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ISV Partners' Guide

# Configuring and Installing WebLogic Applications

WebLogic Server provides a rich set of system installation, configuration, and administration tools that enable you to install and configure a custom environment in which WebLogic applications can run. Whether you are redistributing WebLogic Server with your value-added solution, or distributing an application that runs on WebLogic Server, you will want to use these tools to package a product that your customers can install and use easily.

This chapter introduces tools for the following tasks:

1. Configuring a domain in which your WebLogic applications can run
2. Creating a template or extension template that your customers can use to reproduce that domain in their environments
3. Installing WebLogic Server and configuring your customers' environments

The following topics are included:

- Configuring WebLogic Server for Your Application
- WebLogic Server Administration Tools
- Silent-Mode Installation, Maintenance, and Configuration

# Configuring WebLogic Server for Your Application

The configuration tasks that you or your customers undertake may include the following:

- Configuring new domains to which your application can be added and deployed
- Configuring new domains that include your application and the appropriate configuration settings for WebLogic Server
- Modifying an existing WebLogic Server domain so that your application can be deployed on it
- Modifying an existing domain by adding your application to it

As a partner, accommodating these tasks typically requires you to do the following:

- Create the domain template or extension template that your customers need for your software product. A template is a file used for creating a new domain, and an extension template is a file used for modifying an existing domain.
- Bundle this template or extension template in your product package.
- Document how your customers can obtain the template or extension template and then use it to create or modify a domain, as appropriate.

The remaining sections of this chapter introduce two sets of tools: configuration tools for creating a domain, a domain template, or an extension template, and tools for incorporating templates or template extensions into your customers' environments.

## Configuration Wizard

As summarized in Configuration Wizard, the Configuration Wizard is a stand-alone Java application that can be run independently of WebLogic Server to simplify the jobs of creating, configuring, and customizing a WebLogic domain. A domain is the basic unit of administration in a WebLogic Server environment: it comprises the WebLogic Server components, user-written programs, machines, and resources, such as databases, needed for a particular application.

The Configuration Wizard is designed to simplify and automate the following processes:

- Initial domain configuration
- The addition of product component functionality and well-defined applications and services to existing domains

The Configuration Wizard operates off-line; that is, when WebLogic Server is not running. It is not designed for use online when a WebLogic Server instance is running.

Typically, the Configuration Wizard is used to:

- Create a new domain for stand-alone servers, Administration Servers with Managed Servers, and clustered servers.
- Create a new domain based on a template. Templates allow you to recreate an existing domain for use in another context, such as migrating a domain containing an application under development to a production environment.
- Extend an existing domain, by using an extension template, to include new components, such as JDBC Data Sources and JMS File Store settings.

For layered ISVs, extension templates are useful because they provide a means for you to add your applications to existing customer domains.

For complete details about using the Configuration Wizard, see Creating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.

For complete details about WebLogic domains, see the following:

- "Introduction to Domains" in Introduction in Creating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.
- Understanding WebLogic Server Domains in Understanding Domain Configuration.

## Domain Template Builder

The Domain Template Builder is a stand-alone Java application you use to create custom configuration and extension templates that can be used later for creating and updating domains. Using an existing domain or template, the Domain Template Builder guides you through the process of creating custom configuration and extension templates. You can then package these templates or extension templates with your software so your customers can use them to customize their WebLogic Server environments.

The Domain Template Builder is especially useful for ensuring that the required environment for WebLogic-based products can be installed and configured easily by your customers at their sites.

For more information about the Domain Template Builder, see Creating Templates Using the Domain Template Builder.

## unpack Command

The `unpack` command provides a highly streamlined way to create a full domain or a Managed Server domain directory. You may use `unpack` only with a template compatible with your current installation. The template can be any of the following:

- A domain template provided by BEA and packaged with your current installation
- A domain template created using the Domain Template Builder
- A domain template created using the `pack` command
- A Managed Server template created by using the `pack` command. A Managed Server template, by default, contains only those files necessary for creating a Managed Server domain directory.

When you use the `unpack` command with a domain template, `unpack` creates a domain containing all the application and resource files defined in the template. It also creates necessary start scripts, and certain security and configuration files.

For more information, see Creating Templates and Domains Using the pack and unpack Commands.

## WebLogic Scripting Tool

The WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST) is a command-line interface that you use to create and configure WebLogic Server instances and domains, and manage and persist WebLogic Server configuration changes.

WLST enables you to do the following:

- Create domains and domain templates
- Retrieve domain configuration and run-time information
- Edit the domain configuration and persist the changes in the `config.xml` file
- Navigate and edit custom, user-created MBeans and non-WebLogic Server MBeans, such as WebLogic Integration Server and WebLogic Portal Server MBeans
- Automate configuration tasks and application deployment
- Clone WebLogic Server domains
- Access Node Manager and start, stop, and suspend server instances remotely or locally, without requiring the presence of a running Administration Server

Based on the Java scripting interpreter, Jython, WLST interprets commands either interactively, as they are supplied, one at a time, from a command prompt, or in batches, when they are supplied in a file (script) or embedded in your Java code. You can use the scripting tool online (connected to a running server) or offline (not connected to a running server).

- Online, WLST provides simplified access to MBeans. You can perform administrative tasks and initiate WebLogic Server configuration changes while connected to a running server.
- Offline, WLST provides access only to persisted configuration information. You can create a new domain or update an existing domain without connecting to a running WebLogic Server. This functionality resembles that of the Configuration Wizard.

For more information about WLST, see WebLogic Scripting Tool.

# WebLogic Server Administration Tools

WebLogic Server provides a number of administration tools, in addition to the Configuration Wizard, that you can use to customize the environment in which you run WebLogic Server or any of its components. This section briefly describes some of these tools.

## WebLogic Server Administration Console

The BEA WebLogic Server Administration Console is a Web browser-based, graphical user interface you use to manage a WebLogic Server domain. A WebLogic Server domain is a logically related group of WebLogic Server resources that you manage as a unit. A domain includes one or more instances of WebLogic Server and may also include WebLogic Server clusters. Clusters are groups of WebLogic Server instances that work together to provide scalability and high-availability for applications. You deploy and manage your applications as part of a domain.

One instance of WebLogic Server in each domain is configured as an Administration Server. The Administration Server provides a central point for managing a WebLogic Server domain. All other WebLogic Server instances in a domain are called Managed Servers. In a domain with only a single WebLogic Server instance, that server functions as both Administration Server and Managed Server. The Administration Server hosts the Administration Console, which is a portal application accessible from any supported Web browser with network access to the Administration Server.

You can use the Administration Console to:

- Configure, start, and stop WebLogic Server instances
- Configure WebLogic Server clusters
- Configure WebLogic Server services, such as database connectivity (JDBC) and messaging (JMS)
- Configure security parameters, including managing users, groups, and roles
- Configure and deploy your applications
- Monitor server and application performance
- View server and domain log files
- View application deployment descriptors
- Edit selected run-time application deployment descriptor elements

Beginning with version 9.0, the architecture of the WebLogic Server Administration Console provides many new features for customization and extensibility. For a summary of the extensibility features, see Administration Console Extensions.

For complete details about the WebLogic Server Administration Console, see Administration Console Online Help.

## Startup Scripts

WebLogic Server provides several techniques for starting server instances and clusters, all of which can be encapsulated in WebLogic Server startup scripts that are installed with the domain template. Your choice of technique for starting an embedded server depends on the complexity of the WebLogic Server domain that you install, the number of computers that host server instances within the domain, and the underlying operating system.

For example, which startup script you use may depend on whether any of the following statements apply to the domain in the target environment:

- The domain runs on a single WebLogic Server host.
- The domain includes multiple server instances and you want them to run on multiple WebLogic Server hosts. Such a domain may include clusters, which provide scalability and failover capabilities.
- The domain runs on a platform that includes the Microsoft Windows operating system.

For more information about startup scripts, see Starting and Stopping Servers in Managing Server Startup and Shutdown.

# Silent-Mode Installation, Maintenance, and Configuration

After you create the domain templates or extension templates appropriate for your application, you need to consider how you want your customers to install WebLogic Server (or selected components), optionally apply patches to WebLogic Server, and configure their environments. This section introduces WebLogic Server utilities that can help you provide your customers with a simplified, easy-to-use method of configuring their environments:

- Silent-Mode Installation
- Applying Maintenance Patches from a Script
- Configuring a Domain from a Script
- Running Silent-Mode Installation, Maintenance, and Configuration from Scripts

## Silent-Mode Installation

Silent-mode installation is a non-interactive method of installing software on one or more machines. It is accomplished via a script that specifies the installation options that users provide during an interactive installation. A silent-mode installation can be performed on both Windows and UNIX systems.

When a customer uses silent-mode, the installation program reads the values for various installation options from the silent-mode script, instead of prompting the customer to enter values in real time. Once you set the required configuration options in a script, the same script can be used for multiple installations on different machines.

For more information about silent-mode installation, including sample scripts, see Running the Installation Program in Silent-Mode in BEA Products Installation Guide.

## Applying Maintenance Patches from a Script

The WebLogic Server software embedded with your value-added solution may require one or more private or publicly available patches from BEA Customer Support that you include with your product distribution. To ensure that your end-user customers run the embedded WebLogic Server software at a specific maintenance level, your overall installation procedure can include a script that invokes the Smart Update command-line interface to apply those maintenance patches, which are included with the distribution media of your value-added solution.

For more information about the patch management capabilities of Smart Update, see Installing Maintenance Updates and Service Packs.

For information about including patches with your product distribution and including a means to apply them to the embedded WebLogic Server software, see Distributing Maintenance Patches.

## Configuring a Domain from a Script

Two primary mechanisms are available for automating the configuration of a domain or domain extension from a script:

- `unpack` command
- WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST) offline

Domain configuration from a script enables you to define configuration information for a domain once, and then duplicate that domain on other machines. Thus, by using this feature, you can create a mechanism that allows you to duplicate a domain on customers' machines.

As mentioned in unpack Command, you can use the `unpack` command to create a full domain or a Managed Server domain directory quickly from a domain or Managed Server template, respectively.

Using a WLST offline script, you can create a new domain or update an existing domain without connecting to a running instance of WebLogic Server. Your WLST script can configure a new domain by using a domain template JAR created by the Domain Template Builder or `pack` command.

## Running Silent-Mode Installation, Maintenance, and Configuration from Scripts

When you combine silent-mode installation, command-line maintenance, and configuration from scripts, you have a powerful method that lets you install your WebLogic product, apply all required maintenance patches, and configure a domain for it in a way that is transparent to customers. When your customers run a silent-mode installation script, followed by a scripts that apply patches and configure a domain, they experience the work of setting up an environment as a seamless process.

Note that a silent-mode installation script cannot invoke Smart Update, WLST, or the `unpack` command. However, you can create a simple shell script or command file that sequentially runs the installation program in silent mode, Smart Update, and WLST. For details about silent installation, applying patches, and configuring domains, see the following:

- Running the Installation Program in Silent Mode in the BEA Products Installation Guide.
- Using the Command-Line Interface in Installing Maintenance Updates and Service Packs
- Creating and Configuring WebLogic Domains Using WLST Offline in WebLogic Scripting Tool.