18 Extending the Domain with Oracle B2B

The procedures explained in this chapter guide you through the process of extending the enterprise deployment domain to include Oracle B2B.

The Oracle B2B and Healthcare distribution includes the software required to configure Oracle B2B or Oracle SOA for Healthcare.

Note:

For X12 HIPAA use cases, you can use the Oracle B2B domain extension steps described in this chapter. However, if you are a healthcare provider using HL7 documents, refer to Extending the Domain with Oracle SOA Suite for Healthcare Integration, and extend the domain with the Oracle SOA Suite for Healthcare Integration software.

Variables Used When Configuring Oracle B2B

As you perform the tasks in this chapter, you reference the directory variables that are listed in this section.

The values for several directory variables are defined in File System and Directory Variables Used in This Guide.

  • ORACLE_HOME

  • ASERVER_HOME

  • MSERVER_HOME

  • WEB_DOMAIN_HOME

  • JAVA_HOME

In addition, you reference the following virtual IP (VIP) addresses that are defined in Physical and Virtual IP Addresses Required by the Enterprise Topology:

  • ADMINVHN

Actions in this chapter are performed on the following host computers:

  • SOAHOST1

  • SOAHOST2

  • WEBHOST1

  • WEBHOST2

Support for Dynamic Clusters in Oracle B2B

Oracle B2B supports two different topologies: static clusters-based topology and dynamic clusters-based topology. When choosing the dynamic cluster topology, there are some differences with respect to the conventional static clusters configuration.

Static clusters, also called configured clusters, are conventional clusters where you manually configure and add each server instance. A dynamic cluster includes a new "server-template" object that is used to define a centralized configuration for all generated (dynamic) server instances. When you create a dynamic cluster, the dynamic servers are preconfigured and automatically generated for you. This feature enables you to scale up the number of server instances in the dynamic cluster when you need additional server capacity. You can simply start the dynamic servers without having to first manually configure and add them to the cluster.

The steps in this section include instructions to configure the domain for both static or dynamic topologies. The differences between the two types of configurations are listed below:
  • The Configuration Wizard process may differ for each case. For example, you should define server templates for dynamic clusters instead of servers.

  • For dynamic clusters, you should perform the server-specific configurations such as setting the listen address, configuring the upload and staging directories, or configuring the keystores in the server template instead of in the server.

  • Service migration is configured in a different way for dynamic clusters. Dynamic clusters do not use migratable targets, instead the JMS resources are targeted to the cluster. Specific procedure for configuring service migration for dynamic clusters is included in this guide.

Mixed clusters (clusters that contains both dynamic and configured server instances) are not supported in the Oracle SOA Suite enterprise deployment.

Prerequisites for Extending the SOA Domain to Include Oracle B2B

Before you extend the current domain, ensure that your existing deployment meets the prerequisites specified in this section.

  • Back up the installation. If you have not yet backed up the existing Fusion Middleware Home and domain, Oracle recommends backing it up now.

    To back up the existing Fusion Middleware Home and domain, see Performing Backups and Recoveries in the SOA Enterprise Deployments.

  • There is an existing WL_HOME and SOA ORACLE_HOME (binaries) installed in previous chapters on a shared storage and available from SOAHOST1 and SOAHOST2.

  • Node Manager, Admin Server, SOA Servers, and WSM Servers exist and have been configured as described in previous chapters to run a SOA system.

  • You do not need to run RCU to load additional schemas for B2B, these are part of the SOA repository and were loaded into the DB in the SOA chapter.

  • You do not need to create an additional cluster because B2B components are added to the previously created SOA_cluster.

Installing Oracle B2B for an Enterprise Deployment

Use the following sections to install the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure software in preparation for configuring a new domain for an enterprise deployment.

Starting the Oracle B2B and Healthcare Installer on SOAHOST1

To start the installation program, perform the following steps.

  1. Log in to SOAHOST1.
  2. Go to the directory where you downloaded the installation program.
  3. Launch the installation program by invoking the java executable from the JDK directory on your system, as shown in the example below.
    JAVA_HOME/bin/java -d64 -jar distribution_file_name.jar
    

    In this example:

    • Replace JAVA_HOME with the environment variable or actual JDK location on your system.

    • Replace distribution_file_name with the actual name of the distribution jar file.

      Note that if you download the distribution from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN), then the jar file is typically packaged inside a downloadable compressed file.

      To install the software required for the B2B domain, the distribution that you want to install is fmw_12.2.1.3.0_b2bhealthcare_generic.jar.

      For more information about the actual file names of each distribution, see Identifying and Obtaining Software Downloads for an Enterprise Deployment.

When the installation program appears, you are ready to begin the installation. See Navigating the Installation Screens for a description of each installation program screen.

Navigating the Oracle B2B Installation Screens

Table 18-1 provides description of each installation program screen.

Table 18-1 Oracle B2B Install Screens

Screen Description

Installation Inventory Setup

On UNIX operating systems, if this is the first time you are installing any Oracle product on this host, this screen appears. Specify the location where you want to create your central inventory. Make sure that the operating system group name selected on this screen has write permissions to the central inventory location.

For more information about the central inventory, see Understanding the Oracle Central Inventory in Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer.

Note:

Oracle recommends that you configure the central inventory directory on the products shared volume. Example: /u01/oracle/products/oraInventory

You may also need to execute the createCentralinventory.sh script as root from the oraInventory folder after the installer completes.

Welcome

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.

Installation Location

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.

Installation Type

Use this screen to select the type of installation and consequently, the products and feature sets that you want to install.

Select B2B

NOTE: The topology in this document does not include the examples, Oracle strongly recommends that you do not install the examples into a production environment.

Prerequisite Checks

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 Roadmap for Verifying Your System Environment in Installing and Configuring the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure.

Installation Summary

Use this screen to verify the installation options that you selected. If you want to save these options to a response file, click Save Response File and provide the location and name of the response file. Response files can be used later in a silent installation situation.

For more information about silent or command-line installation, see Using the Oracle Universal Installer in Silent Mode in Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer.

Click Install to begin the installation.

Installation Progress

This screen allows you to see the progress of the installation.

Click Next when the progress bar reaches 100% complete.

Installation Complete

Review the information on this screen, then click Finish to dismiss the installer.

Installing the Software on Other Host Computers

If you have configured a separate shared storage volume or partition for SOAHOST2, then you must also install the software on SOAHOST2. For more information, see Shared Storage Recommendations When Installing and Configuring an Enterprise Deployment.

Note that the location where you install the Oracle home (which contains the software binaries) varies, depending upon the host. To identify the proper location for your Oracle home directories, refer to the guidelines in File System and Directory Variables Used in This Guide.

Verifying the B2B or Healthcare Installation

After you complete the installation, you can verify it by successfully completing the following tasks.

Reviewing the Installation Log Files

Review the contents of the installation log files to make sure that no problems were encountered. For a description of the log files and where to find them, see Understanding Installation Log Files in Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer.

Checking the Directory Structure

The contents of your installation vary based on the options that you select during the installation process.

The addition of Oracle B2B adds the following directory and sub-directories:

ls --format=single-column ORACLE_HOME/soa/soa/thirdparty/edifecs/

Common
XEngine

For more information about the directory structure you should see after installation, see What are the Key Oracle Fusion Middleware Directories? in Understanding Oracle Fusion Middleware.

Viewing the Contents of Your Oracle Home

You can also view the contents of your Oracle home by using the viewInventory script. See Viewing the contents of an Oracle home in Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer.

Running the Configuration Wizard to Extend for Oracle B2B

To extend the domain to include Oracle B2B, refer to the following sections.

Starting the Configuration Wizard

Note:

If you added any customizations directly to the start scripts in the domain, those are overwritten by the configuration wizard. To customize server startup parameters that apply to all servers in a domain, you can create a file called setUserOverridesLate.sh and configure it to, for example, add custom libraries to the WebLogic Server classpath, specify additional JAVA command-line options for running the servers, or specify additional environment variables. Any customizations that you add to this file are preserved during domain upgrade operations, and are carried over to remote servers when you use the pack and unpack commands.

To start the Configuration Wizard:

  1. From the WebLogic Server Console, stop any managed servers that are modified by this domain extension. Managed Servers that are not effected can remain on-line.

    Note:

    This specific domain extension for Oracle B2B component modifies the WLS_SOAn managed servers. Be sure to shut down these Managed Servers.
  2. Verify the status of the managed servers, and then stop the Administration Server.
  3. Navigate to the following directory and start the WebLogic Server Configuration Wizard.
    cd ORACLE_HOME/oracle_common/common/bin
    ./config.sh

Navigating the Configuration Wizard Screens for Oracle B2B

Follow the instructions in this section to extend the domain for Oracle B2B, with static or dynamic clusters. The steps are same for both types of clusters.

Note:

This procedure assumes that you are extending an existing domain. If your needs do not match the instructions given in the procedure, ensure that you make your selections accordingly, or refer to the supporting documentation for additional details.

Domain creation and configuration includes the following tasks:

Task 1   Selecting the Domain Type and Domain Home Location

On the Configuration Type screen, select Update an existing domain.

In the Domain Location field, select the value of the ASERVER_HOME variable, which represents the complete path to the Administration Server domain home you created in Creating the Initial Infrastructure Domain for an Enterprise Deployment.

For more information about the directory location variables, see File System and Directory Variables Used in This Guide

Tip:

More information about the other options on this screen can be found in Configuration Type in Creating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.

Task 2   Selecting the Configuration Template

On the Templates screen, make sure Update Domain Using Product Templates is selected, then select the following templates:

  • Oracle B2B - 12.2.1.3.0 [soa]

In addition, the following additional templates should already be selected, because they were used to create the initial domain and extend it to SOA:

  • Basic Weblogic Server Domain - 12.2.1.3.0 [wlserver]

  • Oracle SOA Suite 12.2.1.3.0 [soa]

  • Oracle Enterprise Manager - 12.2.1.3.0 [em]

  • Oracle WSM Policy Manager - 12.2.1.3.0 [oracle_common]

  • Oracle JRF - 12.2.1.3.0 [oracle_common]

  • WebLogic Coherence Cluster Extension - 12.2.1.3.0 [wlserver]

Tip:

More information about the options on this screen can be found in Templates in Creating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration WizardCreating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.

Task 3   Providing the GridLink Oracle RAC Database Connection Details

All fields are pre-populated because you already configured the domain to reference the Fusion Middleware schemas that are required for the Infrastructure domain. B2B uses the existing data sources for SOA and no new data sources need to be added to the domain.

Note:

Any custom data sources that were created before the extension (such as LEASING data sources) will show up before this screen. Check the Datasources row and click Next. The test data source screen will verify its validity.

Click Next.

Task 4   Testing the JDBC Connections

On the Test JDBC Data Sources screen, confirm that all connections were successful.

The connections are tested automatically. The Status column displays the results. If all connections are not successful, click Previous to return to the previous screen and correct your entries.

Click Next when all the connections are successful.

Task 5   Selecting Advanced Configuration

To complete domain configuration for the topology, do not select any additional options on the Advanced Configuration screen and Click Next. B2B applications and required artifacts will be targeted automatically to the existing SOA servers

Task 6   Reviewing Your Configuration Specifications and Configuring the Domain

The Configuration Summary screen contains the detailed configuration information for the domain you are about to extend. Review the details of each item on the screen and verify that the information is correct.

If you need to make any changes, you can go back to any previous screen , either by using the Back button or by selecting the screen in the navigation pane.

Click Update to execute the domain extension.

In the Configuration Progress screen, click Next when it finishes.

Tip:

More information about the options on this screen can be found in Configuration Summary in Creating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.

Task 7   Writing Down Your Domain Home and Administration Server URL

The Configuration Success screen will show the following items about the domain you just configured:

  • Domain Location

  • Administration Server URL

You must make a note of both items as you will need them later; the domain location is needed to access the scripts used to start the Administration Server, and the URL is needed to access the Administration Server.

Click Finish to dismiss the configuration wizard.

Task 8   Start the Administration Server

Start the Administration Server to ensure the changes you have made to the domain have been applied.

Propagating the Extended Domain to the Domain Directories and Machines

After you have extended the domain with the B2B instances, and have restarted the Administration Server on SOAHOST1, you must propagate the domain changes to the domain directories and machines.

The following table summarizes the steps required to propagate the changes to all the domain directories and machines.

Task Description More Information

Pack up the Extended Domain on SOAHOST1

Use the pack command to create a new template jar file that contains the new BAM Servers configuration.

When you pack up the domain, create a template jar file called soadomaintemplateExtB2B.jar.

Packing Up the Extended Domain on SOAHOST1

Unpack the Domain in the Managed Servers Directory on SOAHOST1

Unpack the template jar file in the Managed Servers directory on SOAHOST1 local storage.

Unpacking the Domain in the Managed Servers Domain Directory on SOAHOST1

Unpack the Domain on SOAHOST2

Unpack the template jar file in the Managed Servers directory on the SOAHOST2 local storage.

Unpacking the Domain on SOAHOST2

Starting the B2B Suite Components

For configuration changes and start scripts to be effective, you must start the WLS_SOA server to which B2B has been added. Since B2B extends an already existing SOA system, the Administration Server and the respective Node Managers are already running in SOAHOST1 and SOAHOST2.

To start the added B2B components, start the SOA managed servers:

  1. Log into the Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console at:

    http://ADMINVHN:7001/em
    

    In this example:

    Replace ADMINVHN with the host name assigned to the ADMINVHN Virtual IP address in Identifying and Obtaining Software Downloads for an Enterprise Deployment.

    Port 7001 is the typical port used for the Administration Server console and Fusion Middleware Control. However, you should use the actual URL that was displayed at the end of the Configuration Wizard session when you created the domain.

  2. In the Domain Structure window, expand the Environment node, then select Servers.

    The Summary of Servers page appears.

  3. Click the Control tab.

  4. Select WLS_SOA1 from the Servers column of the table.

  5. Click Start.

  6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for WLS_SOA2.

Updating the B2B Instance Identifier for Transports

To set up File, FTP, or Email transports in a high availability environment, set the b2b.HAInstance property to true.

To do this follow these steps:

  1. Log in to Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control with the user name and password specified for the domain administration.
  2. Display the Target Navigation pane, by clicking the target navigation icon near the left top corner of the screen.
  3. In the navigation tree, expand SOA, and then right click the soa-infra(server_name), and select the SOA Administration, and then B2B Server Properties from the context menu.

    If there are multiple soa-infra (server_name), add the property only once.

  4. Click More B2B Configuration Properties.
    B2BConfig b2b should already be selected.
  5. Click the Operations tab.
  6. Click addProperty in the list on the right.
  7. In the Key field enter b2b.HAInstance.
  8. In the value field enter true.

    This property is stored in MDS and needs to be created only once for the cluster.

  9. Click Invoke.
After you define high availability properties, you can view them on the Attributes tab. To view the properties, click the Attributes tab and then click Properties. Expand the Element nodes in the Value table to verify the property names and values.

Configuring the Web Tier for the Extended Domain

Configure the web server instances on the web tier so that the instances route requests for both public and internal URLs to the proper clusters in the extended domain.

For additional steps in preparation for possible scale-out scenarios, see Updating Cross Component Wiring Information.

Configuring Oracle Traffic Director for the Extended Domain

If you have configured Oracle Traffic Director for this domain, you might be required to add additional origin server pools, virtual servers, or routes to the Oracle Traffic Director configuration. To understand the Oracle Traffic Director requirements for each Oracle Fusion Middleware product and for instructions on adding origin server pools, virtual servers, and routes, see Defining Oracle Traffic Director Virtual Servers for an Enterprise Deployment.

Configuring Oracle HTTP Server for Oracle B2B

Make the following modifications to the Oracle HTTP Server instance configuration files to ensure that the Oracle HTTP Server instances in the web tier can route Oracle B2B requests correctly to the Oracle B2B software on the Oracle SOA Suite cluster.

To enable Oracle HTTP Server to route requests to Oracle B2B Console and to Oracle B2B services:

  1. Log in to WEBHOST1 and change directory to the configuration directory for the first Oracle HTTP Server instance (ohs1):
    cd WEB_DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/components/OHS/ohs1/moduleconf
    
  2. Add the following directives inside the <VirtualHost> tag in the soa_vh.conf file:

    Note:

    Configure the port numbers appropriately as assigned for your static or dynamic cluster. Dynamic clusters with the Calculate Listen Port option selected have incremental port numbers for each dynamic managed server that is created automatically.

    The WebLogicCluster directive needs only a sufficient number of redundant server:port combinations to guarantee initial contact in case of a partial outage. The actual total list of cluster members is retrieve automatically upon first contact with any given node.

    # B2B
    <Location /b2bconsole>
      WLSRequest ON
      WebLogicCluster SOAHOST1:8001,SOAHOST2:8001
      WLProxySSL ON
      WLProxySSLPassThrough ON
    </Location>
    
    # B2B
    <Location /b2b/services>
      WLSRequest ON
      WebLogicCluster SOAHOST1:8001,SOAHOST2:8001
      WLProxySSL ON
      WLProxySSLPassThrough ON
    </Location>
    
    # B2B
    <Location /b2b/httpreceiver>
      WLSRequest ON
      WebLogicCluster SOAHOST1:8001,SOAHOST2:8001
      WLProxySSL ON
      WLProxySSLPassThrough ON
    </Location>
  3. Restart the ohs1 instance:
    1. Change directory to the following location:
      cd WEB_DOMAIN_HOME/bin
    2. Enter the following commands to stop and start the instance:
      ./stopComponent.sh ohs1
      ./startComponent.sh ohs1
  4. Log in to WEBHOST2 and copy the soa_vh.conf file to the configuration directory for the second Oracle HTTP Server instance (ohs_2):
    WEB_DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/components/OHS/ohs2/moduleconf
  5. Edit the soa_vh.conf file to change any references to WEBHOST1 to WEBHOST2.
  6. Restart the ohs2 instance:
    1. Change directory to the following location:
      cd WEB_DOMAIN_HOME/bin
    2. Enter the following commands to stop and start the instance:
      ./stopComponent.sh ohs2
      ./startComponent.sh ohs2

Adding the B2BAdmin Role to the SOA Administrators Group

Before you validate the Oracle B2B configuration on the Managed Servers, add the B2BAdmin administration role to the enterprise deployment administration group (SOA Administrators).

Validating Access to Oracle B2B Through the Load Balancer

Use the following steps to verify that the appropriate routing and failover is working from the load balancer to the HTTP Server instances to the B2B Suite Components on the Oracle SOA Suite Managed Server.

  1. Enter the following URL to access the Oracle B2B Console through the load balancer:
    https://soa.example.com/b2bconsole
    
  2. Log in by using weblogic_soa user. You should see the Oracle B2B Partner, Agreement, and Profile screen, as shown in Figure 18-1.

    Figure 18-1 Oracle B2B Partner, Agreement, and Profile Screen

    Description of Figure 18-1 follows
    Description of "Figure 18-1 Oracle B2B Partner, Agreement, and Profile Screen"
  3. Enter the following URL to access the Oracle B2B Web services endpoint:
    https://soa.example.com/b2b/services
    

    You see the links to the different B2B endpoints test.

Enabling JDBC Persistent Stores for Oracle B2B

In the enterprise topology, Oracle B2B is configured on the existing Oracle SOA Suite Managed Servers and uses the persistent stores of the SOA cluster. Oracle recommends that you use JDBC stores, which leverage the consistency, data protection, and high availability features of an Oracle database and makes resources available for all the servers in the cluster.

Follow these guidelines to ensure that you use JDBC stores, when you use static or dynamic clusters:

  • For static clusters

    If you have made the following selections in the High Availability Options screen, as recommended in this guide for static clusters, then JDBC persistent stores are already configured for both JMS and TLOGS:

    • Set JTA Transaction Log Persistence to JDBC TLog Store.

    • Set JMS Server Persistence to JMS JDBC Store.

  • For dynamic clusters

    You can configure only JMS Server persistence for dynamic clusters by using the Configuration Wizard. JTA Transaction Logs Persistence must be configure manually, if required. If you have made the following selections in the High Availability Options screen, as recommended in this guide for dynamic clusters, then JDBC persistent stores are already configured for JMS.

    • Set JMS Server Persistence to JMS JDBC Store.

    • Verify that JTA Transaction Log Persistence is set to Default Persistent Store.

    Additional steps are needed to configure JTA Transaction Log with JDBC store. See Roadmap for Configuring a JDBC Persistent Store for TLOGs.

In case you did not select JDBC for JMS and TLOGS persistent in the High Availability Options screen, you can still configure JDBC stores manually in a post step. For specific instructions to configure them manually, see Using JDBC Persistent Stores for TLOGs and JMS in an Enterprise Deployment.

Note:

The High Availability Options screen appears during the Configuration Wizard session for the first time when you create a cluster that uses Automatic Service Migration or JDBC stores or both. All subsequent clusters that are added to the domain by using the Configuration Wizard, automatically apply the selected HA options.

Enabling Automatic Service Migration for Oracle B2B

In the enterprise topology, Oracle B2B is configured on the existing Oracle SOA Suite Managed Servers. To ensure that B2B is configured for high availability, you must configure the SOA Servers for service migration.

Follow these guidelines to ensure that you provide the required high availability for Weblogic services when you use static or dynamic clusters:

  • For static clusters

    Automatic Service Migration is already configured if you select Enable Automatic Service Migration with Database Basis in the High Availability Options screen.

    The Database Leasing is already configured and the migratable targets are created with the appropriate policies for the cluster. If you have implemented these settings, validate the configuration, as described in Validating Automatic Service Migration in Static Clusters.

    In case you do not select this option during the Configuration Wizard session, you can configure automatic migration manually in a post step. For instructions to complete the steps for static clusters, see Configuring Automatic Service Migration in an Enterprise Deployment.

  • For dynamic clusters

    You cannot configure Service Migration for dynamic clusters by using the Configuration Wizard, it needs to be configured manually. The following steps are needed:

    • Configure the database leasing for the cluster.

    • Set the appropriate migration policies for JTA Service and JMS Persistent Stores.

    For instructions to complete the steps for dynamic clusters, see Configuring Automatic Service Migration in an Enterprise Deployment.

Note:

The High Availability Options screen appears during the Configuration Wizard session for the first time when you create a cluster that uses Automatic Service Migration or JDBC stores or both. All subsequent clusters that are added to the domain by using the Configuration Wizard, automatically apply the selected HA options.

Backing Up the Configuration

It is an Oracle best practices recommendation to create a backup after you successfully configure 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. See Performing Backups and Recoveries for an Enterprise Deployment.