Thursday 28 July 2016

Create a DB connection for SOA Suite with Fusion Middleware Control 12c

For using a database from a SOA composite, a database connection is required. The configuration has remained the same through the 11g lifetime, but the configuration tools have changed with Fusion Middleware Control 12c in SOA Suite 12.2. This tutorial guides through the creation of a database connection in 12.2.


This is, for example, how your Database Adapter configuration might look like. In the top half is the connection information for the JDeveloper IDE. But after deployment, the Composite will not connect directly via the JDBC connect string, but via the database connection identified by the JNDI name below (here: eis/DB/soadb). That connection needs to be created on the server, or the composite will not deploy.


To create it, we need a JDBC Data Source first. To create it, in FMW Control browse to JDBC Data Sources


Choose Create|Generic Data Source


On the first page of the Wizard, click Select... and chose the Thin XA driver for Service connections.


Give it a name (SOAe2e Data Source) and a JNDI Name (jdbc/soae2eds), then click Next.


Click on 'Generate URL and Properties' and enter your database connection information


Click Test Database Connection. If that fails, check your parameters


In the list of JDBC Data Sources, click on the newly created DS.


On the targets tab, check your SOA server and save.


Now that we have a JDBC connection, we need a DB connection. Click on WebLogic Domain|Deployments


Check Show All and click on the DbAdapter.


In Modules and Components, click on DbAdapter.rar.


Here you will learn, that the DB-Adapter configuration hasn't been ported to FMW Control yet. So click on the link to get directed to good old WLS Console.


Navigate to Deployments|Configuration|Outbound Connection Pools and click on New.


Choose java.resource.cci.ConnectionFactory and click Next.


 Accept the Deployment Plan and click OK.


Give it a name. This must exactly be the same as in JDeveloper, or it will not be found at deployment time.


Back in the list, click on the new Connection Pool to configure it.


For the XADataSourceName enter the JNDI name of the JDBC connection created above. Press RETURN before clicking on Save.


 You should get the confirmation shown above.


Back in FMW Control, the new DB adapter should be visible in the JNDI Browser. If it is not, try restarting the DB Adapter or the domain.


Having the DB connection set up properly, the deployment should work.


Thursday 21 July 2016

Create an instance in the Oracle Database Cloud Service (DBCS)

For the installation of the SOA Cloud Service (SOACS), a database is needed for the repository. This tutorial shows the required steps to create a database instance with the DBCS.


Starting in the My Services Dashboard, choose 'Oracle Database Cloud Service'.


Continue via Open Service Console


 A new service can be created via (surprise) Create Service.


The normal Oracle Database Cloud Service is required for the SOACS.


Choose release 12.1


For this tutorial, the Enterprise Edition will be sufficient. For production systems, the High- or Extreme-Performance editions should be taken into consideration.


Now give the service the necessary settings such as sizes and passwords. It is important to set up a Backup Destination, as that is a requirement for a SOACS repository. Use the Cloud Storage Container which has been created in the last chapter of this tutorial (format: Storage-IdentitiyDomain/Name).


A last summary, click on Create.


After a few Minutes, the new database is available. The creation is noted in the history below.
This newly created database can now be used as a repository for the SOACS.

Friday 8 July 2016

How to manage your Oracle Cloud Storage Containers with CloudBerry Explorer

In the last chapter of this tutorial, I demonstrated how Storage Conainers in the Oracle Cloud can be managed by using the REST-API.
As the Oracle Storage Cloud is also compatible to the according OpenStack API's, standard tools with OpenStack-support can also be used for management. Here, I will demonstrate this with the CloudBerry Explorer.


First, a new account needs to be created. As the CloudBerry Explorer already knows the Oracle Cloud, just go to the file menu and click on 'New Oracle Cloud Account'



Enter the access information in the dialog. The user name is constructed the same way as done for the REST-API, which is Storage-[Identity Domain]-[Username].


After successfull connection, the CloudBerry Explorer lists all existing Storage Containers. So the dbBackupContainer, which has been created in the last chapter, is listed here. A new container, which is needed for the SOACS, can be created by clicking the 'New Container' icon.


Give it a name, for example SOACScontainer. The Container type can remain on 'Standard'.


Now both, the just created SOACScontainer and the dbBackupContainer from last chapter should be listed here. Both containers needed for the next chapters are created and the cloud services can be set up.

--> Next Step: create a database instace with the DB Cloud Service