This chapter describes how to prepare the file system for an Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment. It provides information about recommended directory structure and locations, and it includes a procedure for configuring shared storage.
This chapter includes the following sections:
Section 4.1, "Overview of Preparing the File System for Enterprise Deployment"
Section 4.2, "Terminology for Directories and Directory Environment Variables"
Section 4.4, "Recommended Locations for Different Directories"
It is important to set up your file system in a way that makes the enterprise deployment easier to understand, configure, and manage. Oracle recommends setting up your file system according to information in this chapter. The terminology defined in this chapter is used in diagrams and procedures throughout this guide.
Use this chapter as a reference to help understand the directory variables used in the installation and configuration procedures. Other directory layouts are possible and supported, but the model adopted in this guide is chosen for maximum availability, providing both the best isolation of components and symmetry in the configuration and facilitating backup and disaster recovery. The rest of the document uses this directory structure and directory terminology.
This section describes the directory environment variables used throughout this guide for configuring the Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment. Oracle WebCenter Content has two different domain setups, one for the Oracle WebCenter Content domain and one for the WebCenter Content user interface domains. The two domains have different file-system layouts.
Table 4-1 describes directory variables that represent directories in the application tier throughout this guide.
Table 4-1 Directory Variables for the Application Tier in the Oracle WebCenter Content Domain
Directory Variable | Description | Directory in the Reference Topology Application Tier |
---|---|---|
The directory path to the installation and configuration files for Oracle Fusion Middleware products. |
or
|
|
The directory path to a Middleware home, where Oracle Fusion Middleware products are installed. The Middleware home contains the WebLogic Server home (WL_HOME), the Oracle Common home (ORACLE_COMMON_HOME), and, optionally, the JDK home ( A Middleware home can reside on a local file system or on a remote shared disk that is accessible through Network File System (NFS). |
|
|
The directory path to a WebLogic Server home, which contains the installed files for Oracle WebLogic Server. |
|
|
The directory path to an Oracle home where Oracle WebCenter Content is installed. |
|
|
The directory path to an Oracle home where Oracle SOA Suite is installed. |
|
|
The directory path to the domain's Oracle Common home, which contains the binary and library files required for Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control and Java Required Files (JRF). |
|
|
This is the location where Oracle JRockit or another JDK is installed. |
|
|
The directory path to the primary location of the domain configuration for the WebLogic Server Administration Server, where the domain information and configuration artifacts are stored. Different Oracle WebLogic Servers can use different domain directories even when in the same node. |
|
|
The directory path to the primary location of the domain configuration for the WebLogic Server Managed Servers, where the domain information and configuration artifacts are stored. Different Oracle WebLogic Servers can use different domain directories even when in the same node. This is a copy of the domain configuration used to start and stop Managed Servers. |
|
|
The directory path to the location of the application directory for the Administration Server and Managed Servers, local to each node. |
|
Table 4-2 describes directory variables that represent directories in Oracle Web Tier throughout this guide.
Table 4-2 Directory Variables for Oracle Web Tier
Directory Variable | Description | Sample Value in Oracle Web Tier |
---|---|---|
The directory path to the Oracle Web Tier Oracle home, which includes the binary and library files required for an Oracle Web Tier installation. |
|
|
The directory path to an Oracle instance directory, which contains updateable files, such as configuration files, log files, and temporary files. An Oracle instance contains one or more system components, such as Oracle Web Cache, Oracle HTTP Server, or Oracle Internet Directory. |
or
|
|
The directory path to the WebGate installation. |
|
Table 4-3 describes directory variables that represent directories in the application tier of the WebCenter Content user interface domain throughout this guide.
Table 4-3 Directory Variables for the Application Tier in the WebCenter Content User Interface Domain
Directory Variable | Description | Sample Value in the Application Tier |
---|---|---|
The directory path to a Middleware home, where Oracle Fusion Middleware products are installed. The Middleware home contains the WebLogic Server Home (WCCUI_WL_HOME), the Oracle Common home (WCCUI_ORACLE_COMMON_HOME), and, optionally, the JDK home ( A Middleware home can reside on a local file system or on a remote shared disk that is accessible through Network File System (NFS). |
|
|
The directory path to a WebLogic Server home, which contains the installed files for Oracle WebLogic Server. |
|
|
The directory path to the domain's Oracle Common home, which contains the binary and library files required for Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control and Java Required Files (JRF). |
|
|
This is the location where Oracle JRockit or another JDK is installed. Value |
|
|
The directory path to the primary location of the domain configuration for the WebLogic Server Administration Server, where the domain information and configuration artifacts are stored. Different Oracle WebLogic Servers can use different domain directories even when in the same node. |
|
|
The directory path to the primary location of the domain configuration for the WebLogic Server Managed Servers, where the domain information and configuration artifacts are stored. Different Oracle WebLogic Servers can use different domain directories even when in the same node. This is a copy of the domain configuration used to start and stop Managed Servers. |
|
|
The directory path to the location of the application directory for the Administration Server and Managed Servers, local to each node. |
|
Tip:
You can simplify directory navigation by using environment variables as shortcuts to the locations in this section. For example, you could use an environment variable called$MW_HOME
to refer to /u01/oracle/products/fmw_home
(that is, the recommended Middleware home location, represented by MW_HOME
in directory paths).The following diagrams and tables illustrate the recommended directory structure and shared storage.
Figure 4-1 shows the directory structure for the Administration Server domain directories.
Figure 4-1 File Layout for Product Binaries and ASERVER Domain Directories (Shared Storage)
Figure 4-2 shows the directory structure for the Managed Server domain directories.
Figure 4-2 File Layout for MSERVER Domain Directories
Figure 4-3 shows the directory structure for the web tier.
Figure 4-3 File Layout for Web Tier Instance Directories in Local Storage
Figure 4-4 shows the directory structure for the WebCenter Content user interface Administration Server domain directories.
Figure 4-4 File Layout for Product Binaries and ASERVER Domain Directories for WebCenter Content User Interface (Shared Storage)
Figure 4-5 shows the directory structure for the WebCenter Content user interface Managed Server domain directories.
Figure 4-5 File Layout for MSERVER Domain Directories for the WebCenter Content User Interface
Table 4-4 summarizes the directory structure for an Oracle WebLogic Server domain that includes Oracle WebCenter Content and Oracle SOA Suite Managed Servers that share storage.
Table 4-4 Contents of Shared Storage for the Oracle WebCenter Content Domain
WebLogic Servers | Type of Data | Volume in Shared Storage | Mount Point | Files and Subdirectories |
Mount Host |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Administration Server and all Managed Servers running on WCCHOST1 |
FMW Products Installation |
|
|
This volume is mounted as local storage for WCCHOST1. |
WCCHOST1 |
Administration Server and all Managed Servers running on WCCHOST2 |
FMW Products Installation |
|
|
This volume is mounted as local storage for WCCHOST2. |
WCCHOST2 |
Administration Server |
Domain |
|
|
This shared volume is used for the Administration Server domain configuration and cluster-related subdirectories. (WCCHOST1 and WCCHOST2 mount |
WCCHOST1 |
WLS_WCC1, WLS_IBR1, WLS_SOA1, WLS_IMG1, WLS_CPT1 |
Domain configuration |
|
|
This volume is mounted on local storage for OraInventory and Managed Server domain configuration. WCCHOST1 mounts |
WCCHOST1 |
WLS_WCC2, WLS_IBR2, WLS_SOA2, WLS_IMG2, WLS_CPT2 |
Domain configuration |
|
|
This volume is mounted on local storage for OraInventory and Managed Server domain configuration. WCCHOST2 mounts |
WCCHOST2 |
Oracle Web Tier |
Web tier |
|
|
This volume is mounted on local storage for OHS installation. WCCHOST1 mounts |
WEBHOST1 |
Oracle Web Tier |
Web tier installation and |
|
|
This volume is mounted on local storage for OHS installation. WCCHOST2 mounts |
WEBHOST2 |
Table 4-5 summarizes the directory structure for an Oracle WebLogic Server domain that includes the WebCenter Content user interface.
Table 4-5 Contents of Shared Storage for the WebCenter Content User Interface Domain
WebLogic Servers | Type of Data | Volume in Shared Storage | Mount Point | Files and Subdirectories |
Mount Host |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Administration Server and all Managed Servers running on WCCUIHOST1 |
FMW Products Installation |
|
u01/oracle/products |
This volume is mounted as local storage for WCCUIHOST1. |
WCCUIHOST1 |
Administration Server and all Managed Servers running on WCCUIHOST2 |
FMW Products Installation |
|
u01/oracle/products |
This volume is mounted as local storage for WCCUIHOST2. |
WCCUIHOST2 |
Administration Server |
Domain |
|
u01/oracle/config |
This shared volume is used for the Administration Server domain configuration. (WCCUIHOST1 and WCCUIHOST2 mount |
WCCUIHOST1 WCCUIHOST2 |
WLS_WCCUI1 |
Domain configuration |
|
/u02/oracle |
This volume is mounted on local storage for OraInventory and Managed Server domain configuration. (WCCUIHOST1 mounts |
WCCUIHOST1 |
WLS_WCCUI2 |
Domain configuration |
|
/u02/oracle |
This volume is mounted on local storage for OraInventory and Managed Server domain configuration. (WCCHOST2 mounts |
WCCUIHOST2 |
The following sections describe some basic recommendations for using shared storage in an enterprise deployment topology:
Section 4.4.1, "Shared Storage Recommendations for Binary (Oracle Home) Directories"
Section 4.4.2, "Shared Storage Recommendations for Domain Configuration Files"
Section 4.4.3, "Directory Locations in the Reference Topology"
The following sections describe guidelines for using shared storage for your Oracle Fusion Middleware Oracle home directories:
Section 4.4.1.1, "About the Binary (Oracle Home) Directories"
Section 4.4.1.2, "About Sharing a Single Oracle Home for Multiple Domains"
Section 4.4.1.3, "About Using Redundant Binary (Oracle Home) Directories"
When you install any Oracle Fusion Middleware product, you install the product binaries into an Oracle home. The binary files installed in the Oracle home are read-only and remain unchanged unless the Oracle home is patched or upgraded to a newer version.
In a typical production environment, the Oracle home files are saved in a separate location from the domain configuration files, which you create using the Oracle Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard.
The Middleware home for an Oracle Fusion Middleware installation contains the binaries for Oracle WebLogic Server, the Oracle Fusion Middleware infrastructure files, and any Oracle Fusion Middleware product-specific directories.
For more information about the structure and contents of an Oracle Fusion Middleware Oracle home, see Concepts.
Oracle Fusion Middleware enables you to configure multiple Oracle WebLogic Server domains from a single Oracle home. This enables you to install the Oracle home in a single location on a shared volume and reuse the Oracle home for multiple hosts installations.
Note:
The domain directories of the Managed Servers can reside in local or shared storage. If the WebCenter Content Managed Servers or Inbound Refinery Managed Servers use shared storage, they should use different volumes because each Managed Server uses a node-specific file.When a Middleware home is shared by multiple servers on different hosts, there are some best practices to keep in mind. In particular, be sure that the Oracle Inventory directory (oraInventory
) on each host is updated for consistency and for the application of patches.
To update oraInventory
for a host and attach a Middleware home on shared storage, use the following command:
MW_HOME/oui/bin/attachHome.sh
In the Oracle WebCenter Content reference topology for an enterprise deployment, MW_HOME
is the /u01/oracle/products/fmw_home
directory.
For more information about the Oracle Inventory, see "Oracle Universal Installer Inventory" in the Oracle Universal Installer and OPatch User's Guide.
For maximum availability, Oracle recommends using redundant binary installations on shared storage.
In this model, you install two identical Middleware homes for your Oracle Fusion Middleware software on two different shared volumes. You then mount one Middleware home to one set of servers, and the other Middleware home to the remaining servers. Each Middleware home has the same mount point, so the Middleware home always has the same path, regardless of which Middleware home the server is using.
Should one Middleware home become corrupted or unavailable, only half your servers are affected. For additional protection, Oracle recommends that you disk-mirror these volumes.
If separate volumes are not available on shared storage, Oracle recommends simulating separate volumes by using different directories within the same volume and mounting these to the same mount location on the host side. Although this does not guarantee the protection that multiple volumes provide, it does allow protection from user deletions and individual file corruption.
The following sections describe guidelines for using shared storage for the Oracle WebLogic Server domain configuration files you create when you configure your Oracle Fusion Middleware products in an enterprise deployment:
When you configure an Oracle Fusion Middleware product, you create or extend an Oracle WebLogic Server domain. Each Oracle WebLogic Server domain consists of a single Administration Server and one or more Managed Servers.
For more information about Oracle WebLogic Server domains, see Understanding Domain Configuration for Oracle WebLogic Server.
In an enterprise deployment, it is important to understand that the Managed Servers in a domain can be configured for active-active high availability, but the Administration server cannot. The Administration Server is a singleton service; that is, it can be active on only one host at any given time.
Oracle recommends creating two copies of the domain configuration files:
One copy is for the Administration Server configuration files.
You install this directory on shared storage and mount it exclusively to the host that is running the Administration Server.
In the event of the failure of that host, you can mount the directory on a different host, and have the Administration Server started on that host.
The other copy is for the Managed Server configuration files.
The domain directories of the Managed Servers can reside in local or shared storage. If the WebCenter Content Managed Servers or the Inbound Refinery Managed Servers use shared storage, they should use different volumes because they use node-specific files, such as the following ones:
WebCenter Content uses MSERVER_HOME
/ucm/cs/bin/intradoc.cfg
.
In the reference topology, MSERVER_HOME
is the /u02/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain
directory.
Inbound Refinery uses MSERVER_HOME
/ucm/ibr/bin/intradoc.cfg
.
Sharing domain directories for Managed Servers facilitates the scale-out procedures. However, sharing the Managed Server configuration files could have a performance impact.
As a result, the deployment you decide upon should conform to the requirements (if any) of the storage system. Some storage systems offer configuration options to facilitate multiple machines mounting the same shared volume.
The configuration steps provided for this reference topology are based on the assumption that a local domain directory for each node is used for each Managed Server.
Based on the previous assumptions, the following paragraphs describe the recommended directories. Wherever a shared storage location is directly specified, it is implied that shared storage is required for that directory. When using local disk or shared storage is optional, the mount specification is qualified with "if using a shared disk."
Shared storage is the path on the share (volume) on the storage device. The shared storage locations are examples and can be changed as long as the provided mount points are used. Oracle recommends this structure on the shared storage device for consistency and simplicity.
The following file-system locations are recommended for directories in the Oracle WebCenter Content domain:
/u01/oracle/products/fmw_home
Note:
When just one volume is available in shared storage, you can provide redundancy by using different directories to protect from accidental file deletions and for patching purposes. You could make two Middleware homes available, for example, at these directories:/u01/oracle/products/fmw_home1
and /u01/oracle/products/fmw_home2
. These Middleware homes would be mounted on the same mount point in all nodes.WebLogic Server home (WL_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/fmw_home/wlserver_10.3
Oracle WebCenter Content Oracle home (WCC_ORACLE_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/fmw_home/wcc_home
Oracle Common home (ORACLE_COMMON_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/fmw_home/oracle_common
Domain directory for the Administration Server (ASERVER_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain
The Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard adds the WCCDomain
directory.
Domain directory for the Managed Servers (MSERVER_HOME
)
/u02/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain
The Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard adds the WCCDomain
directory.
Location of all component cluster-related files, including JMS file-based stores and tlogs
All component cluster-related files and Inbound Refinery files go under one shared storage volume mounted to both hosts. A subdirectory for each cluster and a subdirectory for the Inbound Refinery servers are created under ASERVER_HOME
, as follows:
/u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain/WCC_Cluster /u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain/SOA_Cluster /u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain/IMG_Cluster /u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain/CPT_Cluster /u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain/IBR_Servers
In the reference topology, ASERVER_HOME
is the /u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCDomain
directory.
Location of the application directory for the Administration Server and Managed Servers
/u01/oracle/config/applications/WCCDomain
Note:
This directory is local in the context of the Oracle WebCenter Content enterprise deployment. A shared domain directory for a Managed Server with Oracle WebCenter Content Server does not work because certain files within the domain, such asintradoc.cfg
, are specific to each node.Web Tier Oracle home (WT_ORACLE_HOME
)
/u02/oracle/products/fmw_home/web_home
Note:
Web tier installation is usually performed on storage local to the WEBHOSTn nodes. When using shared storage, you need to consider appropriate security restrictions for access to the storage device across tiers.Oracle HTTP Server Oracle instance (OHS_ORACLE_INSTANCE
)
/u02/oracle/products/fmw_home/ohs_instance_name
The following file-system locations are recommended for directories in the WebCenter Content user interface domain:
Middleware home for the WebCenter Content user interface (WCCUI_MW_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/WCCUI_MW_HOME
WebLogic Server home for the WebCenter Content user interface (WCCUI_WL_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/WCCUI_MW_HOME/wlserver_10.3
Oracle home for the WebCenter Content user interface (WCCUI_ORACLE_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/WCCUI_MW_HOME/wccui_home
Oracle Common home for the WebCenter Content user interface (WCCUI_ORACLE_COMMON_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/products/WCCUI_MW_HOME/oracle_common
WebCenter Content user interface domain directory for the Administration Server (WCCUI_ASERVER_HOME
)
/u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCUIDomain
The Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard adds the WCCUIDomain
directory.
Domain directory for the Managed Servers (WCCUI_MSERVER_HOME
)
/u02/oracle/config/domains/WCCUIDomain
The Fusion Middleware Configuration Wizard adds the WCCUIDomain
directory.
Location of all component cluster-related files, including JMS file-based stores and tlogs
All component cluster-related files go under one shared storage volume mounted to both hosts. A subdirectory for the WebCenter Content user interface cluster is created under WCCUI_ASERVER_HOME
, as follows:
/u01/oracle/config/domains/WCCUIDomain/WCCUI_Cluster
Location of application directory for the Administration Server and Managed Servers in the WebCenter Content user interface domain
/u01/oracle/config/applications/WCCUIDomain
Use the following commands to create and mount shared storage locations so that WCCHOST1 and WCCHOST2 can see the same location for binary installation in two separate volumes.
Note:
The user ID used to create a shared storage file system owns those files and has read, write, and execute privileges for them. Other users in the operating system group can read and execute the files, but they do not have write privileges. For more information about installation and configuration privileges, see the "Understanding Installation and Configuration Privileges and Users" section in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Planning Guide.In the commands, nasfiler
is the shared storage filer.
mount nasfiler:/export/wcc_edg/vol1a /u01/oracle/products/fmw_home -t nfs
From WCCHOST2:
mount nasfiler:/export/wcc_edg/vol2a /u01/oracle/products/fmw_home -t nfs
Validation of the Shared Storage Configuration
Ensure that you can read and write files to the newly mounted directories by creating a test file in the shared storage location you just configured.
For example:
cd newly_mounted_directory
touch testfile
Verify that the owner and permissions are correct:
ls -l testfile
Then remove the file:
rm testfile