1 Preparing For MetaSolv Solution

This chapter contains setup information for MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x new and existing customers.

Skills Required to Set Up MetaSolv Solution

For best results installing this software product, Oracle recommends the following:

• Database tasks should be done by a database administrator who is familiar with Oracle software.

• Application server tasks should be done by a systems administrator who is familiar with Oracle WebLogic Server.

• For existing Oracle customers, the installation and configuration of the application server software and MetaSolv software should be done by an information technology specialist or another technical individual who is familiar with Oracle WebLogic Server and MetaSolv Solution.

• If you are a new customer installing for the first time, MetaSolv Software suggests enlisting its Professional Services Organization to help get the WebLogic Server up and running and to migrate your company data into the Oracle database.

Regardless of the platform you plan to use, considerable technical knowledge is required to set up and administer this software product. The application server needs a dedicated administrator who can oversee operations to ensure the system is running at its optimum capacity. This role is separate from that of the Oracle database administrator who maintains the database server and the integrity of the data.

If You Have MetaSolv Solution in Test or Production

This section contains information on tasks you must do or information you must review if you currently have a version of MetaSolv Solution that you plan on moving to the new release.

General Notes

• Because the Oracle WebLogic Server version is changing to 10.3.1, the software upgrade is like a new installation. You must uninstall all MetaSolv Solution software and utilities before you can install the 6.2.x release.

• If you use ASR or LSR, you must reinstall them after MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x is installed.

• If you use LSR, you must upgrade to LSR 9.4 or LSR 10.1 for MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x.

• If you currently have open LSR 6 orders, these will be view only in MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x. To avoid this problem, you can close any open orders before you move to MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x, or you can upgrade the orders to LSOG 9 or LSOG 10 before or after installing MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x.

How MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x is Different from Previous Releases

• CORBA orb has been changed from JBROKER to JACORB

• 6.2.x supports WebLogic Server 10.3.1 and Oracle Database 11gR2

Upgrade Path

• If you are doing a fresh installation of MSS 6.2.x, you must install Oracle Database 11gR2 and do a full installation of Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.1 and the application server.

• If you have MSS 5.x installed, you must upgrade the database to MSS 6.0.2 first, and then upgrade the database to MSS 6.2.x. Then, do a full installation of the Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.1 and the application server.

• If you have MSS 6.0.x installed, you can directly upgrade the database to MSS 6.2.x, and then do a full installation of the Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.1 and the application server.

Supporting Documentation

When planning your upgrade to MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x, it will be helpful to refer to some of the 6.0 documentation, in addition to the 6.2.x documentation.

The 6.0 documentation provides information on database changes, new features, and fixed issues that were first delivered in 6.0.x maintenance releases. While these changes, features, and fixes are included in the 6.2.x release, they are not specifically called out in the 6.2.x documentation.

If you are currently on a release prior to 6.0.16, the 6.0 documentation will provide you with information on changes that were delivered in releases you are skipping.

Refer to the appropriate sections of the following documents, depending on which release you are upgrading from:

• 6.0 Database Change Reference

• 6.0 What's New

• Cumulative Fixed Issues for 6.0.1 – 6.0.12

• Cumulative Fixed Issues for 6.0.13 or higher

• 6.0 Migration Guide (only for those upgrading from a 5.2.x release)

Some Helpful Terms

The following terms are used throughout this guide. They are basic terms necessary for the discussion of deploying an application intended for use over a network by many users.

Application server:

In a 3-tier client-server environment, the application server performs the business logic processing between the user's machine (first tier) and the database management system (third tier). A simple example is shown in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1 Application server

Description of "Figure 1-1 Application server"

Oracle WebLogic Server is used to handle the interaction between the client, MetaSolv Solution, and the database.

The MetaSolv Solution business logic, designed to work with the WebLogic server software, is loaded on the same machine and connections are established between the two to allow the exchange of data. Connections are also made between the application server software and the database. The following list shows the benefits of using an application server approach:

• Processing tasks are moved from the client workstations to the application server machine, which saves resources.

• More users can be supported, and you can set up your system so processing continues if a server fails.

• Delay between the application and the database server is minimized, increasing the efficiency for processing requests.

• Finite resources like database connections are managed in a more structured manner.

WebLogic Domain:

A domain is a group of application servers managed as a single unit. The domain contains at least one instance of WebLogic Server. If multiple server instances exist in the domain, one instance is designated as the administrative server, and the rest become managed servers. Managed servers are controlled from the administrative server console.

WebLogic Administrative Server:

The administrative server allows you to manage other servers in a domain. This server has a console that allows you to shut down and start up other servers, monitor the environment, and manage activities like security and transaction processing.

WebLogic Managed Server:

A managed server is under the control of the administration server.

WebLogic Clustering:

A cluster is part of a domain dedicated to some specific processing duty (for example, MetaSolv Solution processing). A cluster is not the same as a domain but is a subset of a domain. A cluster generally includes several server instances, and the servers work together as if they were one application. A single cluster or multiple clusters can exist in a domain, but you cannot spread a cluster across more than one domain. One advantage of clusters is their scalability; you can increase the number of servers in a cluster to handle increased processing needs. Clusters also give you high availability, which means if one server fails, another replaces it without the loss of data.

Client:

The client is the user workstation linked to MetaSolv Solution so that a user can interact with the system to carry out tasks. Some application code is loaded to the client to allow the execution of some MetaSolv Solution graphical features and other processing tasks.

JEE:

JEE is a standard for developing Java applications for a thin-client, multitiered environment. The conventions found in JEE help ensure applications are developed in such a way that communications are simplified between Java applications.

Machine:

The name of the physical machine that hosts an application server.

Setup Process

MetaSolv Solution contains three discrete software installation processes: database, application server, and client. The installation is completed in the following order:

1. Database installation

   For MSS 6.2.x, you must install Oracle Database 11gR2.

2. Application server installation

   The application server installation requires the most planning. You must decide which domain option you want for your installation and configure the application servers for the most benefit in terms of failover, high availability, and scalability. Based on business and environment requirements, you should evaluate both hardware and software options for implementing your choice of the following domain options:

   • Single server

   • Administration server with managed servers

   • Administration server with managed servers in a cluster

   • The type of domain - either WLS or WLI (WebLogic Integration)

   You must determine which of these options applies to your business needs and meets the most secure operational failover requirements.

   Oracle does not recommend the single server solution because it does not provide continuation of service if the server fails. There is no mechanism in this option to prevent the loss of data or service.

   For information on each of these options, see the documentation at:

   http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/weblogic/overview/index.html

3. Client installation

   The client files are bundled with the application server files. These files can be loaded to client workstations from the application server automatically using a tool called the zero admin client (ZAC). The ZAC provides the ability to distribute the installation of the client over the network. Updates to the client files can also be distributed using this tool.

Where MetaSolv Solution Files Reside After Installation

In a MetaSolv Solution installation, application files are divided among the following locations:

• Application server: MetaSolv Solution software that controls business logic and processing is loaded to a designated machine or machines. This software is designed to work with the Oracle WebLogic server software and improve the speed and efficiency of the information flow between the client workstation and the MetaSolv Solution database.

• Client workstation: The files loaded to the client workstation include executable files that allow the operation of MetaSolv Solution for the user interface and INI files that configure the software. Initially, these files are loaded onto the application server in a compressed format. Then, the files are distributed to the client workstation through an automated process called ZAC.

• Citrix server (optional): If you are using a Citrix server, the client workstation files are loaded onto the Citrix server, and the client workstations use a Citrix browser to interact with MetaSolv Solution.

Figure 1-2 shows a simple MetaSolv Solution configuration.

Figure 1-2 Simple MetaSolv Solution configuration, showing where files are loaded

Description of "Figure 1-2 Simple MetaSolv Solution configuration, showing where files are loaded"

A Citrix server can be used to increase efficiency between the client workstation and the application server. In this configuration, the client workstation files are loaded to the Citrix server and a browser allows the user to access and use the application files on the Citrix server. The Citrix configuration is a good solution in cases where a wide area network (WAN) is used and users must communicate with the application server and database over great distances.

Figure 1-3 shows a MetaSolv Solution configuration with the Citrix server.

Figure 1-3 A MetaSolv Solution configuration, showing the Citrix server

Description of "Figure 1-3 A MetaSolv Solution configuration, showing the Citrix server"

Software Required to Install MetaSolv Solution

Oracle has performed an appropriate testing cycle on the indicated platforms, specific software versions, and configurations indicated, and has confirmed that they have no adverse effect on MetaSolv Solution.

The following tables list certified software versions that can be used with MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x.

See "Minimum Technical Requirements" for a complete list and details of technical requirements.

Table 1-1 lists the certified software version for the database server.

Table 1-1 Certified Software Version for the Database Server

Software Version	Required?
Oracle Enterprise Edition 11gR2	Yes

Table 1-2 lists the certified software versions for the application server.

Table 1-2 Certified Software Versions for the Application Server

Software Version	Required?
Oracle Linux Server release 5.5 (Carthage) Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 Oracle Solaris 10 update 5/08 or higher (on a SPARC machine) AIX 6.1 or higher (on a POWER machine) HP-UX 11.23 or higher (on an Itanium machine. 32-bit and 64-bit JAVA supported) Windows Server 2008 R2	Yes
Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.1	Yes
JacORB 2.3.1	Yes

Table 1-3 lists the certified software versions for the workstation client.

Table 1-3 Certified Software Versions for the Workstation Client

Software Version	Required?
Internet Explorer 7.0 and 8.0Foot 1	Yes
Windows XP Professional SP3 Windows 7 Windows Server 2008 R2	Yes
Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.4 or higher	Yes
CitrixFoot 2	No
Oracle Database 11gR2Foot 3	No
Business Objects XI R2	No

^Footnote 1 To use IE 7.0 and IE 8.0, update the registry settings. See MetaSolv Solution Installation Guide for more information.

^Footnote 2 Any version of Citrix that would run on the platforms that support the MSS client.

^Footnote 3 Only required if using Location and Routing Gateway, NPA Split Utility, Data Selection Tool, Pre-Migration Analysis Tool, or MetaSolv Solution Utilities.

Setting Up a Test Environment

Before you move MetaSolv Solution into production, you should run it in a test environment to ensure you understand how it works and to resolve any issues before you commit the application to your production machines. This document and other MetaSolv Solution documents explain how to set up for a production environment, but you can set up your test environment with some variations. The failover requirements are not as strict for a test environment as they are for production.

For example, you can run MetaSolv Solution 6.0.x and MetaSolv Solution 6.2.x on the same test machine. You must keep each application separate and ensure that ports used for http communication, name services, and logging are unique for each instance. The Oracle client (tnsnames.ora) must be configured to connect to the appropriate database for each instance.

On UNIX, use separate users for each instance and set necessary configuration settings for each user. On Windows, you might need to alter some start scripts to ensure the correct paths are set for environment variables such as PATH, CLASSPATH, TNS.ADMIN, and so on.

To achieve optimum application server performance for individual business needs, load and performance testing in a test environment that represents your true production environment is required. The test environment should mimic how you use your production system, including the transaction mix, number of users, hardware and software infrastructures, database, network usage, and all other relevant factors. Setting up a test environment will allow you to determine the optimal application server settings that you should implement in your production environment for:

• Connection pool sizing

• Execute thread sizing

• Java memory management