What's New
The following sections describe the new features and major improvements made in the WebLogic Platform 8.1 general release and its associated service packs:
WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 6
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Service Pack 6 includes the following enhancements and changes:
Deploying JSR-168 Portlets in a WAR File
WebLogic Portal provides an Import utility for automatically deploying JSR-168 portlets that are packaged in JSR-168 WAR files. This utility lets you import JSR-168 WAR files containing JSR-168 portlets, and expose the portlets in WSRP producers.
After you start the utility, you can import the JSR-168 WAR files into an enterprise application (EAR file). You can then either automatically deploy the EAR file or deploy it from the Administration Console. After the new EAR file is deployed, you can add the portlets contained in the imported WAR file(s) to your application by adding the web applications as WSRP producers.
For more information, see Deploying JSR-168 Portlets in WAR File in the Production Operations User Guide.
Making Caching Framework Pluggable
WebLogic Portal supports pluggable cache framework using existing or third-party distributed cache systems. Cache implementation in WebLogic Portal has been modified to use configured cache providers instead of using the automatic cache implementation.
For more information about pluggable cache implementation, see CacheProvider at http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs92/javadoc/index.html.
WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 5
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BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 5 (SP5) provides maintenance updates for all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components (WebLogic Server, WebLogic Workshop, WebLogic Integration, WebLogic Portal, and WebLogic JRockit). BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP5 is the fourth full service pack for WebLogic Platform 8.1.
WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP5 can be used to update all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components.
Service Pack 5 includes the following enhancements and changes:
Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) is a software option you can add to an Oracle 9i or 10g database to allow multiple database instances to access the same database (storage) simultaneously via cluster technology. In SP5, support for Oracle9i and 10g RAC is extended to all component products in WebLogic Platform 8.1.
The benefits of using Oracle RAC include:
When you configure a domain with Oracle9i and 10g RAC, the use of WebLogic JDBC MultiPools and global (XA) transactions with connection pool failover and load balancing is fully supported.
For information about configuring and using Oracle RAC with your WebLogic domain, see:
Support Provided for WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST)
WLST is a command-line scripting interface that you use to configure WebLogic Server and WebLogic Platform domains. Using WLST, WebLogic Server administrators and operators can perform administrative tasks and initiate WebLogic Server configuration changes interactively or by using an executable script.
WLST supports both online and offline configuration:
Enables you to perform administrative tasks and initiate WebLogic Server configuration changes while connected to a running server.
Enables you to create a new domain or update an existing domain without connecting to a running WebLogic Server instance—supporting the same functionality as the Configuration Wizard.
Prior to SP5, WLST was available only as an unsupported developer offering from dev2dev. As of SP5, WLST is available and supported by BEA as follows.
The software, including documentation that explains how to set up and use WLST Online, is available at the following Web site:
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As of SP5, WLST Online is supported for use with all releases of WebLogic Platform 7.0 and 8.1. |
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As a set of JAR files and scripts bundled with the WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP5 software. Instructions for setting up and using WLST Offline, as well as sample scripts for configuring domains, are available from dev2dev at the following Web site:
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WLST Offline is now supported for use with WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP5 and later service packs only. WLST Offline is not supported in WebLogic Platform 7.0, or in releases of WebLogic Platform 8.1 prior to SP5. |
WebLogic Integration Enhancements
The WebLogic Integration 8.1 Service Pack 5 release includes the following new features:
BPEL Import and Export tools are provided to enable design-time interoperability with other tools that support the BPEL 1.1 specification. For more information, see BPEL Import and Export User Guide.
The TIBCO Rendezvous (TIBCO RV) control enables seamless connection to, and transfer of data with, TIBCO RV version 7.2.16 using the Rendezvous daemon. TIBCO RV event generator listens for messages on a Rendezvous subject and raises events to the message broker on receiving the desired message. For more information, see TIBCO Rendezvous Control and Event Generator User Guide.
For more information about the 8.1 SP5 release of WebLogic Integration, see the WebLogic Integration Release Notes.
The WebLogic Portal 8.1 Service Pack 5 release includes the following new feature enhancements:
The Propagation Utility allows you to propagate the configuration of one portal environment to another. Use this utility to propagate your portals from a staging to a production environment, or from production back to staging.
The Export/Import Utility provides a
round-trip feature that allows you to move books, pages, and desktops back and forth between
development and staging environments. This utility lets you import
.portal
and .pinc
files into the database, and also lets you export these files from the database. The exported
files can be loaded back into WebLogic Workshop, or imported into another WebLogic Portal
database.
With SP5 you now have the ability to thread the "pre-render" lifecycle as well as, or instead of, the "render" lifecycle. If your portlets communicate with external systems during this lifecycle, you might want to implement pre-render forking.
-Simplifying Portal URLs
-Portal Production Operations Guide
-Getting Started With Autonomy Search,
an introduction to using Autonomy Search with WebLogic Portal
-BEA WebLogic Portlets for Groupware Integration documentation (formerly Compoze portlets),
available at the WebLogic Portal 8.1 documentation Web page
For more information about the 8.1 SP5 release of WebLogic Portal, see the WebLogic Portal Release Notes.
The WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP5 software supports the following Java 2 SDKs:
If you are upgrading a domain from SP4 to SP5, the script in that
domain that sets the JAVA_HOME
variable needs to be
modified to point to the new SDK that has been installed. This script is located in the domain's root directory. Depending on the type of domain you are upgrading, this variable is set in either the setDomainEnv
or startWebLogic
script.
To update the value of the JAVA_HOME
variable, set it to the directory containing either the Sun or JRockit 1.4.2 directory as appropriate. For example:
set JAVA_HOME=C:\bea\jrockit81sp5_142_08
If you are installing SP5 as an upgrade to a previous 8.1 release, it is also recommended that you update your application startup scripts and silent configuration scripts to reference the new Sun or JRockit SDK directory.
For a complete list of Java SDKs for each hardware and operating system combination supported in WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP5, see "Summary of Supported Operating System Configurations, by Release Number" in "WebLogic Platform 8.1 Supported Configurations" in Supported Configurations for WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/overview.html
WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 4
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BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 4 (SP4) offers updates for all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components (WebLogic Server, WebLogic Workshop, WebLogic Integration, WebLogic Portal, and WebLogic JRockit).
WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 can be used to update all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components.
Service Pack 4 includes the following enhancements and changes:
A patch is now available at the BEA dev2dev Web site that enables full WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 support for the DB2 database. This patch can be applied to any installation of WebLogic Platform 8.1 with Service Pack 4 and is available at the following URL:
http://commerce.bea.com/d2d/wlplat81sp4_db2_patch.jsp
WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 now provides a patch that enables WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 support for Oracle9i RAC with connect-time failover. This patch can be applied to any installation of WebLogic Platform 8.1 with Service Pack 4 and is available at the following URL:
http://commerce.bea.com/d2d/wlplat81sp4_Oracle9iRAC_patch.jsp
For information about configuring and using Oracle9i RAC with your WebLogic domain, see:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/db_mgmt/configuring_specific_db_types.html
WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4 MultiPool and Oracle 10g RAC Patch
WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4 now provides a patch that enables WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4 MultiPools to be used in conjunction with Oracle 10g RAC to support connection pool failover and load balancing for applications using XA transactions. BEA recommends that you apply this patch to your system if you are using WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4 with Oracle 10g RAC and are using XA transactions. This patch is compatible with non-XA usage, and incorporates support previously delivered in the WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 patch for Oracle9i RAC driver-level load balancing support.
This WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4 support patch is supported by WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4 only; it is not supported by other WebLogic Platform products. It is available at the following URL:
http://dev2dev.bea.com/wlserver/patch/wls81sp4_MP_OracleRAC_patch.html
Note: For information about configuring your system with Oracle 10g RAC, see "Using WebLogic Server with Oracle RAC" in Programming WebLogic JDBC:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/jdbc/oracle_rac.html
The WebLogic Platform ISV Edition is a new product offering for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who want to build value-added solutions as a way of jumpstarting their service-oriented architecture (SOA) initiatives. The WebLogic Platform ISV Edition provides a set of WebLogic Platform components selected to help them accomplish this goal: ISVs with a current WebLogic Platform ISV Edition license are entitled to use WebLogic Server, WebLogic Workshop, the WebLogic Portal UI framework, and WebLogic Server Process Edition functionality.
For a complete list of included components, see "WebLogic Platform Components Included in ISV Edition" in "Developing Applications" in the WebLogic Platform ISV Partners' Guide at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/isv/develop.html
The WebLogic Platform ISV Edition is intended for use with ISV applications; it is not intended for custom application development by ISV customers.
Note: The WebLogic Platform ISV Edition is delivered with the BEA WebLogic Platform product, which is available from the BEA Downloads site: http://commerce.bea.com/showallproducts.jsp
ISV partners with a current agreement to distribute a value-added solution with the WebLogic Platform ISV Edition software receive the ability to generate an ISV redistribution license. ISVs include this license with the WebLogic Platform software that they, in turn, distribute to their customers for use with the value-added solution, in accordance with the Channel License Agreement (CLA) with BEA.
For more information about generating the ISV redistribution license, and distributing the license and WebLogic Platform ISV Edition software, see "Distributing WebLogic Platform" in the WebLogic Platform ISV Partners' Guide at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/isv/distrib.html
The enhancements added to WebLogic Server in SP4 include the following:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/supported_db.html
For details about the 8.1 SP4 release of WebLogic Server, see "What's New in WebLogic Server 8.1 SP4" in "WebLogic Server 8.1 Features and Changes" in the BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/notes/new.html
WebLogic Workshop Enhancements
The enhancements added to WebLogic Workshop in SP4 include the following:
For details about the 8.1 SP4 release of WebLogic Workshop, see "Summary of Changes in SP4" in the WebLogic Workshop Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/relnotes/relnotes.html
WebLogic Integration Enhancements
The WebLogic Integration 8.1 Service Pack 4 release adds several performance and feature enhancements, including the following:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/integration/wfguide/wfguideSync.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/integration/controls/controlsDynamicTrans.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/integration/controls/controlsXMLMetadata.html
To learn more, see "Using the Worklist" and "Worklist Administration" in "Managing WebLogic Integration Solutions" at the following URLs:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/worklist/index.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/manage/worklist.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/integration/controls/controlsFileCreate.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/rdbmseg/intro.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/integration/javadoc-tag/jpd/webservicefeatures.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/index.html
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/sol_samples/index.html
For more information about the 8.1 SP4 release of WebLogic Integration, see the WebLogic Integration Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/relnotes/index.html
The enhancements to WebLogic Portal in SP4 include the following:
For details about the 8.1 SP4 release of WebLogic Portal, see the WebLogic Portal Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/relnotes/relnotes.html
WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK Enhancements
The enhancements added to the WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK included in WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 include the following:
For details about the WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK, see "New Features in WebLogic JRockit SDK" in Introduction to WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13188_01/jrockit/docs142/intro/newftrs.html
The WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4 software supports the following Java 2 SDKs:
If you are upgrading a domain from SP3 to SP4, the script in that domain that sets the JAVA_HOME
variable needs to be modified to point to the new SDK that has been installed. This script is located in the domain's root directory. Depending on the type of domain you are upgrading, this variable is set in either the setDomainEnv
or startWebLogic
script.
To update the value of the JAVA_HOME
variable, set it to the directory containing either the Sun or JRockit 1.4.2 directory as appropriate. For example:
set JAVA_HOME=C:\bea\jrockit81sp4_142_05
If you are installing SP4 as an upgrade to a previous 8.1 release, it is also recommended that you update your application startup scripts and silent configuration scripts to reference the new Sun or JRockit SDK directory.
For a complete list of Java SDKs for each hardware and operating system combination supported in WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP4, see "Summary of Supported Operating System Configurations, by Release Number" in "WebLogic Platform 8.1 Supported Configurations" in Supported Configurations for WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/overview.html
New WebLogic Platform Deployment Guide
A new document, Deploying WebLogic Platform Applications, provides comprehensive "how-to" information for the deployment tasks required to build, configure, and promote a Platform application from a development environment to a production environment. This document focuses on how to set up and deploy Platform applications in an enterprise production environment using scripts and other automation techniques.
Deploying WebLogic Platform Applications is available at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/deploy/index.html
WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 3
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BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 3 (SP3) offers updates for all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components (WebLogic Server, WebLogic Workshop, WebLogic Integration, WebLogic Portal, and WebLogic JRockit). BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP3 is the second full service pack for WebLogic Platform 8.1.
WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP3 can be used to update all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components.
Service Pack 3 includes the following enhancements and changes:
WebLogic Server Process Edition
WebLogic Server Process Edition is a new product offering that provides a new, unified solution for developing process-based applications that run in the WebLogic Server environment. You can use WebLogic Server Process Edition to build and execute process-based applications without having to purchase a full WebLogic Integration license.
WebLogic Server Process Edition includes the following components:
The following table provides links to topics that provide more details about WebLogic Server Process Edition, including installation and licensing information.
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/wlspe.html |
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WebLogic Server Process Edition Overview, at the following URL: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/peoverview/index.html |
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"WebLogic Server Process Edition Support" in "Preparing to Install WebLogic Platform" in Installing BEA WebLogic Platform, at the following URL: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/prepare.html#wls_pe |
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"WebLogic Server Process Edition Support" in "Preparing to Install WebLogic Platform" in Installing BEA WebLogic Platform at the following URL: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/prepare.html#wls_pe |
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The configuration template to use to create a domain for WebLogic Server Process Edition applications |
"Template Reference" in Creating WebLogic Configurations Using the Configuration Wizard, at the following URL: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/confgwiz/tempref.html |
Scale-Limited Production Licenses
When you install WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 3 or later, two non-expiring license files are installed on your system: a license for development (license.bea
) and a license for scale-limited production use (license_scale_limited.bea
). The scale-limited license enables you to run a single WebLogic Server instance with a server capacity limited to approximately 3 percent of the full capacity of a production server.
If you wish to deploy applications in scale-limited mode, it is recommended that you develop with the development license file, then install the scale-limited license file prior to scale-limited testing and deployment.
Scale-limited licenses are used with the following product offerings:
For more information about using the scale-limited licenses, see "About WebLogic Platform Licenses" in Installing BEA WebLogic Platform at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/license.html
For information about purchasing WebLogic Workshop Professional Edition, visit the following Web site:
Note: The way to obtain the scale-limited license has changed from SP2 to SP3. If you are using WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP2, and do not plan to upgrade to SP3 but want to install and use a scale-limited license, see "Downloading and Installing the Scale-Limited Licenses in SP2" at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/sp_notes/sp_notes.html#scale_limited_license
The enhancements added to WebLogic Server in SP3 include the following:
HTTPBindingInfo
API for SSL socket sharing to programmatically enable socket sharing from within your SSL Web Services client applicationwsdl2Service
Ant task to generate a skeleton implementation classservicegen
and source2wsdd
Ant tasks to ignore the Authorization
header in SOAP requestsweblogic.xml.security.wsse.Security
API, addTimestamp()
, to add a timestamp to the security element of the SOAP request when invoking a secure non-WebLogic Web Service.PinnedToThread
JDBC connection pool property to increase performance.For details about the WebLogic Server 8.1 SP3 release, see "What's New in WebLogic Server 8.1 SP3" in "WebLogic Server 8.1 Features and Changes" in the BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/notes/new.html
WebLogic Workshop Enhancements
The enhancements added to WebLogic Workshop in SP3 include the following:
The help viewer includes several feature and performance enhancements in SP3, including bookmarking and topic navigation improvements.
In SP3 the content for the WebLogic Workshop help topics is hosted at BEA. By default, when you display help, content is downloaded over the Internet to your help viewer. If you are working offline, or do not have a connection to the BEA server hosting the help content, you can change the default behavior in the IDE to display local help files.
In SP3, IBM Rational ClearCase SCM has been added to Workshop's source control framework and is fully integrated with the Workshop IDE. The set of integrated ClearCase SCM tools includes ClearCase, ClearCase MultiSite, and ClearCase LT versions V2003, V2002, and V4.2.
For details about the WebLogic Workshop 8.1 SP3 release, see "Summary of Changes in SP3" in the WebLogic Workshop Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/relnotes/relnotes.html
WebLogic Integration Enhancements
The enhancements added to WebLogic Integration in SP3 include the following:
For details about the WebLogic Integration 8.1 SP3 release, see the WebLogic Integration Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/relnotes/index.html
The enhancements added to WebLogic Portal in SP3 include the following:
WebLogic Portal now supports the use of multiple authentication providers for the management of users, groups, personalization, Delegated Administration, and visitor entitlements directly from the WebLogic Administration Portal.
WSRP is a Web services standard that allows you to "plug-and-play" visual, user-facing web services with portals or other intermediary web applications. It allows you to create portlets that can either provide content to other portlets or consume content from other sources, even those far removed from your enterprise.
WSRP is available from dev2dev as a downloadable add-on for WebLogic Portal 8.1 SP2 installations. In SP3, WSRP is included with the WebLogic Portal software.
Note: If you are upgrading to WebLogic Portal 8.1 SP3 from SP2, you need to run an upgrade script to be able to use some of these new features, such as the new Content Management features and WSRP. This script, which modifies the RDBMS configured with WebLogic Portal, also makes other modifications that are required for SP3. For more information, see "Upgrading to Service Pack 3" in the WebLogic Portal 8.1 Upgrade Guide at http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/upgrade/servicepack2to3.html.
For details about the WebLogic Portal 8.1 SP3 release, see the WebLogic Portal Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/relnotes/index.html
WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK Enhancements
The enhancements added to the WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK included in WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP3 include the following:
For details about the WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK, see "New Features in WebLogic JRockit SDK" in Introduction to WebLogic JRockit 1.4.2 SDK at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13188_01/jrockit/docs142/intro/newftrs.html
Configuration Wizard Enhancements
In 8.1 SP3, the Configuration Wizard enables you to:
The silent configuration script samples have been enhanced to include additional documentation. A description of a new WebLogic Portal-based sample has also been added to the documentation.
Upgrade Installer Enhancements
SP3 adds the ability to use the upgrade installer in silent mode. When you upgrade your installation in silent mode, you define the settings in an XML file that you create prior to beginning the upgrade installation. During the silent upgrade installation process, the installation program reads the settings for your configuration from the XML file. The installation program does not display any configuration options during the installation process. Silent-mode upgrade installation works on both Windows and UNIX systems.
For information, see "Using the Upgrade Installer in Silent Mode" in "Installing Service Packs and Rolling Patches" in Installing BEA WebLogic Platform at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/update.html
JDBC Changes in Configuration Templates
In 8.1 SP3, changes have been made to the default JDBC configuration settings in several of the prepackaged configuration templates. Many of these changes make creating a domain using a database with an XA driver simpler, as described in "How Do I: Create a Domain Using a Database with an XA Driver?" in "How Do I . . . ?" in Creating WebLogic Configurations Using the Configuration Wizard at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/confgwiz/examples.html
The default JDBC configuration changes include the following:
cgJMSPool-nonXA
—provided by WebLogic Workshop and used by WebLogic Workshop, WebLogic Portal, WebLogic Integration and WebLogic Platform domains for a WebLogic JMS persistent file or database store.portalPool
—provided by WebLogic Portal and used in WebLogic Portal and WebLogic Platform domains for portal framework, services, and content management. The addition of this new pool contributes to the simplification of creating a domain using a database with an XA driver.Note that this change impacts the Data Source and Tx Data Source configuration in the Basic WebLogic Platform Domain template and Basic WebLogic Portal Domain template, as follows:
p13nDataSource
Data Source supports personalization, data synchronization, and sequence identifiers. This functionality was previously supported by the p13n_dataSyncDataSource
and p13n_sequencerDataSource
Data Sources; these Data Sources are no longer defined.cgDataSource-nonXA
Tx Data Source supports JMS control state management and third-party Compoze portlets.This functionality was previously supported by the cgDataSource
and ebusinessPool
Data Sources, respectively. The ebusinessPool
Data Source is no longer defined.portalFrameworkPool
Tx Data Source now supports portal framework, services, and Content Management. The services and Content Management functionality were previously supported by the contentDataSource
and commercePool
Data Sources; these Data Sources are no longer defined. WLAI_DataSource
Tx Data Source from the Basic WebLogic Platform Domain template. This Tx Data Source is required only for the out-of-the-box WebLogic Integration samples domain, but was also included in the Basic WebLogic Platform Domain template prior to SP3. For complete details about each Configuration Wizard domain template, see "Template Reference" in Creating WebLogic Configurations Using the Configuration Wizard at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/confgwiz/tempref.html
For description of the default JDBC configuration for SP3, see "Default JDBC Configurations for WebLogic Platform" at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/db_mgmt/default_JDBC_configs.html
In SP3, WebLogic Platform 8.1 supports JVMs at the Sun J2SE 1.4.2 level only. (JVMs at the 1.4.1 level and earlier are no longer supported.) The WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP3 software includes the following Java 2 SDKs:
If you are upgrading a domain from SP2 to SP3, the script in that domain that sets the JAVA_HOME
variable needs to be modified to point to the new SDK that has been installed. This script is located in the domain's root directory. Depending on the type of domain you are upgrading, this variable is set in either the setDomainEnv
or startWebLogic
script.
To update the value of the JAVA_HOME
variable, set it to the directory containing either the Sun or JRockit 1.4.2 directory as appropriate. For example:
set JAVA_HOME=C:\bea\jrockit81sp3_142_04
If you are installing SP3 as an upgrade to a previous 8.1 release, it is also recommended that you update your application startup scripts and silent configuration scripts to reference the new Sun or JRockit SDK directory.
Also note that as of SP3, for Windows and Linux operating systems, WebLogic JRockit is the default JVM for development as well production domains that are created via the Configuration Wizard.
For a complete list of Java SDKs for each hardware and operating system combination supported in WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP3, see "Summary of Supported Operating System Configurations, by Release Number" in "WebLogic Platform 8.1 Supported Configurations" in Supported Configurations for WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/overview.html
For details about the Sun Java 2 SDK 1.4.2, see "Enhancements and Changes in Java 2 SDK v1.4.2" at the following URL:
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/changes.html
128-Bit Encryption Provided By Default
Prior to SP3, in order to enable 128-bit encryption, the WebLogic Platform installer program always checked the encryption license in the license.bea
file. The 128-bit encryption would then be enabled only if the appropriate encryption license was installed.
In SP3, 128-bit encryption is enabled by default for all WebLogic Platform installations. The installer no longer performs this check on the license.bea
file.
Note: If you are installing SP2 or earlier releases of WebLogic Platform 8.1, the installer program must find the 128-bit encryption license in the license.bea
file before the installer enables 128-bit encryption for the WebLogic Platform installation. For more information, see "Enabling 128-Bit Encryption in SP2 or Earlier" in Important Usage Notes for Previous Releases of WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/sp_notes/sp_notes.html#128bit-encryption
Updates to Supported Configurations
In SP2, using WebLogic Platform with the Sun Java 2 1.4.2 SDK, the Oracle 10g driver, or SQL Server, Sybase, or DB2 databases required the installation of a patch. In SP3, support for configurations using these products is now fully provided in the WebLogic Platform 8.1 software.
Note: PointBase Server is an all-Java DBMS product included in the WebLogic Platform distribution solely for evaluation purposes, either in the form of custom trial applications or through packaged sample applications provided with WebLogic Platform. Non-evaluation development or other use of the PointBase Server requires that a separate PointBase Server license be obtained by the end user directly from DataMirror. PointBase is not supported for production use with WebLogic Workshop, WebLogic Integration, or WebLogic Portal. For more information about contacting DataMirror, see http://www.pointbase.com/.
See Supported Configurations for WebLogic Platform 8.1, at the following URL, for complete details about changes introduced in SP3 related to supported operating systems, hardware, databases and database drivers, SDKs, Web servers, and more.
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/index.html
WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 2
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BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 Service Pack 2 (SP2) offers service pack updates for all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components (WebLogic Server, WebLogic Workshop, WebLogic Integration, WebLogic Portal and WebLogic JRockit), as well as the following:
WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP2 can be used to update all WebLogic Platform 8.1 components.
New Database Support
In addition to being supported on Oracle and PointBase databases, WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP2 is now supported on Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, and DB2.
Note:WebLogic Integration does not support all these databases and the driver configurations for them.
For complete details about WebLogic Platform database support, see "Supported Database Configurations" in Supported Configurations for WebLogic Platform 8.1 at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/suppconfigs/configs81/81_over/overview.html
New Development License Option
SP2 provides a new type of license: a non-expiring development license. This license, provided free of charge, enables you to run WebLogic Platform on a single server machine. It supports unlimited connections from a maximum of five IP addresses.
For more information about license types and how to install them, see "Installing and Updating WebLogic Platform License Files" in Installing BEA WebLogic Platform at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/license.html
WebLogic Workshop Enhancements
WebLogic Workshop provides the following enhancements in SP2:
Improved Support for Packaging and Delivering for Custom Java Controls
In SP2 WebLogic Workshop facilitates your job of making custom Java controls available to end users:
The BEA dev2dev Web site provides a page on which BEA partners can post their custom controls. End users can reach this Web site directly from the Workshop Help menu. Once there, they can easily browse libraries of available controls, and download only the ones they need.
For more information about the latest features in custom Java controls, see "Building Custom Java Controls," in the WebLogic Workshop Help, at the following URL:
Performance Improvements During Iterative Development
Performance improvements in WebLogic Workshop's iterative application development features result in quicker build times. For details, see "Developing Applications with WebLogic Workshop," in the WebLogic Workshop Help, at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/workshop/guide/navDevGuide.html
Crystal Reports for WebLogic Workshop
WebLogic Platform 8.1 SP2 introduces Crystal Reports for BEA WebLogic Workshop. This extension to WebLogic Workshop integrates Crystal Decisions' Java report processing and rendering capabilities with the development environment for Java Server pages provided by WebLogic Workshop. It allows you to quickly and easily add Crystal report-viewing functionality to your J2EE applications, minimizing the hand coding of data-connectivity and presentation formatting.
For more information, see "Crystal Reports for BEA WebLogic Workshop," in the WebLogic Workshop Help, at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/partners/crystal/index.html
Page Flow Changes
WEB-INF/.pageflow-struts-generated/jpf-struts-config-*.xml
This recommended change was designed to help you understand that these jpf-struts-config-*.xml XML files are generated files, and therefore do not need to be maintained in a source file management system along with your application's source files. However, you have the option of entering No in response to the prompt. You may want to delay the migration, for example, if currently you do maintain these generated XML files in a source file management system.
<!-- Standard Action Servlet Configuration (with debugging) -->
<servlet>
<servlet-name>action</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>com.bea.wlw.netui.pageflow.PageFlowActionServlet</servlet-class>
.
.
.
While you may update this line in any existing web.xml that uses page flows, it is not required for SP2.
Consider the case where we had the <netui-data:repeaterHeader>,
<netui-data:repeaterItem>, and <netui-data:repeaterFooter> tags within a <netui-data:repeater>
tag set. For example:
<netui-data:repeater dataSource="{pageFlow.stringArray}">
<netui-data:repeaterHeader>
<ol>
</netui-data:repeaterHeader>
<netui-data:repeaterItem>
<li><netui:label value="{container.item}"/></li>
</netui-data:repeaterItem>
<netui-data:repeaterFooter>
</ol>
</netui-data:repeaterFooter>
</netui-data:repeater>
If you always want the header and footer to be rendered in the JSP, you can move them outside of the repeater. For example:
<ol>
<netui-data:repeater dataSource="{pageFlow.stringArray}">
<li><netui:label value="{container.item}"/></li>
</netui-data:repeater>
</ol>
WebLogic Integration Enhancements
WebLogic Integration adds several performance and feature enhancements, including the following:
Synchronous start of Message Broker subscribers
WebLogic Integration supports the ability to start a business process as the result of receiving a synchronous message from a Message Broker channel. A synchronous subscription start causes the subscribed business process to run in the same transaction as the publisher. For more information, see "Subscription Start (Synchronous)," in the WebLogic Workshop Help, at the following URL:
JPD proxy
WebLogic Integration now provides a JPD proxy as a means of allowing messages to be sent to a business process from external Java clients over RMI. For more information, see "Calling Business Processes," in the WebLogic Workshop Help, at the following URL:
RosettaNet Certification
WebLogic Integration 8.1 Service Pack 2 has passed RosettaNet-certified testing for compliance with the following RosettaNet standards:
"Tutorial: Building RosettaNet Solutions" in Tutorials for Trading Partner Integration has been updated to reflect this certification. The tutorial contains implementation examples for PIP3A4 and PIP3B2 that show how these PIPs initiate a Notification of Failure using PIP0A1. The tutorial is available at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/tptutorial/rosettanet.html
For more information about the WebLogic Integration 8.1 SP2 release, see the WebLogic Integration Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/relnotes/index.html
WebLogic Portal Enhancements
WebLogic Portal adds the following enhancements for SP2:
Java Specification Request (JSR) 168 Support in WebLogic Workshop and WebLogic Portal
Full JSR 168 support in the Workshop and Portal run-time framework. More information about JSR 168 is available at the following URL:
Additional delegated administration capabilities for portal and user management
Enhanced delegated administration control over portal resources and user management functions. This enhanced functionality simplifies the list of available resources when editing resources such as roles, pages, books, and desktops. This allows the segregation of user management and portal resources within a Web application.
Content sample to support the create, update, and delete capabilities
The enhanced Content Directory Portlet augments existing read capabilities: portal visitors can now create, update, and delete content and hierarchy nodes.
Look and Feel Manager in Workshop
Enables editing of Look and Feel name, description, path to skin, and path to skeleton.
Enables creation of new Look and Feel by pointing to existing skins and skeletons.
Use of portlet categories in portal administration tools
Added support for portlet categories when placing portlets on pages.
Use of portlet categories in Visitor Tools
Added support for portlet categories when placing portlets on pages.
Accessibility enhancements in Portal Workshop Extensions and Administration Portal
Improved device-independent (also known as mouseless) navigation in Workshop and WebLogic Administration Portal, freeing users from the requirement to use a mouse. Also improved interaction with assistive technologies.
Simplified addition of Visitor Tools to a portal desktop
Added BEA Visitor Tools to the portal project template.
Created a new shell, with implicit support for linking to visitor tools, for the portal project template.
Content sample to honor delegated administration rights
The enhanced Content Directory Portlet controls access to the content hierarchy by enforcing delegated administration capabilities.
Support for multiple Authentication providers
WebLogic Portal can now authenticate users against more than one Authentication provider.
For complete details about the WebLogic Portal enhancements added for SP2, see the WebLogic Portal Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/relnotes/index.html
WebLogic Platform 8.1
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BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 introduces major enhancements focused on providing a single environment for the development of WebLogic Platform applications, and simplifying the integration of WebLogic applications with other enterprise IT resources and business processes. For more information about these enhancements see:
WebLogic Workshop Enhancements
WebLogic Workshop 8.1 offers many enhancements, including:
Controls are triggered through standard Java code when an application must connect to another application or data source in order to complete a business process.
WebLogic Workshop includes more than a dozen pre-packaged controls, such as the Database Control, the EJB Control, and the Web Service Appview Control. It provides tools that you can use to create your own controls. Finally, it supports various external controls that you can import and use, such as the following:
For details, see the WebLogic Workshop 8.1 documentation at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/index.html
WebLogic Integration Enhancements
WebLogic Integration 8.1 offers many enhancements, including:
For details, see the WebLogic Integration 8.1 documentation at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs81/index.html
WebLogic Portal 8.1 offers many enhancements, including:
For details, see the WebLogic Portal 8.1 documentation at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/index.html
Note: WebLogic Platform 8.1 includes, and is supported on, WebLogic Server 8.1 Service Pack 1.
WebLogic Server 8.1 offers many enhancements, including the following:
tpacall()
,
and security administration, such as a new feature that gives users a choice
of three APPKEY generators to access Tuxedo services.For a complete and detailed list, see the BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express Release Notes for 8.1 at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/notes/index.html
Note: WebLogic Platform 8.1 includes, and is supported on, WebLogic JRockit 8.1 Service Pack 1.
WebLogic JRockit 8.1 delivers the following improvements over WebLogic JRockit 7.0:
For more information about these tools, see "Profiling and Debugging with WebLogic JRockit" in WebLogic JRockit Migration Guide at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13188_01/jrockit/docs81/portblty/jvmtools.html
For usage tips, see SDK Selection in the System Configuration Notes and Best Practices section.
For details about WebLogic JRockit 8.1, see the BEA WebLogic JRockit 8.1 SDK Release Notes at:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13188_01/jrockit/docs81/relnotes/relnotes.html
WebLogic Platform Cross-Component Enhancements
WebLogic Platform 8.1 offers many enhancements available across Platform components, including:
Convergence Between e-docs and dev2dev
The e-docs documentation Web site is now more closely integrated with the BEA dev2dev developer Web site. This convergence between documentation and developer resources gives you a comprehensive technical resource center.