2 Database Configuration Overview

This chapter describes how to set up and start using a database management system (DBMS) with WebLogic Portal.

The sample data provided with WebLogic Portal uses the Apache Derby DBMS. Derby is a demonstration database ships with WebLogic Server to allow you to use sample user accounts and data. For more information about Derby, see Chapter 5, "Using Derby."

Note:

Derby is supported only for the design, development, and verification of applications; it is not supported for enterprise-quality deployment.

To maximize the performance of your database configuration, see Section 3.3, "Performance Considerations."

This chapter contains the following sections:

Section 2.1, "Overview of Enterprise-Quality Database Configuration for WebLogic Portal"
Section 2.2, "Manually Creating Database Objects and JDBC Settings"
Section 2.2.1, "Creating Additional Content Management Databases"

2.1 Overview of Enterprise-Quality Database Configuration for WebLogic Portal

There are several steps to configuring a database for use with WebLogic Portal. You can perform these tasks manually using provided sample scripts, or you can use the WebLogic Configuration Wizard for certain steps.

To configure databases for use with WebLogic Portal, follow these steps:

Review related documentation to ensure that your configuration is supported in "Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations."
Create your database or database instance. If you want to use behavior event tracking in your enterprise-quality environment, consider using a separate database for behavior event tracking. For more information, see the chapter in this guide pertaining to your database vendor.
Prepare the database for use with WebLogic Portal. Oracle provides sample initialization scripts that you must modify and run on the vendor database before using the database with WebLogic Portal. For more information about these initialization scripts and how to use them, see the chapter in this guide that pertains to your database vendor.
Create appropriate database objects and set JDBC driver settings, either using use the Configuration Wizard or by modifying and running the sample scripts.

To perform this step using the Configuration Wizard, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Creating Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.

To perform this step manually, see Section 2.2, "Manually Creating Database Objects and JDBC Settings," next.
Optionally, manually create any additional content management repositories.

2.2 Manually Creating Database Objects and JDBC Settings

In some cases, you might want to manually create database objects and JDBC settings rather than using the WebLogic Configuration Wizard.

The following are reasons you might want to perform database configuration manually:

To create additional content management repositories.
To set up your enterprise-quality (non-Derby) database.
If your target database was not configured using the WebLogic Configuration Wizard.
If, after running the Configuration Wizard, you decide that you want your domain to point to a different database.
To create a subset of WebLogic Portal database objects; for example, you might want to create only behavior tracking database objects for a particular database.
To refresh your database with the base configuration data that comes with the product.

Caution:
Oracle's database creation scripts first drop all database objects and then they recreate them, which means that all data added since your original installation will be lost. After running the database configuration scripts, only the base configuration data that is needed for the product will exist.

For instructions on manually configuring your database, see the chapter in this guide pertaining to your database vendor.

2.2.1 Creating Additional Content Management Databases

You need to manually create any additional content repositories. Instructions for doing this are in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Content Management Guide for Oracle WebLogic Portal.