1 Installation Overview

Oracle SOA Suite is a middleware component of Oracle Fusion Middleware. Oracle SOA Suite enables services to be created, managed, and orchestrated into SOA composite applications. Composites enable you to easily assemble multiple technology components into one SOA composite application. Oracle SOA Suite plugs into heterogeneous infrastructures and enables enterprises to incrementally adopt SOA.

Oracle Business Process Management Suite provides a complete set of tools for creating, executing, and optimizing business processes.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Section 1.1, "Oracle SOA Suite Components"
Section 1.2, "Oracle SOA Suite Installation Roadmap"
Section 1.3, "Topology Summary for Oracle SOA Suite"
Section 1.4, "Oracle SOA Suite Database Considerations"

1.1 Oracle SOA Suite Components

Oracle SOA Suite contains the following components:

Oracle Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) Process Manager (PM), with Mediator, Rules, B2B, and Human Workflow

Oracle BPEL is an XML-based language for enabling task sharing across multiple enterprises using a combination of Web services. BPEL is based on the XML schema, simple object access protocol (SOAP), and Web services description language (WSDL).

Oracle BPEL Process Manager provides a framework for easily designing, deploying, monitoring, and administering processes based on BPEL standards.
Oracle Business Activity Monitoring (BAM)

Oracle BAM provides a framework for creating dashboards that display real-time data inflow and creating rules to send alerts under specified conditions.
Oracle Business Process Management Suite

This product provides a set of tools for creating, executing, and optimizing business processes.

1.2 Oracle SOA Suite Installation Roadmap

The steps you will need to perform to install and configure Oracle SOA Suite are summarized in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1 Oracle SOA Suite Installation and Configuration Flowchart

Description of "Figure 1-1 Oracle SOA Suite Installation and Configuration Flowchart"

Table 1-1 provides additional information about each of the tasks in the flowchart.

Table 1-1 Tasks in the Oracle SOA Suite Installation Procedure

Tasks	Details and Documentation
Verify and prepare your system environment for installation.	Ensure that your system environment meets the general installation requirements for Oracle Fusion Middleware as well as Oracle SOA Suite and RCU. For hardware and software requirements, database schema requirements, minimum disk space and memory requirements, and required system libraries, packages, or patches, view the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document. For supported 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, databases, web servers, LDAP servers, adapters, IPv6, JDKs, and third-party products, view System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations page. For cross-product interoperability and compatibility, view the Oracle Fusion Middleware Interoperability and Compatibility Guide.
Install and configure a database.	Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle BAM require schemas that must be installed in a database. You create and load these schemas in your database by using RCU. The schema for Oracle BAM requires a certified Oracle database. For more information about the database you choose for Oracle SOA Suite, see Section 1.4, "Oracle SOA Suite Database Considerations".
Run RCU to create the necessary schemas.	See the following sections in Oracle Fusion Middleware Repository Creation Utility User's Guide: "Obtaining RCU" for information on where you can download RCU. "Creating Schemas" for instructions on how to create the schemas.
Install an Application Server.	Oracle SOA Suite requires an Application Server. One of the following must be installed: Oracle WebLogic Server IBM WebSphere Installing Oracle WebLogic Server creates the Middleware home and WebLogic home directories, which are required for an Oracle SOA Suite installation. For more information, see "Middleware Home and WebLogic Home Directories" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Planning Guide. If you are installing Oracle WebLogic Server, see the following sections in Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Guide for Oracle WebLogic Server: "Product Distribution" for instructions on how to download the latest version. "Running the Installation Program in Graphical Mode" for installation instructions. After installing the latest version of Oracle WebLogic Server (version 10.3.6), you must install the required patches as described on the "Known Issues for Oracle SOA Products and Oracle AIA Foundation Pack" page on Oracle Technology Network: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/docs/aiasoarelnotesps6-1866030.html If you are installing IBM WebSphere, you must create the Middleware home directory structure manually. The Middleware home has no dependency on the location of your IBM WebSphere installation. If you are installing IBM WebSphere, refer to Oracle Fusion Middleware Third-Party Application Server Guide for installation information.
Install Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management Suite.	Use the installer to install the software. This creates the following directories inside the Middleware home: SOA Oracle home (`Oracle_SOA1` by default) Oracle Common home (`oracle_common`). See Section 2.2.1, "Obtaining the Software" for information on where to obtain the software. See Section 2.2.2, "Starting the Installer" for information on how to start the Oracle SOA Suite installer. See Section 2.2.4, "Following the Installation Screens and Instructions" for installation instructions.
Create and configure your Oracle WebLogic Server Domain.	Use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard to create your WebLogic domain and configure your Oracle SOA Suite components. You will be asked for the location of the Domain home directory, which is where the Administration Server and Managed Servers reside. You will also be asked for the location of the Application home directory, which is where your applications reside. Both of these directories can be located anywhere on your system. After the domain is created, you can extend it later if you want to add more components to the domain. See Chapter 3, "Configuring Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management Suite" for instructions on starting the Configuration Wizard and creating your WebLogic Domain.
Start the servers.	Start the Administration Server and Managed Servers. See Section 3.5, "Starting the Servers" for instructions on how to start the Administration Server and Managed Servers.
Verify your installation and configuration.	See Section 3.7, "Verifying the Installation and Configuration".

1.3 Topology Summary for Oracle SOA Suite

Figure 1-2 shows the directory structure of a simple Oracle SOA Suite installation on a single host, using all of the default values.

Figure 1-2 Directory Structure of a Completed Oracle SOA Suite Installation

Description of "Figure 1-2 Directory Structure of a Completed Oracle SOA Suite Installation"

1.4 Oracle SOA Suite Database Considerations

The Oracle SOA Suite database requires adequate memory to be available in order to support the specific needs of a given installation. To calculate the total memory requirements on the machine where the database is installed, the following demands must be taken into account:

Oracle Database overhead.
Size of System Global Area (SGA).
Number of concurrent users (PGA).
Any non-Oracle software that has to run on the machine.

In carrying out the above calculations, you should aim to allow for any expected growth in usage over the planned lifetime of the Oracle SOA Suite system. The usage of Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) and related technologies provides additional options for scaling a system to meet additional requirements, typically by adding another machine.

For more information, see "Managing Database Growth" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide for Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management Suite.