1 Repository Creation Utility Overview

Many of the Oracle Fusion Middleware components require the existence of schemas in a database prior to installation. These schemas are created and loaded in your database using the Repository Creation Utility (RCU).

This chapter contains the following content:

• Section 1.1, "RCU System and Database Requirements"

• Section 1.2, "RCU Features"

• Section 1.3, "Using RCU with Java Access Bridge (Windows Only)"

1.1 RCU System and Database Requirements

This section contains links to important information about supported platforms for RCU, certified databases, and database configuration information. Read this information carefully before you obtain and run RCU.

1.1.1 Supported Platforms

To see the platforms on which you can run RCU, review the "RCU Supported Platforms" section in the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document.

1.1.2 Finding a Certified Database

For a list of certified databases that can be used with RCU:

1. Go to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations page.

2. In the table, find the System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 document, which is in .xls format.

3. Open the document, and go to the FMW on WLS - DB tab, which contains the database certifications.

1.1.3 Configuring Your Database

Before you begin using RCU, review the following sections in the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document:

• "RCU Privileges for System Packages"

  This section contains important information about the privileges required on your database system packages in order for RCU to run without errors.

• "Repository Creation Utility (RCU) Requirements"

  This section contains important information about general and component-specific database requirements that should be met before you run RCU.

  Note that not all schemas are supported on all databases. Make sure you have read the information in this section carefully so that you configure a certified database that supports the schemas you need for your Fusion Middleware components.

1.1.4 Important Information for IBM DB2 Databases

In addition to the typical space and configuration database requirements, IBM DB2 databases also have the following special requirements:

• On IBM DB2 databases running on Linux operating systems, there is a limitation with regards to the length of the schema names.

• One database operating system user must be created for each schema that is created in an IBM DB2 database.

For more information, refer to the "RCU Prerequisites for IBM DB2 Databases" section in the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document.

1.1.5 Granting Roles and System Privileges on Oracle Databases

Creating schemas on Oracle databases may require that elevated permissions and privileges are granted. Schemas are created with certain roles, which grants them certain privileges on the database.

To further understand these roles and grants and the repercussions of revoking certain roles, refer to "Using Database Roles/Grants for Oracle Identity Manager Database" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide for Oracle Identity Manager.

1.2 RCU Features

Repository Creation Utility is a graphical and CLI-based tool used to create and manage Oracle Fusion Middleware database schemas.

Some key features of RCU are listed below:

• Creating Custom Schemas and Tablespaces

• Launching RCU with a Variety of Methods

• Checking Global and Component Level Prerequisites

• Integrating Components Using Declarative XML

1.2.1 Creating Custom Schemas and Tablespaces

RCU provides the flexibility to create custom schemas and tablespaces. You can choose to rename schemas, or change the tablespace allocation so that components can share a single or multiple tablespaces. In addition, auxiliary schemas can be mapped to additional tablespaces.

1.2.1.1 Creating Schemas in Multiple Databases

You can choose to create all the schemas in a single database or distribute them throughout multiple databases.

1.2.1.2 Using Custom Prefixes

You can use RCU to create multiple schemas of each component using custom prefixes. In this way, the schema is used to group related schemas together, which is necessary when creating schemas in an environment with multiple domains (see Section 1.2.2, "Creating Schemas in a Multi-Domain Environment").

The prefix is prepended to and separated from the schema name with an underscore (_) character, as shown below:

prefix_schemaname

The default prefix used by RCU is DEV; if DEV has already been used, then RCU will default to DEV1, then DEV2, and so on. Prefixes are used to create and organize logical groups of schemas. For example, you may want to create a test version of the Metadata Services (schema name MDS) called TEST_MDS; then, when are ready for your production version, you can create a second version of the schema called PROD_MDS. Both TEST_MDS and PROD_MDS may reside on the same or separate databases.

Note:

The Oracle Internet Directory (ODS) component cannot be prepended with a custom prefix; there can only be one repository for this component per database.

You are only allowed to use a prefix once per schema within a single database. For example, if you had a version of the Metadata Services schema called DEV_MDS, then you can not use the DEV prefix again to create another version of the Metadata Services schema (for example, DEV_MDS2).

If you want to create another version of the schema using the same prefix, you must first drop the existing schema and then create the schema again.

The mapping between the prefixes and schemas is maintained in schema_version_registry.

1.2.1.3 Using Custom Prefixes in IBM DB2 Databases

For important information regarding custom prefixes in IBM DB2 databases, refer to "Size Limit for Schema Prefixes" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document.

1.2.1.4 What Happens When a Schema is Created?

The following sequence takes place when a schema is created with RCU:

1. Prior to the schema being created, RCU performs global and component level prerequisite checks to ensure that certain minimum requirements are met.

2. The schemas are created; the required tablespaces and data files are created.

3. The schema_version_registry table is updated so that the schema type is mapped to the actual schema name (for example, TEST_MDS might be mapped to the MDS Schema type).

4. The scripts provided by the various component owners are invoked; these scripts perform the following:

   1. Create the user and grant the required roles.

   2. Run ALTER SESSION SET CURRENT SCHEMA to switch the schema to user context.

   3. Create the schema objects.

1.2.2 Creating Schemas in a Multi-Domain Environment

Schemas are grouped together using custom prefixes (see Section 1.2.1.2, "Using Custom Prefixes"). Each set of schemas can be used by a single domain only; in a multi-domain environment, you must create a separate set of schemas for each domain.

In Figure 1-1, two WebLogic domains are present with a single database. The servers configured in "WebLogic Domain 1" are for Oracle SOA Suite, and the corresponding schemas in the database have the "DEV1" prefix. The servers configured in "WebLogic Domain 2" are for Oracle WebCenter Spaces and the corresponding schemas in the database have the "DEV2" prefix.

Figure 1-1 Schema Creation on a single Database in a Multi-Domain Environment

Description of "Figure 1-1 Schema Creation on a single Database in a Multi-Domain Environment"

It is also possible to create schemas on separate databases in a multi-domain environment, as shown in Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2 Schema Creation on Multiple Databases in a Multi-Domain Environment

Description of "Figure 1-2 Schema Creation on Multiple Databases in a Multi-Domain Environment"

Note that in this case, both sets of schemas use the "DEV1" prefix, but because they are on separate machines there is no conflict.

1.2.3 Launching RCU with a Variety of Methods

RCU can be run locally (from the CD or download location) or remotely. In either case, both a graphical interface and command line (CLI) options are available.

1.2.3.1 Launching RCU Locally

In situations where the application administrator is not allowed to install components on the server, RCU can be started directly from the CD. The CD contains the extracted Oracle Client software and RCU uses SQLPLUS and other scripts and libraries from the CD to perform its operations.

When RCU is launched from the CD, log files are written to the user's TEMP directory.

If the administrator is allowed to install components, then RCU can be downloaded and the archive file can be extracted to a local directory.

1.2.3.2 Launching RCU Remotely

In situations where a database is not accessible locally for application administrators, RCU can be launched against a remote database. The SQLNET client is packaged with RCU to support this operation.

1.2.3.3 Launching RCU in Silent Mode (Using the CLI)

RCU provides a command line interface in situations where Xserver is not available or you have access to telnet terminals without display capabilities. The command line interface also allows you to embed RCU from command line scripts or with some Oracle Fusion Middleware components (for example, Enterprise Manager).

For more information using the CLI, see Chapter 4, "Running Repository Creation Utility from the Command Line".

1.2.4 Checking Global and Component Level Prerequisites

At runtime, RCU performs checks against both global and component level prerequisites. If a prerequisite is not met, RCU may issue a warning and allow the procedure to continue (soft stop), or will notify the user that a prerequisite must be met before the operation can continue (hard stop).

For more information about component level prerequisites see "Repository Creation Utility (RCU) Requirements" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document.

1.2.5 Integrating Components Using Declarative XML

RCU provides extensibility with XML DTDs. Using these DTDs, component owners can integrate their components and prerequisites with RCU by providing a configuration file that adheres to the provided DTD.

For more information, refer to Chapter 3, "Extending Repository Creation Utility to Configure Custom Application Repositories".

1.3 Using RCU with Java Access Bridge (Windows Only)

Java Access Bridge enables assistive technologies, such as JAWS screen reader, to read Java applications running on the Windows platform. Assistive technologies can read Java-based interfaces, such as Oracle Universal Installer and Oracle Enterprise Manager.

1.3.1 Install Java Access Bridge

To install Java Access Bridge:

1. Download Java Access Bridge from the following URL:

   http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/accessibility/accessbridge/
   

2. Install Java Access Bridge.

3. Copy the access-bridge.jar and jaccess-1_4.jar from your installation location to the jre\lib\ext directory.

4. Copy the WindowsAccessBridge.dll, JavaAccessBridge.dll, and JAWTAccessBridge.dll files from your installation location to the jre\bin directory.

5. Copy the accessibility.properties file to the jre\lib directory.

1.3.2 Configure RCU to Use Java Access Bridge

To configure RCU to use Java Access Bridge after you complete the installation, set the system variable ORACLE_OEM_CLASSPATH to point to the installed Java Access Bridge files:

1. Display System in the Control Panel.

2. Select the Advanced tab.

3. Click the New button under the System Variable list. The New System Variable dialog appears.

4. In the Variable Name field, enter ORACLE_OEM_CLASSPATH.

5. In the Variable Value field, enter the full path to access-bridge.jar and jaccess-1_4.jar.

   Use a semicolon to separate the two paths. Do not use quotes or character spaces.

6. Click OK.