Using Oracle Forms for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Oracle® Fusion Middleware

Using Oracle Forms for Oracle Cloud

Infrastructure

12c (12.2.1.19.0)

F70511-02

March 2023

Oracle Fusion Middleware Using Oracle Forms for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, 12c (12.2.1.19.0)

F70511-02

Primary Author: Oracle Corporation

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Contents

Preface

Audience v

Documentation Accessibility v

Related Documents

Refer to these resources for more information:

• For 12c Oracle Forms information, see Oracle Forms Documentation Library.

• For information about Oracle Reports, see 12.2.1.3.0 Documentation Library.

• For Oracle Fusion Middleware documentation, see Middleware Documentation.

• For Oracle Database documentation, see Oracle Database Documentation.

• For Oracle Autonomous Database documentation, see Oracle Autonomous Database.

Conventions

The following text conventions are used in this document:

Convention

Meaning

boldface

Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an

action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.

italic Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which

you supply particular values.

monospace

Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in

examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.

About Oracle Forms for Oracle Cloud

Infrastructure

Use Oracle Forms for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to create a Forms environment in

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in a fraction of the time it would normally take to do so on

premises.

Oracle Forms for OCI is available as an application in the Oracle Cloud Marketplace. It

supports Bring Your Own License (BYOL) and Universal Credits Model (UCM) images.

If you use BYOL images, you will need a valid and current license that includes Oracle Forms

entitlements. A Support agreement with Oracle is also recommended but not required. Cloud

usage is obtained and billed separately.

Oracle Forms for OCI BYOL is available in Marketplace at: https://

cloudmarketplace.oracle.com/marketplace/app/OracleForms.

If you use Oracle WebLogic Suite for OCI UCM Image with Forms, you are billed per OCPU

per hour for the entitlement and support to use Oracle WebLogic Suite which includes Forms.

The Oracle WebLogic Suite for OCI UCM Image with Forms is available in Marketplace at

https://cloudmarketplace.oracle.com/marketplace/en_US/listing/70277452. Follow the steps

to create a WebLogic Suite UCM Image, selecting from the Version list a version that

includes “Forms” and the desired Linux version in the name. For example, 23.3.1-ol7.9-

Forms-12.2.1.19_230315. The Forms version names use this format:

<release date to Cloud>-<OS>-<Forms-version>_<build date>.

Note:

This periodic billing does not include the general use of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

and other Cloud services that may be required to host this environment.

After launching this application, you can connect to the instance for the first time using SSH.

Upon first connection, you will be presented with a series of questions that will be used to

help configure the environment. Once the instance and the software on it have been

provisioned, you can customize it to meet your needs.

The default settings for this VM image provides enough basic operational scope for most user

cases. However, if you want to emulate something more typical of a true enterprise

deployment (like hosting hundreds or thousands of concurrent users), you may need to adjust

the VM shape, operating system, and/or your server software settings accordingly.

While this image can be used for production purposes, Oracle recommends that you perform

a thorough testing and a security review before doing so.

1-1

Before You Begin with Oracle Forms for

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Before you use this Oracle Cloud Marketplace image, review these permission and database

considerations carefully.

Required Permissions

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to:

• Create new Compute instances.

• Create new Virtual Cloud Networks or select an existing one.

• Create a Database Cloud Service instance or connect to an existing instance as the SYS

user (only required if planning to use DBCS with this Forms instance).

• Create an Autonomous Database instance or connect to an existing instance as the

admin user (only required if planning to use ADB with this Forms instance).

• Create an Identity Dynamic Group and Policy or modify existing ones (only required if

planning to use ADB with this Forms instance)

Database Options

The database you choose at provisioning is configured for both the Oracle Fusion

Middleware repository and application data.

You can easily change your configuration to use a different database for application data, but

attempting to change the database used for the FMW Repository is not recommended.

• Local database: If you elected to configure this instance using the locally installed

database, it will be configured and running upon completion of the provisioning.

• Database Cloud Service: If you elected to configure this instance using DB Cloud

Service, you must ensure it has been configured, is running, and you have SYS

credentials to access it. You will also need the Easy Connect String and the Long

Connect String in order to complete the provisioning. This information can be found on

the DB Cloud Service dashboard for that instance.

• Autonomous Database: If you elected to configure this instance using Autonomous

Database, in addition to having the instance created and accessible, you will also need

the "admin" user password and complete the following pre-setup steps:

Set Up Oracle Forms to Use Autonomous Database

1. Create an Identity Dynamic Group:

a. From the Cloud navigation pane, click Identity and then Dynamic Groups.

b. Click Create Dynamic Group.

c. Type a name for your group, such as "Forms_ADB_Access".

d. Click the Rule Builder link to the right of the Rule 1 box.

2-1

e. Select Compartment OCID from the Match instances with list.

f. Enter your Compartment OCID in the Value field.

Note:

You can match by Compute Instance OCID if the instance has not

yet been accessed the first time.

g. Click Add Rule and then Create.

2. Create an Identity Policy:

a. From the Cloud navigation pane, click Identity and then Policies.

b. Click Create Policy.

c. Enter a name for your policy, such as "Forms_ADB_Policy".

d. Click Policy Builder Show manual editor.

e. Enter the policy as shown below. Use the Policy and Compartment name used

for Step 1c above.

allow dynamic-group <YOUR DYNAMIC GROUP NAME> to use autonomous-

database-family

in compartment <YOUR COMPARTMENT NAME>

The above policy should be enter on a single line.

f. Click Create.

3. Access the new Compute instance using SSH to begin the provisioning process.

Chapter 2

2-2

Installed Software and Patches

This chapter lists software titles and versions installed, as well as installed patches. Because

some of these software titles include other software as part of their installation, additional

software may be available in the instance although not listed here.

Software

Here are the licensable software products and versions installed on the machine, irrespective

of your entitlements for usage:

• Oracle Linux 7.9

• Oracle JDK 8u361

• Oracle Database EE 19.3.0 (only when not selecting ADB or DBCS)

• Oracle WebLogic Server 12.2.1.4.0

• Oracle Forms and Reports 12.2.1.19.0

• SQLDeveloper 21.4.3.063.0100

• FMW Patching Utility Tool (for UCM instances)

Note:

Make sure that you have obtained the appropriate licensing to use the software

installed in this virtual machine. If you are not sure of your entitlements, contact

your Oracle Account Manager or an Oracle Sales Representative.

Patches

WARNING:

Only the patches noted below have been pre-installed. It is strongly recommended

that you install the latest Critical Patch Updates for the operating system, database,

and all installed Fusion Middleware software before using this environment for

production purposes.

See Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Bulletins.

Table 3-1 Pre-installed Patches for the Fusion Middleware Oracle Home

Patch Affected Components

30540494 RCU

30754186 RCU

31676526 RCU

3-1

Table 3-1 (Cont.) Pre-installed Patches for the Fusion Middleware Oracle Home

Patch Affected Components

34883826 WLS

34974729 WLS

For BYOL users with the appropriate Oracle Support account, additional patches can

be downloaded from My Oracle Support. For UCM users, use the Patching Utility Tool

included in the instance to download and apply patches. Refer to Patch Management

Using Patching Utility in Using Oracle WebLogic Server for OCI.

Chapter 3

3-2

Oracle Reports

Although Oracle Reports has been installed in the Middleware home, it has not been

configured in the WLS domain, nor have the required Tools and Reports Server components

been created.

For more information about setting up Oracle Reports, see Installing and Configuring Oracle

Forms and Reports.

Oracle Reports has not been Certification tested in Oracle Cloud and therefore Oracle cannot

guarantee it will work properly in this environment. If you plan to use Oracle Reports despite

its certification status, be sure to thoroughly test before using it in a critical deployment.

It is important to note that because multi-cast communication is not permitted in Cloud, the

Reports Naming Service is required. As a result, this also means that Reports HA

configurations are not possible, since they require multi-cast support. For more information

about the Naming Service and how to configure it, refer to How to Enable Namingservice

Discovery Mechanism for all Reports Server in Reports 12c (Doc ID 2205595.1) on My

Oracle Support.

Support for using Oracle Reports in this environment may be limited. In fact, Oracle

recommends that Oracle Reports users migrate to Oracle BI-Publisher or Analytics Publisher

(also available in Analytics Cloud Service) for their reporting needs, as no new certifications

or features are planned for Oracle Reports.

Because Oracle Reports has been deprecated, refer to the 12.2.1.3 Documentation Library

for setup and usage information.

4-1

Creating an Instance

You can create a new Oracle Forms instance from the Marketplace Repository in the

Compute Instance Console or directly from the Marketplace.

Two images are available: Oracle Forms for OCI Images (for BYOL) or Oracle WebLogic

Suite UCM Images (for UCM).

Creating an Instance Using the Compute Instance Console

You can create a new Oracle Forms instance from the Marketplace Repository in the

Compute Instance Console, using either the Oracle Forms for OCI Image (for BYOL) or the

Oracle WebLogic Suite UCM Image (for UCM).

To create an instance using the Compute Instance Console:

1. Sign in to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure console.

2. Click the navigation menu, select Compute, then Instance.

3. Click Create Instance.

4. Provide an Instance name.

The names chosen will become the machine’s host name so do not include blank spaces

or other characters not supported for a machine host name.

5. Select the compartment where you want to create the instance.

6. Under Placement, select the Availability Domain in which to create the instance.

To specify capacity type and fault domain, click Show Advanced Options.

7. Under Image and Shape, click Change Image, click Marketplace, then do the following:

a. Select Partner Images.

b. In the search field, search for one of the following images and select it by checking

the corresponding check box:

• Oracle Forms Services Image (BYOL only)

• Oracle WebLogic Suite UCM Image (UCM only)

c. From the Image Build list, select the desired image.

For UCM images, be sure to choose one that specifies “Forms” in the name.

The UCM naming format for images that include Oracle Forms is:

<release>-<OS version>-Forms-<version>_<build date>.

For example, 23.3.1-ol7.9-Forms-12.2.1.19_230315.

The BYOL naming format is: <Forms version>_<build date>.

For example, 12.2.1.19_230315.

d. Review the terms and conditions, then select I have reviewed and accept the

Oracle Terms of Use.

5-1

8. Under Image and Shape, click Change Shape.

9. Select the Virtual Machine, then select the desired shape.

The minimum recommended shape will include at least 1 OCPU and 16 GB

Memory. Only AMD and Intel processors are supported for use with Oracle Forms.

For more information about Oracle Cloud Shapes, see Compute Shapes in the

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation.

10. Configure the Network for the instance.

To specify advanced network settings, click Show Advanced Options.

11. Under Add SSH Keys, generate a key pair, upload your public key, or paste the

keys.

12. Under Boot Volume, specify the size and encryption options for the instance's

boot volume.

The Forms image creates a default disk size of 75 GB. See Extend the OCI

Instance Disk Space.

13. Click Show Advanced Options to configure advanced settings.

14. Click Create.

For more information about creating instances, see Creating a Linux instance in the

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation.

Creating an Instance Using the Marketplace

You can create a new Oracle Forms instance directly from the Marketplace using

either the Oracle Forms for OCI Image (for BYOL) or the Oracle WebLogic Suite UCM

Image (for UCM).

To create an instance using the Marketplace:

1. Sign in to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure console.

2. Click the navigation menu, select Marketplace, then click All Applications.

3. Search for and select one of the following images:

• Oracle Forms Services Image (for BYOL only)

• Oracle WebLogic Suite UCM Image (for UCM only)

4. From the Version drop-down list, select the desired image.

For UCM images, be sure to choose one that specifies “Forms” in the name.

The UCM naming format for images that include Oracle Forms is:

<release>-<OS version>-Forms-<version>_<build date>.

For example, 23.3.1-ol7.9-Forms-12.2.1.19_230315.

The BYOL naming format is: <Forms version>_<build date>.

For example, 12.2.1.19_230315.

5. Select the Compartment in which to create the instance.

6. Review the terms and conditions and select the I have reviewed and accept the

Oracle Terms of Use.

7. Click Launch Instance.

Chapter 5

Creating an Instance Using the Marketplace

5-2

8. Provide an Instance name.

The names chosen will become the machine’s host name so do not include blank spaces

or other characters not supported for a machine host name.

9. Under Placement, select the Availability Domain in which to create the instance.

To specify capacity type and fault domain, click Show Advanced Options.

10. Under Image and Shape, click Change Shape.

11. Select the Virtual Machine, then select the desired shape.

The minimum recommended shape will include at least 1 OCPU and 16 GB Memory.

Only AMD and Intel processors are supported for use with Oracle Forms. For more

information about Oracle Cloud Shapes, see Compute Shapes in the Oracle Cloud

Infrastructure Documentation.

12. Configure the network for the instance.

To specify advanced network settings, click Show Advanced Options.

13. Under Add SSH Keys, generate a key pair, upload your public key, or paste the keys.

14. Under Boot Volume, specify the size and encryption options for the instance's boot

volume.

The Forms image creates a default disk size of 75 GB. See Extend the OCI Instance Disk

Space.

15. Click Show Advanced Options to configure advanced settings.

16. Click Create.

For more information about creating instances, see Creating a Linux instance in Oracle Cloud

Infrastructure Documentation.

Chapter 5

Creating an Instance Using the Marketplace

5-3

Using this Environment

Refer to this chapter for information about accessing the OCI instance, locating installed

software, and using the Oracle Linux desktop.

Connecting to the Instance and Provisioning the Software

You can access the Oracle Forms for OCI images as follows:

• Ensure that you specify an SSH key when you create an instance using the image. You

need this SSH key to access the instance and launch the instance.

• Connect to an instance as the opc user using the SSH command:

ssh –i <private_key_file> opc@<public-ip-address>

Where, private_key_file is the corresponding private key for the public key used during

provisioning.

Upon first logon, the user/admin will be presented with a variety of questions where their

answers will be needed to provision the software. After the software has been provisioned,

the servers will be automatically started and ready to use.

For version 12.2.1.4, the software is installed and owned by the “opc” user. However, in

12.2.1.19 the software is installed and owned by “oracle”. When using 12.2.1.19, be sure to

administer the Fusion Middleware and Database (if installed) as the “oracle” user.

To access the oracle user login as opc user the use the “su” command to switch to the oracle

user:

sudo su - oracle

A unique SSH certificate can also be configured in order to allow authorized users to connect

directly as the oracle user and control their access to opc. Refer to the Cloud documentation

for information about such a configuration.

Note:

Do not attempt to create a new “oracle” user as this user already exists. The

configuration step necessary is to provide a unique certificate to the SSH authorized

keys list.

See Connecting to a Linux Instance and Adding Users to an Instance in the Oracle Cloud

Infrastructure documentation.

Software Locations

Once provisioning has completed, all the software will be installed and owned by the oracle

user. The Oracle Middleware and Database software can be found here:

6-1

Note:

Database software is installed only if you choose to have a local database

during provisioning.

• Database

ORACLE_HOME

: /u01/oracle/database/base/Oracle_Home

Database connect string:

orcl

• Middleware

ORACLE_HOME

: /u01/oracle/middleware/Oracle_Home

• Middleware

DOMAIN_HOME

: /u01/oracle/middleware/user_projects/

domains/base_domain

– WebLogic Server repository (RCU) schema prefix:

FRM

– WebLogic Server Administrator user name:

weblogic

•

JDK 8 HOME

: /u01/oracle/jdk

•

FORMS_PATH

in frmbld.sh and default.env includes: /home/oracle/

oracle/formsmodules

Linux Desktop

For information on how to connect to the Linux desktop using VNC, refer to

Connecting to the VNC Console in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure documentation.

The Oracle Linux desktop created with this instance includes a variety of useful

desktop application launchers (shortcuts). Upon first attempt to use these launchers, a

warning is displayed that suggests the launcher is "Untrusted". This warning is

expected. Choose Trust and Launch to continue. This will permanently trust the

launcher and display the appropriate desktop icon associated with the launcher.

Launchers added by this provisioning include the following:

• Firefox

• Forms Builder

• Instance Controller

• Terminal

• ReadMe

Chapter 6

6-2

Server Information

Refer to this chapter for information about server ports, the Oracle HTTP Server, and

provisioned Oracle Fusion Middleware server configuration.

Server Ports

Server Port Notes

Database Listener Port 1521 Only if using a local database

WLS Administration Server 7001 Non-SSL port

WLS_FORMS 9001 Non-SSL port

7-1

Server Port Notes

Oracle HTTP Server (OHS) 7777 & 4443 (7777 & 4443

opened in Linux firewall)

Use the firewall-cmd Linux

command to list all open ports or

change the current operating

system firewall settings. Refer to

the firewall-cmd "man"

page for more information on this

command.

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Chapter 7

7-2

Server Port Notes

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Oracle HTTP Server

OHS has been configured to forward requests for /forms/ and /fadsui. If this is not

desirable, remove the associated entries from forms.conf through Oracle Fusion

Middleware Control. The OHS KeepAliveTimeout setting has been changed from its

default of 5 to 10, which you can verify in httpd.conf.

All Servers

The Oracle Fusion Middleware servers have been configured with a "boot.properties" for

each Managed Server (including the Admin Server). This allows the Managed Servers to

start without being prompted to log in. These can be removed/deleted if interactive login is

desired. All servers configured during the provisioning are configured to autostart with the

machine. This means that if the machine is rebooted, these servers should start automatically

unless you have disabled that functionality. Refer to this documentation for details on starting

servers and working with "boot.properties": https://docs.oracle.com/en/middleware/fusion-

middleware.

If using the locally installed database, it is also configured to autostart on reboot.

Refer to the Oracle Forms Installation and Working with Oracle Forms guides for additional

configuration and usage instructions.

Chapter 7

7-3

Extend the OCI Instance Disk Space

On initial access to the instance, only about 40 GB of disk space is available. You can

recover extra disk space by using the growpart command.

After executing this command and rebooting the machine, about 75 GB will be available

unless a custom size was selected at provisioning time.

To recover the extra disk space:

1. Execute the growpart command as the root user:

growpart /dev/sda 3

2. Reboot the machine.

8-1

Security Information

This chapter includes important information regarding some security aspects of this

environment and its configuration. Although various security considerations were taken into

account when this environment was created, it is important that a thorough security review be

completed before using this environment in production.

Default Settings

All installations/configurations include default settings unless noted otherwise. Any

dependencies required by the included software for installation have also been installed. Be

sure to check the various component configuration settings to ensure they are using the most

secure values.

Securing the Software

Although some patches may be pre-installed, other software updates may be available since

this image was created. It is very important that all the installed software be updated with the

latest security patches available. It is recommended that the latest Database, Fusion

Middleware, and operating system updates be applied before exposing this system to

production users and/or sensitive data. Not taking this precaution could put your environment

in risk of a security breach.

For information on the latest security updates available for Oracle software, refer to the

Oracle Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Bulletins web page.

SSL/TLS

When installed, the local Oracle Database and Fusion Middleware installations include a

"demo" SSL/TLS certificate. This certificate should be replaced with an appropriate and

current certificate. The provided demo certificate is not intended or supported for any other

purpose beyond demonstrating how to configure and use SSL/TLS.

For more information about Oracle Fusion Middleware security, refer to the documentation

available from the Secure the Environment page of the Oracle Fusion Middleware site.

Listener Ports

Most inbound ports are blocked by the Linux firewall. However, several ports have been

opened in order to make the Fusion Middleware software easier to use. If having these ports

accessible by other nodes is not desirable, the firewall settings can be changed in order to

block them. The firewall-cmd command can be used to make the needed changes. Refer

to the Oracle Linux Security Guide for more information.

For a list of TCP ports opened as part of the Fusion Middleware software installed in this

instance, refer to Server Information.

VNC

Tiger VNC has been installed and configured to start automatically and to provide access to

the Desktop as the "oracle" user.

9-1

Tunneling through an SSH connection is recommended to access using VNC.

Opening the VNC ports to the public Internet is not recommended.

Refer to Troubleshooting Instances Using Instance Console Connections in the Oracle

Cloud Infrastructure Documentation.

Chapter 9

9-2