Skip navigation.
Downloads | Product Documentation | Support

Administration Console Online Help

# Create foreign servers in a system module

A Foreign Server represents a JNDI provider that is outside WebLogic server. It contains information that allows a local WebLogic Server instance to reach a remote JNDI provider, thereby allowing for a number of foreign connection factory and destination objects to be defined on one JNDI directory.

To configure a foreign server, follow these steps:

1. If you have not already done so, in the Change Center of the Administration Console, click Lock & Edit (see Use the Change Center).
2. In the Administration Console, expand Services > Messaging and select JMS Modules.
3. In the JMS Modules table, click the name of JMS module in which to configure the foreign server resource.
4. On the module's Settings page, click the New button in the Summary of Resources table.
5. On the Create a New JMS System Module Resource page, select Foreign Server from the list of JMS resources, and then click Next.
6. On the Foreign Server Properties page, enter a name for the foreign server.

   Once you create a foreign server, you cannot rename it. Instead, you must delete it and create another one that uses the new name.

7. Click Next to proceed to the targeting page or click Finish to create the foreign server.

   Caution: If you click Finish at this point, the foreign server will be created without any targeting information. As a result, the foreign server will not be deployed and thus will not be available to applications until you manually select a subdeployment target, as described in Specify subdeployments for foreign servers.

   On the targeting page, you can either target the foreign server to system-selected JMS server(s), server instance(s), or cluster, or optionally proceed to an advanced targeting page where you can either select an existing subdeployment or create a new subdeployment. A subdeployment is a mechanism by which JMS module resources (such as destinations, connection factories, and foreign servers) are grouped and targeted to server resources (such as JMS servers, server instance(s), or cluster).

8. For basic system-selected targeting, in the Targets box simply select a JMS server(s), server instance(s), or cluster, and then click Finish. A system-owned subdeployment is automatically generated for the foreign server and the selected target(s), using the BEA_JMS_SUBDEPLOYMENT_XXXX name space, where XXXX is the name of the parent module.

   Note: JMS administrators cannot create any subdeployment beginning with BEA_JMS_SUBDEPLOYMENT. This naming restriction is validated during the subdeployment creation process.

   Upon clicking Finish, the configured foreign server is added to the module's Summary of Resources table, which displays its system-generated subdeployment name and its targets. You can also reconfigure subdeployment targets later if you wish. For more information about managing subdeployments, refer to Configure subdeployments in JMS system modules.

9. For advanced targeting, click Advanced Targeting, which allows you to select an existing subdeployment or to create a new one.
   - To select an existing subdeployment for the foreign server, select one from the Subdeployments drop-down. When a valid subdeployment is selected, its targeted JMS server(s), server(s), or cluster appear as selected in the Targets box. (A subdeployment with standalone destinations can only be targeted to a single JMS server.) Click Finish to add the foreign server to the selected subdeployment.
   - To create a new subdeployment for the foreign server, click the Create a new Subdeployment button. On the Subdeployment Properties page, enter a name for the subdeployment, and then click OK. On the ensuing subdeployment targeting page, select a JMS server(s), server instance(s), or cluster in the Targets box. (A subdeployment with standalone destinations can only be targeted to a single JMS server.) Click Finish to add the foreign server to the new subdeployment.

   Upon clicking Finish, the configured foreign server is added to the module's Summary of Resources table, which displays the user-defined subdeployment name and its targets. You can also reconfigure subdeployment targets later if you wish. For more information about managing subdeployments, refer to Configure subdeployments in JMS system modules.

10. To configure additional properties for the new foreign server, click it in the Summary of Resources table.
11. On the Configuration: General page:
    1. In JNDI Initial Context Factory, enter the name of the class that must be instantiated to access the JNDI provider. This class name depends on the provider and vendor that are being used.
    2. In JNDI Connection URL, enter the URL that WebLogic Server uses to contact the JNDI provider. The syntax of this URL depends on which JNDI provider is being used. For WebLogic JMS, leave this field blank if you are referencing WebLogic JMS objects within the same cluster.
    3. In JNDI Properties, specify any additional properties that must be set for the JNDI provider. These properties will be passed directly to the constructor for the JNDI provider's `InitialContext` class.

       Note: The JNDI Properties values may be a `name=value` list of properties, separated by commas.

    For more information about these fields, refer to Configuration Options.

12. Click Save.
13. To activate these changes, in the Change Center of the Administration Console, click Activate Changes.
    Not all changes take effect immediately—some require a restart (see Use the Change Center).

After you finish

Continue by configuring foreign connection factory and foreign destination objects. You can configure one or more foreign connection factories and foreign destinations (queues or topics) for each foreign server. For more information, see:

- Create foreign connection factories
- Create foreign destinations