Content Station Aurora full installation

A full installation of Content Station Aurora is an installation on a system on which Content Station is not yet installed.

The installation consists of various steps which should be performed in the following order:

1. Setting up the environment
2. Installing Content Station
3. Configuring Content Station
4. (Optional) Adding the JSON MIME type to IIS
5. Installing the Content Station Server plug-in
6. Installing and configuring InDesign Server
7. (Optional) Enabling the Digital editor
8. Testing the installation
9. Starting InDesign Server
10. Activating the Content Station license
11. Defining article components
12. Setting up article templates
13. Connecting to Enterprise Cloud Services
13. (Optional) Setting up Publish Channels
14. (Optional) Setting up an environment for working with Digital articles
15. (Optional) Enabling Content Station to use Issues that overrule Brands
16. (Optional) Installing the Content Station Desktop App
17. (Optional) Adding custom functionality
18. Additional configuration steps
19. Using Content Station

Requirements

Content Station Aurora is a central place in which articles can be created, managed, and published. To make these processes work, various applications, tools, platforms, and services are used. Some of the platforms and services are part of external, remote systems.

As a result, using Content Station comes with various requirements which are listed below.

Enterprise Server

Content Station is installed as part of Enterprise Server. The available features in Content Station also depends on the version of Enterprise Server that is used.

Content Station is available in 2 Editions:

1. Content Station print. As far as creating content is concerned, this version only contains the Print editor for creating content specifically for output to print.

2. Content Station multichannel. As far as creating content is concerned, this version contains the Print editor for creating content specifically for output to print, as well as the Digital editor for creating channel-neutral content for output to digital and print channels.

The following version of Enterprise Server is required to be installed:

• For the Print Edition: Enterprise Server 10.0, 10.1 or 10.2 or higher
• For the Multichannel Edition: Enterprise Server 10.2 or higher

For information about installing Enterprise Server, see Enterprise Server 10 full installation. Also make sure to verify the Release Notes for any changes or other important information.

Smart Connection

Users of Smart Connection for Adobe CC 2017 should have Smart Connection version 12.0.0 build 7 (Quick Patch) or higher installed. This fixes some issues related to the print variant feature of Content Station Aurora.

Internet connection

An internet connection is required for the following processes:

• Working with Digital articles. Content Station needs to connect to the Enterprise Cloud Services, a cloud environment which stores Component Sets, Styles, and Publication channels, and which takes care of processes such as converting a Digital article to a print article and publishing a Digital article.

When no Internet connection is available, the following tasks cannot be performed:

• Creating, editing, previewing, or publishing a Digital article
• Converting a Digital article to a print article

1. Setting up the environment

Content Station is installed in an existing installation of Enterprise Server. Make sure therefore that you have a fully working Enterprise Server 10 environment already set up, including Brands and users.

In relation to using Content Station Aurora, pay attention to the following areas:

• Granting users access to features. Part of the installation of Enterprise Server is setting up Access Profiles. These determine which features in the application users can and cannot make use of. Verify all Access Rights to see if any Access Profiles specific to Content Station users need to be set up.

• Publishing stories using the Digital editor. When the Digital editor is used for publishing stories to a digital channel, Enterprise Server jobs need to be set up including a job queue processor. Make sure that this is in place.

Note: It is not needed to set up one of the available default Server Jobs, the publishing process makes use of a user-initiated Server Job.

• For Apache Web Server setups. Content Station 11.17 and higher include an .htaccess file which ensures that the index.html and config.js files are not cached by the Web browser. Make sure to also adjust the caching of the index.html and config.js files in Apache by enabling the mod_headers module. Do this by uncommenting or adding the following to your Apache configuration:

LoadModule headers_module modules/mod_headers.so

For information about the module, see the Apache documentation Apache Module mod_headers.

Note: The .htaccess file is a hidden file in the Finder on MacOS.

2. Installing Content Station

Content Station is provided as a package that needs to be installed in Enterprise Server.

Step 1. Download the following file from the Release Announcement:

contentstation-11.x-bxx.zip

Step 2. Unzip the file.

A folder named 'contentstation' is created.

Step 3. Place the folder in the root of your Enterprise Server installation.

Example: C:/Enterprise Server/contentstation

3. Configuring Content Station

As a minimum configuration step, the URL of the Enterprise Server instance to connect to needs to be defined. Optional settings are tracking user behavior, enabling logging and making applications available.

window.csConfig = {
  // Add the URL of the Enterprise Server to connect to (URL can be absolute or relative).
  // Examples
  // > absolute URL (full path to the server):
  //   * 'http://myserver.com/Enterprise/index.php'
  // > relative URL:
  //   * '/Enterprise/index.php'
  //   * '../index.php'
  serverUrl: '../index.php',
  // Define the server name (only required when layouts need to be automatically opened in InDesign). The name should match one of the server names configured in the WWSettings.xml file distributed to your workstations.
  serverName: 'Enterprise 10',

  // Url that will be open when 'Help' is clicked.
  helpUrl: 'https://helpcenter.woodwing.com/hc/categories/201364686-Documentation-Content-Station-10',

  // Track user behaviour through Amplitude.
  // Leave empty to disable (amplitudeId: '').
  amplitudeId: '40796e16699a5135a7b2290bdc3293f7',

  // Log levels
  // * 0 - disable logs
  // * 1 - basic logs (no stacktrace)
  // * 2 - full logs
  logs: 1,

  // Add external applications to the Apps menu.
  // Leave empty to remove the Apps menu from the header (apps: []).
  // Properties:
  // > name - name of the app
  // > url - url of the app. Placeholders are {SERVER_URL}, {SESSION_ID} and {APP_PATH}.
  //   * SERVER_URL - The Enterprise Server UL
  //   * SESSION_ID - The session ID
  //   * APP_PATH - Relative path to apps with relative paths, for example to the Publication Overview
  // > icon - Name of the icon used in the menu; the icon should be available in the icons folder: ~/assets/third-party-icons/
  // > iconUrl - path to the icon file when the icon is not stored in the icons folder
  // > thisTab - 'true' to open the app in the same tab as Content Station.
  // Notes:
  //   * When both 'icon' and 'iconUrl' are present, 'icon' will be used.
  //   * When 'icon' and 'iconUrl' are not present, Content Statin will fall back to a default icon.
  //   * When 'thisTab' is not present it defaults to 'false' meaning that apps are opened in new tab.
  apps: [
    {
      name: 'Inception',
      url: '//inception.woodwing.com',
      icon: 'inception-logo.svg'
    },
    {
      name: 'Publication Overview',
      url: '{APP_PATH}#/publication',
      icon: 'Icon-PublicationOverview.svg',
      thisTab: true
    },
    {
      name: 'ISSUES_ISSUE_MANAGER',
      url: '{APP_PATH}#/issuemanager',
      icon: 'manage-issues.svg',
      thisTab: true,
      translate: true
    },
    {
      name: 'TRASH_CAN_TITLE',
      url: '{APP_PATH}#/trashcan/',
      icon: 'trash-can.svg',
      thisTab: true,
      translate: true
    }
  ],

  // Add custom actions to context menu in search results.
  // See 'plugins.md' and 'contentstation-sdk.md' available in sdk folder for more information.
  plugins: {
    contentStation: [
      // 'sdk/samples/sample-1.js',
      // 'sdk/samples/sample-2.js'
    ]
  }
};

Step 1. Open the following file:

<Enterprise Server path>/contentstation/config.js

Step 2. Connect Content Station to Enterprise Server by adding the Enterprise Server URL to the serverUrl option. Use either a relative link or an absolute link.

serverUrl:  '/Enterprise/index.php',

serverUrl:  '../index.php',

serverUrl: 'http://myserver.com/Enterprise/index.php',

Step 3. Make sure that the serverName option matches one of the server names configured in the WWSettings.xml file distributed to your workstations.

serverName: 'Enterprise',

Step 4. (Optional) Through the integration of Amplitude in Content Station, WoodWing anonymously tracks user behavior (see User behavior tracking in Content Station Aurora). To disable this tracking, clear the value for the amplitudeId option.

Note: We kindly request to keep tracking enabled so that we can continuously improve Content Station and its performance.

Example: amplitudeId: '',

Step 5. (Optional) Define the level of logging that should take place by defining one of the following settings in the logs option:

• 0 Logging is disabled
• 1 Basic logging (no stack trace)
• 2 Full logging

Example: logs: 1

Step 6. (Optional) Access to applications (3rd-party applications or extra sources of information such as the Publication Overview Application, WoodWing Inception, Web sites and so on) can be provided through a link in the Apps menu. This is done by defining each app as described in Working with Applications in Content Station Aurora. Leave empty to remove the Apps menu altogether.

Example:apps: []

Step 7. Save and close the file.

4. (Optional) Adding the JSON MIME type to IIS

Note: This step only needs to be performed when running Windows with IIS as a Web Server.

In order for Content Station to be loaded, IIS needs to be able to serve JSON files. This is done by making sure that the JSON MIME type is present in IIS.

Step 1. Open IIS Manager and navigate to the level you want to manage.

Step 2. In Features View, double-click MIME Types.

Step 3. Verify if the .json extension is listed.

In case the .json extension is listed, all is well and you can close the IIS Manager.

In case the .json extension is not listed, continue as follows:

Step 4. In the Actions pane, click Add.

The Add MIME Type dialog box appears.

Step 5. In the File name extension text box, type the '.json' file name extension.

Step 6. In the MIME type text box, type the MIME type "application/json".

Step 7. Click OK.

5. Installing the Content Station Server plug-in

Various Content Station features require the use of an Enterprise Server plug-in. This plug-in needs to be installed and initialized.

Step 1. Download the following file for your version of Content Station from the software download page:

Content Station 11.x Server Plug-in Build xx

Step 2. Unzip the file.

A folder named 'ContentStation' is created.

Step 3. Place the folder in the following folder of your Enterprise Server installation:

config/plugins

Step 4. (Optional, only required when installing Content Station 11.31 or higher on Enterprise Server 10.5 or lower). Add the following code to your config_overrule.php file:

if( file_exists( BASEDIR.'/config/plugins/ContentStation/backwards_compat_es.php' ) ) {
  require_once BASEDIR.'/config/plugins/ContentStation/backwards_compat_es.php';
}

Step 5. Log in to Enterprise Server, access the Server plug-ins page and verify that the plug-in named 'Content Station' is enabled (as indicated by a green icon). When a red icon is shown, click it to enable the plug-in.

6. Installing and configuring InDesign Server

An installation of InDesign Server — together with the Smart Connection for InDesign Server plug-ins installed — is needed to make use of the following functionality in Content Station:

• Previewing layouts
• Copyfitting articles

Step 1. Install InDesign Server as per Adobe’s instructions.

For compatible versions, see the Compatibility Matrix.

Step 2. Install the Smart Connection plug-ins for InDesign Server by running the Smart Connection installer on the machine(s) running InDesign Server.

See Installing Smart Connection.

Step 3. Define the InDesign Server host by following these steps:

Step 3a. Access the InDesign Server Maintenance page.

Step 3b. Click New InDesign Server.

Step 3c. Add the configuration settings:

• Host Name (IP address): Defines the address on which the SOAP interface of InDesign Server is available.

Note: This is an http address. Enter either the host’s IP address or its DNS name.

Example: http://myidserver.

• Port Number: The port you start the InDesign Server with.
• Application Version: The version of InDesign Server. Click the Auto Detect Version button to automatically detect the installed version.
• Description: Enter a descriptive name.
• Active: Enable or disable the InDesign Server instance (enabled by default).

Step 3d. Click Update.

Step 4. Configure the following options:

7. (Optional) Enabling the Digital editor

When making use of Content Station multichannel Edition and the Digital editor that it contains for creating channel-neutral content, the Digital editor needs to be enabled.

Add the following to the config_overrule.php file of Enterprise Server:

define( 'CS_DIGITAL_EDITOR_ENABLED', true );

8. Testing the installation

The next step involves testing the installation and configuration of Content Station and InDesign Server.

Step 1. Access the Health Check page in Enterprise Server.

Step 2. Click Clear All to deselect all selected tests.

Step 3. Select the following tests:

• InDesign Server / CS Editor
• Content Station

Step 4. Click Test.

The test results are displayed next to the test and should display OK.

Note: If the test fails, an error is displayed together with instructions for how to solve it. Follow the instructions to fix the issue and then run the test once more.

9. Starting InDesign Server

To start InDesign Server with the SOAP interface enabled, the port to the application needs to be specified.

After completing the steps below, the soap interface of the server will be available on port 18383.

On the system(s) where InDesign Server is installed, follow these steps:

Tip: The startup of InDesign Server can also be automated using Macaroni (Mac) or Scheduled Tasks (Windows).

10. Activating the Content Station license

Before Content Station can be used, a license needs to be activated for it. This process takes place on Enterprise Server. For more information, see About licensing and Managing licenses.

11. Defining article components

When a new article is created in Content Station, it is based on an article template in which the default article components are defined.

Once the article is created, users can add or remove article components manually when needed .

The following can be configured:

• For the Print editor:
• Which article components can be added
• Which paragraph style should be applied to the text when a component is added
• If an article component can be added only once or multiple times

For information, see Adding article components to an existing Print article in Content Station Aurora - configuration.

• For the Digital editor:
• No configuration is required.

12. (Optional) Connecting to Enterprise Cloud Services

The Digital articles that are created in Content Station make use of various resources such as Component Sets, styles, custom swatches, and so on. These resources are stored in a central location in the cloud in a system named Enterprise Cloud Services.

Content Station needs access to these resources to work with Digital articles in the following ways:

• Using the Digital editor
• Creating a Digital article
• Creating Component sets
• Mapping components
• Saving swatches

Access to these resources is given by connecting Enterprise Server to Enterprise Cloud Services.

When working with Digital articles, set up the connection as described in Connecting Enterprise Servers and Elvis Server to Enterprise Cloud Services.

13. Setting up article templates

Note: To set up Digital article templates, the previous step 'Connecting to Enterprise Cloud Services' needs to have been completed first.

Creating an article in either the Print editor or Digital editor is based on a template, in which the default article components and the styles for formatting the text are defined.

Multiple article templates can be set up within a Brand, each with different components and/or styling. When users create a new article and multiple templates are available, they can choose which one to use. Once the article is created, users can add or remove article components manually when needed.

For information about setting up article templates, see Setting up article templates for Content Station Aurora.

14. (Optional) Setting up Publish Channels

When publishing stories to publication channels (such as custom channels) by making use of the Digital editor, such channels need to be set up in Enterprise. Configuration steps may also be needed in the channel to which you are publishing.

Use the information in the following articles to set up the full workflow:

• Custom channel - Configuration steps for publishing to a custom Publish Channel

15. (Optional) Setting up an environment for working with Digital articles

In a 'digital first' workflow in Content Station, stories are first published to one or more digital output channels such as a custom channel.

This is done by creating and publishing a Digital article using the Digital editor. Various features for working with Digital articles can be enabled:

• Setting up article components. Content is added to an article by using components. Different types of components exist, one for each type of content: body text, title, header, image, slideshow, and so on. You can control for each Digital article exactly which article components should be available, how they are presented in the selection window, how they should look and work, and which properties can be set for them. For more information, see Configuring Digital article components in Content Station Aurora.

• Setting up Styles. When a Digital article is created, it is based on a template. This template contains a Style that controls the look and feel of how the Story looks. Content Station has a default Style to get you started, but you most likely will want to make custom styles available, for example to bring it in line with your house style. For more information, see Styling a Story in the Digital editor of Content Station Aurora by using Styles.

• Creating a variant for print. Stories that are created with the Digital editor might be re-used in a print publication such as tomorrow's newspaper or next month's magazine. To re-use a Digital article in a print workflow, a print variant of the Digital article needs to be created which is optimized for a print environment and placed on a layout. For setting up this environment, see Creating a print variant of a Digital article in Content Station Aurora - configuration.

16. (Optional) Enabling Content Station to use Issues that overrule Brands

In Enterprise Server, an Issue can be set up in such a way that it uses its own Categories, Workflow, and User Authorization definitions and not those defined in the Brand that the Issue is part of. This is done by selecting the check box for the option 'Overrule Brand' when creating the Issue.

To make Issues that overrule Brands appear in Content Station, a Server plug-in needs to be enabled.

Step 1. Access the Server Plug-ins page.

Step 2. Locate the plug-in named Content Station Overrule Compatibility. It will most likely be deactivated as indicated by the red icon .

Step 3. Click the red icon. It should automatically turn green, indicating that the plug-in is now active.

Note: When this plug-in is active, Issues that overrule Brands are represented in Content Station as their own Brand with one Issue, meaning that if one Brand has been set up containing 2 Issues that overrule the Brand, they appear as 2 separate Brands in Content Station. The naming format used is <Brand name> <Issue name>.

17. (Optional) Installing the Content Station Desktop App

The Content Station Desktop app is used for setting up the communication between Content Station and other applications.

It can be used for the following features:

• Defining which version of InDesign should be used for opening layouts
• Defining if articles should be opened in Content Station or in InCopy
• Automatically opening all types of files in their native application
• Setting up a connection to Enterprise Server through a proxy server
• Automatically downloading a file on a user's system when it is routed (Smart Caching)

Figure: The Settings window of the Content Station Desktop app.

For information about installing and setting up the Desktop app, see Using the Desktop app of Content Station Aurora.

18. (Optional) Adding custom functionality

Different working environments and workflows require a variety of different tools to get the job done easily and efficiently. Such tools vary from using spell checkers, translating sections of text, accessing external references, and so on.

When such functionality is not available in Content Station by default, it can be added as custom functionality.

For more information, see Adding custom functionality to Content Station Aurora.

19. Additional configuration steps

Various parts and features of Content Station can be configured to suit your needs. Review these options to see if these need to be enabled or disabled in your environment. For more information, see:

• Configuring Content Station Aurora
• Configuring the Publication Overview Application in Content Station Aurora

20. Using Content Station

As a final test, use Content Station by logging in and creating a new article.

Step 1. Access Content Station by entering the following URL in a Web browser:

<Enterprise Server URL>/contentstation

Example: http://127.0.0.1/Enterprise/contentstation

Step 2. In the toolbar, click 'Create new...' and follow the steps for creating a new article.

Document history

• 20 May 2020: Removed references of Facebook Instant Articles.
• 19 May 2020: Removed references of Apple News.