1 Installation Overview

This chapter provides an overview of Oracle WebCenter Portal and outlines the tasks involved in installing and configuring the software in a simple, non-cluster topology.

This chapter includes the following topics:

• Introducing Oracle WebCenter Portal

• Starting Points for Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation

• Oracle WebCenter Portal Components

• Oracle WebCenter Portal Managed Servers

• Directory Structure of an Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation

• Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation Roadmap

1.1 Introducing Oracle WebCenter Portal

Oracle WebCenter Portal, an Oracle Fusion Middleware product, is an integrated suite of components designed for creating portals, web sites, and composite applications. Oracle WebCenter Portal combines the standards-based, declarative development of Java Server Faces (JSF), the flexibility and power of portals, and a set of integrated tools and services to boost end-user productivity.

Oracle WebCenter Portal provides an open and extensible solution that allows users to interact directly with tools and services like instant messaging, documents, content management, discussion forums, wikis, blogs, and tagging directly from within the context of a portal or an application. These tools and services empower end users and IT to build and deploy next-generation collaborative applications and portals.

1.2 Starting Points for Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation

This guide describes WebCenter Portal installation and configuration in a simple, non-cluster topology.

Refer to Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation and Configuration Roadmap to find instructions about how to install, upgrade, or patch Oracle WebCenter Portal based on the starting point that best describes your current environment.

If you are installing Oracle WebCenter Portal in an environment that contains other Fusion Middleware or third-party products and you intend to configure your Oracle WebCenter Portal components to be used in conjunction with these other products, refer to Oracle Fusion Middleware Interoperability and Compatibility Guide to verify compatibility and interoperability.

1.3 Oracle WebCenter Portal Components

Oracle WebCenter Portal provides an out-of-the-box enterprise-ready customizable application called WebCenter Portal, with a configurable work environment that enables individuals and groups to work and collaborate more effectively. Also, Oracle WebCenter Portal enables application developers to develop Portal Framework applications and Portlet Producer applications using an IDE like Oracle JDeveloper. WebCenter Portal can also be used with JDeveloper to build complex portals from scratch.

By default, all Oracle WebCenter Portal components are installed onto your system. Depending on the functionality required in your portals and Portal Framework applications, you can choose the components that need to be configured in your domain. For more information, see Section 3.2.2.1, "Selecting Oracle WebCenter Portal Products for Configuration".

Oracle WebCenter Portal comprises the following components:

• WebCenter Portal

  WebCenter Portal (previously known as Oracle WebCenter Spaces) offers a single, integrated, web-based environment for social networking, communication, and personal productivity through a robust set of tools and services. It provides a browser-based platform for creating enterprise portals, multiple sites and communities.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Services Portlets

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Services Portlets provides a preconfigured, out-of-the-box producer that enables application developers to expose Oracle WebCenter Portal task flows as WSRP portlets or pagelets in the following applications: Oracle Portal, Oracle WebLogic Portal, and Oracle WebCenter Interaction. These portlets are not intended to be consumed in WebCenter Portal and Portal Framework applications.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Pagelet Producer

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Pagelet Producer provides the ability to create and manage a diverse set of web resources—applications, components, and programmable functions—and blend those resources together into existing web applications or new, developer-driven mashups. It enables you to use a wide variety of web technologies, such as AJAX, REST, and JavaScript, to build pagelets.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Portlet Producers

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Portlet Producers supports deployment and execution of both standards-based portlets (JSR 286 and WSRP 1.0 and 2.0) and traditional Oracle PDK-Java based portlets. Includes the following preconfigured portlet producers: OmniPortlet, Web Clipping, and WSRP Parameter Form Portlet.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Discussion Server

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Discussion Server supports integration of discussion forums and announcements into WebCenter Portal and Portal Framework applications.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Activity Graph Engines

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Activity Graph Engines provides a central repository for various statistics collected by WebCenter Portal analytics. Activity Graph Engines analyze the actions of end users to improve search relevance and provide automated recommendations.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Personalization

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Personalization provides the ability to deliver application content to targeted users based on selected criteria.

• Oracle WebCenter Portal's Analytics Collector

  Oracle WebCenter Portal's Analytics Collector delivers comprehensive reporting on activity and content usage within portals and composite applications.

1.4 Oracle WebCenter Portal Managed Servers

After Oracle WebCenter Portal is installed, you need to create or extend, and configure a WebLogic Server domain. The basic domain infrastructure consists of one Administration Server and various optional Managed Servers. When you configure a domain for Oracle WebCenter Portal, the WebLogic Administration Server gets created if it is a new domain. Depending on the Oracle WebCenter Portal components you choose to install, various WebLogic server instances get created, and each component is deployed to the appropriate Managed Server. Managed Servers are provisioned with Oracle system libraries (JRF libraries) and Oracle ADF libraries.

Table 1-1 lists the servers that may get created during Oracle WebCenter Portal domain configuration.

Table 1-1 Servers Created During Oracle WebCenter Portal Domain Configuration

WebLogic Server instance	Components/Applications Hosted	Description
AdminServer		This is the WebLogic Administration Server. The Administration Server provides a central point for managing a WebLogic Server domain. The Administration Server hosts the Administration Console and the Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control Console.
WC_Spaces	WebCenter Portal	This managed server gets created if you choose to install WebCenter Portal, the out-of-the-box portal application, while creating or extending your Oracle WebCenter Portal domain.
WC_Portlet	Portlets Producers Pagelet Producer Services Portlets	This managed server gets created if you choose to install Oracle WebCenter Portal's Pagelet Producer, Oracle WebCenter Portal's Portlet Producers, or Oracle WebCenter Portal's Services Portlets while creating or extending your domain.
WC_Collaboration	Discussion Server	This managed server gets created if you choose to install Oracle WebCenter Portal's Discussion Server while creating or extending your domain.
WC_Utilities	Analytics Collector Activity Graph Engines Personalization server	This managed server gets created if you choose to install Oracle WebCenter Portal's Analytics Collector, Activity Graph Engines, or Personalization server, while creating or extending your domain.

Portal Framework applications and Portlet Producer applications must not be deployed to any of the default servers listed in Table 1-1. To deploy these applications, you must create the following custom managed servers:

• WC_CustomPortal

  This is a custom portal managed server that hosts Portal Framework applications. For deploying your Portal Framework applications, you must create this custom managed server by extending your domain with the oracle.wc_custom_portal_template_11.1.1.jar template.

• WC_CustomServicesProducer

  This is a custom services producer managed server that hosts Portlet Producer applications. For deploying your Portlet Producer applications, you must create this custom managed server by extending your domain with the oracle.wc_custom_services_producer_template_11.1.1.jar template.

For more information, see Section 3.2.3.2, "Extending a Domain to Create Custom Managed Servers."

Figure 1-1 illustrates an Oracle WebCenter Portal domain. In the figure, the Administration Server and the applications it hosts are displayed in pink. Oracle WebCenter Portal components/applications are shown in yellow while the managed servers that host them are shown in brown.

Figure 1-1 Oracle WebCenter Portal Domain Structure

Description of ''Figure 1-1 Oracle WebCenter Portal Domain Structure''

1.5 Directory Structure of an Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation

Figure 1-2 shows the directory structure of an Oracle WebCenter Portal installation on a single host.

When you install WebLogic Server, the installer creates the Middleware Home directory, and the WebLogic Server Home directory underneath. The pink boxes in Figure 1-2 represent the directories created. If you install a Node Manager, it gets installed under the WebLogic Server Home directory.

When you install Oracle WebCenter Portal, the following directories are created under the same Middleware Home directory (represented by green boxes in Figure 1-2):

• Oracle WebCenter Portal Oracle Home (Oracle_WC1): contains Oracle WebCenter Portal's software binaries

• Oracle Common Home (oracle_common): contains the binary and library files required for the Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control and Java Required Files (JRF). There can be only one Oracle Common home within each Middleware home.

Both the Oracle WebCenter Portal Oracle home and Oracle Common home directories must reside inside an existing Middleware home directory.

After Oracle WebCenter Portal is installed, you use the Configuration Wizard to configure a WebLogic Server domain. Figure 1-2 shows a typical directory structure created when you configure a new domain--if you use the default values for the location of the domain home.

However, the WebCenter Portal Domain Home and Application Home directories can be created anywhere on the system. It is recommended that you create these directories outside of both the Middleware Home and Oracle WebCenter Portal Oracle Home directories so that in the event you need to patch either the Middleware Home or Oracle WebCenter Portal Oracle Home, your domain and application data would remain untouched.

Figure 1-2 Directory Structure of an Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation

Description of ''Figure 1-2 Directory Structure of an Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation''

Table 1-2 provides a description of the scripts that are of particular interest for administering the WebLogic Server and the Oracle WebCenter Portal domain.

Table 1-2 Scripts for Administering WebLogic Server and the Oracle WebCenter Portal Domain

Script	Description
startNodeManager.sh	Starts the node manager. The Node Manager allows you to start and stop the Managed Servers remotely using the Administration Console or the command line.
stopNodeManager.sh	Stops the node manager.
setDomainEnv.sh	Sets the environment to start the WebLogic Server for the domain. By default, this script is invoked by the startWebLogic.sh script.
startWebLogic.sh	Starts the WebLogic Server for the domain.
stopWebLogic.sh	Stops the WebLogic Server for the domain.
startManagedWebLogic.sh	Starts a Managed Server for the domain.
stopManagedWebLogic.sh	Stops a Managed Server for the domain.
wlst.sh	Allows to manage Oracle Fusion Middleware components from the command line.

1.6 Oracle WebCenter Portal Installation Roadmap

Figure 1-3 shows the high-level tasks for installing and configuring Oracle WebCenter Portal. Table 1-3 describes each of these tasks, specifies whether they are mandatory or optional, and lists the documentation links you can access to get more details about each task. Click the required links in the table to navigate to the information for each task.

Figure 1-3 Installing Oracle WebCenter Portal in a Simple Topology

Description of ''Figure 1-3 Installing Oracle WebCenter Portal in a Simple Topology''

Table 1-3 Installing Oracle WebCenter Portal in a Simple Topology

Task	Description	Mandatory or Optional?	Documentation
Pre-Installation Tasks
Verify system requirements	Ensure that your environment meets the minimum installation requirements for Oracle WebCenter Portal.	Mandatory	Refer to the following links: For information about system requirements, such as hardware and software, database schema, minimum disk space and memory, and system libraries, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications page. For certification information, see the System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 link on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations page. For interoperability and compatibility, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Interoperability and Compatibility Guide.
Install and configure a database	Ensure that you have a supported database up and running. Oracle WebCenter Portal can be installed on a supported version of any of the following databases: Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, and IBM DB2.	Mandatory	Refer to the following links: For information about the supported versions of databases, see the System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 link on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations page. For information about RCU requirements for supported databases, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications page:
Create schemas	Use the RCU to create Oracle WebCenter Portal schemas: MDS, WEBCENTER, PORTLET, ACTIVITIES, and DISCUSSIONS. The schemas that you need to create depend on the Oracle WebCenter Portal components you plan to install. For WebCenter Portal and each Portal Framework application, you must create a distinct WebCenter schema. Note: If you are using an IBM DB2 database, make sure you create the operating system users (one for each schema) before running the RCU.	Mandatory	Refer to the links for the following tasks: Determining the schemas that you must create Obtaining the RCU Starting the RCU Creating Schemas
Install Oracle WebLogic Server	Oracle WebCenter Portal requires Oracle WebLogic Server. When you install the WebLogic server, it also creates the Middleware Home. You use this Middleware Home when you install Oracle WebCenter Portal. Note: If you are installing WebLogic Server on 64-bit platforms using a 64-bit JDK, then you must install the 64-bit JDK before installing WebLogic Server.	Mandatory	See the links for the following tasks: Determining the Oracle WebLogic Server version required for your installation Installing Oracle JRockit 64 bit JDK Downloading the installer Installing WebLogic Server
Installation Tasks
Install Oracle WebCenter Portal	Download the Oracle WebCenter Portal installer. When you run the installer, it lays down the binaries for all Oracle WebCenter Portal products.	Mandatory	Install Oracle WebCenter Portal
Install other Fusion Middleware products as required	Based on your requirements, install other Fusion Middleware products like: Oracle WebCenter Content Server - mandatory for Content Presenter, and recommended for documents Oracle SOA Suite - mandatory for worklist and WebCenter Portal workflows Oracle Web Tier (Oracle HTTP Server) - recommended for Content Server integration and for SSO (since SSO is needed to stop multiple login prompts), and is required for REST and SOA.	Optional	Refer to the links for the following tasks: Install Oracle WebCenter Content Server Install Oracle SOA Suite Oracle Web Tier (Oracle HTTP Server)
Configure a domain for Oracle WebCenter Portal	Create a domain for Oracle WebCenter Portal and choose the components you want to install.	Mandatory	Configure Oracle WebCenter Portal
Extend an Oracle WebCenter Portal domain	While creating your Oracle WebCenter Portal domain, if you choose not to configure one or more Oracle WebCenter Portal components, you can add them later by extending your domain. If your organization plans to use Portal Framework applications and Portlet Producer applications, then you must extend the domain to create custom managed servers for deploying these applications. You can extend a domain anytime, and not necessarily immediately after configuring Oracle WebCenter Portal for the first time.	Optional	Extend a domain to: Install additional WebCenter products Create a custom managed server for Portal Framework applications Create a custom managed server for Portlet Producer applications Enable Oracle BPM Process Spaces
Post-Installation Tasks
Start the Servers	To start Oracle WebCenter Portal, you must first start the Administration Server. If a Node Manager has been configured to perform common operations for Managed Servers, start the Node Manager. To start working with any Oracle WebCenter Portal component, you must first start the managed server to which that component is deployed. You can then access the component's URL and configure the component according to your requirements.	Mandatory	Refer to the links for the following tasks: Starting the Administration Server Starting the Node Manager Starting managed servers Verifying the installation
Install and configure security components	Install an external LDAP-based authentication provider, and configure Oracle WebCenter Portal to use it. By default, Oracle WebCenter Portal uses Oracle WebLogic Server's embedded LDAP identity store, which is not recommended for production environment. An external LDAP-based ID store is mandatory for Oracle WebCenter Content Server and Discussions. For integration with Oracle WebCenter Content Server, it is recommended that you configure single sign-on (SSO).	Mandatory for production environment	Refer to the following links: Install an external LDAP-based ID store Configure Oracle WebCenter Portal to use the external LDAP-based ID store Configure the policy and credential store Configure SSO
Configure the domain for Oracle WebCenter Content Server	Configure Oracle WebCenter Content Server as a content repository for Oracle WebCenter Portal. You can also choose to configure other content repositories like Oracle Portal and Microsoft SharePoint. Note: Oracle WebCenter Content is mandatory for Content Presenter, and recommended for documents and WebCenter Portal, the out-of-the-box application. Note: In this release, new installations of Oracle WebCenter Portal can be integrated with FrameworkFolders. To configure FrameworkFolders support, you need to apply various patches to your new installations of Oracle WebCenter Content 11.1.1.8.0 and Oracle WebCenter Portal 11.1.1.8.0.	Mandatory	Install the required patches if FrameworkFolders support needs to be enabled Refer to the following links for configuring a content repository: Oracle WebCenter Content Server Oracle Portal Microsoft SharePoint
Install, configure, and connect other back-end components for Oracle WebCenter Portal tools and services	Developers and application users can integrate Oracle WebCenter Portal tools and services into Portal Framework applications and WebCenter Portal. Certain tools and services rely on back-end components, like the mail relies on a mail server like Microsoft Exchange Server. To provide for tools and service integration into portals and applications, you must install and configure the required back-end components. WebCenter Portal provides several prebuilt workflows for portal membership notifications, portal subscription requests, and so on. To enable them, you must install and configure a Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) server.	Optional	Install and configure back-end components for Oracle WebCenter Portal tools and services: Connect to Analytics Collector Connect to BPEL server Connect to Discussions Server Configure WebCenter Portal workflows Register portlet producers Register pagelet producer Connect to presence server Configure SES Search Configure personalization Connect to mail server Connect to events server