1 Overview of the WebCenter Sites Installation Process

This chapter provides information that will help you prepare to install WebCenter Sites on the following application servers: Oracle WebLogic Server, Apache Tomcat, and IBM WebSphere, in standalone and clustered environments.

The following environments are supported:

  • Single Server Environment: This is an environment consisting of a single WebCenter Sites installation that may or may not have a front-end web server.

  • Multiple Server Load Balanced environment: This is an environment consisting of multiple WebCenter Sites installations that share the same database and shared directory, and use a front-end load balancer. The application servers where the WebCenter Sites applications are deployed are standalone servers and do not belong to a cluster.

  • Multiple Server Cluster environment: This is an environment consisting of multiple WebCenter Sites installations that share the same database and shared directory, and use a front-end load balancer. The application servers on which the WebCenter Sites applications are deployed belong to the same cluster. The cluster may be configured to support session persistence. Only horizontal clustering is supported for this environment.

This guide does not cover the following topics, as they fall outside of its scope:

This chapter contains the following sections:

1.1 Installation Quick Reference

Before installing WebCenter Sites, you will install and configure its supporting software on each development, content management, and delivery system on which you plan to use WebCenter Sites. You will then run the WebCenter Sites installer once for each server for each development, content management, and delivery system. During the installation process for development and content management, you will have the option to install sample sites and sample content. When the installation process ends, you will complete post-installation steps to verify your WebCenter Sites systems and if necessary, configure additional support, such as OAM or LDAP.

The steps below summarize the installation process of configuring WebCenter Sites supporting software, installing WebCenter Sites, verifying its functionality, and completing post-installation steps. Keep the steps handy as a quick reference to installation procedures and to which chapters provide detailed instructions.

Complete the steps below for all deployments.

  1. Complete the Prerequisite Steps

    In this step, you will prepare your environment for the installation process by completing a number of steps that also include setting up a supported database, installing a supported application server, and if necessary for your requirements, installing a supported web server. For detailed information, see Chapter 2, "Prerequisites for Installing WebCenter Sites."

  2. Set Up the Application Server

    In this step, you will do the following:

    1. Configure your application server, as described in one of the following sections, specific to your application server:

    2. If you installed a web server, integrate it with the application server:

  3. Install WebCenter Sites

    For each application server configured in the environment, install WebCenter Sites by running the GUI installer or silent installer. For instructions, see Chapter 6, "Procedures for Installing WebCenter Sites."

    There will be a point during an installation when the installer will prompt you to perform a number of installation actions. At this point you will have to manually deploy the WebCenter Sites web application (on WebLogic and WebSphere) and follow the remaining steps to complete the installation. (Instructions are available in Section 6.5, "Deploying the WebCenter Sites and CAS Web Applications.")

  4. Complete the Post-Installation Steps

    Complete the steps that are appropriate for your system. Refer to Chapter 7, "WebCenter Sites Post-Installation Steps" for full instructions and to the list below for a summary.

    1. WebCenter Sites contains a modified version of the Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML.jar in the WEB-INF/lib directory). If a different version of the Microsoft XML Parser is referenced in the WebCenter Sites CLASSPATH environment variable, you must change the path to refer to the version used by WebCenter Sites; otherwise, WebCenter Sites will fail when parsing. For information, see Section 7.1, "Loading the XML Parser."

    2. If you wish to add trusted URLs for CAS redirects, follow the steps in Section 7.2, "Specifying Trusted URLs for CAS."

    3. Verify the WebCenter Sites installation by logging in to Oracle WebCenter Sites as the general administrator and accessing the WebCenter Sites Admin interface and Contributor interface. For instructions, see Section 7.3, "Verifying the WebCenter Sites Installation."

    4. If you need to perform LDAP integration, complete the steps in Section 7.4, "Integrating with LDAP (Optional)."

    5. If you wish to replace CAS with Oracle Access Manager (OAM), follow instructions Section 7.5, "Integrating Oracle Access Manager (OAM) with WebCenter Sites (Optional)."

  5. Install remote Satellite Server as described in Chapter 9, "Procedures for Installing Remote Satellite Servers."

  6. Set Up WebCenter Sites for Its Business Purpose

    Once the entire installation is completed and verified, set up WebCenter Sites for its business purpose. For instructions, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware WebCenter Sites Administrator's Guide and the Oracle Fusion Middleware WebCenter Sites Developer's Guide.