3 Preparing the Network for an Enterprise Deployment

This chapter describes the network environment preconfiguration required by the Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment topology. Use this chapter to plan your configuration of virtual server names, load balancers, IPs and Virtual IPs, and firewalls and ports.

This chapter includes the following topics:

3.1 Overview of Preparing the Network for an Enterprise Deployment

You must configure several virtual servers and associated ports on the load balancer for different types of network traffic and monitoring. These virtual servers should be configured to the appropriate real hosts and ports for the services running. Also, the load balancer should be configured to monitor the real host and ports for availability so that the traffic to these is stopped as soon as possible when a service is down. This ensures that incoming traffic on a given virtual host is not directed to an unavailable service in the other tiers.

3.2 Virtual Server Names Used by the Topology

The Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise topology uses the following virtual server names:

Ensure that the virtual server names are associated with IP addresses and are part of your DNS. The nodes running Oracle Fusion Middleware must be able to resolve these virtual server names.

You will define the virtual server names on the load balancer using the procedure in Section 3.3, "Configuring the Load Balancer."

3.2.1 wcc.mycompany.com

wcc.mycompany.com is a virtual server name that acts as the access point for all HTTP traffic to the run-time Oracle WebCenter Content components. Traffic to SSL is configured. Clients access this service using the address wcc.mycompany.com:443.

3.2.2 admin.mycompany.com

admin.mycompany.com is a virtual server name that acts as the access point for all internal HTTP traffic that is directed to administration services such as Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console and Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control.

The incoming traffic from clients is not SSL-enabled. Clients access this service using the address admin.mycompany.com:80 and the requests are forwarded to port 7777 on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

3.2.3 soainternal.mycompany.com

soainternal.mycompany.com is a virtual server name used for internal invocations of SOA services. This URL is not exposed to the internet and is only accessible from the intranet. (For Oracle SOA Suite systems, users can set this while modeling composites or at runtime with the appropriate MBean through Fusion Middleware Control, as the URL to be used for internal services invocations.)

The incoming traffic from clients is not SSL-enabled. Clients access this service using the address soainternal.mycompany.com:80 and the requests are forwarded to port 7777 on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

3.2.4 wccinternal.mycompany.com

wccinternal.mycompany.com is a virtual server name used for internal invocations of Oracle WebCenter Content services. This URL is not exposed to the internet and is only accessible from the intranet.

The incoming traffic from clients is not SSL-enabled. Clients access this service using the address wccinternal.mycompany.com:80 and the requests are forwarded to port 7777 on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

3.3 Configuring the Load Balancer

This enterprise topology uses an external load balancer. Configure the load balancer by defining the virtual server names described in Section 3.2, "Virtual Server Names Used by the Topology."

The procedure described below contains high-level steps. The actual steps you will perform vary depending on the type of load balancer you use. For detailed instructions for completing the procedure below consult the documentation for your load balancer.

For more information on load balancers, see Section 2.1.3, "About the Web Tier Nodes."

Note:

The Oracle Technology Network provides a list of validated load balancers and their configuration at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/ias/tested-lbr-fw-sslaccel-100648.html.

To configure the load balancer by defining the virtual server names described in Section 3.2, "Virtual Server Names Used by the Topology," complete these steps:

  1. Create a pool of servers. You will assign this pool to virtual servers.

  2. Add the addresses of the Oracle HTTP Server hosts to the pool. For example:

    • WEBHOST1:7777

    • WEBHOST2:7777

  3. Configure a virtual server in the load balancer for soainternal.mycompany.com:80 and define the following rules for this virtual server:

    • For this virtual server, use your internal SOA address as the virtual server address (for example, soainternal.mycompany.com). This address is typically not externalized.

    • Specify HTTP as the protocol.

    • Enable address and port translation.

    • Enable reset of connections when services and/or nodes are down.

    • Assign the pool created in step 1 to the virtual server.

  4. Configure a virtual server in the load balancer for wcc.mycompany.com:443 and define the following rules for this virtual server:

    • For this virtual server, use your system's frontend address as the virtual server address (for example, wcc.mycompany.com). The frontend address is the externally facing host name used by your system and that will be exposed in the Internet.

    • Configure this virtual server with port 80 and port 443. Any request that goes to port 80 should be redirected to port 443.

    • Specify HTTP as the protocol.

    • Enable address and port translation.

    • Enable reset of connections when services and/or nodes are down.

    • Assign the pool created in step 1 to the virtual server.

    • Create rules to filter out access to /console and /em on this virtual server.

  5. Configure a virtual server in the load balancer for admin.mycompany.com:80 and define the following rules for this virtual server:

    • For this virtual server, use your internal administration address as the virtual server address (for example, admin.mycompany.com). This address is typically not externalized.

    • Specify HTTP as the protocol.

    • Enable address and port translation.

    • Enable reset of connections when services and/or nodes are down.

    • Optionally, create rules to allow access only to /console and /em on this virtual server.

    • Assign the pool created in step 1 to the virtual server.

  6. Configure a virtual server in the load balancer for wccinternal.mycompany.com:80 and define the following rules for this virtual server:

    • For this virtual server, use your internal Oracle WebCenter Content address as the virtual server address (for example, wccinternal.mycompany.com). This address is typically not externalized.

    • Specify HTTP as the protocol.

    • Enable address and port translation.

    • Enable reset of connections when services and/or nodes are down.

    • Assign the pool created in step 1 to the virtual server.

    • Optionally, create rules to filter out access to /console and /em on this virtual server.

  7. Configure monitors for the Oracle HTTP Server nodes to detect failures in these nodes.

    • Set up a monitor to regularly ping the "/" URL context.

      Tip:

      Use GET /\n\n instead if the Oracle HTTP Server's document root does not include index.htm and Oracle WebLogic Server returns a 404 error for "/".

    • For the ping interval, specify a value that does not overload your system. You can try 5 seconds as a starting point.

    • For the timeout period, specify a value that can account for the longest response time that you can expect from your Oracle SOA Suite system, that is, specify a value greater than the longest period of time any of your requests to HTTP servers can take.

    After you configure the virtual host in Section 7.6, "Configuring Virtual Hosts," you should be able to access the virtual host name addresses. If you cannot access them, review this procedure to ensure this procedure was completed correctly.

3.4 IPs and Virtual IPs

Configure the Administration Server and the managed servers to listen on different virtual IPs and physical IPs as illustrated in Figure 3-1. As shown in this figure, each VIP and IP is attached to the Oracle WebLogic server that uses it. VIP1 is failed manually to restart the Administration Server in SOAHOST2. VIP2 and VIP3 fail over from SOAHOST1 to SOAHOST2 and from SOAHOST2 to SOAHOST1, respectively, through the Oracle WebLogic Server migration feature. WLS_IMG1 and WLS_IMG2 also use server migration to fail over VIP4 and VIP5, respectively, from WCCHOST1 to WCCHOST2.

See the Oracle Fusion Middleware High Availability Guide for information on the WebLogic Server migration feature.

Physical IPs (non-virtual) are fixed to each node. IP1 is the physical IP of WCCHOST1 and is used as the listen address by the WLS_WCC1 server. IP2 is the physical IP of WCCHOST2 and is used as the listen address by the WLS_WCC2 server.

The virtual IP db-scan.mycompany.com is the database Oracle Single Client Access Name (SCAN) address for a GridLink data source.

Figure 3-1 IPs and VIPs Mapped to Administration Server and Managed Servers

IP and VIP mapping to admin and managed servers
Description of "Figure 3-1 IPs and VIPs Mapped to Administration Server and Managed Servers"

Table 3-1 provides descriptions of the various virtual hosts.

Table 3-1 Virtual Hosts

Virtual IP VIP Maps to... Description

VIP1

ADMINVHN

ADMINVHN is the virtual host name that is the listen address for the Administration Server and fails over with manual failover of the Administration Server. It is enabled on the node where the Administration Server process is running (SOAHOST1 by default).

VIP2

SOAHOST1VHN1

SOAHOST1VHN1 is the virtual host name that maps to the listen address for WLS_SOA1 and fails over with server migration of this managed server. It is enabled on the node where WLS_SOA1 process is running (SOAHOST1 by default).

VIP3

SOAHOST2VHN1

SOAHOST2VHN1 is the virtual host name that maps to the listen address for WLS_SOA2 and fails over with server migration of this managed server. It is enabled on the node where WLS_SOA2 process is running (SOAHOST2 by default).

VIP4

WCCHOST1VHN1

WCCHOST1VHN1 is the virtual host name that maps to the listen address for WLS_IMG1 and fails over with server migration of this managed server. It is enabled on the node where WLS_IMG1 process is running (WCCHOST1 by default).

VIP5

WCCHOST2VHN1

WCCHOST2VHN1 is the virtual host name that maps to the listen address for WLS_IMG2 and fails over with server migration of this managed server. It is enabled on the node where WLS_IMG2 process is running (WCCHOST2 by default).

db-scan.mycompany.com

  

db-scan.mycompany.com is the database Oracle Single Client Access Name (SCAN) address for a GridLink data source.

3.5 Firewalls and Ports

Many Oracle Fusion Middleware components and services use ports. As an administrator, you must know the port numbers used by these services and ensure that the same port number is not used by two services on a host.

Most port numbers are assigned during installation.

Table 3-2 lists the ports used in the Oracle WebCenter Content topology, including the ports that you must open on the firewalls in the topology.

Firewall notation:

  • FW0 refers to the outermost firewall.

  • FW1 refers to the firewall between the web tier and the application tier.

  • FW2 refers to the firewall between the application tier and the data tier.

Table 3-2 Ports Used

Type Firewall Port and Port Range Protocol / Application Inbound / Outbound Other Considerations and Timeout Guidelines

Browser request

FW0

80

HTTP / Load Balancer

Inbound

Timeout depends on all HTML content and the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Browser request

FW0

443

HTTPS / Load Balancer

Inbound

Timeout depends on all HTML content and the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Browser request

FW1

80

HTTP / Load Balancer

Outbound (for intranet clients)

Timeout depends on all HTML content and the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Browser request

FW1

443

HTTPS / Load Balancer

Outbound (for intranet clients)

Timeout depends on all HTML content and the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Callbacks and outbound invocations

FW1

80

HTTP / Load Balancer

Outbound

Timeout depends on all HTML content and the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Callbacks and Outbound invocations

FW1

443

HTTPS / Load Balancer

Outbound

Timeout depends on all HTML content and the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Load balancer to Oracle HTTP Server

n/a

7777

HTTP

n/a

See Section 3.3, "Configuring the Load Balancer."

OHS registration with Administration Server

FW1

7001

HTTP/t3

Inbound

Set the timeout to a short period (5-10 seconds).

OHS management by Administration Server

FW1

OPMN port (6701) and OHS Admin Port (7779)

TCP and HTTP, respectively

Outbound

Set the timeout to a short period (5-10 seconds).

Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle WSM server access

FW1

8001

Range: 8000 - 8080

HTTP / WLS_SOAn

Inbound and Outbound

Timeout varies based on the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Oracle WebCenter Content access

FW1

16200

HTTP / WLS_WCCn

Inbound

Browser-based access. Configurable session timeouts.

Oracle WebCenter Content: Imaging access

FW1

16000

HTTP / WLS_IMGn

Inbound

Browser-based access. Configurable session timeouts.

Imaging connection to Oracle WebCenter Content

n/a

4444

TCP/IP Unicast

n/a

Persistent connection. Timeout configurable on WebCenter Content Server.

Communication between SOA_Cluster members

n/a

8001

TCP/IP Unicast

n/a

By default, this communication uses the same port as the server's listen address.

Communication between WCC_Cluster members

n/a

16200

TCP/IP Unicast

n/a

By default, this communication uses the same port as the server's listen address.

Communication between IMG_Cluster members

n/a

16000

TCP/IP Unicast

n/a

By default, this communication uses the same port as the server's listen address.

Session replication within a WebLogic Server cluster

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

By default, this communication uses the same port as the server's listen address.

Administration Console access

FW1

7001

HTTP / Administration Server and Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control

t3

Both

You should tune this timeout based on the type of access to the administration console (whether it is planned to use the WebLogic Server Administration Console from application tier clients or clients external to the application tier).

Node Manager

n/a

5556

TCP/IP

n/a

n/a

For actual values, see "Firewalls and Ports" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Enterprise Deployment Guide for Oracle Identity Management.

Access Server access

F

5575
(OAM 11g)

6021
(OAM 10g)

OAP

Inbound

For actual values, see "Firewalls and Ports" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Enterprise Deployment Guide for Oracle Identity Management.

Identity Server access (OAM 10g)

FW1

6022

OAP

Inbound

  

Database access

FW2

1521

SQL*Net

Both

Timeout depends on all database content and on the type of process model used for Oracle SOA Suite.

Coherence for deployment

n/a

8088

Range: 8000 - 8090

  

n/a

n/a

Oracle Internet Directory access

FW2

389

LDAP

Inbound

You should tune the directory server's parameters based on load balancer, and not the other way around.

Oracle Internet Directory access

FW2

636

LDAP SSL

Inbound

You should tune the directory server's parameters based on load balancer, and not the other way around.

JOC for OWSM

n/a

9991

Range: 9988-9998

TCP/IP

n/a

n/a

Browser request

n/a

16250

16250

HTTP / WLS_IBRn

n/a

Browser-based access. Configurable session timeouts.

Note:

The firewall ports depend on the definition of TCP/IP ports.

3.6 Using LDAP as Credential and Policy Store

With Oracle Fusion Middleware, you can use different types of credential and policy stores in a WebLogic domain. Domains can use stores based on XML files or on different types of LDAP providers. When a domain uses an LDAP store, all policy and credential data is kept and maintained in a centralized store. However, when using XML policy stores, the changes made on managed servers are not propagated to the Administration Server unless they use the same domain home.

An Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment topology uses different domain homes for the Administration Server and the managed servers, as described in Section 4.3, "Recommended Locations for the Different Directories." Derived from this, and for integrity and consistency purposes, Oracle requires the use of an LDAP server as policy and credential store in the context of an Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment topology. To configure the Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment topology with an LDAP as credential and policy store, follow the steps in Section 15.2, "Credential and Policy Store Configuration."