WebLogic Platform ISV Partners' Guide
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This chapter provides links to documentation that explains how to build, test, and deploy WebLogic Platform applications. This chapter also describes:
The following topics are included:
Before you begin developing applications with WebLogic Platform ISV Edition or any other WebLogic Platform product you have purchased from BEA, note the following:
WebLogic Platform provides the infrastructure you need for creating, testing, and deploying the following types of applications:
Table 2-1 provides links to the documentation that explains how to create each type of application.
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For information about creating Web services, see the following documents:
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See Developing Web Applications in the WebLogic Workshop Help. |
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See Developing Enterprise JavaBeans in the WebLogic Workshop Help. |
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Portal applications1 |
For more information about creating portal applications, see the following topics in the WebLogic Workshop Help: |
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Enterprise integration applications2 |
For more information about creating enterprise integration applications, see the following documents in the WebLogic Workshop Help: |
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WebLogic Server applications using the J2EE programming model |
The following topics describe WebLogic Platform ISV Edition, and provide important information regarding installation, licenses, and application development:
WebLogic Platform ISV Edition includes the following components of WebLogic Platform:
Note: The portal framework included in ISV Edition includes only single file mode support for rendering portal applications to end users. Streaming mode, which enables features such as user customization and entitlements, is not available in ISV Edition.
This connectivity is enabled by a set of out-of-the box controls that enable you to start integration projects with a portfolio of resources. Integration controls provide easy access to enterprise resources from within your application, and handle the work of connecting to the enterprise resource for you so that you can focus on the logic of your business process.
For more information about the WebLogic Server Process Edition capabilities provided in WebLogic Platform ISV Edition, see the following topics:
Note: As mentioned in Before You Develop, make sure your application does not use components not included with ISV Edition. If the ISV redistribution license you generate is for WebLogic Platform ISV Edition only, your customers will not be licensed to use WebLogic Platform components that are unavailable in ISV Edition. Table 2-2 identifies the specific components and features in WebLogic Platform that are not available in ISV Edition. For more information about the ISV redistribution license, see Using an ISV Redistribution License.
Table 2-2 identifies the WebLogic Platform components included with WebLogic Platform ISV Edition, as well as features in WebLogic Integration and WebLogic Portal that are not included.
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All features of WebLogic Server Process Edition, including:
See "Introduction to WebLogic Server Process Edition" in the WebLogic Server Process Edition Overview at the following URL for a complete list: |
When you receive the WebLogic Platform ISV Edition software, either from CD or the download center, you can follow the instructions provided in Installing WebLogic Platform at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/install/index.html
Caution: If you are installing ISV Edition for the first time, we recommend installing it into a new BEA Home directory separate from the home directory for other BEA software products you might have.
If the home directory into which you plan to install ISV Edition already contains other BEA products, back up the BEA_HOME\license.bea file that exists in that directory. (If you plan to install the software bundle into a different directory, you do not need to back up that existing license.bea file.) For more information about the BEA Home directory and the license.bea file, see "Selecting Directories for the WebLogic Platform Installation" in Preparing to Install WebLogic Platform in Installing WebLogic Platform.
When you enroll in the Partner Program, you receive software and a set of licenses that enable you to build and test the full set of WebLogic Platform applications. These licenses do not limit you to the usage of only those components supported in WebLogic Platform ISV Edition, and there is no specific ISV Edition license that you need to install to develop and run applications for use with ISV Edition.
However, when you sign a BEA standard Channel License Agreement (CLA) to distribute a value-added solution with WebLogic Platform ISV Edition, you obtain the rights to create and distribute licenses that enable the run-time usage of the components supported in ISV Edition. It is only via the ISV redistribution license that usage is restricted to only those supported components.
Therefore, it is very important that when you create applications for use with WebLogic Platform ISV Edition that you verify that only the components supported in ISV Edition are used at run-time. For information about how to perform this verification, see Using an ISV Redistribution License.
This section explains how to configure a domain in which you can build and run WebLogic Platform ISV Edition applications that use WebLogic Portal's portal framework. The following topics are included:
WebLogic Portal provides two deployment options for portals:
A file-based portal is a scaled down version of a streaming portal. Unlike a streaming portal, a file-based portal does not deploy any EJBs and does not use a database to store configuration information. Because a file-based portal does not engage a database, it does not support the customization features of a streaming portal, such as the Administration Portal and Visitor Tools.
Note: Only file-based portals are supported in WebLogic Platform ISV Edition.
When you view a file-based portal in a browser, the portal is rendered in single file mode. In single file mode, the portal is rendered from files on the file system, rather than from a database. The file-based portal's XML file, .portal, is parsed and the rendered portal is returned to the browser. Typically, file-based portals are used for development purposes and for static portals that cannot be customized.
File-based portals support all of the functionality offered by the Portal User Interface Framework. This framework provides components for creating and managing the look and feel of a portal and for rendering those components in a browser. For example, the framework supports features such as desktops, shells, books, pages, layouts, skins, skeletons, and portlets. Because a file-based portal uses this framework, developers with an ISV Edition license can use WebLogic Workshop to rapidly develop and render portal interfaces.
Typically, WebLogic Portal administrators and users customize full-featured "streaming" portals using the Administration Portal, Visitor Tools, or the portal framework's customization API. These methods of customization are not available for file-based portals. For example, after a file-based portal is developed using WebLogic Workshop, an administrator cannot use the Administration Portal to add pages or books, or rearrange the layout of the portal. A file-based portal's configuration is fixed and can only be changed by directly editing portal files or by using WebLogic Workshop directly.
The following table compares the features that are supported in full-featured portals with those supported in file-based portals. As noted earlier, only file-based portals are supported in WebLogic Platform ISV Edition.
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Supports Portal User Interface Framework (desktops, shells, books, pages, layouts, skins, skeletons, portlets) |
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For more information about the Portal User Interface Framework, including details about file-based and streamed rendering, see the following documents:
This section explains how to configure your development environment to build file-based portals using WebLogic Workshop.
In the Select a Configuration Template window of the Configuration Wizard, choose one of the following templates:
For information about using the Configuration Wizard to create a new domain, see "Creating a New WebLogic Domain" in Creating WebLogic Configurations Using the Configuration Wizard at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/confgwiz/newdom.html
In the Select a Configuration Extension Template window of the Configuration Wizard, choose WebLogic Portal Extension.
For information about using the Configuration Wizard to extend a domain via extension templates, see "Extending Domains" in Creating WebLogic Configurations Using the Configuration Wizard at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/confgwiz/exten.html
config.xml file from that directory, and click Open.BEA_HOME represents the BEA Home directory on your machine; for example, C:\bea.BEA_HOME/weblogic81/p13n/lib/p13n_system.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/portal/lib/netuix/system/netuix_system.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/common/lib/log4j.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/server/lib/knex.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/javelin/lib/javelin.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/server/lib/wlw-lang.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/server/lib/debugging.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/server/lib/weblogic.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/server/lib/xbean.jar
To add a JAR file to the server classpath, click Add Jar..., and select the required file.
<portalApp>/APP-INF/lib directory, where <portalApp> represents the path of the Workshop application you created in step 5. For example, C:\bea\user_projects\applications\ISVportalApp.BEA_HOME/weblogic81/samples/portal/portalApp/APP-INF/lib/dom4j-full.jarBEA_HOME/weblogic81/samples/portal/portalApp/APP-INF/lib/netuix_util.jar
<portalAppWeb>/WEB-INF/lib directory, where <portalAppWeb> represents the path of the Web application you created; for example; C:\bea\user_projects\applications\ISVportalApp\ISVportalAppWeb.These JAR files are located in the BEA_HOME/weblogic81/samples/portal/portalApp/sampleportal/WEB-INF/lib/ directory.
client_taglib.jar
html_taglib.jar
l10n_taglib.jar
netuix_servlet.jar
netuix_taglib.jar
render_taglib.jar
framework, skins, skeleton, classic, default, and text directories in your domain.) In this table, <portalAppWeb> represents the path of the Web application you created; for example; C:\bea\user_projects\applications\ISVportalApp\ISVportalAppWeb.
Note: Do not copy the beatools or avitek directories into your domain.
Note: If you are viewing these instructions in a browser, you can easily obtain copies of these files by downloading them from the Web, as explained in the following steps, and saving them in your Web application directory. Otherwise, see Configuration Files Required for File-Based Portal Applications, for complete listings of the configuration files, in case you must create them from scratch.
<portalAppWeb>/WEB-INF directory on your machine. The symbol <portalAppWeb> represents the path of your Web application's directory, which is subordinate to the main Workshop application directory; for example, C:\bea\user_projects\applications\ISVportalApp\ISVportalAppWeb.If you are not viewing these instructions in a browser, you can obtain these configuration files from Configuration Files Required for File-Based Portal Applications.
Figure 2-1 shows the layout of an example domain directory structure into which the files and directories described in this section are copied. The files and directories that are copied are shown in bold. (Note that Figure 2-1 does not display the names of the files you copy into the classic, default, and text subdirectories.)
Figure 2-1 Sample Configuration Directory Structure
This section explains how to test the portal development environment by creating, deploying, and viewing a test portal.
For information about using the Portlet Wizard to create a portlet, see "Creating Portlets" in the WebLogic Workshop Online Help at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13226_01/workshop/docs81/doc/en/portal/buildportlets/navPortlet.html
Note: To verify that your portal application uses only the portal framework components that are supported in ISV Edition, you need to create an ISV redistribution license and validate your application on a system that uses that ISV redistribution license. For more information, see Using an ISV Redistribution License.
After your environment is configured and working properly, you can build portal applications. Note that the features available for portal applications built with ISV Edition are listed in Table 2-3 in the column labeled "Supported in File-Based Portals."
For information about building portal applications, see the WebLogic Portal documentation set at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/index.html
For an introduction to portal development, see Getting Started With Portal Development at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/startdev/index.html
A file-based portal application built with ISV Edition uses the WebLogic Security Service. The administration of users, groups, and roles for file-based portal applications, as with all WebLogic Server applications, can be performed using the WebLogic Server Administration Console.
For information about defining and administering users, groups, and roles, see the following topics:
For information about running and using the WebLogic Server Administration Console, see "Using the Administration Console" in the Administration Console Online Help at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/ConsoleHelp/console.html
Note: The WebLogic Portal Administration Tools, Visitor Tools, and Portal Framework's customization API cannot be used to manage a file-based portal.
After you develop a portal application using ISV Edition, you need to deliver the completed application to your customers. The distribution model for a file-based portal is the same as any other WebLogic Portal application.
Note: The JAR files, configuration files, and JSP files that are required for the file-based portal environment must be included with the application when you deliver it. These required files were listed previously in the section Creating and Configuring Your Portal Development Environment.
After receiving the completed application, your customers need to prepare the application and deploy it into a production environment. For information about preparing and deploying portal applications, you can refer customers to the Production Operations User Guide on the BEA e-docs Web site at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13218_01/wlp/docs81/prodOps/index.html
For information about distributing custom applications that are built with and run on ISV Edition, see Distributing WebLogic Platform.
When developing WebLogic Server Process Edition applications in WebLogic Workshop, note that WebLogic Workshop provides a development mode setting that helps prevent you from adding features into your application that are not supported by run-time licenses for the following:
The licenses affected by this restriction include the test licenses that ISVs receive with ISV Edition, and also the ISV redistribution licenses for WebLogic Platform software that is redistributed. (For more information about the ISV redistribution license, see Using an ISV Redistribution License.)
This development mode, called WebLogic Server Process Edition development mode in the WebLogic Workshop IDE, disables items in menus, palettes, and other graphical tools that provide access to capabilities in WebLogic Integration that are not supported. This development mode was initially created specifically for WebLogic Server Process Edition, but it useful for ISV Edition applications as well that leverage WebLogic Integration capabilities.
After starting WebLogic Workshop, you can set this development mode by selecting WebLogic Integration --> WebLogic Server Process Edition from the Tools menu, as shown in the following figure.
Once you make this change, the new mode of operation is saved as an environment setting.
Caution: The WebLogic Workshop IDE does not have a similar development mode you can use to guide the development of portal applications for ISV Edition.
As mentioned in ISV Resources, Services, and Tools, when you enroll in the BEA Partner Program, you receive an application development and deployment software bundle. The software bundle includes a collection, on CD-ROM, of all major BEA products. The bundle also includes a set of licenses that enable you to develop, deploy, and test WebLogic Platform and Tuxedo applications in the types of environments in which your customers will use them, including configurations that potentially require a great deal of scalability. The usage rights granted by the software bundle is especially useful for creating the demonstrations, prototypes, and proofs-of-concept appropriate for you business.
The software bundle includes the following:
A full-featured Java development environment that lets you visually build and assemble enterprise-scale Web services, Web applications, JSPs, portals, EJBs, and business process models on WebLogic Platform. WebLogic SDK, Professional Edition 8.1 includes a perpetual development license; developer support; and a special license that enables scale-limited, commercial deployments.
The development license enables you to run WebLogic Platform on a single server machine, with client connections from a maximum of five IP addresses. 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.
Gives you the ability to load the WebLogic Platform software onto a designated number of test servers. Note that although there is no limitation on the number of CPUs per test server, or on the number of server connections, you need to purchase additional test server licenses if your test environment exceeds the number of designated test servers. Use of this license is limited specifically to testing purposes.
For comprehensive information about the contents of the software bundle, enrolled partners can access the BEA Partner Program Guide at the following URL:
ftp://pdownload:BUY_ME@ftpna2.bea.com/pub/program/BEA_Partner_Program_Guide.pdf
When you receive your software, install the software from the CDs. For installation instructions, see Installing WebLogic Platform.
Caution: If the home directory into which you plan to install the software bundle already contains other BEA products, back up the BEA_HOME\license.bea file that exists in that directory. (If you plan to install the software bundle into a different directory, you do not need to back up that existing license.bea file.) For more information about the BEA home directory and the license.bea file, see "Selecting Directories for the WebLogic Platform Installation" in Preparing to Install WebLogic Platform in Installing WebLogic Platform.
To start using BEA software immediately (instead of waiting for delivery of CDs), you can download it from the BEA Systems Download Center:
If you have an active WebSUPPORT account, use your WebSUPPORT login password for software downloads.
Depending on your business, you might be interested in redistributing other BEA software that is not included in the software bundle. If you are interested in redistributing such software, contact your BEA account representative for more information.
After you have installed WebLogic Platform and built the WebLogic applications that you plan to distribute, complete the following tasks:
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