How to separate BPM 11g ADF Task page components from SOA/BPM to a new ADF managed server

If you haven't already, read this post. It gives a basic overview as to why we should split all ADF components from SOA/BPM, and the options available around this process as well as their pros and cons.

Oracle Documentation also provides a similar guide on this process (link). The difference is that this post is more specific and in-depth, trying to provide a more thorough guide from start to finish.

Versions of Oracle technology this post utilizes:
Weblogic: 10.3
JDeveloper: 11.1.1.6.0
BPM 11g

So we have a server (soa_server) and deployed to it are SOA + BPM processes + BPM ADF UI's (Human task pages) + an ADF application that manages the BPM solution. We shall be migrating all ADF components + BPM Task pages to a newly created managed server under the same server node, thus restoring the connection between the BPM process and its Task page over different server ports.

I will be referring to the SOA server that currently has all deployments as soa_server, and the newly created ADF/UI server as ui_server.


Pre-requisites
1. Un-deploy all UI (ADF + BPM task pages) from soa_server.


BPM Task page application - wf_client_config.xml
We need to include the above XML file into your BPM Task page application code so that when deployed to the ui_server, it will register to its corresponding BPM Process that resides on the soa_server. The property that refers to weblogic.jndi.WLInitialContextFactory will be created shortly.

Note: Each BPM Task page will require the insertion of this wf_client_config.xml file

1. We need to create a new XML file (if it does not already exist) called wf_client_config.xml under the directory: bpm_ui_code/public_html/WEB-INF/classes

2. Use the following template as the body of the code:

wf_client_config.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<workflowServicesClientConfiguration  xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/bpel/services/client" clientType="REMOTE">
   <server default="true" name="default">
      <localClient>
         <participateInClientTransaction>false</participateInClientTransaction>
      </localClient>
      <remoteClient>
         <serverURL>t3://server_hostname_address:8001</serverURL>
         <initialContextFactory>weblogic.jndi.WLInitialContextFactory</initialContextFactory>
         <participateInClientTransaction>false</participateInClientTransaction>
      </remoteClient>
      <soapClient>
         <rootEndPointURL>http://server_hostname_address:8001</rootEndPointURL>
         <identityPropagation mode="dynamic" type="saml">
            <policy-references>
               <policy-reference enabled="true" category="security" 
                uri="oracle/wss10_saml_token_client_policy"/>
            </policy-references>
         </identityPropagation>
      </soapClient>
   </server>
</workflowServicesClientConfiguration>

3. Do not forget to update the server_hostname_address for serverURL and rootEndPointURL. An example could be:

<serverURL>t3://tom.company-name.co.uk:8001</serverURL>
<rootEndPointURL>http://tom.company-name.co.uk:8001</rootEndPointURL>

4. Once complete, save the file. The rest of the configurations will take place inside the Server Console and EM.


Create new UI server
1. Log into your Server Console

2. Click servers and click New

3. Enter the following details:

Server Name: ui_server
Server Port: 8020 (You can choose any new port number, as long as it is not already used)
Should this server belong to a cluster? No, this is a stand-alone server

4. Click Finish

5. Click on the newly created server: ui_server

6. Click on the drop down for Machine and select your domain address from the list

7. In Listen Address, type your domain address

8. Click Save, then Activate Changes

9. Click on Servers, click Lock & Edit, click the Control tab, select ui_server and then click Start, and click Yes on the next screen.


Apply the Java Runtime Files (JRF) Template
When the JRF Template is applied to a Managed Server, the ADR libraries are added to the server in order to run ADF based application successfully:

1. Log into your Server EM

2. Expand the Weblogic Domain

3. Expand your_domain and click on ui_server

4. On the main panel, there is a button at the top 'Apply JRF Template'. Click on the button

5. Return to the Server Console and restart ui_server.


Configure Data Sources for ui_server
You need to point any Data Sources (Databases, MDS repositories etc) that are used in the application to the new ui_server:

1. Log into your Server Console

2. Click on Data Sources, click on your_data_source, click the Targets tab and tick the ui_server target.  (Save and Activate changes)

3. Repeat the above step for all Data Sources that are used in your application.


Configure required Libraries for ui_server
Similar to configuring the Data Sources, we want to do the same for any libraries that are used by the ADF or BPM Task pages:

1. Log into your Server Console

2. Click on Deployments

3. You need to find out what specific libraries are used by your application. You can find some of the libraries by analysing the source code of weblogic-application.xml, which is found under every project (Application Resources -> Descriptors -> META-INF). The application I worked on used the following libraries:

- adf.oracle.domain
- adf.oracle.domain.webapp
- oracle.soa.workflow.wc
- oracle.soa.workflow
- oracle.soa.worklist.webapp
- oracle.soa.bpel
- oracle.bpm.runtime
- oracle.jsp.next
- jsf
- jstl

3. For each of the identified libraries, click on each one from the deployments list, then click the Targets tab and tick the ui_server target. (Activate changes after each one).


Create a new Foreign JNDI Provider
This new Foreign JNDI Provider is what the code in wf_client_config.xml will refer to, to allow the BPM Task page to communicate with its BPM Process on the soa_server

1. Log into your Server Console

2. Click on Services, click Foreign JNDI Providers and click New:

a. Set Name as: ForeignJNDIProvider-SOA
b. Click Next
c. Select the following as Targets - soa_server; ui_server
d. Click Finish
e. Click on the newly created Foreign JNDI Provider - ForeignJNDIProvider-SOA
f. Enter the following details:
 i) Initial Context Factory: weblogic.jndi.WLInitialContextFactory
 ii) Provider URL: t3://soa_hostname:soa_portnumber/soa-infra
 iii) User: Weblogic username (weblogic)
 iv) Password: Weblogic password (welcome1)
 vi) Save and Activate changes. 

3. Click the Links tab for the above ForeignJNDIProvider-SOA

4. For each of the 14 JNDI Links below, click New and create a Link with the specified information:

Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskMetadataServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskMetadataServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskMetadataServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskServiceGlobal/TransactionBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskServiceGlobal/TransactionBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpel/services/workflow/TaskServiceGlobal/TransactionBean

Name: ejb/bpm/services/BPMUserAuthenticationServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/BPMUserAuthenticationServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/BPMUserAuthenticationServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpm/services/InstanceManagementServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/InstanceManagementServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/InstanceManagementServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpm/services/InstanceQueryServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/InstanceQueryServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/InstanceQueryServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessDashboardServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessDashboardServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessDashboardServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessMetadataServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessMetadataServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessMetadataServiceBean

Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessModelServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessModelServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: ejb/bpm/services/ProcessModelServiceBean

Name: RuntimeConfigService
Local JNDI Name: RuntimeConfigService_local
Remote JNDI Name: RuntimeConfigService

Name: TaskEvidenceServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: TaskEvidenceServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: TaskEvidenceServiceBean

Name: TaskQueryService
Local JNDI Name: TaskQueryService_local
Remote JNDI Name: TaskQueryService

Name: TaskReportServiceBean
Local JNDI Name: TaskReportServiceBean_local
Remote JNDI Name: TaskReportServiceBean

Name: UserMetadataService
Local JNDI Name: UserMetadataService_local
Remote JNDI Name: UserMetadataService

5. Save and Activate Changes

6. Click on the Targets tab for the newly created ForeignJNDIProvider-SOA

7. Ensure that soa_server and ui_server are ticked

8. Save and Activate changes

9. Restart both soa_server and ui_server (Shutdown then Start up).


Deployment of BPM Task pages + ADF
1a. If you are deploying your ADF/BPM Taskpage using JDeveloper, ensure you select the ui_server when selecting what managed server to deploy to

1b. If you are deploying using scripts (WLST), ensure you make the modifications required such as the name of the managed server or the port number to deploy to

2. Following the above deployment, your BPM Task should now be successfully registered with their corresponding BPM Processes that reside on the soa_server. Clicking on a task link should open the task page whose processing will take place on the ui_server.


Note
This process can also be followed during the architecture set up before any development takes place so that right from the beginning, all ADF deployments are on a separate server to any other non-ADF components.

When deploying to different environments further down the line (From a Development to Test environment), be sure to update any end points you have defined that initially point to a specific server. E.g. The server end points located in wf_client_config.xml (ServerURL and RootEndPointURL properties).

Any questions, feel free to ask.