3.3.3 Configuring Instance Settings
Control a variety of general settings for an Oracle Application Express development instance including configuring workspace provisioning behavior, storage, email, wallet information, report printing, Help menu, workspace size options, and application ID ranges.
Note:
To ensure the security and performance of your development environment, this functionality is not available in Application Express instances running in Oracle Cloud.- About Configuring Workspace Provisioning
The Instance administrator determines the amount of automation when provisioning (or creating) a workspace. - Disabling Email Provisioning
Use Email Provisioning in conjunction with the Provisioning Method, Automatic, to disable workspace provisioning and send users a message. - Configuring Storage
Instance administrators can configure the following Storage options: require a new schema when requesting a workspace, auto extend tablespaces, automaticaly approve storage requests, or delete uploaded files in a specified number of days. - Configuring Email
To enable Oracle Application Express to send mail, an instance administrator must configure instance-level email settings. - Configuring Wallet Information
Configure wallet information (which store authentication and signing credentials) for an Oracle Application Express instance. - Configuring Report Printing for an Instance
Enable end users to download and print reports in various formats, including PDF. - Configuring the Help Menu
Configure the target URL of the Help menu that displays in the upper right corner of the Oracle Application Express development environment. - Configuring Workspace Size Requests
Configure the size options available to users when they request a new workspace and schema or request additional storage for an existing workspace. - Managing Application ID Range
Control the range for IDs of new applications. - Configuring Background Jobs
Configure the Background Job Class and the Minimum Execution Cadence settings.
See Also:
Parent topic: Managing Instance Settings
3.3.3.1 About Configuring Workspace Provisioning
The Instance administrator determines the amount of automation when provisioning (or creating) a workspace.
To determine how provisioning works, an Instance Administrator selects one of the following Provisioning Methods on the Instance Settings page:
-
Manual - An Instance administrator creates new workspaces and notifies the Workspace administrator regarding the Sign In credentials.
-
Request - Users request a workspace. Once an administrator approves the request, the user receives an email containing an email verification link. After the user clicks the email verification link, the workspace is created.
-
Automatic - Works similar to Request except requests are automatically approved with no administrator review required.
To enable users to request a workspace using a link on the Sign In page, the Instance administrator must choose either the Request or Automatic Provisioning Method. If the Provisioning Method is set to Manual, no link appears on the Sign In page.
Note:
An instance administrator must configure instance-level email in order for Oracle Application Express to send the emails required for the Request or Automatic Provisioning Methods.
See Also:
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.2 Disabling Email Provisioning
Use Email Provisioning in conjunction with the Provisioning Method, Automatic, to disable workspace provisioning and send users a message.
Selecting Disabled for Email Provisioning enables you to display message to users that explains why workspace provisioning is disabled.
To disable email provisioning:
See Also:
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.3 Configuring Storage
Instance administrators can configure the following Storage options: require a new schema when requesting a workspace, auto extend tablespaces, automaticaly approve storage requests, or delete uploaded files in a specified number of days.
- Requiring a New Schema
Control if a user requesting a workspace can select an existing schema or must request a new schema. - Enabling Auto Extend Tablespaces
Enable Auto Extend Tablespaces. - Enabling Bigfile Tablespaces
Enable support for bigfile tablespaces. - Enabling Encrypted Tablespaces
Enable support for encrypted tablespaces. - Enabling Automatic Approval of Storage Requests
Automatically enable the approval of storage requests up to the selected size. - Deleting Uploaded Files
Specify the number of days after which Oracle Application Express automatically deletes uploaded files.
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.3.1 Requiring a New Schema
Control if a user requesting a workspace can select an existing schema or must request a new schema.
To require a new schema when creating a workspace:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Scroll down to Storage.
- From Require New Schema, select one of the
following:
- Yes - Requires users to request a new schema when they request a new workspace.
- No - Enables users to select an existing schema when they request a new workspace.
- Click Apply Changes.
See Also:
Parent topic: Configuring Storage
3.3.3.3.2 Enabling Auto Extend Tablespaces
Enable Auto Extend Tablespaces.
If Auto Extend Tablespaces is enabled, tablespaces provisioned with Oracle Application Express are created with a data file that is one tenth the requested size. The data file automatically extends up to the requested size. For example, if a user requests a 100 MB workspace, the initial size of the data file is 10 MB and automatically extends up to a maximum size of 100 MB.
To enable Auto Extend Tablespaces:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Scroll down to Storage.
- To enable Auto Extend Tablespaces, select Yes.
- Click Apply Changes.
Parent topic: Configuring Storage
3.3.3.3.3 Enabling Bigfile Tablespaces
Enable support for bigfile tablespaces.
When a workspace is provisioned, Oracle Application Express creates the associated database user, tablespace, and data file. If Bigfile Tablespaces is enabled, tablespaces provisioned with Oracle Application Express are created as bigfile tablespaces. A bigfile tablespace is a tablespace with a single, but very large data file. Traditional smallfile tablespaces, in contrast, can contain multiple data files, but the files cannot be as large.
Tip:
Oracle does not recommend using bigfile tablespaces on platforms that do not support large file sizes and can limit tablespace capacity. Refer to your operating system specific documentation for information about maximum supported file sizes.
To enable bigfile tablespaces:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Scroll down to Storage.
- For Bigfile Tablespaces, select Yes.
- Click Apply Changes.
See Also:
"Available Parameter Values" in Oracle Application Express API Reference to learn about the BIGFILE_TABLESPACES_ENABLED
parameter
Parent topic: Configuring Storage
3.3.3.3.4 Enabling Encrypted Tablespaces
Enable support for encrypted tablespaces.
If Encrypted Tablespaces is enabled, tablespaces provisioned with Oracle Application Express are created as encrypted tablespaces using the Oracle database feature Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). TDE encrypts sensitive data stored in data files. To prevent unauthorized decryption, TDE stores the encryption keys in a security module external to the database.
To be able to exploit this feature in Application Express, an encryption wallet must be created and with a master encryption key set. Additionally, the encryption wallet must be open before provisioning a new Application Express workspace.
To enable Encrypted Tablespaces:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Scroll down to Storage.
- For Encrypted Tablespaces, select Yes.
- Click Apply Changes.
See Also:
"Available Parameter Values" in Oracle Application Express API Reference to learn about the ENCRYPTED_TABLESPACES_ENABLED
parameter
Parent topic: Configuring Storage
3.3.3.3.5 Enabling Automatic Approval of Storage Requests
Automatically enable the approval of storage requests up to the selected size.
To use this option, the workspace Provisioning Method must be set to Automatic. If the workspace Provisioning Method is set to Manual or Request then storage requests cannot be automatically approved.
To automatically enable the approve storage requests:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Scroll down to Storage.
- For Automatically Approve Requests, select a value.
- Click Apply Changes.
See Also:
Parent topic: Configuring Storage
3.3.3.3.6 Deleting Uploaded Files
Specify the number of days after which Oracle Application Express automatically deletes uploaded files.
Use Delete Uploaded Files After (days) to specify the number of days after which Oracle Application Express automatically deletes uploaded files. Note this automatic deletion process applies to all workspaces in an Oracle Application Express instance. The types of files that are deleted include:
-
Application Export
-
CSS Export
-
Images Export
-
Page Export
-
Plug-in
-
Script Export
-
Spreadsheet / Text Data Import
-
Static Files Export
-
Themes
-
User Interface Defaults
-
Workspace Export
-
XML Data Import
To configure when export and import files are deleted:
Tip:
To view a summary of deleted files, see the Automatic File Delete Log. See "Monitoring Activity Across a Development Instance"
Parent topic: Configuring Storage
3.3.3.4 Configuring Email
To enable Oracle Application Express to send mail, an instance administrator must configure instance-level email settings.
Tip:
You can configure Oracle Application Express to automatically email users their login credentials when a new workspace request has been approved. See "About Specifying How Workspaces Are Created" and "Selecting a Workspace Provisioning Mode."
- About Enabling Network Services
You must enable network services in Oracle Database 11g or later versions to send outbound mail, use Web services, or use PDF report printing in Oracle Application Express. - Configuring Email in a Full Development Environment
An Instance administrator must configure Oracle Application Express to send mail in a full development environment. - Configuring Email in a Runtime Environment
An Instance administrator must configure Oracle Application Express to send mail in a runtime environment. - Determining Email Settings in a Runtime Environment
Determine email settings in runtime environment.
See Also:
"Managing the Mail Queue" and "APEX_MAIL" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.4.1 About Enabling Network Services
You must enable network services in Oracle Database 11g or later versions to send outbound mail, use Web services, or use PDF report printing in Oracle Application Express.
Enabling network services enables support for sending outbound mail in Oracle Application Express, use of Web services in Oracle Application Express, and PDF report printing.
By default, the ability to interact with network services is disabled in
Oracle Database 11g Release 2 or later. Therefore, if you are running Oracle Application
Express with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 or later, you must use the new
DBMS_NETWORK_ACL_ADMIN
package to grant connect privileges to any
host for the APEX_210100
database user. Failing to grant these
privileges results in issues with:
-
Sending outbound mail in Oracle Application Express.
Users can call methods from the
APEX_MAIL
package, but issues arise when sending outbound email. -
Using Web services in Oracle Application Express.
-
PDF/report printing.
See Also:
"Installing and Configuring Application Express and Oracle REST Data Services" in Oracle Application Express Installation Guide
Parent topic: Configuring Email
3.3.3.4.2 Configuring Email in a Full Development Environment
An Instance administrator must configure Oracle Application Express to send mail in a full development environment.
To configure Oracle Application Express to send mail in a full development environment:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Scroll down to Storage.
- Under Email, edit the following:
- Click Apply Changes.
Parent topic: Configuring Email
3.3.3.4.3 Configuring Email in a Runtime Environment
An Instance administrator must configure Oracle Application Express to send mail in a runtime environment.
To configure Oracle Application Express to send mail in a runtime environment:
See Also:
"SET_PARAMETER Procedure" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Email
3.3.3.4.4 Determining Email Settings in a Runtime Environment
Determine email settings in runtime environment.
To determine email settings in runtime environment:
See Also:
"GET_PARAMETER Function" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Email
3.3.3.5 Configuring Wallet Information
Configure wallet information (which store authentication and signing credentials) for an Oracle Application Express instance.
- About SSL and Wallet Creation
A wallet is a password-protected container that stores authentication and signing credentials (including private keys, certificates, and trusted certificates) needed by SSL. - Configuring a Wallet in a Full Development Environment
Configure wallet settings a full development environment on the Instance Settings page. - Configuring a Wallet in a Runtime Environment
Configure wallet settings a runtime environment by starting SQL*Plus and running the following SQL statements. - Determining Wallet Settings in a Runtime Environment
Configure wallet settings in a runtime environment by starting SQL*Plus and running the following SQL statements.
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.5.1 About SSL and Wallet Creation
A wallet is a password-protected container that stores authentication and signing credentials (including private keys, certificates, and trusted certificates) needed by SSL.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is an industry standard protocol that uses RSA public key cryptography with symmetric key cryptography to provide authentication, encryption, and data integrity. When SSL is enabled, https
displays in the URL.
You must create a wallet if you:
-
Call a SSL-enabled URL (for example, by invoking a Web service).
-
Create a region of type URL that is SSL-enabled.
-
Configure secure SMTP, by setting the Use SSL/TLS attribute to Yes.
-
Have applications with LDAP authentication schemes that are configured to use SSL with Authentication.
Overview of Creating a Wallet
To create a wallet:
-
The database administrator must create a wallet on the Oracle Application Express database instance.
-
The instance administrator configures the Wallet attributes on the Instance Settings page to specify the file system path to the wallet and the wallet password (if required).
See Also:
-
"Using Oracle Wallet Manager" in Oracle Database Enterprise User Security Administrator's Guide
-
"About Working with SSL Enabled Web Services" in Oracle Application Express App Builder User’s Guide
Parent topic: Configuring Wallet Information
3.3.3.5.2 Configuring a Wallet in a Full Development Environment
Configure wallet settings a full development environment on the Instance Settings page.
To specify wallet settings in a full development environment:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Click Wallet.
- Under Wallet:
- Click Apply Changes.
Parent topic: Configuring Wallet Information
3.3.3.5.3 Configuring a Wallet in a Runtime Environment
Configure wallet settings a runtime environment by starting SQL*Plus and running the following SQL statements.
To specify wallet settings in a runtime environment:
See Also:
"SET_PARAMETER Procedure" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Wallet Information
3.3.3.5.4 Determining Wallet Settings in a Runtime Environment
Configure wallet settings in a runtime environment by starting SQL*Plus and running the following SQL statements.
To determine wallet settings in a runtime environment:
See Also:
"GET_PARAMETER Function" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Wallet Information
3.3.3.6 Configuring Report Printing for an Instance
Enable end users to download and print reports in various formats, including PDF.
- About Configuring Report Printing
Enable report printing by configuring printing settings at the instance level, application level, and page and region level. - Configuring Report Printing in a Full Development Environment
Configure the print server type for an instance by editing the Print Server Type attribute on the Instance Settings page. - Configuring Report Printing Settings in a Runtime Environment
Configure report printing settings in a runtime environment by starting SQL*Plus and running the following SQL statements. - Determining Report Printing Settings in a Runtime Environment
Determine report printing settings in a runtime environment.
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.6.1 About Configuring Report Printing
Enable report printing by configuring printing settings at the instance level, application level, and page and region level.
To set up report printing functionality, you must configure the following printing settings:
-
Instance Level: For full development environments, instance administrators must select a Print Server under Instance Settings, Report Printer. In runtime environments, instance administrators must specify the level of functionality (Standard or Advanced) for an entire Oracle Application Express instance, as described in this section.
-
Application Level: Developers can specify a Print Server at the application-level by editing the Print Server Type attribute on the Application Definition page. Alternatively, workspace administrators and developers can define Report Queries and Report Layouts. Report Queries and Report Layouts are stored under Shared Components and are not tied to a specific page.
-
Page/Region Level: Developers can edit the report regions on specific pages to enable printing. This enables end users to print regions as reports in various formats.
See Also:
"Printing Report Regions" in Oracle Application Express App Builder User’s Guide
Parent topic: Configuring Report Printing for an Instance
3.3.3.6.2 Configuring Report Printing in a Full Development Environment
Configure the print server type for an instance by editing the Print Server Type attribute on the Instance Settings page.
To configure the printing of reports in a full development environment:
Tip:
You can override the Print Server Type instance-level setting at the application-level by editing the Print Server Type attribute on the Application Definition page.
See Also:
-
"Configuring Report Printing at the Application-Level" in Oracle Application Express App Builder User’s Guide
-
PDF Printing in Application Express to learn more about installing and configuring Oracle BI Publisher.
Parent topic: Configuring Report Printing for an Instance
3.3.3.6.3 Configuring Report Printing Settings in a Runtime Environment
Configure report printing settings in a runtime environment by starting SQL*Plus and running the following SQL statements.
To configure report printing settings in a runtime environment:
See Also:
"SET_PARAMETER Procedure" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Report Printing for an Instance
3.3.3.6.4 Determining Report Printing Settings in a Runtime Environment
Determine report printing settings in a runtime environment.
To determine report printing settings in a runtime environment:
See Also:
-
See "Table 3-4" for a description of available parameters.
-
"GET_PARAMETER Function" in Oracle Application Express API Reference
Parent topic: Configuring Report Printing for an Instance
3.3.3.7 Configuring the Help Menu
Configure the target URL of the Help menu that displays in the upper right corner of the Oracle Application Express development environment.
To configure the Help menu:
See Also:
"Using Oracle Application Express Documentation" in Oracle Application Express App Builder User’s Guide
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.8 Configuring Workspace Size Requests
Configure the size options available to users when they request a new workspace and schema or request additional storage for an existing workspace.
To configure workspace size options:
- Sign in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services.
- Click Manage Instance.
- Under Instance Settings, click Instance Settings.
- Under New Workspace Request Size, specify the
following:
- Size in Megabytes - Edit the default numbers to change the size options.
- Display - Select Yes for all the size options you want to appear in the select list for workspace size.
- Default - Select the default value to appear in the storage field for workspace and change requests.
- Under Workspace Change Request Size, specify the
following:
- Size in Megabytes - Edit the default numbers to change the size options.
- Display - Select Yes for all the size options you want to appear in the select list for workspace size.
- Default - Select the default value to appear in the storage field for workspace and change requests.
- Click Apply Changes.
See Also:
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.9 Managing Application ID Range
Control the range for IDs of new applications.
You can separate ID ranges in large multi-instance installations to easily move workspaces between the instances and still keep their application IDs. To enable ID ranges, you must specify at least an ID Minimum.
To configure the application ID ranges:
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings
3.3.3.10 Configuring Background Jobs
Configure the Background Job Class and the Minimum Execution Cadence settings.
To configure Background Jobs settings:
Note:
"Job Classes" in Oracle Database Administrator’s Guide
Parent topic: Configuring Instance Settings