so they can easily remember how to access their site.

In Sakai a full link to a site looks like 

http://sakai.bestgrid.org/portal/site/bda98ec8-ebbe-4b10-8047-7f7ad4cf4e85

Using this link allows registered users to enter directly into the site Home page after providing their login credentials. But such URL is very complicated to remember.

[edit] Solution - Simple URL

Our system administrators can create a simple url for your site. Contact us to request one for your site.

[edit] Implementation

To simplify the quick URL there is an approach inside Tomcat structure (Tomcat is a container for Sakai) to create Virtual Hosts. Administrator of Sakai/Tomcat server in that case should do the following:

  • Add into Engine section of a file $CATALINA_HOME/conf/server.xml Host element: 
<Engine name "Catalina" defaultHost="localhost">
   <Host 
      name="vretest" 
      appBase="webapps/vretest">
   </Host>
</Engine>
  • Create a folder for the new virtual host: 
mkdir $CATALINA_HOME/webapps/vretest
  • Create a file $CATALINA_HOME/webapps/vretest/index.html with a content: 
<html>
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=/portal/site/bda98ec8-ebbe-4b10-8047-7f7ad4cf4e85">
  </head>
  <body>
    Redirecting to VRE Test site...
  </body>
</html>
  • Create a folder under $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina corresponding to the new virtual host: 
mkdir $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/vretest
  • Create a file $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/vretest/ROOT.xml with a content: 
<Context docBase="${catalina.home}/webapps/vretest"
</Context>

Now it's possible to open VRE Test site using much easier URL like this: 

http://sakai.bestgrid.org/vretest

This approach to create virtual hosts doesn't need Tomcat/Sakai restarting.

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