This blog covers some of the changes and new features of Oracle® WebLogic Server® version 12c.
Introduction
WebLogic Server is an application server that is Java® EE 7 compliant and is used to deploy and run distributed Java applications. This popular Oracle product is used in all the latest Oracle fusion products like service-oriented architecture (SOA), Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE), Oracle Access Management and Oracle Identity Mangement (OAM/OIM), Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 12.2, Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) 13c, and so on.
The latest version of WebLogic Server is 12.2.1.3. You can download it from the Weblogic download link
Changes in WebLogic Server v12c
The following sections cover some of the new features and changes introduced in version of 12c WebLogic, including changes in installation modes, directory structure, dynamic clusters, the OPatch utility, multitenancy, and others.
Install media type
In 12c, the installation type has been changed. Following are three different ways that you can install WebLogic Server:
- Quick Installer
- Generic Package Installer (Jar)
- Fusion Middleware Infrastructure Installer (for multitenancy)
Directory structure and file system
In 12c, the directory structure of a WebLogic server has changed to
Home -> Oracle -> Product -> Oracle Home -> config -> Config -> Domain Home -> Application Home.
The main installation directory, Oracle_Home, is /Oracle/Middleware/Oracle_Home.
The Repository Creation Utility (RCU) script directory is /Oracle/Middleware/Oracle_Home/oracle_common/bin.
The WebLogic home directory, WLS_HOME, is /Oracle/Middleware/Oracle_Home/wlserver.
The patching directory is /Oracle/Middleware/Oracle_Home/OPatch.
The following image shows the WebLogic file structure:
Dynamic cluster
Changes to dynamic clusters include the following items:
- Clusters can contain one or more dynamic servers.
- Servers can be dynamically scaled based on an application’s need.
- You can use a user server template to define the configuration of servers or parts of dynamic cluster.
The following image shows a cluster created with the Round Robin type in the WebLogic Console:
The following image shows the dynamic cluster running status in the WebLogic Console:
Dynamic server
Changes to dynamic server include the following items:
- You can create a WebLogic Server from a server template.
- A dynamic cluster creates these dynamic servers.
The following image shows where to create a dynamic server in the WebLogic Console:
Multitenancy
Changes to multitenancy include the following items:
- Multiple parties can share the multitenant sharable infrastructure.
- Enhancements improved the density and resource efficiency.
- Resource isolation is available within a domain.
JDK 8 certified
WebLogic Server 12c R2 is certified for use with JDK 8 Update 40 and later versions.
JDBC data source types
The following Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) data sources were introduced in version 12c:
- Universal connection pool data sources
- Proxy data sources
Patches
Starting with version 12.1.2, you need to apply WebLogic patches by using the
Opatch utility instead of by using BEA Smart Update (bsu.sh).
With WebLogic Server 12.2.1.3.0, you can obtain the list of patches that have
been applied to a WebLogic Server instance. Access this applied patch list by
reviewing either the weblogic.log.DisplayPatchInfo system property or the
ServerRuntimeMBean.PatchList attribute.
D-PCT
WebLogic Server 12.2.1.1.0 introduces Domain to Partition Conversion Tool (D-PCT), which provides the ability to migrate existing applications and resources from a non-multitenant domain to a multitenant domain partition.
Docker certification
WebLogic Server 12.2.1 is certified to run inside a Docker® container. Docker is a Linux®-based container technology that enables you to quickly create lightweight clustered and non-clustered WebLogic Server domain configurations on a single host OS or virtual machines, for either development or production environments.
Conclusion
The WebLogic Server 12c Release 2 brings enhancements that focus on availability, manageability, support for modern standards and technologies, cloud enablement, and portability.
The enhancements and new features leverage a best-in-class Java EE (Enterprise Edition) application server, taking it to the next level, including additional support for new and emerging specifications, standards, and technologies. They also offer the ability to more efficiently isolate and manage applications and resources and provide maximum availability of applications and data. The good news is that not only can your custom Java applications take advantage of these new capabilities, but many of the Oracle Fusion Middlewear (FMW) components, such as the Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle Service Bus, Oracle BPM Suite, WebCenter Content and Portal, Forms & Reports, and OBIEE can also reap the benefits available in this latest release of WebLogic Server. Version 12.2.1 of WebLogic Server and FMW are available for download now. Take them for a test drive so that you can experience these benefits for yourself.
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