Getting Started with Managing Deployments

Contents

Overview

Administrators can use Policy Studio to specify different configuration versions. When connected to a Policy Center server, you can deploy configurations to different Enterprise Gateway servers running in the network. In Policy Studio, the Enterprise Gateway Dashboard tab enables you to edit the configuration of currently running Enterprise Gateway server instances, which are called Processes. You can then update the downloaded configuration, and commit it to the server, where it can be reloaded later. When connected to a Policy Center server, you can deploy modified configuration to multiple Processes managed by Policy Studio. Managed Processes can be Enterprise Gateway, Policy Center, and Service Monitor server instances.

In this way, Policy Studio and Policy Center play a key role in an operational Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). They enable administrators to centrally manage the policies that are enforced at all nodes throughout the SOA. In addition, Policy Studio enables administrators to compare and merge differences between versions of the same policy. Policies can be merged, and deployed to any running Process that is managed by Policy Studio.

One of the most powerful uses of this centralized management capability is in transitioning from a staging environment to a production environment. For example, policies can be developed and tested on the staging environment, and when ready, they can be deployed to all Processes deployed in the production environment.

Connecting to a Server

Before starting Policy Studio, you should first ensure that the server process that you wish to connect to has been started (for example, Enterprise Gateway, Policy Center, or Service Monitor). For details on starting Policy Studio and the Enterprise Gateway, see Startup Instructions.

When the Policy Studio starts up, click a link to a server to display the Open Connection dialog. You can use this dialog to specify Connection Details (for example, host, port, user name, and password) or to specify Saved Sessions. If you wish to connect to the server using a non-default URL, click Advanced, and enter the URL. The default Enterprise Gateway server URL is:

http://localhost:8090/configuration/deployments/DeploymentService

Alternatively, you can connect to a server configuration file by clicking the Open File button. For more details on connecting using a server URL or configuration file, see Connection Details.

Managing Multiple Servers
To manage multiple Enterprise Gateways in your network, you must connect to a Policy Center server. The default Policy Center server URL is:

http://localhost:8060/configuration/deployments/DeploymentService

When the connection to the server has been made, the Enterprise Gateway Dashboard tab is displayed. This displays the list of processes currently managed by the Policy Studio, and enables you to manage the active configuration for a Process.

Editing an Active Server Configuration

The Enterprise Gateway Dashboard tab lists all available processes on the left, and displays summary information on the right. Double-click a process name in the Process List tree to load its active configuration. Alternatively, right-click a process name, and select Edit Active Configuration, or click the link on the Summary tab. The active server process configuration is loaded and displayed in a tab named in the following format: ProcessName [MachineName] (for example, Oracle Enterprise Gateway [ronaldo]).

When an active server configuration is loaded, its Processes and Services are displayed in the Services tab on the left. Click one of the buttons on the left to display additional details (for example, Policies, External Connections, Users or Certificates).

When editing an active server configuration, you can deploy updates using the Deploy button in the toolbar (alternatively, press F6). You can version deployed updates using the Version button in the toolbar (alternatively, press F7).

Managing Processes

Each Process displayed in the list in the Enterprise Gateway Dashboard represents a running Enterprise Gateway, Policy Center, or Service Monitor. The tabs on the right display more detailed information about a deployed process. This includes summary details (for example, process name, host, status, and owner), deployed configuration, and connection details.

You can also perform tasks such as adding or removing a process, changing a process owner, updating connection details, and versioning process configuration. For more information, see Managing Processes.

Managing Deployed Configuration

The Enterprise Gateway Dashboard also enables you to manage the component configuration stores that are currently deployed on a selected process. These include the configuration stores for core policies and services, external connections, users, and certificates. Click the Deployment Details tab on the right to manage the currently deployed Configurations Profiles.

For example, you can select a process and view the versions of the component configuration stores that are currently running on that process. You can also change the currently deployed versions, and deploy your updates to the Enterprise Gateway server. For more details, see Managing Configuration Profiles.

Managing Configuration Versions

You can manage configuration versions by clicking the Profile Management button at the top right of the Process List on the Enterprise Gateway Dashboard. The Profile Repository tab displays all available configuration versions for particular component stores. For example, the list of available Core Configurations depends on what versions of policies and services have been committed to the server. Similarly, this view depends on the currently logged in user.

The Profile Repository tab enables you to perform tasks such as the following:

  • Edit a specific configuration version
  • Create a new configuration version
  • Commit a configuration version to the server
  • Rollback a configuration version to a previous version
  • Compare and merge specific configuration versions
  • Rename a configuration version
  • Change the owner of a configuration version

For more details, see Managing Configuration Profiles.

Editing Configuration Profiles

On the Profile Repository tab, you can right-click a specific Configuration Profile under the My Configuration Profiles tree node, and select Edit. The selected configuration version is loaded into the Profile Editor tab below. Double-click a node in the Profile Editor tab to view all configuration items for the selected component configuration version on the right (for example, Certificate Store or Core Configuration).

You can modify the loaded configuration if necessary, and commit it to the server. For more details, see Managing Configuration Profiles.

Comparing and Merging Configurations

On the Profile Repository tab, you can select specific component Configuration versions and compare them. Both versions are then loaded and compared, and the results are displayed below in the Compare and Merge tab.

For example, you can view the differences made to particular fields in an Authentication filter that occurs in both versions. When a difference like this is located, you can merge the differences. For example, you can update the fields in the Authentication filter in one version with the fields configured for the same Authentication filter in the other version.

For more information, see Comparing and Merging Configurations.

Managing Policy Studio Users

You can new add users to enable role-based access to the configuration information managed by Policy Studio. Super Users can view and modify any Process or Configuration, whereas normal Users can only view and modify Processes and Configurations that they create.

To add or remove users, click the Users button at the top left of the Enterprise Gateway Dashboard. For more details, see Managing Users.

Configuring Policies

You can use Policy Studio to manage versions of policy Configurations, which can then be deployed to running instances of Oracle Enterprise Gateways. For more information on configuring specific message filters, see Policy Configuration. For information on more general configuration topics, see General Configuration.