Portal Configuration

File _config/portal.config

The installation of the portal is optional. If WebGIS is used only as an API for HTML/JavaScript clients, it can be omitted. In that case, map applications can still be created, but without additional tools. Without the portal installation, there is also no MapBuilder available.

This file is created with default values when the API starts for the first time if it does not already exist. This section explains how to adapt the file to your own requirements for productive use.

The file is, like api.config, an XML file that contains various key-value pairs.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <!-- Shared Crypto Keys -->
    <add key="shared-crypto-keys-path" value="C:\apps\webgis/test/webgis-repository/security/keys" />

    <!-- General -->
    <add key="company" value="my-company" />
    <add key="portal-name" value="webGIS Portal" />
    <add key="portal-name-url" value="http://www.e-steiermark.com" />

    <!-- Security -->
    <!-- windows, token, clientid, forms, anonym (url) -->
    <add key="security" value="anonym" />
    <!-- allowed methods separated by commas, no spaces !! -->
    <add key="security_allowed_methods" value="anonym" />

    <!-- For generating selection lists (when Windows Auth is used) -->
    <add key="portal-windows-authentication-ldap-directory" value="LDAP://my-domain" />
    <add key="portal-windows-authentication-ldap-format" value="my-domain\{0}" />

    <add key="use-local-url-scheme" value="true" />
    <add key="allow-subscriber-user-access-page-settings" value="true" />

    <!-- Advanced Security -->
    <!-- default: true; if false, login is no longer possible (security: no configuration in internet) -->
    <add key="allow-subscriber-login" value="true" />

    <!-- URL to the portal as seen by the user -->
    <add key="api" value="http://localhost:5001" />
    <!-- URL to the portal as seen from the server -->
    <add key="api-internal-url" value="http://localhost:5001" />
    <add key="portal-url" value="http://localhost:5002" />

    <add key="portal-custom-content-rootpath"
      value="C:\apps\webgis/test/webgis-repository/portal-page-content" />
    <!-- EPSG code primarily used and used for distance calculations -->
    <add key="map-calc-crs" value="3857" />
    <!-- Progressive Web App true/false, currently not used -->
    <add key="register-serviceworker" value="false" />

    <!-- Cache -->
    <add key="cache-provider" value="fs" />
    <!-- Same connection string as in api.config -->
    <add key="cache-connectionstring" value="C:\apps\webgis/test/webgis-repository/db/cache" />

    <!-- Cache Aside -->
    <!-- optional: empty, redis, inapp -->
    <add key="cache-aside-provider" value="inapp" />
    <!-- 3600 seconds caching -->
    <add key="cache-aside-connectionstring" value="3600" />

    <!-- Subscriber Database -->
    <!-- same connection string as in api.config -->
    <add key="subscriber-db-connectionstring"
      value="fs:C:\apps\webgis/test/webgis-repository/db/subscriber" />

    <!-- Allow custom layouts -->
    <add key="query-custom-map-layout" value="true" />
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

Section General

Attribute	Description
company	Unique identifier for the portal operator’s company (for example e, kagis, sagis). It is used for styling. Style sheet files that are not overwritten during updates can be stored in a subdirectory with this prefix.
portal-name	Text shown in the title bar of all portal pages (default: WebGIS Portal).
portal-name-url	URL of the portal operator’s website. Opened when the user clicks the title bar text.

Section Security

Attribute	Description
security	Defines the authentication method for portal sign-in. Possible values are windows and anonym. In customer-specific installations, pvp, pvp2, and token are also available.
security_allowed_methods	Allows login with a different method than the one defined in security. The desired login mode can be passed as a URL parameter (for example &security=anonym). The methods listed here must be separated by commas. If only one method is allowed, it must match the value in security.
allow-subscriber-user-access-page-settings	Determines whether authorized subscribers may edit content on portal pages. In closed systems, this can be set to false.
use-local-url-scheme	true / false In local or offline environments, this value can be set to true. In that case, key exchange takes place over an unencrypted HTTP connection without SSL. For a public portal, this value should be false so that an encrypted HTTPS connection is ensured. Danger This value should only be set to true in local or offline environments, for example for test purposes. Even for intranet applications, encrypted SSL connections are recommended today.

In addition, optional credentials for secured endpoints can be defined here, for example for clearing the (user) cache. These endpoints should be protected with a password to prevent unauthorized access. The following keys enable the configuration of these credentials:

<section name="security">
   <!-- optional: credentials for secured endpoints, e.g. cache/clear -->
   <add key="secure-endpoint-url-password" value="****************************" />
   <add key="secure-endpoint-basicauth-username" value="admin" />
   <add key="secure-endpoint-basicauth-password" value="**************************************" />
</section>

Section Selection lists

When Windows Authentication is used, configuration values for the LDAP directory can be defined here. These values are used, for example, when assigning subscriber permissions to a portal page. The possible options are then provided in selection lists.

Attribute	Description
portal-windows-authentication-ldap-directory	Specifies the LDAP directory used for authentication. Example: LDAP://domain.at
portal-windows-authentication-ldap-format	Defines the login format in the LDAP directory. Example: domain\{0}

Section Cache database

This database stores the sessions. It must contain the webgis_cache table (see above). If the Portal application is used as well, both the API and the Portal must use the same session cache.

The values must match those in api.config:

Attribute	Description
cache-provider	Defines the cache location. Possible values: db: for a database fs: for the file system
cache-connectionstring	Connection string for the database or path in the file system.

Section Cache Aside (optional)

The values entered here must match those in api.config.

Attribute	Description
cache-aside-provider	Determines the cache mechanism used for the cache-aside approach. Possible values: redis, inapp, or empty (no cache aside).
cache-aside-connectionstring	Defines the connection settings for the cache provider. Example: localhost:6379 for Redis or a time value in seconds for in-app caching (for example 3600)

Section Subscriber database

The values entered here must match those in api.config.

Attribute	Description
subscriber-db-connectionstring	Connection string to the previously configured database or path to the corresponding directory in the file system.

Section Urls

Attribute	Description
api	URL of the API as visible to the user.
api-internal-url	Internal URL used by the portal to communicate with the API, for example for accessing the storage. If both applications are installed on the same server, a local address can be used, for example http://localhost/webgis-api. By default, this can be the same value as api.
portal-url	URL of the portal, as visible to the user. This is used, for example, to generate links for sharing maps.

Section Advanced Security

Attribute	Description
allow-subscriber-login	Controls whether subscribers can log in to this instance. A detailed description of this key is available in api.config under the Subscriber Registration section.
query-custom-map-layout	Allows the use of custom layouts in the map viewer depending on screen size. This key defines whether custom layouts are allowed (true) or prohibited (false).

Section Logging

<!-- only for debugging, never in production -->
<add key="trace" value="true" />
<add key="tracePath" value="C:\apps\webgis\local\webgis-repository\logs" />

Attribute	Description
trace	Enables logging for debugging purposes. When enabled, a trace.log file is created in the specified directory. The log can contain information about a user’s login parameters, for example. Danger This function should only be used for debugging and never activated in a production environment.
tracePath	Defines the directory where the trace.log file is stored.