Forms and Reports 11gR2 (11.1.2.1.0) installation

First of all, you need to install WebLogic 11g if you haven’t already done so.  Both WebLogic 10.3.5 and 10.3.6 versions are supported against Forms and Reports 11gR2, using either Java 6 or 7 JDKs.

Once WebLogic has been installed, ensure all of the requirements specific to your OS have been met, and that any missing packages are installed:

Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications for Oracle Forms and Reports 11g Release 2 (11.1.2)

NOTE: You’ll need at the very least 5GB of available disk space to perform the install and configuration.

Package and OS requirements

In this example, I’m using Oracle Linux 6.4 and have met the package requirements by running the following yum commands (as root):

yum install oracle-rdbms-server-11gR2-preinstall

This pre-install package will meet the majority of the necessary configuration tasks for you, and whilst the name implies it’s for installing Oracle Database Server 11gR2 software, it’s also useful to prepare your system for installing Fusion Middleware products on Linux 6+, such as Forms and Reports 😉

..then I installed the outstanding packages as below:

yum install compat-libcap1**
yum install compat-libstdc++-33.i686
yum install glibc-devel.i686
yum install libstdc++.i686
yum install libXext.i686
yum install libXtst.i686
yum install openmotif
yum install openmotif22
yum install glibc-devel

The final “glibc-devel” package listed above isn’t required according to the Oracle requirements, but the installation moaned about it when I left it out  🙄

Once the packages etc. have been installed, download the Forms and Reports software appropriate to your OS and unzip it to a staging area:

unzip /u01/app/oracle/software/ofm_frmrpts_linux_11.1.2.1.0_64_disk1_1of1.zip -d /u01/app/oracle/software/FormsReports

A new domain (ClassicDomain) will automatically be created for you as part of the Forms and Reports installation process, so you don’t need to create one as a pre-requisite.  As part of the domain deployment, an Admin Sever and two Managed Servers (WLS_FORMS & WLS_REPORTS) will be created.

Start the Forms and Reports install

Start up the installer:

/u01/app/oracle/software/FormsReports/Disk1/runInstaller

Once the GUI starts, respond as follows:

• Specify Inventory directory (only appears if this is the first Oracle install on the server)
  • Inventory Directory: /u01/app/oraInventory
  • Operating System Group name: oinstall
  • OK
  • Inventory Location Confirmation Dialog
    • Run the following as root: /u01/app/oraInventory/createCentralInventory.sh
  • OK

• Welcome
  • Next
• Install Software Updates
  • Skip Software Updates
  • Next
• Installation Type
  • Install and Configure
  • Next
• Prerequisite Checks
  • All prerequisite checks should complete successfully here, if not, then obviously they will need addressing before proceeding
  • Next
• Installation Location
  • Oracle Middleware Home Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware (default)
  • Oracle Home Directory: FR_home
  • WebLogic Server Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/wls_10.3.6
  • Oracle Instance Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/FR_inst
  • Oracle Instance Name: FR_inst
  • Next
• Configuration Type
  • Configure For Deployment
• Select Domain
  • Create Domain
  • Username: weblogic
  • User Password: password1
  • Confirm Password: password1
  • Domain Name: ClassicDomain
  • Domain Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/user_projects/domains
  • Next
• Specify Security Updates
  • Uncheck ‘I wish to receive security updates via My Oracle Support’
  • Next
  • Confirm with Yes
  • Next
• Configure Components
  • Accept the default selection (unless you want to include the ‘Developer Tools’)
  • Next
• Configure Ports
  • Auto Port Configuration
  • Next
• Specify Proxy Details
  • Do Not Use Proxy Settings
  • Next
• Application Identity Store
  • Untick ‘Use Application Identity Store’
  • Next
• Installation Summary
  • Check everything is correct!
  • Install
• Installation Progress
  • When prompted, run the following as root: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/FR_home/oracleRoot.sh
  • OK
• Configuration Progress
  • This may take a while…
  • Every item should be configured successfully
  • Next
• Installation Complete
  • Save Installation Configuration – Save
  • /u01/app/oracle/middleware/FR_config.txt
  • OK
  • Finish

The installation of Oracle Forms & Reports is now complete!

Update environment settings

Your configuration should look something like this:

cat /u01/app/oracle/middleware/FR_config.txt

Type: Oracle Forms and Reports Installation
Configuration Options
Middleware Home Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware
Oracle Home Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/FR_home
Oracle Instance Location: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/FR_inst
Oracle Instance: FR_inst
Domain Option: Create Domain
Domain Name: ClassicDomain
Domain Home: /u01/app/oracle/middleware/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain
Domain Host Name: linux01.vbox
Domain Port No: 7001
User Name: weblogic
Automatic Port Detection: true
Administrator Console: http://linux01.vbox:7001/console
EM Console: http://linux01.vbox:7001/em
EMAgent URL: http://linux01.vbox:5155/emd/main
Forms URL: http://linux01.vbox:8888/forms/frmservlet
Reports URL: http://linux01.vbox:8888/reports/rwservlet

Update your oracle profile or environment file with the following variables:

vi ~/fr11g.env
# Forms and Reports 11gR2
export MW_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/middleware
export WLS_HOME=$MW_HOME/wls_10.3.6
export FR_HOME=$MW_HOME/FR_home
export FR_INST=$MW_HOME/FR_inst
export DOMAIN_NAME=ClassicDomain
export DOMAIN_HOME=$MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/$DOMAIN_NAME

Set your environment:

. ~/fr11g.env

Create boot.properties files

Now, rather than having to type in the username and password each and every time that you start the servers, create a boot.properties file for the Admin Server and for each of the Managed Servers:

cd $DOMAIN_HOME/servers
vi AdminServer/security/boot.properties

The contents of the file should be like the format below:

username=weblogic
password=password1

Ensure that the username and password reflect the details supplied at install time.

Copy the file to across to the other Managed Servers:

cp AdminServer/security/boot.properties WLS_FORMS/security
cp AdminServer/security/boot.properties WLS_REPORTS/security

NOTE: The values in these password files will be encrypted once WebLogic is restarted.

Restart Forms and Reports

To make sure the boot.properties file passwords are encrypted, and test everything is working as expected, restart your Forms and Reports components manually:

Stop everything…

#Stop OHS processes
$FR_INST/bin/opmnctl stopall

#Stop FR Managed Servers
$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_FORMS
$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_REPORTS

#Stop Admin Server
$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopWebLogic.sh

#Kill the Node Manager processes (optional)
kill -9 `ps -ef | grep [N]odeManager | awk '{print $2}'`

…then start everything up again…

#Start Node Manager
nohup $WLS_HOME/server/bin/startNodeManager.sh > /dev/null 2>&1 &

#Start Admin Server
nohup $MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/bin/startWebLogic.sh > /dev/null 2>&1 &
sleep 5
echo $MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/servers/AdminServer/logs/AdminServer.log
# Wait a couple of minutes
sleep 120

#Start FR Managed Servers
nohup $MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/bin/startManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_FORMS > /dev/null 2>&1 &
echo /u01/app/oracle/middleware/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/servers/WLS_FORMS/logs/WLS_FORMS.log
nohup $MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/bin/startManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_REPORTS > /dev/null 2>&1 &
echo /u01/app/oracle/middleware/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/servers/WLS_REPORTS/logs/WLS_REPORTS.log

#Start OHS processes
$FR_INST/bin/opmnctl startall

NOTE: The OPMNCTL commands above, are used to manage the Oracle HTTP Server (OHS), Enterprise Manager Agent and stand-alone Reports Server.  If you don’t need any of those components you can ignore OPMN references.

Test the Forms and Reports

Wait a couple more minutes to ensure all components have had time to start-up properly, then log into the WebLogic Administration Console to check the domain status:

http://linux01.vbox:7001/console

You’ll find that two new Managed Servers have been created: WLS_FORMS and WLS_REPORTS

Once everything is in a ‘RUNNING’ state, you can then test the Forms Services are working correctly (accepting any security warnings etc.):

http://linux01.vbox:8888/forms/frmservlet?form=test.fmx&userid=&o therparams=useSDI=yes&lookAndFeel=oracle&colorScheme=blue

You can also log into the EM Console to view/control the status of  your Forms and Reports components (using the same ‘weblogic’ user credentials entered above):

http://linux01.vbox:7001/em

Stop/Start scripts for Forms and Reports

Once you’re happy with everything, you’ll probably want to create some stop and start scripts to make life easier when managing your installation…here are a couple I made earlier 😉

mkdir ~/scripts

Stop Forms and Reports:

vi ~/scripts/stop_forms_reports.sh

# Set environment variables
. ~/fr11g.env

echo Stopping WebLogic Managed Servers...
echo Stopping WebLogic Managed Server : WLS_FORMS
$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_FORMS

echo Stopping WebLogic Managed Server : WLS_REPORTS
$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_REPORTS

echo Stopping WebLogic Admin Server...
$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopWebLogic.sh

echo Stopping OHS processes...
$FR_INST/bin/opmnctl stopall

echo Stopping Node Manager...
nm_pid=`ps -ef | grep [N]odeManager | awk '{print $2}'`
if [ "$nm_pid" = "" ];
then echo Node Manager not running
else echo Killing Node Manager processes: $nm_pid
kill -9 $nm_pid 2>&1 > /dev/null
fi

echo "Tidying up temp files..."
find $DOMAIN_HOME/servers -name "*.lok" -exec rm -f {} ;
find $DOMAIN_HOME/servers -name "*.DAT" -exec rm -f {} ;

echo Done!

Start Forms and Reports:

vi ~/scripts/start_forms_reports.sh

# Set environment variables
. ~/fr11g.env

echo Starting Node Manager...
nohup $WLS_HOME/server/bin/startNodeManager.sh > /dev/null 2>&1 &
sleep 10

echo Starting WebLogic Admin Server...
nohup $DOMAIN_HOME/bin/startWebLogic.sh > /dev/null 2>&1 &
sleep 120

echo Starting WebLogic Managed Servers...
echo Starting WebLogic Managed Server : WLS_FORMS
nohup $DOMAIN_HOME/bin/startManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_FORMS > /dev/null 2>&1 &

echo Starting WebLogic Managed Server : WLS_REPORTS
nohup $DOMAIN_HOME/bin/startManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_REPORTS > /dev/null 2>&1 &

echo Starting OHS processes...
$FR_INST/bin/opmnctl startall

echo Force starting the In-process Reports Server (optional)...
curl http://`hostname`:8888/reports/rwservlet/startserver > /dev/null 2>&1 &

echo Done!

REP-52262: Diagnostic output is disabled

If you see this error when trying to run a report, or simply make an rwservlet request like this:

http://linux01.vbox:8888/reports/rwservlet/getserverinfo

…it’s because diagnostics output is turned off by default.  To fix this, just update the rwservlet.properties file like so:

vi $DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/servers/WLS_REPORTS/applications/reports_11.1.2/configuration/rwservlet.properties

Change this line:

<!--webcommandaccess>L1</webcommandaccess-->

…to this:

 <webcommandaccess>L2</webcommandaccess>

Once that’s done, you need to restart the WLS_REPORTS Managed Server through the console, or command line:

$DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_REPORTS
nohup $MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/ClassicDomain/bin/startManagedWebLogic.sh WLS_REPORTS > /dev/null 2>&1 &
tail -f $DOMAIN_HOME/servers/WLS_REPORTS/logs/WLS_REPORTS.log

References:
Installing and Configuring Oracle Forms and Reports
Differences and/or Pros and Cons of Using The In-Process Versus Stand-Alone Report Server (MOS 274936.1)
Oracle Forms and Reports Services 11gR2 Configuration Notes