Gateway Portal
Introduction
to the Gateway Portal
Direct
Link to Remote Applications
See Also: Verj.io Gateway, Gateway Portal Configuration, Gateway Configuration
The Gateway Portal is a Verj.io Application (a Form) that runs on the Verj.io Gateway. It provides links to Verj.io Applications running on one or more remote Verj.io On-Premises environments and Verj.io Service Plans. Clicking on any one of these links will authenticate the user in the remote Verj.io Application and redirect them to it. All the user’s security credentials are passed across to the remote Verj.io Application using a secure authentication token. Users are therefore not required to sign in to the remote applications.
Target applications are displayed as clickable links known as tiles. Each tile links to a single form of a Verj.io Application and, on reaching the target form, the user will be automatically authenticated (if necessary) with their security details transferred from the Verj.io Gateway. Tiles may be customised to display with a color or a custom icon.
Tiles can also be organised into folders. This allows
applications to be grouped into a meaningful hierarchy. A folder is usually
displayed with a folder icon and is distinguishable from application tiles by
the color of its name
displayed beneath the icon. When navigating the folder hierarchy a breadcrumb menu
is shown beneath the page title.
Tiles can only be created or modified by Gateway Portal administrators. See Adding Tiles and Folders.
Access to Gateway Portal administration is controlled using the gatewayAdmin.properties file which can be used to grant access by user name or role name – click here for details. By default, users with a role of SUPER_USER are allowed. If a user has not already logged on, or their userid does not grant access, the following sign-on panel is shown and this will only accept users from the Verj.io Internal Security System.
For users authenticating using Windows Authentication, some additional browser configuration may be required. The Gateway Portal must be added to a list of Trusted Sites. A search for enable integrated windows authentication and the browser name will bring up browser-specific instructions.
When accessing the Gateway Portal using an authorized user, a toggle-switch labelled Edit will be visible in the top-right of the application. Enabling Edit will display the Edit Tiles and Settings buttons, as well as allowing tiles and folders to be modified by clicking them.
New tiles and folders can be added inside the Edit Tiles page, accessible via the Edit Tiles button on the main Gateway Portal page.
To add new tiles click the Add Tile button. A new tile will be added to the hierarchy inside the root folder and various fields for configuring the tile are shown in the Details panel.
Each tile must specify the following fields:
· Verj.io Application The Verj.io Application hosting the target application. The list of Verj.io Applications is configured using the Server Administration Application.
· Form Name The name of the initial form on the target application. This does not need the .eb suffix.
· Display Name The name to display beneath the tile in the Gateway Portal.
It is also possible to style the tile, changing the way it is displayed in the Gateway Portal. The following fields are available for this:
· Icon (URL) The URL of a custom icon to display. There is a button on the right-hand side of the field to upload an icon for this purpose.
· Transparent Available for tiles with a custom icon. Checking this option displays the icon on a transparent background, without the colored tile.
· Color The background color for the tile. A color is randomly generated when the tile is created. This value is ignored if the Transparent option is checked.
Tiles and folders can be repositioned inside the Hierarchy panel by dragging and dropping them. Clicking on a tile or folder in the Hierarchy panel will allow you to edit it in the Details panel.
To add new folders click the Add Folder button. Folders contain a subset of the fields available to tiles but, as they are not linked to any application, do not need a Remote Server or Form Name.
The Gateway Portal can be styled and customised via the Settings page, accessible via the Settings button on the main Gateway Portal page.
Each setting is stored as a key-value pair with an associated group. The setting group determines how the setting is used by the application.
The Gateway Portal specifies default values for all its settings. It is possible to add and remove settings but at present, additional settings are not used. This functionality may be extended in future releases.
The general settings are used to customise text and copy.
Setting Name |
Description |
title |
The title displayed at the top of the main page |
The style settings are used to customise the appearance of the Gateway Portal. The settings in the style group are substituted into a stylesheet in the page header before each page load.
Setting Name |
Description |
title-color |
Color of the title text on each page. |
tile-text-color |
Color of the display name text beneath each tile. |
tile-background-default-color |
Default background color for each tile. |
text-color |
Color for body text. |
secondary-txt-color |
Color for secondary, additional text. For example, field labels. |
primary-color |
Primary brand color. Used for the background of success buttons, such as those used to add tiles or folders, and display name text beneath folders. |
danger-color |
Danger button background color. Used for delete buttons. |
btn-color |
Default button background color. |
primary-btn-text-color |
Text color for primary buttons. |
danger-btn-text-color |
Text color for danger buttons. |
btn-text-color |
Default button text color. |
background-color |
Background color for the application. This should contrast well with the text-color. |
admin-text-color |
Text color for the floating panels in the administration pages. |
admin-background-color |
Background color for the floating panels in the administration pages. This should contrast well with admin-text-color. |
The other settings are not currently used.
It is also possible to link directly to a remote application bypassing the need to visit the Gateway Portal and manually click on a tile. Each tile has a dedicated URL that can be used as a hyperlink to perform automatic authentication and redirect the user accordingly. In the event that a user is not already authenticated on the Gateway, they will first be prompted to do so when using a direct link.
Direct links to tiles can be used to create hyperlinks to remote Verj.io applications from external applications, for example, existing Intranets.
To find the direct link for a tile, enable Edit Mode and click on the tile. Alternatively open the Edit Tiles page and find the tile in the Hierarchy panel. The direct link will be shown in the Details panel on the right-hand side.
The Gateway Portal accepts the following URL parameters added to the Gateway Portal URL:
· application: The name of the configured Verj.io application. This application may be running on a remote Verj.io On-Premises environment or in a Verj.io Service Plan. These remote applications are configured in the Verj.io Gateway’s Server Administration Application.
·
formname: The name of the
initial form on the target application. This does not need the .eb suffix.
For example, https://my-gateway/ebase/verjioGateway.eb?application=myserviceplan&formname=home
The calling user is automatically authenticated and redirected to the appropriate Verj.io application, passing on their credentials in a secure authentication token.
If the remote application or form is not found, the Gateway Portal page will display an error message. For example the parameter application=app1 does not exist: