1 Installation Overview

Oracle WebCenter is a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware. This chapter provides an overview of Oracle WebCenter and outlines the tasks that a Fusion Middleware administrator must perform to install Oracle WebCenter and get it up and running.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Section 1.1, "Oracle WebCenter Components"

• Section 1.2, "Oracle WebCenter Installation Roadmap"

• Section 1.3, "Oracle WebCenter Directory Structure"

1.1 Oracle WebCenter Components

Oracle WebCenter combines the standards-based, declarative development of Java Server Faces (JSF), the flexibility and power of portals, and a set of integrated WebCenter Services to boost end-user productivity. With the set of components offered through Oracle WebCenter, you can create social applications, enterprise portals, composite applications, and Internet/Intranet web sites.

Oracle WebCenter contains the following components:

• Oracle WebCenter Framework

  Provides the ability to embed portlets, content, and customizable components into WebCenter applications.

  Oracle WebCenter Framework is automatically installed when you install Oracle WebCenter.

• Oracle WebCenter Spaces

  Offers a single, integrated, web-based environment for social networking, communication, and personal productivity through a robust set of services and applications.

  Configuring this component is optional.

• Oracle WebCenter Portlets

  Supports deployment and execution of both standards-based portlets (JSR 168 and WSRP 1.0 and 2.0) and traditional Oracle PDK-Java based portlets. Includes the following preconfigured portlet producers: OmniPortlet, Web Clipping, Rich Text Portlet, WSRP Parameter Form Portlet, sample WSRP portlet producers, and sample PDK-Java portlet producers.

  Configuring this component is optional.

• Oracle WebCenter Discussions

  Supports integration of discussion forums and announcements into WebCenter applications.

  Configuring this component is optional.

• Oracle WebCenter Wiki and Blog Server

  Supports integration of wikis and blogs into WebCenter applications. Also supports features that enable application users to create their own wikis and blogs.

  Configuring this component is optional.

• Oracle Content Server

  Provides a flexible, secure, centralized, web-based repository that manages all phases of the content lifecycle: from creation and approval, to publishing, searching, expiration, and archival or disposition.

  Configuring this component is optional.

1.2 Oracle WebCenter Installation Roadmap

Table 1-1 describes the high-level tasks for installing and configuring Oracle WebCenter, and specifies whether these tasks are mandatory or optional. The table also includes documentation links that you can access to get more details about each task.

Table 1-1 Oracle WebCenter Installation Procedure

Task	Description	Mandatory/Optional?	Documentation
Task 1 - Prepare your system environment for installation	Ensure that your system environment meets the general installation requirements for Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle WebCenter, and Repository Creation Utility (RCU).	Mandatory	For information about: System requirements, see http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/ias/files/fusion_requirements.htm Certification information, see http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/ias/files/fusion_certification.html Other installation requirements, see Section 2.1, "Preparing to Install."
Task 2 - Create WebCenter schemas	Oracle WebCenter components require schemas that must be installed in a supported Oracle database or a supported non-Oracle database like Microsoft SQL Server. Prepare a database for WebCenter schemas, then use RCU to create schemas.	Mandatory	For information, see: Section 2.1.2, "Check for Supported Database" Section 2.1.3, "Create Schemas for Oracle WebCenter"
Task 3 - Install Oracle WebLogic Server	Oracle WebCenter runs on Oracle WebLogic Server. Install Oracle WebLogic Server. The installer creates a Middleware home directory, and, beneath it, a WebLogic Server home directory, as shown in Figure 1-1.	Mandatory	For information, see Section 2.1.4, "Install Oracle WebLogic Server and Create the Middleware Home." See Also: Oracle WebLogic Server Installation Guide "Middleware Home and WebLogic Home Directories" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Planning Guide
Task 4 - Install Oracle WebCenter	Use the WebCenter installer to install Oracle WebCenter. Within the Middleware home directory, the installer creates a WebCenter Oracle home directory and the oracle_common home directory, as shown in Figure 1-1. The installer lays down the binaries for various WebCenter products, like WebCenter Spaces and Oracle WebCenter Discussions. Note: The WebCenter installer gives you the option to install and configure Oracle Content Server 10.1.3.5.1. You can choose to install Oracle Content Server while installing Oracle WebCenter, or later, by performing a standalone installation. Regardless of when you install Oracle Content Server, before doing so you must ensure that Oracle HTTP Server is already installed.	Mandatory	For information about installing Oracle WebCenter, see Section 2.8, "Installing Oracle WebCenter."
Task 5 - Configure Oracle WebCenter	Run the Oracle Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard to create and configure a domain for Oracle WebCenter and choose the components you want to install. The installer creates the user_projects/domain and user_projects/applications directories, both of which contain a WebCenter domain directory. The WebCenter domain directory in the domains directory contains the Administration Server and several Managed Servers, depending on the components you choose to install. After the WebCenter domain is created, you can extend it later if you want to add more components to the domain.	Mandatory	For information, see Chapter 3, "Configuring Oracle WebCenter."
Task 6 - Start the Administration Server and managed servers	To start Oracle WebCenter, you must first start the Administration Server. To start working with any Oracle WebCenter component, you must start the Managed Server to which that component is deployed. You can then access the component's URL and configure the component according to your requirements.	Mandatory	For information about: Starting the Administration Server, see the "Starting the Administration Server" section in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Guide for Application Developer. Starting Managed Servers and working with WebCenter components, see Section 3.2, "Working with Oracle WebCenter Components."
Task 7 - Install and configure back-end components for WebCenter Services	Developers and applications users can integrate WebCenter Services into WebCenter applications. Certain services, such as Documents, rely on back-end components, such as Oracle Content Server. To provide for service integration into WebCenter applications, you must install and configure the required back-end components. WebCenter Spaces provides several prebuilt workflows for group space membership notifications, group space subscription requests, and so on. To enable them, you must install and configure a Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) server.	Optional	For information, see Chapter 4, "Preparing Back-End Components for WebCenter Services."
Task 8 - Install and configure an external LDAP-based identity store	By default, Oracle WebCenter uses Oracle WebLogic Server's embedded LDAP identity store. Although secure, the out-of-the-box embedded LDAP may not scale appropriately for large enterprise production environments. To manage the identities of users across diverse servers and enable single sign-on across applications, you can install and configure an external LDAP-based identity store.	Optional	For information, see Section 4.8, "Configuring an External LDAP-Based Identity Store."

1.3 Oracle WebCenter Directory Structure

Figure 1-1 shows the directory structure of an Oracle WebCenter installation. It also lists the high-level mandatory installation tasks described in Table 1-1.

Figure 1-1 Directory Structure of Oracle WebCenter Installation

Description of "Figure 1-1 Directory Structure of Oracle WebCenter Installation"

When you install Oracle WebLogic Server, the installer creates a WebLogic Server home directory under the Middleware home directory. During Oracle WebCenter installation, the installer creates a WebCenter Oracle home directory and the oracle_common home directory, which contains WebCenter binaries and supporting files.

When you create a WebCenter domain, the configuration wizard creates the user_projects/domains and user_projects/applications directories, both of which contain a WebCenter domain directory. The WebCenter domain directory in the domains directory contains the Administration Server and several Managed Servers that host the various WebCenter components. Based on the component that you choose to install, the configuration wizard may create the following managed servers:

• WLS_Spaces - Hosts Oracle WebCenter Spaces

• WLS_Portlet - Hosts Oracle WebCenter Portlets

• WLS_Services - Hosts Oracle WebCenter Discussions and Oracle WebCenter Wiki and Blog Server