16 Integrating WebCenter Portal Workflows with Oracle SOA Suite in the Same Domain
WebCenter Portal provides several prebuilt workflows that handle portal membership notifications, portal subscription requests, and so on. WebCenter Portal workflows rely on the Oracle BPM Worklist, which is installed as a component of Oracle SOA Suite.
WebCenter Portal Worklist integration requires that the BPEL Services provided by SOA Suite share the same WebTier, SSO, and Identity Store with the portal. For this Enterprise Deployment Guide, SOA Suite is installed and configured in the same WebLogic Server Domain and included in the WebTier, SSO, and directory configurations.
The SOA Suite may optionally be deployed to a separate WebLogic Server Domain, however the shared WebTier, SSO, and identity Store requirements must be met for the Portal Workflow integration task flows to function correctly.
For more information on Oracle BPM Worklist features, see Using Oracle BPM Worklist in Developing SOA Applications with Oracle SOA Suite.
The tasks that must be performed to enable the WebCenter Portal workflow functionality in WebCenter Portal are as follows.
Note:
Integrating BPM functionality into portal pages using the BPM Process Portal Resource Catalog requires additional steps not covered in this guide. See Integrating BPM Functionality into WebCenter Portal.- Backing Up the Installation
Back up the environment before re-configuring to include the Portal Workflow Integration with SOA Suite. - Installing Oracle SOA Suite
- Installing the Oracle WebCenter Portal SOA Composites
To use workflows in WebCenter Portal, you must install WebCenter Portal SOA Composites by using the portal installer after SOA Suite is installed. - Extending the Domain to Deploy the WebCenter Portal Workflows
WebCenter Portal workflows are deployed to Oracle SOA cluster. You must extend the domain in which Oracle SOA is installed with the template:oracle.wc_composite_template.jar
. - Propagating the Extended Domain to the Domain Directories and Machines
Propagate the start scripts and classpath configuration from the Administration Server's domain directory to the Managed Server domain directory. - Restoring customizations to setDomainEnv.sh after Unpacking the Domain
If any customizations have been made earlier to thesetDomainEnv.sh
files in ASERVER_HOME and MSERVER_HOME, then these customizations will need to be repeated after any domain extension. - Updating the NodeManager Configuration After Unpacking the Domain
When extending a domain, thenodemanager.properties
file in MSERVER_HOME may be overwritten with some values from thenodemanager.properties
file for ASERVER_HOME. Specifically, theListenAddress
and/orCustomIdentityAlias
values can be reset. - Starting the Domain and Validating the WebCenter Portal SOA Composite Domain Extension
Start the entire domain and use Enterprise Manager to verify the deployment of the Portal SOA Composites and WebCenter Worklist Detail application. - Configuring WS-Security for Oracle SOA and WebCenter Portal
WebCenter Portal Web services, deployed to Oracle WebCenter Portal, facilitate communication between WebCenter Portal and the SOA server. You must secure these Web service calls. - Verifying Application Roles
Before you configure WebCenter Portal with SOA Suite, understand and verify theSOAAdmin
andBPMWorkflowAdmin
application roles. - Creating the Connection to the BPEL Server
WebCenter Portal uses BPEL server to host internal workflows, such as worklists, membership notifications, subscription requests, and so on. BPEL Services are configured on the SOA Managed Servers. To enable workflow functionality for WebCenter Portal, a connection to the BPEL service is required. - Validating the Connection to the BPEL Server
After you create the connection to the BPEL Server, validate the connection to be sure it is working properly. - Configuring WebCenter Portal Workflow Notifications to be Sent by Email
WebCenter Portal can use human workflows (requiring human interaction), which are integrated with SOA workflows. The SOA server can configure email so that notifications are delivered to a user's inbox, where the user can accept or reject the notification. - Testing the Oracle BPM Worklist Application in WebCenter Portal
Testing of the WebCenter Portal invitation and membership workflows and email notifications can be performed using end-user accounts and requires specific portal run-time configuration to set up the test case. - Backing Up the Configuration
It is an Oracle best practices recommendation to create a backup after you successfully extended a domain or at another logical point. Create a backup after you verify that the installation so far is successful. This is a quick backup for the express purpose of immediate restoration in case of problems in later steps.
Parent topic: Configuring the Enterprise Deployment
Backing Up the Installation
Back up the environment before re-configuring to include the Portal Workflow Integration with SOA Suite.
This is a quick backup for the express purpose of immediate restore in case of problems executing this chapter. The backup destination is the local disk. You can discard this backup once the enterprise deployment setup is complete. At that point, the regular deployment-specific backup and recovery process can be initiated. The Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide provides further details.
Installing Oracle SOA Suite
To support workflows, WebCenter Portal relies on the BPEL server, which is included with Oracle SOA Suite. For information about installing Oracle SOA Suite as part of this domain, see Extending the Domain with Oracle SOA Suite.
Installing the Oracle WebCenter Portal SOA Composites
To use workflows in WebCenter Portal, you must install WebCenter Portal SOA Composites by using the portal installer after SOA Suite is installed.
To install WebCenter Portal SOA Composites:
- Execute the WebCenter Portal Installer a second time for each shared ORACLE_HOME, selecting an Installation Type of WebCenter Portal SOA Composites.
- Verify that the WebCenter Portal composite archive has been installed.
Starting the Oracle WebCenter Portal Installer on WCCHOST1
To start the installation program:
When the installation program appears, you are ready to begin the installation.
Parent topic: Installing the Oracle WebCenter Portal SOA Composites
Navigating the Installation Screens
The installation program displays a series of screens, in the order listed in the following table.
If you need additional help with any of the installation screens, click the screen name.
Screen | Description |
---|---|
This screen introduces you to the product installer. |
|
Auto Updates |
Use this screen to automatically search My Oracle Support for available patches or automatically search a local directory for patches that you’ve already downloaded for your organization. |
Use this screen to specify the location of your Oracle home directory. For more information about Oracle Fusion Middleware directory structure, see "Selecting Directories for Installation and Configuration" in Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware. |
|
Use this screen to select the type of installation and consequently, the products and feature sets you want to install. To install the SOA Composites for WebCenter Portal, select:
|
|
This screen verifies that your system meets the minimum necessary requirements. If there are any warning or error messages, you can refer to one of the following documents in the Roadmap for Verifying Your System Environment section in Planning Your Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure Installation. |
|
If you already have an Oracle Support account, use this screen to indicate how you would like to receive security updates. If you do not have one and are sure you want to skip this step, clear the check box and verify your selection in the follow-up dialog box. |
|
Use this screen to verify the installation options you selected. Click Install to begin the installation. |
|
This screen allows you to see the progress of the installation. Click Next when the progress bar reaches 100% complete. |
|
Review the information on this screen, then click Finish to dismiss the installer. |
Parent topic: Installing the Oracle WebCenter Portal SOA Composites
Verifying the Installed Files
Once the installation has been completed, verify that the WebCenter Portal SOA Composite and worklist details application archives have been written to the correct directory structure within ORACLE_HOME as follows:
ls ORACLE_HOME/wcportal/common/soa-composite/wcp/sca_CommunityWorkflows.jar
ls ORACLE_HOME/wcportal/webcenter/applications/WebCenterWorklistDetailApp.ear
Parent topic: Installing the Oracle WebCenter Portal SOA Composites
Performing the Installation on WCCHOST2
The installation should be repeated once for each shared file system containing a unique ORACLE_HOME. See Summary of the Shared Storage Volumes in an Enterprise Deployment.
Parent topic: Installing the Oracle WebCenter Portal SOA Composites
Extending the Domain to Deploy the WebCenter Portal Workflows
WebCenter Portal workflows are deployed to Oracle SOA cluster. You must extend the domain in which Oracle SOA is installed with the template: oracle.wc_composite_template.jar
.
It is recommended that for this section, all managed servers, including those in the WSM-PM_Cluster
be shutdown. This will save having to stop and restart them anyway later.
To extend the domain:
Propagating the Extended Domain to the Domain Directories and Machines
Propagate the start scripts and classpath configuration from the Administration Server's domain directory to the Managed Server domain directory.
Restoring customizations to setDomainEnv.sh after Unpacking the Domain
If any customizations have been made earlier to the setDomainEnv.sh
files in ASERVER_HOME and MSERVER_HOME, then these customizations will need to be repeated after any domain extension.
Note:
Modifying the setDomainEnv
script is not recommended. For more information, see Customizing Domain Wide Server Parameters in Administering Server Startup
and Shutdown for Oracle WebLogic Server.
For WebCenter Enterprise Deployments, see Customizing Server Parameters with the setUserOverridesLate Script.
On WCCHOST1:
Updating the NodeManager Configuration After Unpacking the Domain
When extending a domain, the nodemanager.properties
file in MSERVER_HOME may be overwritten with some values from the nodemanager.properties
file for ASERVER_HOME. Specifically, the ListenAddress
and/or CustomIdentityAlias
values can be reset.
Notes::
-
The
ListenAddress
may typically get reset on the MSERVER_HOME nodemanager residing on the same host as the ASERVER_HOME nodemanager. In this topology, WCCHOST1. -
For domain extensions prior to Enabling SSL Communication Between the SOA Servers and the Hardware Load Balancer, steps 2 through 4 regarding the
CustomIdentityAlias
may not be applicable.
MSERVER_HOME/nodemanager/nodemanager.properties
file on each host:
Note:
For more information about theCustomIdentityAlias
parameter, see Configuring Node Manager to Use the Custom Keystores.
Starting the Domain and Validating the WebCenter Portal SOA Composite Domain Extension
Start the entire domain and use Enterprise Manager to verify the deployment of the Portal SOA Composites and WebCenter Worklist Detail application.
- Starting the Administration Server Using the Node Manager
After you have configured the domain and configured the Node Manager, you can start the Administration Server by using the Node Manager. In an enterprise deployment, the Node Manager is used to start and stop the Administration Server and all the Managed Servers in the domain. - Start and confirm all Managed Servers are running
Managed servers created or modified by the latest domain extension should now be started. Managed servers that remained running during the domain extension should be confirmed as running. - Verifying the WebCenter Portal SOA Composites Deployment
Starting the Administration Server Using the Node Manager
After you have configured the domain and configured the Node Manager, you can start the Administration Server by using the Node Manager. In an enterprise deployment, the Node Manager is used to start and stop the Administration Server and all the Managed Servers in the domain.
To start the Administration Server by using the Node Manager:
Start and confirm all Managed Servers are running
Managed servers created or modified by the latest domain extension should now be started. Managed servers that remained running during the domain extension should be confirmed as running.
Table 16-1 Managed Servers
Cluster | Managed Servers | Initial State | Action |
---|---|---|---|
WSM-PM_Cluster |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Start and verify all managed servers |
SOA_Cluster |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Start and verify all managed servers |
IBR_Servers |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Start and verify all managed servers |
WCC_Cluster |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Start and verify all managed servers |
Portlet_Cluster |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Start and verify all managed servers |
Portal_Cluster |
|
SHUTDOWN |
Start and verify all managed servers |
Verifying the WebCenter Portal SOA Composites Deployment
Two deployments are added when the domain is extended with the WebCenter Portal SOA Composites. These include one enterprise application archive and one SOA composites archive. These resources must be successfully deployed and validated before continuing with this domain extension. The SOA composites rely on the application for the human tasks included in the workflows. They are deployed separately, using different processes.
-
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp.ear
— A standard Java EE web application located inORACLE_HOME/wcportal/webcenter/applications
-
sca_CommunityWorkflows.jar
— A SOA Composite located inORACLE_HOME/wcportal/common/soa-composite/wcp
This section contains instructions for both the validation and deployment processes.
Confirming the WebCenter Portal SOA Composite and Application Deployments
To validate the WebCenterWorklistDetailApp.ear
application deployment:
-
Connect to Enterprise Manager as the
weblogic_wcp
administrative user. -
Verify that the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
application is listed Target Navigation > Application Deployments. If the application link is not listed, see section Deploying the WebCenterWorklistDetailApp Application to the SOA_Cluster. -
If the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
application is listed, click on the link and validate that the State is listed as Active and the Health is OK in the Summary view. Also, validate that the SOA_Cluster is listed in the Targets column of the Deployments view.If the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
does not show the SOA_Cluster in the Targets column, complete the following steps:-
From the Domain Application Deployment drop-down list, select Administration > Targets.
-
From the lock icon in the upper-right corner, select Lock & Edit.
-
Select WebCenterWorklistDetailApp EAR, then click Change Targets.
-
In the pop-up window, select SOA_Cluster and then select the All configured Servers in this cluster option.
-
Click OK. After the changes are complete a confirmation message is displayed
-
If an information panel is displayed with the following message, click Create New Deployment Plan.
Information: The configuration changes will be saved in the deployment plan. This application does not currently have a deployment plan. In order to save the configuration changes, you need to first create a new deployment plan for this application.
-
In a separate command shell, create a shared deployment plan folder for the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
in theDEPLOY_PLAN_HOME
folder. See Understanding the Recommended Directory Structure for an Enterprise Deployment.mkdir -p DEPLOY_PLAN_HOME/WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
-
In the Save Deployment Plan dialog, enter or browse to the full path to the new app-specific deployment plan folder, plus the file name plan.xml.
/u01/oracle/config/dp/WebCenterWorklistDetailApp/plan.xml
-
Click the Save Deployment Plan button.
-
From the lock icon in the upper-right corner, select Activate Changes.
Note:
If the Activate Chagnes selection is unavailable, click the reload icon next to the date immediately below the lock icon. -
Restart the managed servers in the SOA_Cluster.
-
-
Expand the Target Navigation panel and navigate to the WebLogic Domain > domain-name > SOA_Cluster.
-
From the WebLogic Cluster drop-down menu, select Deployments.
-
Verify that the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
is listed with a green up arrow status and a state of Active.If the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
is not deployed to the SOA_Cluster, perform the deployment after all validation steps are completed. See Deploying the WebCenterWorklistDetailApp Application to the SOA_Cluster.
To validate the sca_CommunityWorkflows.jar
SOA composites deployment:
-
Expand the Target Navigation panel and navigate to the SOA > soa-infra (WLS_SOA1) service
-
Click the Deployed Composites tab.
-
Verify that the CommunitWorkflows [12.2.1.3.0] composite is listed with a green up arrow for status.
See Deploying the CommunityWorkflows SOA Composite to the SOA service.
Parent topic: Verifying the WebCenter Portal SOA Composites Deployment
Deploying the WebCenterWorklistDetailApp Application to the SOA_Cluster
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
application needs to be deployed, perform the following steps:
- Connect to Enterprise Manager as the weblogic_wcp administrative user .
- Expand the Target Navigation panel and navigate to the WebLogic Domain > domain-name > SOA_Cluster
- From the WebLogic Cluster drop-down menu, select Deployments.
- Verify that the
WebCenterWorklistDetailApp
is not listed. - From the Deployment drop-down menu, select Deploy.
- Select an appropriate deployment scope. For out-of-box configurations, the appropriate scope is global.
- Select Archive on the server where Enterprise Manager is running.
- Enter:
ORACLE_HOME/wcportal/webcenter/applications/WebCenterWorklistDetailApp.ear
. - Select Create a new deployment plan when deployment configuration is done .
- Select Deploy this archive or exploded directory as an application.
- Click Next.
- On the Select Target view, make sure that only the SOA_Cluster is checked and the All configured Servers in this cluster option is selected.
- On the Application Attributes view, change only the distribution option to: Install and start application (servicing all requests). Do not alter any other application attributes
- Click Deploy. The remaining application deployment configurations do not need to be modified.
- Observe the progress messages provided in the Processing: Deploy modal dialog box that appears and wait for it to complete.
- Observe that the dialog box is updated with a Deployment Succeeded message.
- Close the dialog box.
- Verify that the new application deployment is listed with a green up arrow status and a state of Active.
See Deploying Java EE Applications Using Fusion Middleware Control in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware for details on how to deploy the enterprise application archive.
Parent topic: Verifying the WebCenter Portal SOA Composites Deployment
Deploying the CommunityWorkflows SOA Composite to the SOA service
CommunityWorkflows SOA
composite needs to be deployed, perform the following steps:
- Connect to Enterprise Manager as the
weblogic_wcp
administrative user . - Expand the Target Navigation panel and navigate to the SOA > soa-infra (WLS_SOA1) service.
- Click on the Deployed Composites tab.
- Verify the CommunityWorkflows composite is listed as Up and Active. If not listed, or the list says No Composites Found, then continue with these deployment steps. If status is down, select and start the CommunityWorkflows composite.
- Click Deploy.
- Select Archive on the server where Enterprise Manager is running.
- Enter:
ORACLE_HOME/wcportal/common/soa-composite/wcp/sca_CommunityWorkflows.jar
- Select No external configuration plan is required.
- Click Next.
- Confirm the deployment target is /Domain_< domain_name >/< domain_name >/SOA_Cluster
- Choose the appropriate SOA Folder. For out-of-box configurations, the appropriate folder to select is default.
- Click Next.
- Confirm the Deploy as default revision selection as this is the first time the composites are getting deployed.
- Click Deploy.
- Observe the progress messages provided in the Processing: Deploy modal dialog box that appears and wait for it to complete.
- Observe that the dialog box is updated with a Deployment Succeeded message.
- Close the dialog box.
- Observe that Enterprise Manager now displays the
CommunityWorkflows[12.2.1.3.0]
SOA composite dashboard view with several components and services.
Parent topic: Verifying the WebCenter Portal SOA Composites Deployment
Configuring WS-Security for Oracle SOA and WebCenter Portal
WebCenter Portal Web services, deployed to Oracle WebCenter Portal, facilitate communication between WebCenter Portal and the SOA server. You must secure these Web service calls.
Note:
Some of the key aliases and other properties values used in this configuration are specifically required by the deployed products. This process has been tuned specifically for a combined topology with Oracle SOA and WebCenter Portal in the same domain. Customizing this process beyond the provided instructions is not recommended.For more information on configuration for a two-domain topology, see Oracle SOA and WebCenter Portal - WS-Security Configuration in Installing and Configuring Oracle WebCenter Portal.
Set up WS-Security by creating a security application stripe and keystore for WebCenter Portal and the SOA Suite BPEL Server to use. Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c implements these keystores using the Keystore Security Service (KSS) configured via Enterprise Manager or WLST commands.
See Configuring Keystores for Message Protection in Securing Web Services and Managing Policies with Oracle Web Services Manager.
For syntax and reference information about the KSS commands, see OPSS Keystore Service Commands in Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure Security WLST Command Reference.
Verifying Application Roles
Before you configure WebCenter Portal with SOA Suite, understand and verify the SOAAdmin
and BPMWorkflowAdmin
application roles.
The memberships of the SOAAdmin and BPMWorkflowAdmin application roles can be listed as follows:
ORACLE_COMMON_HOME/common/bin/wlst.sh
connect('weblogic_wcp','password', 't3://ADMINVHN:7001')
listAppRoleMembers(appStripe="soa-infra", appRoleName="SOAAdmin")
listAppRoleMembers(appStripe="soa-infra", appRoleName="BPMWorkflowAdmin")
To revoke a user or group membership from an application role, consider following WLST examples:
revokeAppRole(appStripe="soa-infra", appRoleName="BPMWorkflowAdmin", principalClass="weblogic.security.principal.WLSUserImpl", principalName="weblogic")
revokeAppRole(appStripe="soa-infra", appRoleName="BPMWorkflowAdmin", principalClass="weblogic.security.principal.WLSGroupImpl", principalName="Administrators")
To specifically grant a user membership to an application role, follow this example:
grantAppRole(appStripe="soa-infra", appRoleName="BPMWorkflowAdmin", principalClass="weblogic.security.principal.WLSUserImpl", principalName="weblogic_wcp")
For the LDAP group configurations in the enterprise deployment environment, it is not necessary to grant the weblogic_wcp
user specific access. The WCPAdministrators
group should already be part of the SOAAdmin
application role and inherit membership to the BPMWorkflowAdmin
application role.
For more information about configuring a remote LDAP server for the enterprise deployment, see Creating a New LDAP Authenticator and Provisioning Enterprise Deployment Users and Group.
For more information about SOA application role configurations, see Configuring Roles for Administration of an Enterprise Deployment.
Creating the Connection to the BPEL Server
WebCenter Portal uses BPEL server to host internal workflows, such as worklists, membership notifications, subscription requests, and so on. BPEL Services are configured on the SOA Managed Servers. To enable workflow functionality for WebCenter Portal, a connection to the BPEL service is required.
Note:
WebCenter Portal workflows must be deployed on the SOA managed server that WebCenter Portal is configured to use. See also, Back-End Requirements for WebCenter Portal Workflows in Installing and Configuring Oracle WebCenter Portal.
To configure a connection for worklist notifications:
Validating the Connection to the BPEL Server
After you create the connection to the BPEL Server, validate the connection to be sure it is working properly.
Use the WLST command listWorklistConnections
to display the configured connections and validate the connection details.
Use the getSpacesWorkflowConnectionName()
to confirm the name of the active workflow connection.
For example:
listWorklistConnections(appName='webcenter', server='WC_Portal1', verbose=1)
getSpacesWorkflowConnectionName(appName='webcenter', server='WC_Portal1')
Use the listed URL property value to construct a valid worklist application URL and validate access using a browser. Append the listed URL property value with the path /integration/worklistapp
, to generate an appropriate URL for testing.
Configuring WebCenter Portal Workflow Notifications to be Sent by Email
WebCenter Portal can use human workflows (requiring human interaction), which are integrated with SOA workflows. The SOA server can configure email so that notifications are delivered to a user's inbox, where the user can accept or reject the notification.
This topic briefly explains how to enable email notifications and set your mail server details to have WebCenter Portal workflow notifications sent through email. Both outbound and incoming email addresses or mailboxes that are dedicated to portal workflow notification and reply processing are needed for full functionality. For a more detailed description, see Configuring Human Workflow Notification Properties in Administering Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Business Process Management Suite.
Testing the Oracle BPM Worklist Application in WebCenter Portal
Testing of the WebCenter Portal invitation and membership workflows and email notifications can be performed using end-user accounts and requires specific portal run-time configuration to set up the test case.
To access BPEL worklist task details sent from WebCenter Portal, without incurring additional login prompts, WebCenter Portal and Oracle SOA Suite servers must be configured to a shared Oracle Single Sign-On server. This testing can be more easily validated after completing the instructions in the Configuring Single Sign-On for an Enterprise Deployment section.
See Task 7 in the Configuration Roadmap for WebCenter Portal Workflows section in the Administering Oracle WebCenter Portal Guide.
Backing Up the Configuration
It is an Oracle best practices recommendation to create a backup after you successfully extended a domain or at another logical point. Create a backup after you verify that the installation so far is successful. This is a quick backup for the express purpose of immediate restoration in case of problems in later steps.
The backup destination is the local disk. You can discard this backup when the enterprise deployment setup is complete. After the enterprise deployment setup is complete, you can initiate the regular deployment-specific Backup and Recovery process.
For information about backing up your configuration, see Performing Backups and Recoveries for an Enterprise Deployment.