1 Understanding Your Installation Starting Point

Oracle Fusion Middleware is a collection of standards-based software products that spans a range of tools and services from J2EE and developer tools to integration services.

This guide provides important information about the initial planning for an Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c installation. It also provides key information about preparing your system and for obtaining the latest version of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

Find the starting point that best describes your current environment and go to that section for more information:

• Starting as a New Oracle Fusion Middleware User
  If you are a new Oracle Fusion Middleware user, consider this roadmap for reviewing the Oracle Fusion Middleware documentation.
• Starting as an Existing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g or 12c User
  If you are an existing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g or 12c user, refer to the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c upgrade documentation.
• Starting as an Oracle Application Server 10g User
  If you’re starting as an Oracle Application Server 10g user, you can’t upgrade directly from Oracle Application Server 10g to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c .

Starting as a New Oracle Fusion Middleware User

If you are a new Oracle Fusion Middleware user, consider this roadmap for reviewing the Oracle Fusion Middleware documentation.

1. Review Understanding Oracle Fusion Middleware before proceeding with an installation or upgrade.

   • Overview of Oracle Fusion Middleware provides an introduction to Oracle Fusion Middleware.

   • About Key Oracle Fusion Middleware Concepts includes key introductory information, such as a summary of the directory structure of Oracle Fusion Middleware installations, that you should be familiar with before you install any product.

   • Overview of Oracle Fusion Middleware Components contains important information about key Fusion Middleware features, such as Oracle WebLogic Server, the Oracle Application Server Infrastructure, and other Oracle Fusion Middleware products.

2. Review the remaining chapters in this guide:

   • Selecting a Development, Test, or Production Environment introduces you to some key considerations when planning for a development, test, or production installation.

   • Preparing for an Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation provides key procedures for preparing your system for an Oracle Fusion Middleware installation.

3. Review the Install, Patch, and Upgrade page in the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c documentation library.

   This Install, Patch, and Upgrade page contains a list of common installation, patching, and upgrade tasks, as well a list of the installation guides (on the Books tab) for all the Oracle Fusion Middleware products.

Starting as an Existing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g or 12c User

If you are an existing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g or 12c user, refer to the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c upgrade documentation.

See Planning an Upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.2.1.4.0) in Planning an Upgrade of Oracle Fusion Middleware for information about the new Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c concepts and terminology.

Refer to the instructions in the component-specific upgrade documentation to upgrade your existing components to 12c (12.2.1.4.0).

These documents are available from the Install, Patch, Upgrade in the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c documentation library.

Starting as an Oracle Application Server 10g User

If you’re starting as an Oracle Application Server 10g user, you can’t upgrade directly from Oracle Application Server 10g to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c .

Instead (if possible), you can first upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g and then upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c. For information about upgrading from Oracle Application Server 10g to Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.9.0), refer to Developing an Upgrade Strategy in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Planning Guide, as well as the other upgrade guides in the Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g documentation library.

Note that in some cases (for example, a product is no longer available), upgrading from 10g might not be an available option. If this is the case, you can also perform a new 12c installation. Refer to Starting as a New Oracle Fusion Middleware User for information on starting a new 12c installation.