Oracle SOA/BPM Suite 11.1.1.7 HA, EDG-based installation - Part I

Oracle SOA/BPM Suite 11.1.1.7 HA, EDG-based installation - Part I

Introduction

Installing and configuring most of the Oracle Fusion Middleware products in single instance is usually a very straightforward affair.

Installing Oracle SOA Suite following the steps detailed in the Enterprise Deployment Guide, on the other hand, can be a very complex job consisting of lots of small steps. This complexity makes it prone to errors and Oracle's documentation can be a little daunting sometimes.

This article is a reference guide for the installation and configuration of Oracle SOA Suite 11g, including Oracle Weblogic 10.3.6, Oracle WebTier 11.1.1.7 and SOA Suite 11.1.1.7, in a 2-node highly available topology. This is not an exact copy of the environment described in the EDG, but a simplification made thinking in small-to-medium sized deployments.

Most of the operations can be performed by a Middleware administrator, but some of them will require the help of a DBA (or at least their authorization). The database instance should be already created in a differente server (or servers in case of a RAC db).

This guide is focused in the configuration of the SOA domain and the post installation tasks, binaries installation is merely mentioned along with the corresponding Oracle document as it usually is the simplest part of the process.

The end result will be a 2-node SOA suite installation, with WebLogic Managed servers for SOA/BPM, BAM and WSM. (OSB will not be used in this article). 

Requirements

Servers: 2 physical or virtual servers with at least 8 GB RAM and 2 cores each.

Operating System:  Oracle Enterprise Linux 6.x or RedHat Enterprise Linux 6.x

Database: Oracle Database Enterprise Edition 11.2.0.4

Load Balancer: Software or hardware based load balancer, for a test environment, Oracle WebCache can be used.

Storage: 25 GB of local storage in each server, 25 GB of shared storage (a NFS share presented from a storage appliance is recommended).

Environment

  • Hosts:

    • testserver1.mydom.com
    • testserver2.mydom.com

  • Domain Name: soa_domain

  • Domain Home:

    • /opt/11.1.1.7/admin/domains/soa_domain/aserver/soa_domain

    • /opt/11.1.1.7/admin/domains/soa_domain/mserver/soa_domain

  • Java Home: /opt/11.1.1.7/jrockit

  • Middleware Home: /opt/11.1.1.7/middleware

  • Weblogic Home: /opt/11.1.1.7/middleware/wlserver_10.3

  • SOA Home: /opt/11.1.1.7/middleware/Oracle_SOA1

Environment Configuration

This section provides instructions on how to configure the network, file system and database resources necessaries to create a FMW HA environment. All binaries and configuration files will be installed with the operating system user “oracle” and group “oinstall”.

1. Configure /etc/sudoers

In all servers, edit file /etc/sudoers with root user, add the following lines:

Defaults:oracle !requiretty
oracle ALL=NOPASSWD:/sbin/ifconfig,/sbin/arping

2. Configure /etc/hosts

The hosts file should be editeed on all servers with the complete list of URLs and VIPs used on the environment:

127.0.0.1 localhost localhost.localdomain
::1 localhost localhost.localdomain

192.168.1.101 testserver1.mydom.com testserver1
192.168.1.102 testserver2.mydom.com testserver2
192.168.1.103 adminsoa-prod.mydom.com adminsoa-prod
192.168.1.104 soaprod-vip1.mydom.com soaprod-vip1
192.168.1.105 soaprod-vip2.mydom.com soaprod-vip2
192.168.1.106 bamprod-vip1.mydom.com bamprod-vip1 

3. Repository Database Requirements

An Oracle database instance used as a metadata repository is necessary. In a HA environment, a RAC database with multiple nodes is expected in order to avoid having a single point of failure. The following parameters should be set at the time of the instance creation:

  • PROCESSES parameter equal or greater than 500

  • SESSIONS parameter equal or greater than 500

  • CHARACTER SET  should be AL32UTF8

4. Metadata Repository Schemas Creation

Before starting the creation of the Weblogic Domain and the configuration of the applications deployed there, it’s necessary to create the metadata repository using Oracle’s Repository Creation Utility:

  1. Download RCU from www.oracle.com

  2. Unzip RCU zip file.

  3. Start RCU GUI by executing the file “rcuHome/bin/rcu”

  4. Press “Next” on the Welcome screen

  5. Select “Create Repository”

  6. Type the database connection information:

    • Database Type: select Oracle Database.

    • Host Name: Type database hostname

    • Port: Type database listener port.

    • Service Name: Type database service name

    • Username: SYS

    • Password

    • Role: SYSDBA

  7. Select components.

    1. Select “Create new prefix”. Use a descriptive prefix, in this case “PROD”

    2. Select the following components

      • AS Common Schemas:

        • Metadata Services

        • Oracle Platform Security Services

      • SOA Infrastructure:

        • SOA and BAM Infrastructure

        • User Messaging Service

        • Business Activity Monitoring

  8. Define Schemas Password. Select “Use same password for all schemas”, type password

  9. Tablespaces definition. Leave default options.

  10. Create.

  11. End of repository   

5. SOA Schema Configuration

Configure Transactional Recovery Privileges. 

  1. Login to the repository instance as SYS user.
  2. Execute the following commands:
SQL> Grant select on sys.dba_pending_transactions to soa_schema_prefix_soainfra;
Grant succeeded.

SQL> Grant force any transaction to soa_schema_prefix_soainfra;

Grant succeeded.

6. Change Database Default Profile Password Life Time limit

By default, Oracle 11g Release 2 databases are configured with a 180-days limit for password life time, after that, the users are locked and password must be mandatory changed. As Oracle products rely on datasources passwords that are kept secret for database connections, and the availability of the application depends on these connections, is recommended to modify this limit to avoid unexpected down time due to locked users.

  1. Login to the repository instance as SYS user
  2. Execute the following commands:

SQL> select profile,limit from dba_profiles where resource_name = 'PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME';
PROFILE                         LIMIT
------------------------------ ----------------------------------------
DEFAULT                         180
MONITORING_PROFILE              DEFAULT
SQL> alter profile DEFAULT limit PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME unlimited;
Profile altered.
SQL> select profile,limit from dba_profiles where resource_name = 'PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME';
PROFILE                         LIMIT
------------------------------ ----------------------------------------
DEFAULT                         UNLIMITED
MONITORING_PROFILE              DEFAULT

7. Create Leasing Tablespace and Schema

Weblogic servers use a database table to keep track of alive instances on a cluster configuration. It is necessary to create the corresponding tablespace and schema for this table.

  1. Login to the repository instance as SYS user.
  2. Create the Leasing tablespace, leasing user and ACTIVE table:


SQL> create tablespace Leasing logging datafile '+SOA' size 32m autoextend on next 32m maxsize 2048m extent management local;SQL> create user leasing identified by xxxxx account unlock;SQL> grant create table to Leasing;SQL> grant create session to Leasing;SQL> alter user Leasing default tablespace Leasing;SQL> alter user Leasing quota unlimited on LEASING;

SQL> CREATE TABLE ACTIVE (
SERVER VARCHAR2(150) NOT NULL,
INSTANCE VARCHAR2(100) NOT NULL,
DOMAINNAME VARCHAR2(50) NOT NULL,
CLUSTERNAME VARCHAR2(50) NOT NULL,
TIMEOUT DATE,
PRIMARY KEY (SERVER, DOMAINNAME, CLUSTERNAME)
);

8. Mount Shared Directory on SOA Servers

The cluster installation needs a shared directory mounted on both servers running SOA Suite. The filesystem used can be either NFS (version 4) or OCFS2. It's important that this disk or filesystem is presented from a storage solution with a low latency connection to the servers.

For this installation the directory path chosen is: /opt/11.1.1.7/admin/domains/soa_domain/aserver

9. Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g binaries Installation

Install Oracle software in the order established below. WebTier installation should be done as “Software Only” mode. These installers should be run in both nodes before proceding with the configuration of the domain. Keep in mind that the directories described in the section "Environment information" should be used for the Oracle Homes.

  1. Oracle JRockit. Refer to Oracle Installation Guide on: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E15289_01/doc.40/e15065/graphic.htm#BABDIHHD

  1. Web Tier Utilities (11.1.1.7).
    Refer to Oracle Installation Guide on:
    http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E28280_01/install.1111/e14260/config.htm#CEGHFCGJ

  2. Oracle Weblogic Server 11gR1 (10.3.6) + Coherence - Package Installer
    Refer to Oracle Installation Guide on:
    http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E23943_01/core.1111/e12036/install.htm#CBHCJIIF

  3. SOA Suite (11.1.1.7)
    Refer to Oracle Installation Guide on:
    http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E28280_01/install.1111/e13925/install.htm#CHDHCJEC

10. Apply all recommended patches

As of the writing of this article, you should patch WebLogic Server 10.3.6 with PatcheSet Update 10.3.6.0.10 (Oracle Patch 19637463), and SOA Suite with Bundle Patch 11.1.1.7.6 (Patch 19953598).

To find out which patches you should install, review the following notes in My Oracle Support:

  • SOA 11g and 12c: Bundle Patch Reference (Doc ID 1485949.1) 
  • Master Note on WebLogic Server Patch Set Updates (PSUs) (Doc ID 1470197.1)

11. Create and execute soaScript.sh

This script automates several tasks described in the SOA Enteprise Deployment Guide needed to prepare the environment for the SOA installation. Before executing the script, you should read it carefully and update the required variables according to the environment.

It performs the following actions:

  • Creates Linux aliases for ease of administration
  • Creates Weblogic domain administration scripts
  • Creates directory structure necessary for the Weblogic Domain.
  • Creates private & public ssl keys and certificates used by Weblogic Server for inter process communication.
  • Creates VirtualHost configuration files for OHS
  • Extracts B2B Engine
  • Creates Node Manager configuration file
  1. Login to first server as oracle.
  2. Create the script soaScript.sh using file soaScriptBash_20150217-230800_1.docx
  3. Execute the script
  4. Login to the second server as oracle
  5. Execute the script

Documentation Reference

  • My Oracle Support: Oracle Fusion Middleware (FMW) SOA 11g Infrastructure Database: Installation, Maintenance, Administration and Purging Guide (Doc ID 1384379.2)

 

Disclaimer - Views expressed in this blog are author's own and do not necessarily represents the policies of aclnz.com

 

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