7 Configuring the Web Tier for an Enterprise Deployment

This chapter describes how to configure the Oracle Web Tier to support the Oracle Fusion Middleware WebCenter Portal implementation.

This chapter contains the following sections:

Section 7.1, "Overview of Configuring the Web Tier"
Section 7.2, "Running the Configuration Wizard to Configure Oracle HTTP Server"
Section 7.3, "Validating the Oracle HTTP Server Configuration"
Section 7.4, "Associating the Oracle Web Tier with the Oracle WebLogic Domain"
Section 7.5, "Configuring the Load Balancer to Route HTTP Requests"
Section 7.6, "Configuring Virtual Hosts"

7.1 Overview of Configuring the Web Tier

Before configuring the Oracle Web Tier software, you must install it on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2, as described in Section 6.2, "Installing Oracle HTTP Server" Run the Configuration Wizard to define the instance home, the instance name, and the Oracle HTTP Server component name.

This chapter also describes how to associate the Oracle Web Tier with the WebLogic Server domain. Once the web tier is associated with the WebLogic Server, you can monitor it using the Oracle Fusion Middleware Console.

You then configure the load balancer to route all HTTP requests to WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

The last section describes how to define the directives of the <VirtualHost> section of the httpd.conf file on both OHS servers. You created these virtual host names when you configured the load balancer in Section 3.3, "Configuring the Load Balancer".

7.2 Running the Configuration Wizard to Configure Oracle HTTP Server

The steps for configuring the Oracle Web Tier are the same for both WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

To configure the Oracle web tier:

Change the directory to the location of the Oracle Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard:
```
WEBHOST1> cd ORACLE_COMMON_HOME/common/bin
```
Start the Configuration Wizard:
```
WEBHOST1> ./config.sh
```
In the Welcome screen, click Next.
In the Configure Components screen, select Oracle HTTP Server and unselect Associate Selected Components with WebLogic Domain. Make sure that Oracle Web Cache is not selected.

Click Next.
In the Specify Component Details screen, specify the following values:
- Instance Home Location: /u01/app/oracle/admin/webn
- AS Instance Name: webn
- OHS Component Name: ohsn
(where n is a sequential number for your installation; for example, 1 for WEBHOST1, 2 for WEBHOST2, and so on.)

Note:

Oracle HTTP Server instance names on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2 must be different.

Click Next.
In high-availability implementations, it is not mandatory for all of the ports used by the various components to be synchronized across hosts, however it makes the enterprise deployment much simpler. Oracle allows automatic port configuration to be bypassed by specifying ports to be used in a file.

In the Configure Ports screen, select a file name and then click View/Edit. The file will look like this:
```
[OHS]
#Listen port for OHS component
OHS Port = 7777

[OPMN]
#Process Manager Local port no
OPMN Local Port = 1880
```
You can find a sample staticports.ini file on installation disk 1 in the stage/Response directory.

Click Next.
In the Specify Security Updates screen, choose whether you want to receive security updates from Oracle support and if you do, enter your e-mail address.
In the Installation Summary screen, review the selections to ensure they are correct. If they are not, click Back to modify selections on previous screens. When you are ready, click Configure.
Multiple configuration assistants are launched in succession; this process can be lengthy. When it completes, click Next, and the Installation Complete screen appears.
In the Installation Completed screen, click Finish to exit.

7.3 Validating the Oracle HTTP Server Configuration

Once the installation is completed, check that it is possible to access the Oracle HTTP Server home page using the following URL:

http://webhost1.mycompany.com:7777/

7.4 Associating the Oracle Web Tier with the Oracle WebLogic Domain

Once an Oracle WebLogic domain has been created, the Oracle web tier can be linked to the domain. The advantages of doing this are that the Oracle web tier can be managed and monitored using the Oracle Fusion Middleware console.

To associate the Oracle web tier with the WebLogic domain, execute the following commands on both WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2:

WEBHOSTn> cd ORACLE_BASE/admin/instance_name/bin
WEBHOSTn> ./opmnctl registerinstance -adminHost ADMINVHN  -adminPort 7001 -adminUsername weblogic

7.5 Configuring the Load Balancer to Route HTTP Requests

Configure your load balancer to route all HTTP requests to the hosts running Oracle HTTP Server (WEBHOST1, WEBHOST2). You do not need to enable sticky sessions (insert cookie) on the load balancer when Oracle HTTP Server is front-ending Oracle WebLogic Server. You need sticky sessions if you are going directly from the load balancer to Oracle WebLogic Server, which is not the case in the topology described in this guide.

The instructions for this configuration will vary depending on which load balancer you use. See you load balancer documentation for specific instructions.

7.6 Configuring Virtual Hosts

To configure the virtual hosts complete the following three tasks:

Define the directives of the <VirtualHost> section of the httpd.conf file on both OHS servers
Restart both OHS servers
Access the virtual host URLs to validate the configuration.

7.6.1 Editing the httpd.conf File

Define the directives of the <VirtualHost> section of the httpd.conf file on both OHS servers. This file is located in the ORACLE_BASE/admin/instance_name/config/OHS/ohs1 (or ohs2) directory. Add the following entries to the file:

NameVirtualHost *:7777
<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName https://wcp.mycompany.com:443
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

NameVirtualHost *:7777
<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName admin.mycompany.com:80
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

NameVirtualHost *:7777
<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName wcpinternal.mycompany.com:80
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

7.6.2 Restarting Both OHS Servers

Restart both OHS servers after modifying the httpd.conf files:

WEBHOST> cd ORACLE_BASE/admin/<instance_name>/bin
WEBHOST> opmnctl stopall
WEBHOST> opmnctl startall

7.6.3 Validating the Configuration

Access the following URLs to ensure that your load balancer and Oracle HTTP Server are configured properly:

https://wcp.mycompany.com/index.html
http://admin.mycompany.com/index.html
http://wcpinternal.mycompany.com/index.html

If you cannot access these URLs, check to ensure that you completed the procedure in Section 3.3, "Configuring the Load Balancer" correctly.