Weblog for the AMIS Technology corner
Posts tagged FMW 11g
Having users create Polls in your (and their) ADF/WebCenter application – at run time
Jan 21st
The Patch Set 3 release of Oracle Fusion Middleware hit the streets a few days back. For many of the FMW components, this release is one that fixes bugs, stabilizes, provides better integration and perhaps adds a feature or two. Nothing major really. However, for WebCenter this Patch Set 3 is pretty substantial, in terms of new functionality! Especially when it comes to ‘design time @ run time’ and the availability of services around social networking and collaboration as well as content integration, PS3 is quite impressive. In a recent article I demonstrated one of the PS3 Design Time at Run Time features: ‘create data controls at run time’: http://technology.amis.nl/blog/10555/webcenter-11gr1-ps3-design-time-at-run-time-with-a-vengeance-introducing-run-time-data-controls-and-data-visualizations.
This article discusses another interesting piece of functionality that hands over control to run time administrators, content editors and perhaps even end users: the Polls Service. Through the Polls Service, surveys or polls can be created at run time. Questions can be defined, the results can be analyzed and administration facilities are provided – such as when the poll opens and closes and making sure that a user cannot take the poll multiple times. To use the Polls Service, a Data Source connecting to the WebCenter database schema needs to be set up (same as for many of the WC Services).
An example of a poll, created at run time, is shown below:
This article demonstrates how a default Portal Framework Application – with absolutely no design time coding applied – is enhanced at run time through the creation of a poll. This poll surveys the interests and opinions of employees of the company about the yearly company outing – always a hotly debated topic.
AMIS Query – Verslag van Oracle Open World 2009 – dinsdag 27 oktober (uitnodiging)
Oct 23rd
Vorige week was in San Francisco het hoogtepunt van het Oracle jaar: Oracle Open World 2009, de grootste IT conferentie ter wereld. Tijdens deze conferentie ontvouwde Oracle haar strategie en visie voor de komende periode, lieten product managers de nabije toekomst zien van bestaande en nieuwe producten, deelden honderden specialisten hun ervaringen en toonden leveranciers en Oracle engineers op de demo-grounds de nieuwste snufjes. Ca. 40.000 bezoekers waren aanwezig in het hart van San Francisco om zich vijf dagen lang te laten overvoeren met Oracle weetjes.
Als je er bij was vind je het misschien leuk nog eens herinneringen op te halen en ervaringen te bespreken. Als je er niet bij was ben je misschien geinteresseerd in de belangrijkste aankondigingen, de mooiste demo’s en wetenswaardigste feiten. Dat kan, aanstaande dinsdag op de AMISÂ Query – Verslag van Oracle Open World 2009. In deze (gratis) sessie doet de AMIS-delegatie naar OOW (Marco Gralike, Peter Ebell en Lucas Jellema) verslag van de conferentie. Je bent van harte welkom om daarbij aanwezig te zijn. Vanaf 17.30 serveren wij een diner, om 18.30 start de sessie die duurt tot pakweg 21.00 uur. Om je aan te melden, ga naar: registreren AMISÂ Query OOW 2009.
In deze sessie komen onder andere de volgende onderwerpen aan bod:
SOA Suite 11g – Composite instance as WebService Result Cache using BPEL Correlation
Sep 17th
This article describes an architectural pattern, implemented in the Oracle SOA Suite 11g, that is somewhat similar to the Oracle Database 11g Function Result Cache. It introduces a SOA Composite Application in the role of Result Cache. In its most simple form, the result cache is initialized – loaded with values -, used by other SOA applications that need the cached values, refreshed/reset when required and terminated. Through this ‘result cache’ – frequently used and not-so-frequently changed values that are published by (possibly remote, expensive or slow-reacting) web services or adapter services can be made available to local consumers in a simple, cheap and fast manner. We achieve this using the fast native SCA binding used for invoking in-container services exposed by fellow composite applications (that’s for speed) and the BPEL correlation mechanism (that’s for finding the result cache in the first place).
What the actual value of this pattern and implementation are is not yet entirely clear to me. Your feedback is appreciated. What I do know is that this article is also a good demonstration of using correlation and of applying some of the XML manipulation techniques available in BPEL processes.
In a single picture, here is what I created: one or more Composite Instances are initialized; each instance is a cache, identified through its name. Upon initialization, the cache is loaded with values – supposedly important, frequently reused, hard-to-get-by values. Composite applications that are interested in these cached values can retrieve them from the cache, by calling the exposed service and passing the name of the cache (here is where correlation kicks in) and passing the name of the cache entry. The BPEL process looks for the entry and returns the value when found or null and an appropriate message when not found.
Configure SOA Suite 11g for sending email notifications with Google Mail
Aug 19th
One of the ways of the SOA Suite 11g for communicating with the outside world – apart of course from web service calls and interaction via technology adapters – is through the new User Messaging Service (UMS), a facility installed in the SOA Domain during installation of the SOA Suite. The UMS enables two-way communication between users (real people) and deployed applications. The communication can be via various channels, including Email, Instant Messaging (IM or Chat), SMS and Voice. UMS is used from several components in Fusion Middleware, for example BPEL, Human Workflow, BAM and WebCenter and can also be used from custom developed applications.
This article describes how the User Messaging Service can be configured to use Google Mail as its mail server for sending and receiving emails and how we can make use of that facility from a simple BPEL process. Note that the steps described in this article apply to any public email server – Yahoo, Hotmail, Lycos and others – as well as your own email server.
Installing WebCenter 11g – Design Time and Run Time (and on Linux)
Jul 31st
Getting started with WebCenter 11g, released on July 1st 2009, is quite easy. What you have to do exactly depends on the environment you work in, the bits and pieces in WebCenter that you want to make use of and the other FMW components that are part of your technology stack. Note that most of the installation steps you have to go through for WebCenter 11g are the same as for SOA Suite 11g – both involve WebLogic 11g, the Repository (Creation Utility against an 11g database) and the creation of a dedicated domain on WebLogic.
If all you are looking for is fiddling around with WebCenter in an isolated development environment, there is a lot you can do by simply adding the WebCenter plugin to JDeveloper 11g (11.1.1.1.x). With the plugin installed, you can work with (most) WebCenter Services, ,most of the WebCenter Composer and Framework facilities – including run time page customization and consuming portlets. Just go to the Help Window in JDeveloper, select the Check for Updates option and select the WebCenter 11g extension to be installed. A JAR of some 150 Mb or so is downloaded, JDeveloper is restarted, the integrated WebLogic Server is extended with WebCenter functionality and you are ready for some WebCenter development.
You can also download the zip-file with the WebCenter extension for JDeveloper directly from the page at: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/101/update/fmw_products.xml. You can then install the extension using the option ‘local file’ and selecting the zip file.
A very useful article was published yesterday by George Maggessy on the installation of WebCenter 11g on a Linux box – see http://georgemaggessy.blogspot.com/2009/07/installing-webcenter-suite-11g-on-linux.html. He explains – and demonstrates through many screenshots – what the steps are (by and large the same as on Windows by the way) and what choices you have to make during the installation process.
Oracle Fusion Applications – it is for real! (and impressive too)
Jun 23rd
When Oracle started acquiring companies in the ERP space, they unfolded (the outline of) the Fusion strategy. With three aspects to it as I understood it: the Fusion Middleware stack, the integration of the acquired companies into the Oracle fold and the development of the next generation of Enterprise applications, duped Fusion Applications.
After some intial excitement and quite high expectations, the buzz subsided and Oracle became somewhat quiet. They did embed PeopleSoft, Siebel, Retek, JDEdwards and many others. They also went on developing and releasing Fusion Middleware. But the Fusion Applications were never heard about again. Or so it seemed. People even started to wonder whether they were for real. With the Applications Unlimited program – that guarantuess virtual everlasting support on all of the Oracle Apps products – and the AIA (Application Integration Architecture) that makes all Oracle Apps products work together, the necessity for Fusion Applications seemed somewhat less urgent. And indeed, no serious progress (or anything at all really) was visible at Oracle Open World 2008, even though in 2007 Larry had announced the first modules shipping in the Spring of 2008.
Here at the ODTUG 2009 conference, I have learned that Fusion Applications are for real. And I have seen them as well. And I was impressed. After several years of hearing, interpreting and to some extent telling the Fusion stories, now it all seems to come together. Next week (July 1st) we will have the big launch of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g – with among other things the SOA Suite 11g, WebCenter 11g (Spaces, Framework, Services, Composer), WebLogic Server 10.3.1 and the next level of ADF 11g – and the Fusion Applications products are coming together rapidly as well. Oracle also has started to expose the Fusion Apps, recently at the Collaborate conference and this week also at ODTUG.
