1 Introduction to Oracle Application Server

1.1.1.1 J2EE Applications

Most e-business application developers face the fact that development cycles have become shorter, while demand for an increasing number of programming languages and multiple platforms keeps growing. In recent years, developers began using Java, a platform-independent programming language, in application development. However, their applications are still vendor-dependent because of proprietary Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Complying with industry standards to create a level of cross-vendor standardization has become an increasing demand and challenge. The J2EE platform and component specifications define a standard platform for developing multi-tier, Web-based enterprise applications. Using J2EE as a development requirement addresses the issue of conflicting industry standards.

1.1.1.2 Web Services

As e-business evolves, companies rely increasingly on their Web sites to conduct business. Web services provide a standards-based infrastructure through which any business can both offer internal business process services and dynamically link its business processes with those of its partners. Web services support direct interactions with other software applications using XML-based messages and Internet-based products.

1.1.1.3 Portals

Over the past several years, the portal has emerged as the new Internet desktop, enabling users to access information through Web browsers and to combine information from different sources into a single entry point. Portals also support personalized views, so that users or user groups can customize the content and the appearance of the portal to suit individual preferences and requirements. Secure, easy-to-use, and dynamic portals that provide access to all applications and Web services are essential infrastructure elements for e-business.

1.1.1.4 Wireless

An increasing number of people conduct business out of the office. Wireless applications allow users rapid access through mobile devices, such as Web-enabled phones, personal digital assistants, or pagers. However, wireless applications are limited by small screen size, limited data entry capacity, and heterogeneity in standards supporting wireless devices.

1.1.1.5 Personalization

Customers, through Web site navigation, purchases, demographics, and ratings data, provide valuable information about themselves and their interests. When this information is extracted effectively, you can deliver tailored customer experiences and drive business decisions.

1.1.1.6 Enterprise Integration

Most companies need to integrate their existing applications and data sources with new business processes. As companies grow, it is essential to integrate existing applications and data sources with those of their partners, customers, and suppliers. These companies must perform a complete enterprise application integration without rewriting the applications or building extensive customized program logic.

1.1.2.1 Availability

The availability of an overall system is measured by the percentage of time that it works normally. A successful e-business requires a 100% available operation without downtime. To improve availability, companies may use redundant components, but only when the back-up component can take over for a failed primary component immediately.

1.1.2.2 Scalability

The scalability of a system refers to how well it responds as user demands increase. The number of Web users has increased tremendously in the past few years. It is crucial to maintain high quality Web sites that scale when you increase your hardware resources.

1.1.2.3 Performance

Increasing the performance of your Web site and increasing the speed of your applications without redesigning or rebuilding the Web site are common goals. Typical performance factors include the ability to handle multiple requests simultaneously, competition for resources, latency, response time, service time, throughput, wait time, and scalability.

1.1.2.4 Caching

Many high-volume Web sites serve thousands of users concurrently and need to provide them with accurate data in a dynamic environment where content changes frequently. Caching is one of the key technologies that promises to alleviate the computational and economic burdens resulting from complicated Web site infrastructure and technologies. However, it is often difficult to cache the dynamic, personalized content that the e-business model requires.

1.1.2.5 Systems Management

Application server administrators require sophisticated tools to monitor and manage the application platform, deployed applications, and the privileges and access rights of individual application users. Administrators benefit from a central administration console that simplifies the management and monitoring of the application server and its components, and also allows them to manage application deployments, application configuration, and security.

1.1.2.6 Security and Identity Management

With the Internet continually growing, the threat to information traveling over the network increases exponentially. Maintaining a secure Web site is crucial. Once your Web site is running, you must protect the databases and the servers on which they reside. You must administer and protect the rights of internal database users, and you must guarantee the confidentiality of e-business customers as they access your database.

1.3.1.1 J2EE and Internet Applications

Oracle Application Server is built entirely on a J2EE framework that supports the latest industry standard technologies and programming languages, including J2EE API specifications, XML, and Web services. This comprehensive and flexible framework allows you to design, develop, and deploy dynamic Web sites, portals, and transactional applications using familiar programming languages and technologies such as servlets, JavaServer pages, XML, PL/SQL Server Pages, and SOAP. Oracle Application Server also provides comprehensive Web services to expose business functions to authorized parties over the Internet from any Web device.

1.3.1.2 Portals

Oracle Application Server provides an out-of-the-box portal that does not require endless programming and maintenance. You can use Oracle Application Server Portal to build, deploy, and maintain self-service and integrated enterprise portals. Oracle Application Server Portal allows for self-service content management and publishing, wizard-based development, and deploying, publishing, and consuming Web services on an extensible framework. It also includes Oracle Instant Portal, a custom application built with OracleAS Portal that provides smaller enterprises an opportunity to build simple portals in a short amount of time.

1.3.1.3 Wireless

Oracle Application Server Wireless simplifies wireless development and deployment by providing the ability to deliver content to any device, to use any protocol, and to work across any wireless network. In addition, Oracle Application Server Wireless includes wireless services, such as e-mail and location-based services, that simplify wireless-enabling applications and portals. Oracle Application Server provides application developers independence from the underlying wireless infrastructure. Oracle Application Server Wireless is built on Oracle Application Server Containers for J2EE (OC4J), leveraging open standards support in XML and J2EE to deliver a high-performance and scalable wireless infrastructure.

1.3.1.4 Business Intelligence

Oracle Application Server Business Intelligence provides comprehensive personalization and business intelligence services. Using Oracle Application Server Business Intelligence features, you can dynamically serve personalized content recommendations to both registered and anonymous visitors as they browse your site; perform dynamic, ad-hoc query reporting and analysis using a standard Web browser; and publish high quality, dynamically generated reports on a scalable, secure platform.

1.3.1.5 E-Businesses Integration

Oracle Application Server has a powerful set of features that provide communications and integration capabilities for e-business applications. Using Oracle Application Server, you can integrate enterprise applications, trading partners, and Web services, emphasizing scalability and manageability, and provide seamless query and transaction access to many non-Oracle data sources. You can implement both human and process workflow automation, and connect out-of-the-box to a variety of packaged applications and legacy systems.

1.3.1.6 Availability and Scalability

Oracle Application Server provides a flexible deployment model that allows you to architect your system for high availability and scalability. Oracle Application Server provides a variety of options for improving availability and scalability, and provides features for implementing fault tolerance, death detection, and failover. Additionally, Oracle Application Server supports such high availability options as cold failover clusters and active failover clusters.

1.3.1.7 Caching

Oracle Application Server provides a Web caching solution with the unique capability of caching both static and dynamically-generated Web content. Oracle Application Server Web Cache significantly improves the performance and scalability of heavily loaded Web sites. In addition, the Web cache provides a number of features to ensure consistent and predictable responses. These features include page fragment caching, Edge Side Includes (ESI) and Edge Side Includes for Java (JESI) support, compression, dynamic content assembly, Web server load balancing, Web cache clustering, and failover.

1.3.1.8 Systems Management

Oracle Application Server provides a set of management facilities to simplify all aspects of Web site and application server administration. Using the management capabilities of Oracle Application Server, you can:

• Configure and monitor Oracle Application Server instances to optimize them for performance and scalability from a centralized console

• Monitor and manage your entire suite with Oracle Enterprise Manager

• View real-time, graphical information about your application server processes with Topology Viewer

• Have your HTTP port management automated

• Create and manage application server clusters

• Deploy and configure applications

• Start and stop the application server and its components

• Respond to problem conditions from a centralized console

• Use encrypted secure sockets layer (SSL) connections, user and client certificate-based authentication, and single sign-on across all applications

• Implement Oracle Internet Directory, an LDAP-compliant directory that provides a single repository and administration environment for user accounts

1.3.1.9 Identity Management

The Oracle Application Server identity management infrastructure allows you to manage user identity throughout the application security life cycle. Oracle Application Server provides components for handling authentication, security services, authorization, and user provisioning to ensure the security of your Internet applications.