2 Selecting a Development, Test, or Production Environment

This chapter provides information to help you select, install, and configure an Oracle Fusion Middleware environment.

The following sections are included:

2.1 Planning for a Development Environment

This section provides information to help you install and maintain Oracle Fusion Middleware environment for application developers.

This section contains the following topics:

2.1.1 Definition of an Oracle Fusion Middleware Development Environment

An Oracle Fusion Middleware development environment is typically an installation on a single host computer (such as a Microsoft Windows desktop or laptop computer or a Linux computer). A development environment is typically for a single software engineer, who is developing applications to be later deployed on Oracle WebLogic Server or another Oracle Fusion Middleware product, such as Oracle SOA Suite.

The requirements for a development environment are very different from the requirements for a production environment, which is discussed in Section 2.2.

There is no need for high availability in a development environment, and the number of components and products that can be installed is typically limited to those required by the software engineer or the application that the software engineer is developing.

A development environment is usually centered around an Integrated Development Environment (or IDE), such as Eclipse or Oracle JDeveloper.

2.1.2 Understanding the Types of Oracle Fusion Middleware Development Environments

The following sections summarize the types of Oracle Fusion Middleware development environments you can install and configure for your application developers:

2.1.2.1 About Oracle JDeveloper and the Integrated Oracle WebLogic Server

One of the most efficient ways to set up a development environment for Oracle Fusion Middleware software developers is to simply install Oracle JDeveloper.

Specifically, Oracle JDeveloper Studio provides a common Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that can be used to develop a wide range of Oracle Fusion Middleware applications, including Java applications and Oracle Application Development Framework (Oracle ADF) applications.

Oracle JDeveloper also provides Integrated Oracle WebLogic Server, which can be run from within Oracle JDeveloper to quickly and easily test and validate your Java and Oracle ADF applications you are developing. No additional installation or configuration is required.

For more information, see "About JDeveloper" in Developing Applications with Oracle JDeveloper.

For more information about developing Oracle ADF applications, see "Overview of Oracle ADF" in Understanding Oracle Application Development Framework.

2.1.2.2 About the Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management Quick Start Distributions

Oracle offers a set of quick start distributions that provide Oracle JDeveloper and the required Oracle JDeveloper IDE extensions for developing Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management applications:

  • Oracle SOA Suite Quick Start for Developers

  • Oracle Business Process Management Quick Start for Developers

When you install these distributions, you not only get Oracle JDeveloper, but all the required software for developing Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management applications. The built-in Integrated Oracle WebLogic Server also includes many of the required libraries and Oracle SOA Suite infrastructure for testing and validating the applications as you develop within Oracle JDeveloper.

For more information, see "Introducing the Quick Start Distributions" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing SOA Suite and Business Process Management Suite Quick Start for Developers.

2.1.2.3 Additional Development Environment Options

In addition to using the Integrated Oracle WebLogic Server software available with Oracle JDeveloper, you can also consider additional options for an Oracle Fusion Middleware development environment.

For more information, see the following sections:

2.1.2.3.1 About Oracle Fusion Middleware Compact Domains

A compact domain is an Oracle WebLogic Server domain where all the software libraries, supporting technologies, and applications are deployed to the Administration Server.

Compact domains are not supported for production environments, but they can be useful in specific development environments where the Integrated Oracle WebLogic Server within Oracle JDeveloper does not provide the required Fusion Middleware extensions for JDeveloper for testing your specific custom applications.

For example, the integrated WebLogic Server in the Oracle SOA Suite Quick Start distribution does not include required Managed File Transfer runtime software for testing your applications.

In these specific situations, you can install the required software and then use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard in the Quick Start Oracle home to configure a compact domain for development purposes only. The result is a compact domain that includes the required runtime software to test the applications you are developing in JDeveloper.

Note that for most Oracle Fusion Middleware products, a separate database is required, which is where the required schemas must be created.

Application developers can then use Oracle JDeveloper to connect to the database, connect to the compact domain, and deploy your applications from Oracle JDeveloper.

For more information, see "Configuring a Compact Domain" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing SOA Suite and Business Process Management Suite Quick Start for Developers.

For more information about connecting Oracle JDeveloper to a remote database and Oracle WebLogic Server domain, see "Connecting and Working with Databases" and "How to Create a Connection to the Target Application Server" in Developing Applications with Oracle JDeveloper.

2.1.2.3.2 About Using a Remote Oracle Fusion Middleware Domain for Testing and Deploying Applications

Another option for developers is to deploy applications to remote Oracle WebLogic Server or Oracle Fusion Middleware domain.

In this scenario, you can use the Oracle Fusion Middleware product distributions and the product installation guides to install a standard installation topology on a single host. You can then add additional Oracle Fusion Middleware products as needed.

Note that for most Oracle Fusion Middleware products, a separate database is required, which is where the required schemas must be installed.

Application developers can then use Oracle JDeveloper to connect to the database, connect to the compact domain, and deploy your applications from Oracle JDeveloper.

For more information about installing Oracle Fusion Middleware products, see the "Install, Patch, and Upgrade" page in the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.3) Documentation Library on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN).

For more information about connecting Oracle JDeveloper to a remote database and Oracle WebLogic Server domain, see "Connecting and Working with Databases" and "How to Create a Connection to the Target Application Server" in Developing Applications with Oracle JDeveloper.

2.2 Planning for a Production Environment

This section describes the roadmap of related documents from pre-installation to configuring high availability.

The following sections are included:

2.2.1 Overview of Planning for a Production Environment

An Oracle Fusion Middleware production environment is an installation where the Oracle Fusion Middleware products have been configured to deploy production-ready applications and features to your application users.

Unlike a development environment, a production system typically takes advantage of more advanced Oracle Fusion Middleware features, such as Oracle WebLogic Server clusters and is deployed to multiple host computers.

Fro more information, see the following topic:

2.2.1.1 Approaches to Installing a Production Environment

A production environment can range in size and purpose, but the way you go about setting up a production environment can vary:

  • For example, you can start with a standard installation topology, for deploying applications to a relatively small organization.

    This topology has no high availability or advanced security features, but it typically can serve as a starting point for adding additional products, functionality, and for scaling out to a larger enterprise deployment.

  • In contrast, an enterprise deployment is typically a larger, more complex, secure, highly available production environment that has been configured to handle a large number of requests, a large number of users, and mission-critical applications.

    Starting with an enterprise deployment requires additional planning and the availability of hardware and software resources.

2.2.2 Starting with a Standard Installation Topology and Scaling Out

The following sections describe how you can get started quickly with a standard installation topology and then consider adding additional components and scaling out to a highly available environment later:

2.2.2.1 Advantages of Starting Small and Scaling Out

When you start with a standard installation topology, you can install one of the Oracle Fusion Middleware products in a clustered environment on a single host. You can then start developing and deploying applications.

As the capabilities of your applications grow, you can extend the domain to add additional Oracle Fusion Middleware products, or you can scale out your domain to handle an increased load by adding additional hardware or virtual machines.

This gradual expansion of Oracle Fusion Middleware products and capabilities allows you to make intelligent decisions about how and when to add additional features, capabilities, and resources to your environment, based on real-world experiences.

Note:

A successful scale out or scale up plan requires a valid starting point, such as one of the standard installation topologies described in the Oracle Fusion Middleware product installation guides.

You cannot use a compact domain as a starting point for scaling out to a production environment. Compact domains are for development only. For more information, see "Understanding Domain Configurations" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing SOA Suite and Business Process Management Suite Quick Start for Developers.

2.2.2.2 About the Product Installation Guides and the Standard Installation Topologies

To install a standard installation topology, you use the Oracle Fusion Middleware product installation guides.

In general, each Oracle Fusion Middleware distribution has a corresponding installation guide.

For example, to install the Oracle Application Server Infrastructure, you use Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing and Configuring the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure. To install Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management, you use Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing and Configuring Oracle SOA Suite and Business Process Management.

Each installation guide identifies at least one standard installation topology, which is used as an example of how you might configure the corresponding software in an Oracle WebLogic Server cluster of Managed Servers on a single host computer. The installation guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring the standard installation topology.

Along the way, tips provide links to more information about alternative options, as well as links to key concepts that are described elsewhere in the Oracle Fusion Middleware documentation.

The installation guides also provide a set of "Next Steps," which you can review after you complete the installation. The Next Steps include links to information ranging from adding an Oracle HTTP Server front-end to scaling out the domain to additional computers for high availability.

And finally, many of the installation guides provide secondary topologies, which demonstrate how you might configure an alternative topology with select products to meet the needs of your organization.

2.2.2.3 An Example of Starting Small and Scaling Out

Figure 2-1 shows how the standard installation topology for Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure can be used as a starting point for your production environment.

The documentation is designed to take this standard installation topology and, by adding additional products and capabilities, arrive at the standard topology for high availability.

Notes:

The topologies represented are the defined standard installation topologies (see Section 3.4). As needed, links to additional tasks and documentation are provided if your environment requires additional features or components.

This diagram also reflects a new feature of Fusion Middleware 12c , where the Oracle HTTP Server instances can be added to an existing Fusion Middleware Infrastructure domain using the Configuration Wizard. For more information, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing and Configuring Oracle HTTP Server.

Figure 2-1 Starting Small and Scaling Out

Description of Figure 2-1 follows
Description of "Figure 2-1 Starting Small and Scaling Out"

Table 2-1 describes the documentation roadmap for starting small and scaling out.

Table 2-1 Documentation Roadmap for Staring Small and Scaling Out Availability

Task More Information

Install and configure the standard installation topology for Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure.

Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing and Configuring the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure

Extend the domain to include Oracle HTTP Server.

"Planning Your Oracle HTTP Server Installation" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Installing and Configuring Oracle HTTP Server

Scale out the domain to multiple hosts and add an Oracle RAC Database.

"Scaling Out a Topology (Machine Scale Out)" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware High Availability Guide

2.2.3 Planning an Enterprise Deployment Right Away

If you already know the requirements for your enterprise software solution, and if you know what Oracle Fusion Middleware software to deploy, then you can start planning a complete enterprise deployment right away.

The following sections provide more information:

2.2.3.1 Advantages of an Enterprise Deployment

In contrast to starting small and scaling out, a full enterprise deployment is a good choice if you already have a good idea about the capabilities and resources required for your Oracle Fusion Middleware deployment through appropriate load testing.

Planning for an enterprise deployment involves understanding the topology you want to create and then identifying the required hardware, network, storage, and database resources before you begin. This allows you to invest in the required resources all at once and speeds up the process of arriving at an environment where you can meet all the needs of your customers and all your enterprise users.

2.2.3.2 Using the Enterprise Deployment Guide and High Availability Guide

To implement an Oracle Fusion Middleware enterprise deployment topology, Oracle provides the Enterprise Deployment Guide for Oracle SOA Suite.

The Enterprise Deployment Guide provides a comprehensive example for installing, configuring, and maintaining a secure, highly available, production-quality deployment of selected Oracle Fusion Middleware products. This resulting environment is known as an enterprise deployment topology.

For more information, see "About the Enterprise Deployment Guide" in the Enterprise Deployment Guide for Oracle SOA Suite.

2.3 Planning for a Test Environment

Oracle provides different software distributions for development and production environments. As a result, it is important to understand the characteristics of these environments before you begin downloading, installing, and configuring Oracle Fusion Middleware.

Test environments vary from organization to organization, and can be based on either a development environment or a production environment, based on the specific needs of the software development team.

For example, consider the following types of test environments:

  • Functional test environments, which use lightweight servers to test the use cases of your applications and to find any functional issues (for example, functional acceptance tests performed by quality assurance teams).

  • Integration test environments, which are equipped to test how well application components or external systems interact with your applications.

  • Load and Performance test environments, which are scaled to match the processing power or hardware of a production environment in order to predict and derive metrics, such as execution times or CPU utilization, from the load test results.

  • High Availability test environments, which are used to test failover and load balancing. These environments are often combined with Load and Performance test environments.

For each of these types of test environments, consider whether it is best to start with a basic development environment, as described in Section 2.1, if it's best to start with a single-host clustered production environment and scale out as needed, as described in Section 2.2.2, or whether you need to plan for a full enterprise deployment, modeled after the enterprise deployment model in Section 2.2.3, and which mirrors your actual production department.