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Using the Configuration Wizard

Introducing the Configuration Wizard

The Configuration Wizard enables you to create custom WebLogic Platform domains. Use this tool to create new domain configurations for standalone servers, Administration Servers with Managed Servers, and clustered servers.

The following sections describe concepts and prerequisites you need to know before you begin to create a domain:

- What Is a WebLogic Domain?

- What Does the Configuration Wizard Create?

- Prerequisites for Creating New WebLogic Domains

- Roadmap for Creating a New Domain

What Is a WebLogic Domain?

The basic administrative unit for WebLogic Server is a domain. A domain is an interrelated set of WebLogic Server resources that are managed as a unit. A domain includes one or more WebLogic Server instances, and it may also include WebLogic Server clusters. Clusters are groups of WebLogic Servers that work together to provide scalability and high availability for applications.

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 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.

For detailed information about the contents, functions, and configuration of domains, see Creating and Configuring WebLogic Server Domains at the following URL:

>     http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/admin_domain/index.html

Common Domain Types

The most common domain configurations are:

- Domain with Managed Servers: The simplest production environments deploy several managed servers to host web applications, and an Administration Server to perform management operations.

- Domain with Managed Servers and Clusters: Production environments that require increased performance, throughput, or availability for a Web application may arrange a portion of their Managed Servers into a cluster. In this case, the domain consists of one or more clusters with their hosted applications, additional managed servers if necessary, and an Administration Server to perform management operations.

- Standalone Server Domain: For development or test environments, you may want to deploy a single application and server independently from other managed servers. In this case, you can deploy a domain consisting of a single Administration Server that also hosts the Web applications you want to test or develop. The "examples" domain that you can install with WebLogic Server is an example of a standalone server domain.

Note: In production environments, BEA recommends that you deploy applications only on Managed Servers in the domain; the Administration Server should be reserved for management tasks.

Tools for Creating WebLogic Domains

Domain creation is a fundamental part of setting up a WebLogic Platform environment. Various tools and procedures are available to assist in creating and managing WebLogic domains. The following sections provide a brief summary of the various tools and the role each plays in domain creation and management.

Configuration Wizard

The Configuration Wizard is a standalone tool that uses preconfigured domain templates to facilitate domain creation for a target environment. These templates correspond to the basic domain types described in Common Domain Types. The Configuration Wizard also installs the appropriate directory structure and scripts for a domain, and creates a config.xml file that describes the domain layout for the servers.

The Configuration Wizard supports a graphical user interface (GUI), a text-based command-line option, and a silent-mode option that allows you to create domains without user intervention. You can invoke this application as part of the custom installation process or independently after installation.

Note: The Configuration Wizard supports the creation of new domains and the extension of existing domains through the addition of Managed Servers. It does not support the migration of domains from previous versions of WebLogic Server or WebLogic Platform. It also does not support the modification of existing domains.

WebLogic Administration Console

One of the functions of the WebLogic Administration Console is to extend the domain that was created by the Configuration Wizard. Use the Administration Console to extend the domain definition to include certain networking definitions, database connection definitions, as well as to manage and monitor the health and status of the domain. The WebLogic Administration Console is also the tool to use for modifying an existing domain.

For more information about the WebLogic Administration Console, see the BEA WebLogic Server Administration Console Online Help at the following URL:

>     http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/ConsoleHelp/index.html

WebLogic Integration Database Wizard

After the Configuration Wizard and WebLogic Administration Console, the Database Wizard is the next tool you must use to configure your database connection to run using the WebLogic Integration component. For more information about the Database Wizard, see Starting, Stopping, and Customizing WebLogic Integration at the following URL:

>     http://edocs.bea.com/wli/docs70/config/index.html

What Does the Configuration Wizard Create?

The Configuration Wizard uses your input to generate a new config.xml file to describe the domain layout as well as the basic network configuration for the servers you added. The Configuration Wizard stores the config.xml file and all other generated components in a domain subdirectory that you specify.

In addition to the config.xml file, the Configuration Wizard creates server startup scripts, application subdirectories, and other files and directories to help you start and use the new domain and its servers. Scripts are populated with the values that you enter using the Configuration Wizard.

Note: The domain directory can be located anywhere on your system. For example, references will be to the default location and referred to as DOMAIN_HOME.

DOMAIN_HOME represents BEA_HOME/user_projects/domain, where:

BEA_HOME is the BEA Home directory that contains the WebLogic Platform installation. By default, this directory is C:\bea on Windows systems.

user_projects is the directory location specified for the domain.

domain is the name of the domain directory.

The table below summarizes some of the basic directories and files that the Configuration Wizard installs for a new domain. Depending on the template selected and type of domain created, there may be additional files within the domain directory.

Component | Function
--- | ---
/applications | Stores the default Web application for servers in the domain. Note: If you select a template that includes component examples, such as the WebLogic Server Pet Store application, then those sample applications are also copied into the applications subdirectory.
/logs | Stores log files for servers in the domain.
/dbInfo | Contains database-specific information used for creating and initializing a database. Contains the following subdirectories (corresponding to supported databases): oracle: Oracle Server database pointbase: PointBase database mssql: Microsoft SQL Server database Within each database directory, the following files are defined: setDBVars command: basic database variables for the domain setDBVarsExt command: extended database variables for the domain
setEnv.cmd, setEnv.sh | Sets environment variables for domain servers.
setExamplesEnv.cmd, setExamplesEnv.sh | Sets environment variables for domains that include the WebLogic Server example applications.
startWebLogic.cmd, startWebLogic.sh | Starts the Administration Server for a custom domain.
stopWebLogic.cmd, stopWebLogic.sh | Starts the Administration Server for a custom domain.
startManagedWebLogic.cmd, startManagedWebLogic.sh | Starts a Managed Server in a custom domain.
startExamplesServer.cmd, startExamplesServer.sh | Starts a server that hosts the WebLogic Server example applications.
startPetStore.cmd, startPetStore.sh | Starts a server that hosts the Pet Store example applications.
demokey.pem, democert.pem | Provides sample SSL protocol support for servers in the domain.
installService.cmd, uninstallService.cmd | Installs/uninstalls the server in the domain as a Windows service. The installService.cmd script calls the installSvc.cmd and creates an entry for the service in the Windows Registry so that the Windows system knows to start the service each time the Windows system boots.
Windows Start Menu Items | Provides Start menu support for starting domain servers in a Windows environment.

Prerequisites for Creating New WebLogic Domains

Be sure to review the concepts and procedures for creating WebLogic domains in the WebLogic Server documentation. Then complete these prerequisites for creating a new domain using the Configuration Wizard:

- Determine Which Configuration Wizard Template to Use

- Determine the Domain Configuration

- Determine the Server Name and Listen Address

Determine Which Configuration Wizard Template to Use

To create a WebLogic domain, the Configuration Wizard requires a domain template: a Java ARchive file (JAR file) consisting of a collection of files and scripts necessary for creating a new custom domain. WebLogic Platform provides preconfigured domain templates as part of the product installation. These preconfigured templates are located in the WebLogic Platform installation directory (named weblogic700 by default) in common\templates\domains. They are briefly described in the following table.

Note: The available list of preconfigured templates varies, depending on which WebLogic Platform components are installed. For more information about the templates, see the Configuration Wizard Template Reference at the following URL:

http://edocs.bea.com/platform/docs70/template/index.html

WebLogic Platform Component | Template Name | Template Description
--- | --- | ---
WebLogic Platform (all components must be installed) | Platform Domain | This domain template provides a skeleton for developing applications using all WebLogic Platform components.
WebLogic Server | WLS Domain | This template creates a very basic WebLogic Server domain without installing sample applications on the domain's servers.
WLS Petstore | This template creates a WebLogic Server domain comparable to the Pet Store sample domain.
WLS Examples | This template creates a WebLogic Server domain comparable to the WebLogic Server Examples domain.
WebLogic Workshop | This domain template supports the development of WebLogic Workshop solutions.
WebLogic Integration | BPM Domain | This domain template supports the development of business process management solutions. The WebLogic Integration functionality associated with business process management (BPM) and data integration are supported in the domain.
EAI Domain | This template configures a domain to support the development of enterprise application integration solutions. The WebLogic Integration functionality associated with BPM, application integration, and data integration are supported in this domain.
WLI Domain | This template configures a domain to support the development of solutions that employ the full range of WebLogic Integration functionality. WebLogic Integration functionality associated with application integration, data integration, BPM, and B2B integration are supported in this domain.
WebLogic Portal | WLP Domain | This domain template supports the development of WebLogic Portal solutions.

Determine the Domain Configuration

The Configuration Wizard provides several options that describe the number and layout of the servers you want to create in the domain. The Configuration Wizard domain options correspond to the list of domain types described in Common Domain Types, and are as follows:

- Single Server (Standalone Server): This option creates a domain with a single server that acts as the Administration Server and also hosts applications. This type of domain is recommended for development or testing purposes, rather than a production environment. See Creating a Single-Server Domain for instructions on creating this type of domain.

- Admin Server with Managed Server(s): This option creates a domain with one or more Managed Servers to host applications and a separate, dedicated Administration Server. See Creating a Domain with Administration Server and Managed Servers for instructions on creating this type of domain.

- Admin Server with Clustered Managed Server(s): This option creates a domain with a cluster of Managed Servers and a separate, dedicated Administration Server. See Creating a Domain with Administration Server and Cluster for instructions on creating this type of domain.

Note: For more information about clusters, see Using WebLogic Server Clusters at the following URL:
http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/cluster/index.html

- Managed Server (with owning Admin Server configuration): This option does not create a new domain; instead, it extends an existing WebLogic Server domain by creating a new Managed Server. The Configuration Wizard prompts you for an existing Administration Server to which the new Managed Server connects. See Extending an Existing WebLogic Domain for more information.

Note: Additional procedures are available for configuring Managed Servers such as configuring a Node Manager for a domain by using the WebLogic Administration Console. For more information about using the WebLogic Administration Console, see Creating and Configuring WebLogic Server Domains at the following URL:
http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/admin_domain/index.html

After determining the configuration requirements for your domain, review the procedures to determine the information that is required for configuration, such as server names, ports, and IP addresses for the Administration and Managed Servers.

Determine the Server Name and Listen Address

The Configuration Wizard prompts you to assign a name and identify the listen address for each server instance you create. The following sections describe important considerations related to setting the server name and listen address.

Server Name Considerations

Each server instance in your WebLogic environment must have a unique name, regardless of the domain or cluster in which it resides, or whether it is an Administration Server or a Managed Server.

Listen Address Considerations

The following table describes important considerations related to setting the listen address value.

If the Listen Address is set to . . . | Then, the following is true . . .
--- | ---
IP address or DNS name | Processes must specify the IP address or DNS name to connect to the server instance. Clients that specify localhost will fail to connect. You must update existing processes that use localhost to connect to the server instance. Note: To resolve a DNS name to an IP address, WebLogic Server must be able to contact an appropriate DNS server or obtain the IP address mapping locally. Therefore, if you specify a DNS name for the listen address, you must either leave a port open long enough for the WebLogic Server instance to connect to a DNS server and cache its mapping or you must specify the IP address mapping in a local file. If you specify an IP address for the listen address and then a client request specifies a DNS name, WebLogic Server will attempt to resolve the DNS name, but if it cannot access DNS name mapping, the request will fail.
localhost | Processes must specify localhost to connect to the server instance. Only processes that reside on the machine that hosts the server instance (local processes) will be able to connect to the server instance. Remote (non-local) processes will not be able to connect to the server instance.
Undefined or Blank ("") | Processes can specify the IP address, DNS name, or localhost to connect to the server instance. Processes that specify localhost must reside on the machine that hosts the server instance. If the server instance must be accessible as localhost (for instance, if you have administrative scripts that connect to localhost), and must also be accessible by remote processes, leave the listen address blank. Note: For WebLogic servers running on multi-homed Windows NT machines, you should not leave the listen address value undefined or blank. (Multi-homed machines are configured with multiple IP addresses.) Otherwise, the WebLogic Server reserves and listens on its port for each of the machine IP addresses. This precludes other servers from using the same port on the machine.

Roadmap for Creating a New Domain

The following roadmap will guide you in creating a new WebLogic domain.

Task | Refer to . . .
--- | ---
1. Install WebLogic Platform. | Installing BEA WebLogic Platform at the following URL: http://edocs.bea.com/platform/docs70/ install/index.html
2. Determine the domain configuration prerequisites. | Prerequisites for Creating New WebLogic Domains
3. Initiate the Configuration Wizard to create a new domain. | Starting the Configuration Wizard or Starting the Silent-Mode Configuration Process
4. Create a new domain. | Creating a New WebLogic Domain or Creating a New WebLogic Domain Using Silent Mode
5. Set up optional domain definitions for network connections, node manager, database connection pools, clusters, etc. Note: This step is optional: whether you perform it depends on your domain requirements. | Creating and Configuring WebLogic Server Domains at the following URL: http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/ admin_domain/index.html and Using WebLogic Server Clusters at the following URL: http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/cluster/index.html
6. Initialize the WebLogic Integration Database Repository to configure the database. Note: This step is required only if the domain supports WebLogic Integration functionality. | Starting, Stopping, and Customizing WebLogic Integration at the following URL: http://edocs.bea.com/wli/docs70/config/index.htm
7. Start WebLogic Server. | "Starting and Stopping WebLogic Servers" in the BEA WebLogic Server Administration Guide at the following URL: http://edocs.bea.com/wls/docs70/adminguide/startstop.html