OpenEFM Installation Guide


Author:  Nathan Probst
Version:  06.06.2002

Introduction

The OpenEFM has been designed from the beginning to be as simple to install, customize and manage as possible.  We hope your installation experience will be quick and painless!  However, if you encounter difficulties or rough edges, we'd like to hear from you so that the OpenEFM can continue to mature.  Please direct your feedback to Nathan Probst at counterclaim.com.

Prerequisites

As with most good OpenSource software, the OpenEFM is developed on and designed for a Linux/Unix environment.  (Ben is checking this out -->)  However, if you are limited to a Windows system, you can install Cygwin and still use the software.  

Preparation

This guide shows you the shortest path to an OpenEFM installation.  If you need to customize any file locations, please see the Developer's Guide for guidance.  You will need to create a few directories and make sure you have read/write permissions.
  mkdir -p /var/OpenEFM/logs
mkdir -p /var/OpenEFM/data/ozone
Make sure you have a Java JDK 1.3 or higher installed and that your $JAVA_HOME environment variable is set.
  echo $JAVA_HOME

Step-by-step installation

  1. Copy OpenEFM.zip to the directory where you want to install it.
      cp OpenEFM.zip 
  2. Unzip OpenEFM.zip.  This will create an ./OpenEFM/ directory and subdirectories at your present location.
      unzip OpenEFM.zip
  3. Make sure the startup script is excutable.
      cd bin
    chmod +x efm.sh
  4. Run the startup script.  It will take a few seconds for the server to initialize before it will respond to requests.  If you have created your directories properly, every thing should work!
      ./efm.sh start
  5. Optional

  6. If the default biling module will be used, enabling fee processing through Verisgn, then the security certificate will need to be installed. A copy of the test certificate is included.
    cp ./OpenEFM/etc/f73e89fd.0 /var/OpenEFM/

Setup Users and EFSPs

Point your browser at https://localhost:8181/admin/.  Substitute the installation machine name for 'localhost' if you are now on a different system.  You may see a dialog similar to the one below, which is the browser notifying you that the server's SSL certificate is not signed by a Certificate Authority, such as Verisign.  This is not a problem for demonstration purposes on a secured LAN.  Click "Continue" and, if you like, "Remember this certificate permanently".



You now should be greeted by a login page.  A newly installed system has one default account: username 'admin' and password 'changeme'.  Login as this user.



This will take you to the "Manage Filings" page.  There are no filings yet, so you should click on "Manage Users" link in the menu bar.  Now you can change the 'admin' password!



Click on the 'admin' user record (which should underline when you hover the mouse cursor above it).  Next you will see the "User Detail" page.  Change your Name and Password here and click "update".  Before continuing, you might want to create a Clerk account as well.

 

Next we need to setup an account for an EFSP (Electronic Filing Service Provider) to test with.  Click "Manage EFSPs".  You need to add one EFSP for the test in the next section.  Enter whatever values make sense to you and click "Add".  (I've used 'Test', 'test', and 'pass' for the rest of this guide.)



Now you are ready to test the system by filing some LegalXML!

Test

To test the system, we need to emulate an EFSP connecting to the public interface.  The distribution contains a simple FilingClient program to allow you to test your installation.  You can run it from the ./bin directory.  The client has a dependency on Sun's JSSE optional package.  If you are running a JDK prior to 1.4 (which has JSSE integrated), you must install the JSSE optional package into your current JDK.  Go here for instrutions and the download.

Once you have JSSE installed and working, run the filing-client.sh script without arguments to get a usage statement.
  cd bin
./filing-client.sh

Usage: FilingClient -ffileName [-eendpoint] [-uusername] [-ppassword] [-rrepeat]
So, we need a sample document to file.  We have provided just such a file in the ./sample directory.  Now try,
  ./filing-client.sh -f../sample/LegalEnvelope117.xml -utest -ppass
If everything worked correctly, you should see output like this:
  (trimmed)
MCBuDQowMDAwMDYwMTAyIDAwMDAwIG4NCjAwMDAwNzU4NTQgMDAwMDAgbg0KMDAwMDA3NTg3NyAw
MDAwMCBuDQowMDAwMDc1OTAwIDAwMDAwIG4NCjAwMDAwNzY0MTkgMDAwMDAgbg0KdHJhaWxlcg08
PA0vU2l6ZSAyNw0vSURbPDRhNTBhODFkN2NiMWRmODY1MTYzYTEzODA4M2YzZDA0Pjw0YTUwYTgx
ZDdjYjFkZjg2NTE2M2ExMzgwODNmM2QwND5dDT4+DXN0YXJ0eHJlZg0xNzMNJSVFT0YN</DocumentContent>
</Attachment>
</LeadDocument>
</Filing>
</CourtFiling>
</Legal>
</LegalEnvelope>

Received:
Success!
[0] Time elapsed: 15673ms
[1] Time elapsed: 2486ms
[2] Time elapsed: 2625ms
Notice that we actually submitted three filings (the default value of 'repeat').  The first filing takes significatly longer for two reeasons: the HTTPS connection has to be negotiated and the SOAP framework (Apache Axis) has to initialize.

If your JDK does not have JSSE properly installed, you might see somthing like this:
  Failed to submit filing due to: ; nested exception is: 
java.net.SocketException: SSL implementation not available
Now take a look at the web interface again.  Click to "ManageFilings" and you should see three pending filings.



Congratulations!  You have just e-filed LegalXML documents with the OpenEFM!  To view the details of a filing and view attached documents, click on any part of a record.  You should see a page like this one:



From this page, you can "Accept" or "Reject" this filing by clicking the appropriate buttons.  You can also view the origional LegalXML by clicking the button at the upper right.  To view an attached document, click the "View" button at the end of the listing.

Have fun and send feedback!

Next Steps

The OpenEFM handles all the steps required to receive and manage electronic filings except for the "last mile" to a court's Case Managment System (CMS).  This was necessary to allow the OpenEFM to be useful to everyone, regardless of the particular CMS they are running.  We have provided a simple interface, the CMS Adapter, which must be implemented for each CMS.  The CMS Adapter handles the task of importing a LegalXML document into the CMS.  We have provided  convenience methods to make this process as simple as possible.  However, for the OpenEFM to be of value, this work must be done.

Of course, a CMS Adpater already exists for counterclaim's flagship product, fastLaw.  We are eager to collaborate with all courts and vendors to create new CMS Adapters for other systems.  Please call us at 541.484.9235 or send email to openefm@counterclaim.com to explore your options.