Transcript Forms 6i Services Integration Points

Forms 6i Open World
Application Integration for the Web
Frank Nimphius
Product Management
Application Development Tools
Oracle Corporation
Forms 6i Services Integration Points
The full overview
Forms 6i Open World
Single
Sign-On
Apache
9iAS
Java
Forms 6i
Translations
OC4J
Portal
Oracle 9i
Reports
Forms 6i Services Integration Points
Coverage in this presentation
Forms 6i Open World
Single
Sign-On
Apache
9iAS
Java
Forms 6i
Translations
OC4J
Portal
Oracle 9i
Reports
Reports
Integration
Forms Services and Reports
Services Web Architecture
HTML,
HTMLCSS,
XML, PDF …
Oracle 9iAS
Reports Services
Reports Modules
Oracle 9iAS
Forms Services
Generic Java
Client
Forms Modules
HTTP
HTTPS
Sql*Net
Oracle
Database
Reports Services vs. Client Server
In a Nutshell – I
 Web Reports are using the same Reports definition
files as in Client Server
 Web Reports are executed on the middle tier
 Reports integrated in Forms are executed on the
middle tier
 Reports executes in the environment of Reports
Services
 Run_Report_Object built-in recommended
 Run_Product() „still“ supported
Reports Services vs. Client Server
In a Nutshell – II
 The Reports Services output is downloaded to the
requesting client
–
HTML, HTMLCSS, XML, PDF, RTF, CSV
 Reports parameter form doesn‘t work out-of-the box
 Use Reports Queue tables to handle detailed user
error messages
 Use parameter lists in Run_Report_Object as in
Run_Product
 No „native“ local printer support
Run_Report_Object Built-In
How to use it ?
 Reports Services are set up by Oracle 9iAS EE
 Have Reports Services accessible from Forms Server
 SET_REPORT_OBJECT_PROPERTY
v_report_id,REPORT_SERVER,’repSRV’);
:parameter.server);
 Destype must be set using Set_Report_Object_
Property () only
 Use timer with low frequency for async. call
 Use web.show_document() to get Report output
Web.Show_Document Built-In
Using the Browser URL for Reporting
 Calls a Web URL defined in Forms using PL/SQL
 Leverages Reports Services
 Report output automatically gets downloaded to the
client
 All parameters are passed in the browser‘s URL
– Not as secure as Run_Report_Object
 No response to Forms whether Reports has been
executed successfully or not
 Syntax: web.show_document(‘URL’, ‘_target’);
Orarrp utility – Local Printer Support
rrpa, rrph, rrpt..
Oracle 9iAS
Reports Services
orarrp
.exe
Reports Modules
Oracle
Database
• run a Report using run_report_object ()
• print output to a file with orarrp extension
• use web.show_document()
• for free at otn.oracle.com/products/reports
• No official support, only looked at
• Windows only
What‘s new in Forms 9i
Reports Integration
 No Reports runtime engine support
–
Means no destype „screen“ or „preview“
 Run_Product calling Oracle Reports does
not compile
–
Graphics is supported with Run_Product
 Reports 9i Services are called as in 6i
–
No changes required
–
Reports Services 9i have 6i proxy
SHOW
Reports Integration
Translatio
n
Integration
Forms Translation Support in the
Web
The Challenge!
 The Web crosses any borders
 The Web does not know you
–
A „French“ user on the Web is just a user
–
A „German“ user on the Web is just a user
–
A…
 The point of installation no longer
determines the language the user requires
Forms Translation Support in the
Web
The Solution!
 Browser Language detection in Forms 6i
patch 9
 Forms Listener Servlet to support multiple
environments
 Translation Tools to translate Forms
applications
–
Oracle Translation Builder
–
TranslationHub
Deploying Multi Language
Applications with Patch 9
http://…/…/f90servlet?config=booking
en
Formsweb.cfg
…
9iAS HTTP Listener
it
OC4J
it
de
Forms Servlet
fr
it.env
Forms Listener
Servlet
[booking]
envFile=default.env
…
[booking.it]
envFile=it.env
…
[booking.en]
envFile=en.env
…
[booking.fr]
envFile=fr.env
…
fr.env
en.env
de.env
it.env
… and more !
Forms Runtime
Booking_it.fmx
NLS_LANG=Italian_Italy.
WE8ISO8859P1
Forms90_PATH = …
…
What‘s New in Forms 9i
Translation Integration
 Browser Language detection
 New translation tool „TranslationHub“
 Migration Path from Oracle Translation
Builder to TranslationHub
Single
Sign-On
Integration
Single Sign-On
Too many passwords compromise
security!
 Multiple Logons require multiple passwords
 Post-it(TM) is not a good password store
 Not every user is a database user
 Sign-On Solution must support different
authentication mechanism (e.g. LDAP)
 Has to be fully integrated in a Web architecture
Oracle Login Server
Oracle’s authentication solution!
 Partner Application
–
Use partner Application API
–
Don’t perform own authentication
–
Read from Login Server session cookie
 External Application
–
Use own authentication scheme
–
Can register with Login Server to provide
credentials in Login Server password store
–
User credentials passed in URL
Forms Services 6i and Single Sign
On
Forms is configurable as an External
Application to Login Server
 With Forms Servlet in Forms 6i patch 7+
–
–
Support of POST request method
Hiding username/password from the Applet tag
 User is authenticated by Login Server
 User stores application credentials in Login Server
password store
 No code changes required
–
Client/Server applications can leverage Single Sign-On
when moved to the Web
Configuring Forms Services patch 7+
for Single Sign-On
 Create an application entry in formsweb.cfg
–
userid=%name%/%password%@%database%
[sso_servlet]
(…)
form=reptest
lookandfeel=oracle
serverURL=/servlet/fnimphiuServlet
userid=%name%/%password%@%database%
(…)
Configure Oracle Login Server
Registering Forms Services
 Use Portal access to Login Server administration
form
–
http://<hostname>:<port>/pls/portal30
 Choose External application administration
 Add Forms Services URL
–
http://<host>:<port>/servlet/f60servlet
 Map „name“ to the username field and „password“
to the password filed
 Create parameters for „config“ and „database“
 Deploy URL generated by Login Server
What‘s new in Forms 9i
Single Sign-On Integration
 Integrated Single Sign-On Solution in Oracle
9iAS V2
–
All products share same authentication
–
Login Server authenticates through mod_osso
module in Apache
–
Forms Services URLs can be configured to use
Single Sign-On authentication
–
No changes to Forms applications required
SHOW
Single Sign-On
Integration
Portal
Integration
Forms 6i as a Portlet in Portal page
Portal Development Kit – „URL Services“
 Forms displays as a portlet in Portal
 Configured using XML file on the Server
 URL Services are registered as a provider
with Portal
 A Forms application is called by its URL
when starting the portal page
 URL Services are downloadable from
otn.oracle.com (PDK)
Integrate Forms as a Portlet of URLs
Using The Portal‘s Favorite Portlet
 It’s a Bookmark collection
–
–
hierarchical or flat display
takes URLs as entries
 No special Forms configuration required
 In portal page choose “add portlet” icon and add
“Favorite” portlet
 Customize portlet when running Portal page
–
Can be configured by end user
 Works with Single Sign-On
Integrate Forms as a Portlet of URLs
Using A Portal Content Area
 Create Content area and name it e.g. “Forms Links”
–
–
Click page tab / edit page and remove navigation bar
Click item tab set visible items to URL
 Click on Content Area name and create “new folder”
for each URL
 Add Portlet to page
–
–
Choose Content Area “folder” portlet
Click “Customize” link and select “Forms Links”
 Works with Single Sign-On
SHOW
Portal Integration
OC4J
Integration
OC4J support, planned for Forms 6i
patch 9+
Use Oracle‘s record breaking Servlet
container to deploy Forms Services!
 Oracle Containers for Java (OC4J) is a J2EE
compliant Servlet container
 Run OC4J behind Oracle HTTP Server
 Plug‘n play load balancer
 Runs more users per Servlet engine than
Jserv
mod_proxy
Forms runtime engine and
Configuration files
HTTP
Client .jar
HTTP
Apache
Forms 6i Services in the OC4J
Architecture Diagram
Java Importer
H
T
T
P
JNDI
Web
Container
Forms Web-app config
JMS
JDBC
Client
ORMI/HTTP
O
R
M
I
JTA
EJB
Container
EJB Client
OC4J Server Process
JavaMail
JAF
Forms Services configuration in
OC4J
 Deployment using forms60app.ear file
 Bind Forms deployment to /forms60
 Entry in mod_proxy to point from Oracle
HTTP Listener to OC4J
 Apache to handle client archive files
 formsweb.cfg is the only configuration that
needs to be set manually
–
New: configFileName as context parameter in
the forms90 application-deployment directory
orion-web.xml
What‘s new in Forms 9i
OC4J Integration
 OC4J is Oracle‘s default J2EE compliant platform in
9i Application Server Release 2
 mod_oc4j dispatches between Oracle HTTP Server
and the OC4J Servlet container
 During installation Forms 9i is automatically
configured with OC4J
 Forms 9i shares OC4J instance with Reports 9i and
Discoverer 9i
 All features in Forms 9i and OC4J work the same as
in JServ
Summary
Information to Go!
Summary
 Reports Integration
 Translation Integration
 Single Sign-On Integration
 Portal Integration
 OC4J Integration
Thank you!
DOAG 2001
Questions&
Answers