1 Understanding Compatibility and Interoperability

This chapter provides an introduction to compatibility and interoperability and describes how to identify areas where compatibility and interoperability considerations may arise when you are upgrading Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g components, applying patch sets, or installing new Oracle Fusion Middleware components.

This chapter contains the following sections:

1.1 What is Compatibility?

For the purposes of this guide, compatibility is defined as the ability of two Oracle Fusion Middleware components of different versions (or releases) to interoperate. It is possible that you will have compatibility considerations when upgrading Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g or when applying Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g patch sets.

When upgrading, for example, you may need to know which components must be updated so that your existing integration points continue to work. When applying a patch set you may want to know if the new products will work with other products of the same release or if they will continue to work with previous versions.

Chapter 2, "Compatibility and Interoperability Between 10g and 11g Components" provides information about the compatibility of specific Oracle Application Server 10g products with Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) products.

Note:

Compatibility applies to the interaction of components that are installed as part of different Oracle Fusion Middleware patch sets, such as the compatibility of 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.3.0) components with 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.6.0) components. Compatibility issues can arise when at least 1 of the first 4 digits in the release number is different (11.1.1.4.0 and 11.1.1.5.0).

Compatibility can be further broken down into the following:

1.1.1 Compatibility Between Oracle Fusion Middleware Software Suites

When you are upgrading your Oracle Application Server 10g environment to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, you will likely update one area of your environment at a time.

For example, you might upgrade the middle tiers in one department to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g in order to support new Oracle SOA Suite features. At the same time, you might leave your company-wide Oracle Identity Management components at Oracle Application Server 10g.

1.1.2 Compatibility Within Oracle Fusion Middleware Software Suites

While you are upgrading your Oracle Application Server environment to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, you should also consider potential compatibility issues within a specific software suite.

In most cases, issues are temporary and occur only during the upgrade process. After you finish the complete procedure for upgrading the software suite, the issues are typically resolved. However, you should still be aware of these potential concerns, because they can influence your upgrade planning.

1.2 What is Interoperability?

For the purposes of this guide, interoperability is defined as the ability of two Oracle Fusion Middleware components of the same version (or release) to work together (interoperate) in a supported Oracle Fusion Middleware configuration. Specifically, interoperability applies when the first 4 digits of the release or version number are the same. For example, Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (11.1.1.7.0) components are generally interoperable with other 11g (11.1.1.7.0) components.

In some cases there may be interoperability issues between Oracle Fusion Middleware software suites. For example, you may experience issues with the co-existence of domains between Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 products such as SOA and WebCenter.

See Chapter 3, "Interoperability Between Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Components" for information on the interoperability of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (11.1.1.7.0) components with other 11g (11.1.1.7.0) components.

1.3 Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Supported Databases

Each release of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g is certified against specific database versions. Specifically, you can use these certified databases to host the Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g components schemas.

In some cases, you might have to upgrade your database to a supported version before upgrading to a specific Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g release. For more information on upgrading your Oracle Fusion Middleware components, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Planning Guide.

For the latest information about the databases supported by each Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g release, refer to Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations on the Oracle Technology Network.

From the Supported Configurations page, you can locate the specific Oracle Application Server or Oracle Fusion Middleware release you are using, as well as the target Oracle Fusion Middleware release to which you want to upgrade. For each Oracle Application Server and Oracle Fusion Middleware release, there is a corresponding spreadsheet that lists the certified configurations, including the supported databases.

However, even if a database is certified for use with a particular database version, there may be additional considerations or limitations of that certification. The following section describe a use case scenarios that require additional consideration when using Oracle Fusion Middleware components:

1.3.1 Oracle Adaptive Access Manager with Oracle Database

Until recently, the Enterprise Edition was the only version of the Oracle database that Oracle Adaptive Access Manager (OAAM) supported. While the Enterprise Edition is still the recommended database version for use with OAAM, some users may now use the Standard Edition if appropriate.

Customers who are considering using Oracle Database Standard Edition with OAAM must be able to answer 'Yes' to each of the following questions:

  1. Can your business and IT owners accept production downtime for regular database maintenance? SE has no Online Index Rebuild feature.

  2. Does your deployment utilize a single data center? SE does not provide Streams or DataGuard for fail-over.

  3. Does your deployment have traffic volumes with less than 200K logins and transactions per day total? SE does not support Partitioning.

If you answered 'Yes' to all three questions above, Oracle will support you using Oracle Database Standard Edition with OAAM.

1.4 Identifying Potential Compatibility and Interoperability Issues

The following sections describe how to identify and answer common compatibility and interoperability issues using information from this guide, Oracle Technology Network (OTN) and other Oracle documents:

1.4.1 Before You Begin

If you are installing a new product or updating an existing one (either to a new major version or a patch set), interoperability and compatibility issues may arise. During a new product component installation, interoperability considerations relate to the capability of the new product to integrate with other Oracle Fusion Middleware components of the same release.

Compatibility considerations relate to the capability of the new product to integrate with previous versions of Oracle Fusion Middleware products which may have already been installed. During product updates, the question is mainly one of compatibility and you may need to consider the other components that need to be updated so that existing integration points continue to work.

Table 1-1 provides a list of tasks that will help you collect the information necessary to plan your Oracle Fusion Middleware upgrade and installation strategy.

Table 1-1 Tasks for Preparing to Identify and Solve Interoperability Considerations

Task Description Documentation

Task 1 - Gather release and version information for your installed components and supporting infrastructure.

In order for you to identify potential interoperability and compatibility issues with your Oracle Fusion Middleware components, you must first collect the release and version information for each component or suite of components you have installed or plan to install or upgrade.

In addition, you should also have version and release information for your operating system, database, JDKs and other third-party products.

See Section 1.4.5, "Collecting Your Component and Infrastructure Information"

Task 2 - If you are planning an upgrade, you should develop an upgrade strategy and understand the supported starting points for upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g.

An upgrade starting point is a specific version of Oracle Application Server that you must be running in order to upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g. If you are not running a version of Oracle Application Server that is a supported upgrade starting point, then you must first upgrade to a supported starting point using documentation from a previous release.

The Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Planning Guide provides detailed information for developing and implementing an Oracle Fusion Middleware upgrade plan.

In addition, each of the Oracle Fusion Middleware products has an upgrade guide that details the upgrade process and identifies any post-upgrade configuration tasks that must be completed. See Section 1.4.7, "Using the Oracle Fusion Middleware Documentation Library" for more information on locating the correct documentation for your upgrade.

Task 3 - If you are applying a patch set, you should understand the patching requirements for your components and supporting infrastructure.

Patching involves copying a small collection of files over an existing installation. A patch is normally associated with a particular version of an Oracle product and involves updating from one minor version of the product to a newer minor version of the same product (for example, from version 11.1.1.2.0 to version 11.1.1.3.0).

The Oracle Fusion Middleware Patching Guide describes the tools available for you to patch your existing Oracle Fusion Middleware or upgrade your existing Oracle Application Server environment. The guide also describes product-specific prerequisites that must be met before patching.

Information about the latest patches and patch sets is located in the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications Document at http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/ias/files/fusion_requirements.htm

Task 4 - If you are Installing new Oracle Fusion Middleware components, you should understand the installation requirements and the supported starting points.

Each Fusion Middleware product suite has an installation guide that describes prerequisites, supported starting points and post-installation configuration procedures. It is important to read and follow the installation procedures to avoid potential interoperability and compatibility issues.

To view and download free installation documentation, release notes, white papers, or other collateral, go to Oracle Technology Network (OTN):

http://www.oracle.com/technology/

Documentation can be found at the following URL:

http://docs.oracle.com/

1.4.2 Using This Guide

The chapters in this guide are organized by the different types of interoperability or compatibility issues you might have while installing, upgrading or patching your Oracle Fusion Middleware components.

Table 1-2 provides an overview of the frequently asked questions and links to the appropriate chapters where you can find more information:

Table 1-2 Finding Compatibility and Interoperability Information

Chapter Description

Chapter 2, "Compatibility and Interoperability Between 10g and 11g Components"

Review this chapter if you have any questions with the compatibility between Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g components and Oracle Application Server 10g.

Chapter 3, "Interoperability Between Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Components"

Review this chapter for more information on the interoperability of the following Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g components with other Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g components.

Chapter 4, "Interoperability with Custom and Client Applications"

Review this chapter if the following scenarios apply to you:

  • You have created custom applications that you have deployed on Oracle Application Server 10g or Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g

  • You have created (or you maintain) client applications that interact with applications you deployed on Oracle Application Server 10g or Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g.

Specifically, this chapter provides custom and client application interoperability information for the following Oracle Fusion Middleware components.


1.4.3 Using Oracle Certification Matrices

The Oracle Fusion Middleware Certification matrices provide important compatibility and interoperability information such as supported system configurations, database versions, and third-party products. Refer to these documents to ensure that your current environment can support an upgrade or patch set.

Note:

The information in this guide is meant to complement the information contained in the Oracle Fusion Middleware certification matrices. If there is a conflict of information between this guide and the certification matrices, then the information in the certification matrices should be considered the correct version as they are frequently updated.

Table 1-3 Oracle Fusion Middleware Certification Matrices

Document Name Description Location

Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations

Each product area within Oracle Fusion Middleware maintains certification documentation that covers supported installation types, platforms, operating systems, databases, JDKs, and third-party products.

From the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations page, locate the product area to review and select the appropriate certification document.

http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/ias/files/fusion_certification.html

Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications Document

The Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document covers information such as hardware and software requirements, minimum disk space and memory requirements, and required system libraries, packages, or patches.

http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/ias/files/fusion_requirements.htm

Oracle Identity Management Certification Matrix

The Oracle Fusion Middleware Identity Management document maintains certification documentation that covers supported Identity and Access Management configurations.

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/id-mgmt/identity-accessmgmt-11gr1certmatrix-161244.xls

Oracle JDeveloper and Application Development Framework 11g Certification and Support Matrix

This document identifies the various third party and Oracle products that are supported to work with the 11g versions of JDeveloper and Application Development Framework (ADF). Oracle ADF may support or certify with a superset of products than required for Oracle Fusion Middleware and this document serves as a reference for those cases.

http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/collateral/papers/11/certification/index.html


1.4.4 Understanding the Compatibility Matrices in this Guide

Interoperability and compatibility matrices are used throughout the book to identify potential issues and to provide links to additional information. When you use the interoperability and compatibility matrices in this guide, the level of support can be defined in one of the following ways:

Table 1-4 How To Use the Matrices in This Guide

Status Description Example

Compatible or Interoperable

compatibility indicator

Integration between the components involved is expected to work with appropriate configuration. It is important to note, however, that compatibility is not a statement of certification. Certification information is located in the certification matrices described in Table 1-3.

For example, the Oracle HTTP Standalone Server 10.1.3 is compatible with Forms, Portal, Reports, Discoverer 10.1.2, but you may have some restrictions depending on your configuration.

Not Compatible or Interoperable

compatibility indicator

Integration between the components involved is not expected to work.

For example, Oracle HTTP Server 11gR1 is not compatible with Forms, Portal, Reports, Discoverer 10.1.2 and Oracle highly discourages their being used together.

A reference to a specific guide or section

 

This reference is provided when an individual guide provides more detailed information about the compatibility requirements and considerations that you should review when upgrading, patching or installing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g.

For example, refer to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Guide for Oracle Identity Management for specific information about the interoperability of Oracle Application Server 10g Identity Management components with the Identity Management 11g components.

N/A

 

Not Applicable.

For example, there is normally no communication or interaction between custom Java EE Applications and Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports, and Discoverer installations.


1.4.5 Collecting Your Component and Infrastructure Information

Oracle Fusion Middleware release and version information is available for each installed component on your system. This information is required before you can effectively identify and solve interoperability or compatibility issues. The certification matrices described in Section 1.4.3 provide certification and system requirements information for Oracle Fusion Middleware components.

This section provides information for the following:

1.4.5.1 Locating Oracle Fusion Middleware Product Release Information

To find specific release and version information for your Oracle Fusion Middleware components, see the installed product information using the Oracle Universal Installer (OUI). For more information, see "Viewing Release Numbers" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide.

Note:

You can also find version and release information in the installation log files located in the oraInventory/logs directory of your Oracle Home.

1.4.5.2 Locating Your Oracle Database Release Information

To determine the release information of your Oracle database:

Start SQL*Plus from the Oracle home directory:

sqlplus /nolog
SQL> CONNECT / AS SYSDBA
SQL> select * from v$version;

The command returns the release information, such as the following:

Oracle9i Enterprise Edition Release 9.2.0.8.0 - Production 
PL/SQL Release 9.2.0.8.0 - Production 
CORE 9.2.0.8.0 Production 
TNA for 32-bit Windows: Version 9.2.0.8.0 - Production 
NLSRTL Version 9.2.0.8.0 - Production 

1.4.5.3 Locating your Microsoft SQL Server Version Information

To determine the release information of your Microsoft SQL database:

From the command line, enter the following:

exec xp_msver ProductVersion

The command returns the product version information, such as the following:

ProductVersion 589824 9.00.1399.06

1.4.5.4 Locating your DB2 Version Information

To determine the release information of DB2, do the following:

  • From the Windows operating system command line, navigate to the following:

    \Program Files\IBM\SQLLIB\BIN>db2level
    

    The command returns the database version and applicable fix pack information such as the following:

    DB21085I Instance "DB2? uses "32? bits and DB2 code release "SQL09011? with level identifier "01020107?.
    Informational tokens are "DB2 v9.1.100.129?, "s061104?, "WR21374?, and Fix Pack "1?.
    Product is installed at "D:\PROGRA~1\IBM\SQLLIB" with DB2 Copy Name "DB2COPY1?.
    
  • From UNIX operating system command line, type the following:

    db2ls
    

    This command shows the installation path, version level, fix pack information and installation date of the installed DB2 product. Output from this command goes to the console by default.

    Install Path        Level   Fix Pack    Install Number     Install Date
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    /opt/ibm/db2/V9.1   9.1.0.0        0          1    Fri Sep 3 10:26:33 2010 EDT  
    

1.4.5.5 Locating JDK Version Information

Many Fusion Middleware Components are dependent on having a supported JDK installed and configured. The currently supported JDK version information is documented in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations matrix as described in Section 1.4.3.

To locate your installed JDK version information, navigate to the ORACLE_COMMON_HOME which contains the binary and library files required for Fusion Middleware Control and Java Required Files (JRF). Note that there can be only one Oracle Common home within each Middleware home. Typical Oracle WebLogic Server installations include either an Oracle JRockit SDK or Sun SDK as shown in the examples below:

ORACLE_COMMON_HOME/jrockit_160_17_R28.0.0-679

Or:

ORACLE_COMMON_HOME/jdk160_20

Oracle JRockit JDK 6 R28.0.0 indicates the 28.0.0 release of JRockit JVM used with Java SE 6; similarly, Oracle JRockit JDK 5.0 R28.0.0 indicates the 28.0.0 release of the JRockit JVM used with J2SE 5.0.

The following is an example of a complete release number:

R28.0.0-637-126675-1.6.0_17-20100111-2121-windows-ia32

In this example, R28.0.0 is the JRockit JVM release, 1.6.0_17 is the Java version, and windows-ia32 is the platform on which the release runs.

1.4.6 Using Release Notes

Refer to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release Notes for specific information about required patch sets that address specific interoperability and compatibility issues which may surface during upgrade or patching process. The release notes for each release are available on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN):

http://docs.oracle.com/

1.4.7 Using the Oracle Fusion Middleware Documentation Library

The Oracle Fusion Middleware documentation library provides access to information that may assist you when upgrading and patching your Oracle environment. You can review component-specific administration, installation, and upgrade guides for Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) documentation at: http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/middleware.html.

The following guides provide information on patching and upgrading your Oracle Fusion Middleware environment: