UCS Capabilities in Integrations (NextCloud, OnlyOffice, ...)

UCS - Univention Corporate Server
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#1

Hi,

We are currently looking into the UCS solution and like the integration with tools like NextCloud & OnlyOffice.

We are not yet entirely sure about some topics and are looking for more information on those.

In our understanding of the UCS product we see that it has an App Center. Upon installing an App (e.g.: NextCloud) the UCS Appliance will spin up a Docker Container for that Application in its underlying OS.

Is it possible (and supported) to have the UCS Appliance connect to an existing Docker Host / Environment so that when an application gets installed from the App Center, the container is started on the connected Docker Host / Environment rather than running locally in the UCS OS?

If we have NextCloud & OnlyOffice running separately (so outside the UCS Appliance), is it possible (and supported) to connect it to UCS so that it shows up in the UCS Portal for the users to consume?

Thanks a lot for your time!

Kind regards,
Michael

#2

@Myutora for that i think you would need a UCS server member, where you will install all your apps

#3

The UCS appcenter does not yet support remote Docker servers. Docker containers are always provisioned locally.
It is however possible, like @codedmind wrote, to have multiple UCS servers (joined into the same UCS domain) and to remotely install apps on any of those. “Remotely” means in this case, that you (your browser) are logged into one of the UCS nodes and instruct the appcenter to install the app into another UCS node.

What is also always possible, is to connect software that you installed yourself to the LDAP of one of the UCS nodes. So if you already have a working Nextcloud installation, all you need to do is activate its AD/LDAP authentication backend and configure it to use the UCS LDAP.
Note: When Samba is installed, the OpenLDAP server uses the ports 7389 (instead of 389) and 7636 (instead of 636) (see manual).

Greetings
Daniel Tröder

#4

Thanks a lot for the quick replies @codedmind & @troeder!

Now we have a clear understanding on the possibilities.
Indeed I have tested the last option that you explained: integrating an existing instance of NextCloud with the Authentication of UCS using SAML and that works like a charm. When browsing to NextCloud Website I then get the option to log on via UCS SSO.
But if I’m correct: I cannot “publish” this NextCloud Link / Website in the UCS Catalog, right? So from the UCS Portal I cannot access the existing NextCloud instance directly?

Thanks a lot for your time & have a nice weekend later on!

#5

You can add as much tiles with arbitrary content to the portal.
In the UMC in the “Domain” tab you’ll find a “Portal” editor.
You have to add a new “Portal Entry” and then assign that to a “Portal” (probably “domain” or “local”).
If you login as Administrator, and then go to the portal you can also edit it interactively.
In UCS 4.4 there should be a pencil button in the bottom right corner. In UCS 5.0 you’ll find a menu entry in the bottom right corner, when you open the “hamburger menu” (three lines) on the top right.

Greetings
Daniel Tröder

#6

Thanks for pointing us in the right direction! It works!
I’ll close this topci.

Have a nice day!

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