7 Configuring the Web Tier for an Enterprise Deployment

This chapter describes how to configure the Oracle Web Tier to support the Oracle Fusion Middleware SOA Suite implementation.

This chapter contains the following sections:

Section 7.1, "Overview of Configuring the Web Tier"
Section 7.2, "Prerequisites for Configuring the Web Tier"
Section 7.3, "Running the Configuration Wizard to Configure Oracle HTTP Server"
Section 7.4, "Validating the Configuration"
Section 7.5, "Configuring the Load Balancer to Route HTTP Requests"
Section 7.6, "Defining Virtual Hosts"

7.1 Overview of Configuring the Web Tier

This chapter describes how to associate the Oracle Web Tier with the WebLogic Server domain. Once the Web tier is associated with the WebLogic Server, you can monitor it using the Oracle Fusion Middleware Console.

You then configure the load balancer to route all HTTP requests to WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

The last section describes how to define the directives of the <VirtualHost> section of the httpd.conf file on both OHS servers. You created these virtual host names when you configured the load balancer in Section 3.3, "Configuring the Load Balancer."

7.2 Prerequisites for Configuring the Web Tier

Before configuring the Oracle Web Tier software, you must install it on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2, as described in Section 6.2, "Installing Oracle HTTP Server." Run the Configuration Wizard to define the instance home, the instance name, and the Oracle HTTP Server component name.

7.3 Running the Configuration Wizard to Configure Oracle HTTP Server

The steps for configuring the Oracle Web Tier are the same for both WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2.

To configure the Oracle web tier:

Change the directory to the location of the Oracle Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard:
```
WEBHOST1> cd ORACLE_COMMON_HOME/bin
```
Start the Configuration Wizard:
```
WEBHOST1> ./config.sh
```
In the Welcome screen, click Next.
In the Configure Components screen, select Oracle HTTP Server and deselect Associate Selected Components with WebLogic Domain. Make sure that Oracle Web Cache is not selected.

Click Next.
In the Specify Component Details screen, specify the following values:
- Instance Home Location: ORACLE_BASE/admin/webn
- AS Instance Name: webn
- OHS Component Name: ohsn
(where n is a sequential number for your installation; for example, 1 for WEBHOST1, 2 for WEBHOST2, and so on.)

Note:

Oracle HTTP Server instance names on WEBHOST1 and WEBHOST2 must be different.

Click Next.
In the Configure Ports screen, select a file name and then click View/Edit.

In high-availability implementations, it is not mandatory for all of the ports used by the various components to be synchronized across hosts, however it makes the enterprise deployment much simpler. Oracle allows automatic port configuration to be bypassed by specifying ports to be used in a file.

The file will look like this:
```
[OHS]
#Listen port for OHS component
OHS Port = 7777

[OPMN]
#Process Manager Local port no
OPMN Local Port = 1880
```
You can find a sample staticports.ini file on installation disk 1 in the stage/Response directory.

Click Next.
In the Specify Security Updates screen, choose whether you want to receive security updates from Oracle support and if you do, enter your e-mail address.
In the Installation Summary screen, review the selections to ensure they are correct. If they are not, click Back to modify selections on previous screens. When you are ready, click Configure.
Multiple configuration assistants are launched in succession; this process can be lengthy. When it completes, click Next, and the Installation Complete screen appears.
In the Installation Completed screen, click Finish to exit.

7.4 Validating the Configuration

Once the installation is completed, check that it is possible to access the Oracle HTTP Server home page using the following URL:

http://webhost1.mycompany.com:7777/

7.5 Configuring the Load Balancer to Route HTTP Requests

Configure your load balancer to route all HTTP requests to the hosts running Oracle HTTP Server (WEBHOST1, WEBHOST2). You do not need to enable sticky sessions (insert cookie) on the load balancer when Oracle HTTP Server is front-ending Oracle WebLogic Server. You need sticky sessions if you are going directly from the load balancer to Oracle WebLogic Server, which is not the case in the topology described in this guide.

The instructions for this configuration will vary depending on which load balancer you use. See your load balancer documentation for specific instructions.

7.6 Defining Virtual Hosts

The reference topology in this guide requires that you define a set of virtual hosts for the Oracle HTTP Server. For each virtual host, you will later define a set of specific URLs that will route requests to the proper Administration Server or Managed Server in the WebLogic Server domain.

This section contains the following topics:

Section 7.6.1, "Define the IP Address and Port in the httpd.conf File"
Section 7.6.2, "Creating .conf Files to Define <VirtualHost> Directives"
Section 7.6.3, "Validating the Configuration"

7.6.1 Define the IP Address and Port in the httpd.conf File

You are defining name-based virtual servers. That means you have to define the IP address and port that will be used for each virtual host you define. You define the IP address and port once, in the httpd.conf file, then you can define the actual virtual host names (and their specific URLs) in the virtual host-specific .conf files.

To define the IP address and port, add the following entry in the httpd.conf file:

NameVirtualHost *:7777

7.6.2 Creating .conf Files to Define <VirtualHost> Directives

Define each virtual host in its own .conf file. This will make it easy to manage the URLs for each virtual host you define.

Create the following new files to define the <VirtualHost> directives:

soa_vh.conf
soainternal_vh.conf
admin_vh.conf
osb_vh.conf (If you plan to extend the domain for Oracle Service Bus)

Create the new files in the following directory:

ORACLE_BASE/admin/instance_name/config/OHS/component_name/moduleconf

To define each virtual host in its own .conf file:

Create the soa_vh.conf file and add the following directive:

<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName https://soa.mycompany.com:443
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

Create the soainternal_vh.conf file and add the following directive:

<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName soainternal.mycompany.com:80
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

Create the admin_vh.conf file and add the following directive:

<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName admin.mycompany.com:80
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

If you plan to extend the domain for Oracle Service Bus, create the osb_vh.conf file and add the following directive:

<VirtualHost *:7777>
    ServerName https://osb.mycompany.com:443
    ServerAdmin you@your.address
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteOptions inherit
</VirtualHost>

Restart both Oracle HTTP Servers:

cd ORACLE_BASE/admin/instance_name/bin
opmnctl stopall
opmnctl startall

7.6.3 Validating the Configuration

Access the following URLs to ensure that your load balancer and Oracle HTTP Server are configured properly:

https://soa.mycompany.com/index.html
http://admin.mycompany.com/index.html
http://soainternal.mycompany.com/index.html
https://osb.mycompany.com/index.html

If you cannot access these URLs, check to ensure that you completed the procedure in Section 3.3, "Configuring the Load Balancer" correctly.