Chapter 1 Overview of WebLogic Plug-In

This chapter explains general information about using N1 Grid Service Provisioning System to provision BEA WebLogic 6.1 and 7 applications. This chapter includes the following information:

• Purpose of the WebLogic Plug-In

• What the BEA WebLogic Plug-In Includes

• Requirements for Using the BEA WebLogic Plug-In

Purpose of the WebLogic Plug-In

The N1 Grid Service Provisioning System software provides enhanced capabilities in out-of-the-box support for BEA WebLogic 6.1 and 7 applications. You can capture a BEA WebLogic application from a reference server, select precisely how this application should be configured, and deploy the application to standalone, managed, or clustered BEA WebLogic environments.

If you use the plug-in to manage your BEA WebLogic environment, do not deploy or manage BEA WebLogic applications outside of the provisioning software. You must manage your BEA WebLogic applications exclusively with the N1 Grid Service Provisioning System software.

What the BEA WebLogic Plug-In Includes

The BEA WebLogic Plug-In includes several WebLogic-specific component types, along with pre-defined components and resource files that enable you to easily capture, configure and deploy WebLogic Enterprise, Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), and Web Applications. These component types can be grouped into three families:

• Component types to support three kinds of WebLogic virtual hosts:

  • WebLogic Admin Server

  • WebLogic (Managed) Server

  • WebLogic Cluster

• Special components to deploy and pull applications for deployment on the WebLogic 6.x and 7.x application servers

• Special component logic implemented with the WebLogic platform's Enterprise JavaBeans^TM technology-based APIs

Requirements for Using the BEA WebLogic Plug-In

Any host on which you intend to deploy the BEA WebLogic Plug-In must meet the following requirements:

WebLogic software

BEA Systems WebLogic version 6.1 or 7.0 must exist within your N1 Grid Service Provisioning System environment so that you can capture the applications and files to deploy

Operating system

Appropriate version of the UNIX or Windows operating systems, as specified by BEA Systems

Disk space

For Windows systems, approximately 236 Mbytes free storage space for the installed product and 170 Mbytes of temporary storage space required by the installer

For UNIX systems, approximately 196 Mbytes free storage space for the installed product and 162 Mbytes of temporary storage space required by the installer

RAM

256 Mbytes (minimum); 512 Mbytes (recommended)

Java run-time environment (JRE)

The WebLogic Server installation program requires a JRE to run. A Java 2 Software Development Kit (SDK), which includes a JRE, is bundled in the Windows installation program and in some UNIX installation programs (those with filenames ending in .bin). For other UNIX platforms, the WebLogic Server installation program does not include the Java 2 SDK in the installation program (those with filenames ending in .jar). To run the .jar installation programs, you must have the appropriate version of the Java 2 SDK installed on your system, and include the bin directory of the SDK at the front of the PATH variable. It is important that you use an SDK because the installation process sets the JAVA_HOME and related variables to point to this directory.

In addition, you must have a current WebLogic environment from which you can capture the WebLogic application to deploy. This environment must meet the following requirements:

WebLogic application

A functional WebLogic 6.1 or 7.0 application that is configured the way that you need