Deploying WebLogic Platform Applications

Deployment Checklists

The following checklists are provided for each step in the deployment:

Checklist for Planning the Promotion

The following checklist includes the items that you need to consider when planning the promotion of your application to different target environments. A plan should be prepared for each promotion stage; for example, the development, system integration, test/QA, and production environments.

Table B-1 Checklist—Planning the Promotion

	Planning Item	Notes
	Identify machines and their hardware required to host WebLogic Server instances, the database, load balancers, firewalls, and so on.	Identify operating system and hardware requirements. Identify any OS patches required.
	Identify networking hardware and software requirements	Storage Area Network (SAN) or a multi-ported disk system is required for high availability in a cluster
	Define names, addresses, and port numbers of each machine	See Guidelines for Specifying the Names and Addresses of the Members in a Cluster.
	Define the multicast addresses for the cluster(s)	Ensure that the multicast address and port do not conflict with the multicast address and port of any other clusters on the network. This multicast address and port is used by cluster members to communicate within a cluster.
	Identify changes to the application source and configuration	For example: Source code changes required for the target environment, such as for enabling high availability or specific security requirements Deployment descriptor changes Configuration changes required for WebLogic Integration application views Also identify application version control requirements; for example, identifying files to maintain in a version control tool such as Perforce or CVS.
	Security requirements	For example: Required WebLogic security providers LDAP server requirements List of resources that need to be secured, including security policies required to protect them SSL requirements, including certificates and how they are stored, identity of Certificate Authority, etc. Action on Security advisories that are required
	Third-party components	For example, monitoring tools or LDAP
	Enterprise-level database software	Identify database access requirements with your database administrator
	JDBC database drivers	Determine whether a packaged JDBC database driver is to be used, or whether a third party driver is required; identify XA and non-XA requirements
	Load balancer or Web proxy server	Determine whether a hardware load balancer is to be used, or whether a third-party Web server or WebLogic Server is to be used as a proxy server
	Node Manager requirements	Determine whether Node Manager is to be used to administer Managed Servers, and whether it is to be started as a Web service or via a script
	SDK requirements	Determine whether the SDK is packaged with the WebLogic Platform installation or must be acquired separately. See WebLogic Platform 8.1 Supported Configurations at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/overview.html`
	Tools for configuration, application build, and deployment	For example, Configuration Wizard, WLST Offline, `wlwBuild`, `weblogic.deploy`, source control management system
	Test plan, which specifies set of unit, stress, or other QA test requirements for each promotion stage
	Script automation	Identify scripts to create and tools to use for promoting applications from development to production in an automated manner. See Automating the Promotion Process.

Checklist for Installation and Network Configuration Requirements

The following checklist includes the requirements for installing the software and configuring the network in a secure manner.

Table B-2 Checklist—Installation and Network Configuration Requirements

	Requirements	Notes
	Procure the hardware and software, as defined in the promotion plan.	Operating system patches, service packs
	Install WebLogic Platform in a secure manner on all machines targeted for use in the domain.	For details about installing WebLogic Platform, see Installing WebLogic Platform at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/index.html` Follow the guidance described in "Install WebLogic Server in a Secure Manner" in "Determining Your Security Needs" in Securing a Production Environment at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/lockdown/secure.html` Ensure the following: The software version and service pack are the same across all machines in the domain. No machine has a dynamically assigned IP address. All machines are accessible from the load balancer/proxy, and the load balancer/proxy is accessible by the clients. If machines are located behind a firewall, a public address must be available. Each Managed Server is able to connect to the Administration Server in its domain. A shared file system is not used to support a single installation running multiple WebLogic Server instances on separate machines. Doing so introduces a single point of contention for the cluster, as all server instances must compete to access the file system (and possibly to write individual log files). In addition, if the shared system fails, you might not be able to start server instances in the cluster.
	Procure a cluster production license for each product installation.	For licensing information, see Licensing at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/interm/license.html`
	Set up the network.	Ensure that multicast traffic is enabled to support clustering and that IP sockets are configured correctly. Note that some network topologies can interfere with multicast communication. For more information, see "WebLogic Server Communication in a Cluster" in "Communications in a Cluster" in Using WebLogic Server Clusters at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/cluster/features.html`
	Install the Web proxy plug-ins to support load balancing (Optional)	Obtain the latest WebLogic proxy plug-ins. This step is not required if you are using WebLogic Server as a proxy or a hardware load balancer.

Checklist for Creating and Configuring a WebLogic Domain

The following checklist includes the requirements for creating and configuring a WebLogic domain.

Table B-3 Checklist—Creating and Configuring a WebLogic Domain

	Requirements	Notes
	Configure and target resources, including servers, clusters, machines, and JMS and JDBC resources.	Considerations for Configuring and Targeting Resources Guidelines for Specifying the Names and Addresses of the Members in a Cluster Autoconfiguration Using the Configuration Wizard and WLST Offline
	Add asynchronous dispatcher queues required by the application, as defined in the `wlw-manifest.xml` file.	Adding Application Resources Required by the WebLogic Workshop Runtime
	Configure servers to start in production mode.	Configuring Servers to Start in Production Mode
	Set the SDK.	Set the SDK, as described in Setting the SDK
	Set up the Managed Servers on the remote machines and configure the start attributes.	Setting Up the Managed Server Directories Configuring the Managed Server Start Attributes
	Configure Node Managers (Optional).	If Node Manager is to be used, see Configuring Node Manager

Checklist for Configuring a Production Database

The following checklist includes the requirements for configuring a production database.

Table B-4 Checklist—Configuring a Production Database

	Requirements	Notes
	Create and prepare a production database.	Creating and Preparing a Production Database Example: How to Load the Domain Database Using WLST Offline Example: How to Load the Application Database Using Ant
	Create conversational state tables, as defined in the `wlw-manifest.xml` file.	Creating Conversational State Database Tables Example: How to Create the Conversational State Database Tables Using Ant
	Promote WebLogic Portal datasync information.	Promoting WebLogic Portal Datasync Information
	Promote LDAP and Portal database data.	Promoting LDAP and Portal Database Data
	Promote WebLogic Integration application database information.	Promoting WebLogic Integration Application Database Information

Checklist for Configuring Security

The following checklist includes the considerations for securing the production environment.

Table B-5 Checklist—Configuring Security

	Considerations	Notes
	Configure a firewall.	"Firewall Considerations" in "Avoiding Problems" in "Clustering Best Practices" in Using WebLogic Server Clusters at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/cluster/best.html`
	Use a load balancer or Web proxy server.	A load balancer or Web proxy server distributes client connection requests, provides load balancing and failover across a WebLogic cluster, and provides security by concealing the local area network addresses from external users. For more information, see Using Load Balancers and Web Proxy Servers.
	Secure the network connections.	"Securing Network Connections" in "Ensuring the Security of Your Production Environment" in Securing a Production Environment at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/lockdown/practices.html`
	Secure the WebLogic Server hosts.	"Securing the WebLogic Server Hosts in Securing a Production Environment at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/lockdown/practices.html#SecuringWLSHost`
	Secure the WebLogic domain.
	Secure WebLogic resources.	For information about: The WebLogic Portal authentication framework, see "Securing Portal Applications" in WebLogic Workshop Online Help at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/portal/security/securityIntro.html` "Using Multiple Authentication Providers with WebLogic Portal" in WebLogic Administration Portal Online Help at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/adminportal/help/SA_UsingMap.html` Configuring and promoting WebLogic Portal database tables, see Creating and Preparing a Production Database. Using an external database store, see "Using an External Store for User Information" in Security in WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/secintro/user.html`
	Secure WebLogic Portal resources.	"Securing Portal Applications" in WebLogic Workshop Online Help at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/portal/security/securityIntro.html` "Using Multiple Authentication Providers with WebLogic Portal" in WebLogic Administration Portal Online Help at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/adminportal/help/SA_UsingMap.html` Creating and Preparing a Production Database "Using an External Store for User Information" in Security in WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/secintro/user.html`
	Secure WebLogic Integration resources.	"Using WebLogic Integration Security" in Deploying WebLogic Integration Solutions at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/deploy/secure.html` Promoting WebLogic Integration Application Database Information
	Secure the database.	"Ensuring the Security of Your Production Environment" in Securing a Production Environment at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/lockdown/practices.html` "Managing the Embedded LDAP Server" in Managing WebLogic Security at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/secmanage/ldap.html` "Using an External Store for User Information" in Security in WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/secintro/user.html`
	Secure the application.	Preparing Application Security "Securing Applications" in "Ensuring the Security of Your Production Environment" in Securing a Production Environment at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/lockdown/practices.html` Programming WebLogic Security at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/security/index.html`
	Enable auditing.	BEA recommends that you enable auditing in a production environment. An auditing provider stores operating requests and the results of those requests are collected, stored, and distributed for the purposes of non-repudiation. For more information about configuring auditing, see Configuring Security Providers in Managing WebLogic Security.
	Review considerations for configuring security.	Considerations for Configuring Security
	Promote embedded LDAP security data to the target database.	Promoting Embedded LDAP Security Data to the Target Database
	Maintain the security policy files under version control.	Maintaining Security Policy Files Under Version Control

Checklist for Using Load Balancers and Web Proxy Servers

The following checklist includes requirements for using load balancers and Web proxy servers.

Table B-6 Checklist—Using Load Balancers and Web Proxy Servers

	Requirements	Notes
	Configure the Web proxy server or external hardware load balancer.	Load Balancing with a Web Proxy Server
	Configure the external hardware load balancer.	Load Balancing with an External Hardware Load Balancer
	Review considerations when configuring load balancers and Web proxy servers, such as setting up replication groups.	Considerations When Configuring Load Balancers and Web Proxy Servers
	Configure load balancing and failover for servlets and JSPs, EJBs and RMIs, JMS destinations, and JDBC connections.	For more information see "Load Balancing in a Cluster" and "Failover and Replication in a Cluster" in Using WebLogic Server Clusters at the following URLs, respectively: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/cluster/load_balancing.html` `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/cluster/failover.html`

Checklist for Preparing Application Files

The following checklist includes the requirements for preparing the application files.

Table B-7 Checklist—Preparing Application Files

	Requirements	Notes
	Obtain application files.	Access to Application Files
	Update application project files to reference the domain in the target environment on which the application runs.	Updating the Server Path Attribute
	Update WebLogic Portal cache configuration, behavior tracking, campaign, and commerce tax settings.	See instructions about updating the `application-config.xml` file in Summary of Changes to Deployment Descriptors and Configuration Files
	Tune the application for a production environment.	See instructions for modifying the `<jsp-descriptor>` element of the `weblogic.xml` deployment descriptor in Summary of Changes to Deployment Descriptors and Configuration Files.
	Tune WebLogic Workshop dispatcher and container EJBs for a production environment.	See instructions for modifying these EJBs in Summary of Changes to Deployment Descriptors and Configuration Files.
	Enable session replication to maintain information about object state in the event of a server failure.	Configure the `<session-param>` descriptor element in the `weblogic.xml` deployment descriptor file, as described in Enabling Session Replication
	Update host, port, and optionally security protocol of target service specified in the Web service controls.	Enabling Inter-Application Communication
	Set the concurrency strategy for stateful business process entity beans.	Make sure that the `<ejb-concurrency-strategy>` element in the `wlw-config.xml` file is set to exclusive for stateful business process entity beans, as described in Specifying a Concurrency Strategy for Stateful Business Process Entity Beans
	Update the WebLogic Integration application views and adapter target event generators.	Reconfiguring Application Views Specifying Event Generator Targets
	Set application security	Limiting Access to Authenticated Users Restricting Application Access to SSL Traffic Only

Checklist for Deploying the Application

The following checklist includes requirements for deploying the application.

Table B-8 Checklist—Deploying the Application

	Requirements	Notes
	Start the servers.	Starting the Servers
	Upload the deployment files to the Administration Server (Optional).	"Uploading Deployment Files to the Administration Server" in "Performing Common Deployment Tasks" in Deploying WebLogic Server Applications at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/deployment/scenarios.html`
	Deploy the application.	Overview of the Deployment Tools Deployment Considerations Step 3: Deploy the Application
	Deploy Event Generators (Optional).	"Creating and Deploying Event Generators" in "Event Generators" in Managing WebLogic Integration Solutions at the following URL: `http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/manage/evntgen.html`