15 Setting Up an MWaaS Cloud

This chapter covers the initial configuration required to set up and enable a Middleware as a Service Cloud which includes WebLogic as a Service, SOA as a Service, and OSB as a Service.

It contains the following sections:

15.1 About Middleware as a Service

The Oracle Middleware as a Service (MWaaS) service family includes the following:

  • WebLogic as a Service (WLaaS)

  • SOA as a Service (SOaaS)

  • Service Bus as a Service (SBaaS)

  • Java Application Service (JVMaaS)

Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c offers a single management tool for creating, monitoring and managing a private MWaaS environment. MWaaS delivers a complete runtime environment comprised of all services necessary to deploy and run an enterprise-class application, including services such as application hosting, persistence store, application integration and APIs that enable programmatic access to additional computing services that might be required by an application. MWaaS facilitates deployment of applications without requiring the developer to deal with the complexity of underlying hardware and software components, thereby achieving cheaper and faster time-to-delivery.

Middleware as a Service provides:

  • A shared, consolidated platform on which middleware services can be provisioned.

  • A self service model for deploying and managing applications.

  • Seamless integration with other services such as a Database as a Service (DBaaS) and Java Diagnostics as a Service (JDaaS).

  • Ability to scale up and scale down resources manually and based on policies.

  • Metering and Chargeback based on platform usage and the underlying infrastructure.

15.2 Getting Started with Middleware as a Service

This section helps you get started by providing a list of steps that must be performed to get started in setting a private middleware cloud. Before you set up MWaaS, you must have completed the common tasks listed in Common Setup Tasks.

Table 15-1 Getting Started with Middleware as a Service

Step Task Role

1

You may need to configure Privilege Delegation Settings on your managed hosts. See Configuring Privilege Delegation Settings.

Note: This is an optional step.

Super Administrator

2

Creating a Middleware Home. See Provisioning a Middleware Home.

Note: This step is optional for SOAaaS and SBaaS. It is required only if a shared middleware home (NFS location) is used. If middleware home is local, it is provisioned by the deployment procedure used to create SOA or Service Bus service.

Self Service Administrator

3

Load Middleware Provisioning Profiles into the Software Library. See Creating Provisioning Profiles.

Self Service Administrator

4

If you are setting up WebLogic as a Service (WLaaS), you must create a WebLogic Domain Provisioning Profile. See Creating a WebLogic Domain Provisioning Profile.

Self Service Administrator

15.2.1 Creating Provisioning Profiles

Provisioning profiles can be used to standardize deployments and help reduce errors when deployment procedures are configured. These provisioning profiles are used by operators for mass deployment. You can create a Middleware Provisioning Profile from a domain by using the Software Library. See Creating a WebLogic Domain Provisioning Profile for details.

15.2.1.1 Creating a WebLogic Domain Provisioning Profile

A WebLogic Domain Provisioning Profile consists of the Middleware Home, binaries, and the domain configuration. You can create a profile, save it in the Software Library, and then use the saved profile as the source for creating new WebLogic domains. This will ensure that future WebLogic installations follow a standard, consistent configuration.

Before you create a WebLogic Domain Provisioning profile, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

  • The Management Agent must be running on the Administration Server.

  • You must have the host credentials for the Administration Server running on the source machine.

  • The WebLogic Domain for which the profile is being created must be a monitored target in Enterprise Manager.

  • The disk space required to create a profile is calculated as follows:

    Disk Space = Middleware Home Size + WebLogic Domain Size + Space for Temporary Scripts

  • If Log Viewing support is required on the service instance, the self service administrator must do the following:

    • Configure the host credentials required for querying the log files. From the Target menu, select Logs, then select Configure Log Location Settings to access the corresponding WebLogic domain target page and configure the credentials.

    • Grant privileges to the self service user to access the host credentials specified in the Configure Log Location Settings page.

    • Provide the view target privilege to the self service user to all the host targets associated with this WebLogic domain.

  • If Fusion Middleware console access support is required, you must configure the WebLogic domain through Fusion Middleware Control. This ensures that the Fusion Middleware Control link is displayed in the Service Instance Home page in the Middleware Self Service Portal. See Middleware Service Home Page.

  • The WebLogic Domain that is used to create a profile must meet the following requirements:

    • The machine associated with the WebLogic Server must not be of Unix type.

    • The Administration Server must not be associated with a machine.

    • The Administration Server must be present on the same host as one of the Managed servers.

  • The maximum Java heap size of all the servers must have an appropriate -Xmx setting in multiples of 256. For example, Xms1024m -Xmx1536m -XX:PermSize=512m -XX:MaxPermSize=1536m and so on. You must define the -Xmx server setting to ensure that the MWaaS memory metric and quota checking feature works properly. The value of the memory metric for a MWaaS service is the sum of the maximum heap available for all servers in the service.

For detailed instructions on how to create a WebLogic Domain Provisioning profile, see the Enterprise Manager Lifecycle Management Administrator’s Guide.

15.2.2 Provisioning a Middleware Home

A Middleware Home consists of the WebLogic Server Home and optionally, one or more Oracle Homes. The Middleware Home must be created on the hosts that are part of the PaaS Infrastructure Zone. See Creating a PaaS Infrastructure Zone for details. If the Middleware Home has not been created on a host, that host cannot participate in the Middleware Pool.

You can:

  • Use pre-provisioned Oracle Homes

  • Create Oracle Homes on demand

  • Use a combination of both

If you are provisioning the Middleware Home on multiple hosts, you must specify a shared mount directory that is accessible by all destination hosts.

Note:

You can also manually install the Middleware Home and use the Discover Promote Oracle Home Target job to discover it in Enterprise Manager.

To create a Middleware Home, you must run the Provision from Oracle Middleware Home Gold Image deployment procedure.

Prerequisites

Before running this deployment procedure, you must meet the following prerequisites:

  • The user must have Write permissions on:

    • The Working Directory on all destination hosts.

    • The Middleware Home on all destination hosts.

  • An Oracle Middleware Home Gold Image must be present in the Software Library. For details on creating this gold image. You can create an Oracle Middleware Home Gold Image and save it in the Software Library. You can then use this gold image as the source for future Middleware Home installations. For the detailed procedure on creating an Oracle Middleware Home Gold Image, see the Enterprise Lifecycle Management Administrator’s Guide.

15.2.2.1 Provision from Oracle Middleware Home Gold Image Deployment Procedure

Note:

  • If you have manually created and discovered a Middleware Home, this step can be ignored.

  • You cannot have more than one Middleware Home of the same WebLogic Server version on a single host.

You can clone a Middleware Home from a gold image present in the Software Library. This gold image must have been created earlier by pointing to an existing Middleware Home. For a detailed description on cloning a Middleware Home from a gold image, refer to the Enterprise Manager Lifecycle Management Administrator’s Guide.