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.

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.

Oracle Managed File Transfer (MFT) Handson - Part 4: Integration with SOA Suite

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] 

For users of both, MFT and SOA-Suite, both can be integrated. The SOA Suite can push data to MFT, which takes care of distributing those in the file system. And vice versa, the SOA Suite can be a target for a MFT transaction.
For this example, both MFT and SOA Suite should be installed. Basic knowledge of both products is required.

Starting with the Design tab of the MFT Console. A new source of type SOA is created here. Important: don't chose the name soa as depicted above, as this will lead to problems later. So chose a different name like service-source.

Next, a Transfer needs to be created, using the newly created service-source as Source. Create any File Target as target for this transformation, eg. the file-target from chapter 3.
Then click Save and Deploy, so both artifacts are deployed.

Next, open JDeveloper and create a new SOA-Project.

In the composite, drop a MFT adapter to the right side.

Accept the defaults

Also keep the defaults here

In this step, an existing application server connection can be chosen or a new one be created. The MFT server in that domain will be found automatically, click on Test MFT to check the connection.

The serivce-source will be found automaticall, end this wizard with Finish.

To have something to communicate with the MFT adapter, drop a BPEL process into the composite. In the dialog shown above, switch it to Synchronous BPEL Process and leave the rest.

Connect the MFT adapter with the BPEL process, then open the process with a double click.

Place an Invoke activity in the middle and connect it with the MFT partner link.

Create an input- and output-variable by clicking on each green plus sign (+). Then close the dialog with OK.

An assign activity is needed, place it before the Invoke1 and open it via double click.

Right click on ns1:InlinePayload to assign an expression.

Create a greeting, eg. one matching the region you live in. In my case:
concat("Moin, Moin ", $inputVariable.payload/client:input)

Do the same for ns1:TargetFilename. As this is the name for the target file, better avoid special characters which could cause troubles on some file systems. Eg.:
concat("Hello-",$inputVariable.payload/client:input)

The composite is ready now and need to be deployed (right click on [project name]|Deploy).
Next, open the Enterprise Manager and navigate to that project. Go to the Test Web Service page, enter a test string and start the test.

If everything was OK, the Flow Trace can be launched.

The flow trace will contain a MFT step, click on it.

This will lead to the MFT Console where the Transfer will be displayed.

In the file system, the resulting will be created. Open it and check the contents.

That's the end of the MFT tutorial

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Teil 4]