Configuring the APEX Listener on Oracle 11g WebLogic Server

This note describes the procedure used to configure the APEX listener (and APEX 4.2) using an existing Oracle 11g (10.3.2) WebLogic server running on a Linux x86 64 platform.

Download apex_4.2_en.zip from the following location:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/apex/downloads/index.html

This note is pertaining to the APEX Listener version 1.1.3

APEX 1.1.4 is now available and can be downloaded from:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/apex-listener/overview/index.html

We first need to install APEX 4.2 in the database. This note does not discuss this and assumes that this has already been completed

On the Linux WebLogic server, we create a directory called apex_listener and unzip the file apex_listener.1.1.3.243.11.40.zip

$ mkdir /u01/app/oracle/apex_listener

$ unzip apex_listener.1.1.3.243.11.40.zip

After unzipping, we should see the following files:

[oracle@kens-oraapp-001 apex_listener]$ ls -ltotal 79748-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle oinstall 10710750 Mar 14 2012 apex_listener.1.1.3.243.11.40.zip-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle oinstall 9830445 Aug 31 2011 apex.wardrwxr-xr-x 5 oracle oinstall 4096 Aug 31 2011 docs-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle oinstall 2906 Aug 31 2011 index.htm-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle oinstall 60939561 Mar 15 2012 i.wardrwxr-xr-x 4 oracle oinstall 4096 Aug 31 2011 javadoc-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle oinstall 24890 Aug 31 2011 license.html-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle oinstall 2587 Aug 31 2011 readme.html

We then also unzip the file apex_4.2_en.zip which creates the ‘apex’ top-level directoryCreate Web Archive for Oracle Application Express Images

You will need to create a web archive file (war) to contain the Oracle Application Express image files. Using the Java Archive (jar) command, enter the following command to create a web archive file named i.war:

jar –cvf0 <APEX listener directory>\i.war –C <apex directory>\images .

where <APEX listener directory> is the directory location of the unzipped Application Express Listener files and <apex directory> is the directory location of Oracle Application Express 4.2

[oracle@kens-orawebl-001-dev apex_listener]$ /u01/jdk1.6.0_25/bin/jar -cvf0 /u01/app/oracle/apex_listener/i.war -C /u01/app/oracle/apex/images .

Now login to the WebLogic Server 11g Administration Console

Click Lock & Edit

Select Deployments from the Domain Structure menu

Click on Install

Specify the location of the apex.war file. The apex.war file is the location where you unzipped the APEX Listener zip file.

Click Next

Select Install this deployment as an application.

Click Next

Select the servers and/or clusters to which you want to deploy the application or module.

Click Next.

In the optional settings, specify and select the following:

a. What do you want to name this deployment? apex

b. What security model do you want to use with this application? Custom Roles: Use roles that are defined in the Administration Console; use policies that are defined in the deployment descriptor.

c. How should the source files be made accessible? Use the defaults defined by the deployment’s targets

Click Next.

Review the Summary of configuration settings that you have specified, and click Finish to complete the installation

If you have selected from the sub-menu Additional Configuration, No I will review the configuration later, you are returned to the Summary of Deployments. Messages are displayed indicating the status of the deployment. Follow any additional instructions provided in the Messages.

We will now repeat the same steps and create another deployment called ‘I’

Provide the location of the file – i.war

In the optional settings, specify and select the following:

a. What do you want to name this deployment? i

b. What security model do you want to use with this application? DD Only: Use only roles and policies that are defined in the deployment descriptors

c. How should the source files be made accessible? Use the defaults defined by the deployment’s targets

If your domain is in Production Mode, then on the Change Center click on Activate Changes

Note that the State for bott the deplpyments Apex and I show up as Prepared

We now click on the Start button and select the option Servicing all requests

We see the State has now changed to Active

We do the same for the other deployment ‘I’ and see that the State for I id also now showing as Active

Click on Lock and Edit

Create Users

We are now going to create an administrator user to access the APEX Listener Administration page

On the left pane below sub-menu Domain Structure, select Security Realms.

Click on myrealm

Click on Users and Groups tab.

Then click on Users tab.

Click New.

Enter the name for the user as adminlistener and provide a description

Select the provider as DefaultAuthenticator

Note - The minimum password length for a user defined in the WebLogic Authentication provider is 8 characters.

Create Roles

The APEX Listener requires roles to be assigned to the users to access the Application Express Listener Administration.

We will create a role called Admin.

The user with an APEX Listener Admin role has permission to access the APEX Listener Administration Page.

Select the Roles and Policies tab. Then select the Realm Roles sub-tab

On the Roles page, in the Roles table, expand the node Deployment in the Names column until you find resource apex.

Next, expand apex and click on Roles.

The Stand-Alone Web Application Scoped Roles table is displayed. Click on the New button

The Create Stand-Alone Web Applications Scoped Roles is displayed. a. In the Name field, enter Admin. b. Select the Provider Name for the role mapper (XACMLRoleMapper). c. Click OK

Click OK

You will be returned to the Stand-Alone Web Application Scoped Roles table with the Admin role displayed. Click on the Admin role.

The Edit Stand-Alone Web Application Scoped Roles page is displayed. Create a role condition, which specifies who is in the scoped role under which set of conditions: a. In the Role Conditions section, click Add Conditions. b. In the Predicate List, select User and click Next. c. In the User Argument List, add adminlistener.

Click Add and click Finish.

The User adminlistener will be displayed.

Click Save.

A status message will be displayed above.

If your domain is in Production Mode, then in the left pane below the Change Center, click on Release Configuration

The URL below is used the first time to configure the APEX listener

http://kens-oraapp-001.corporateict.domain:7001/apex/listenerConfigure

Provide the password for the database user APEX_PUBLIC_USER as well information about the database when APEX 4.2 has been installed

After this you have to login via this URL only

http://kens-orawebl-001-dev.corporateict.domain:7001/apex/listenerAdmin

We will be prompted for the username and password – here we provide the login credentials for the user which we had earlier created - adminlistener