ADF / Webcenter : POJO Data Control caches values even when container taskflow is refreshed [UI Aware Data Model - I]

Oracle says ADF BC , EJBs , Webservices , POJOs etc. are supported as Business Services layer in ADF.

The Data control layer which happens to be the Model layer can be generated from each of the above ( gets generated automatically from ADF BC).






Use Case -
I had a taskflow which contained a jsff as a default view activity. The view in turn pulled data from a Webservice proxy (a POJO for all practical purposes) via a POJO DataControl.We had a requirement to refresh the taskflow when the value of a selectOneChocie outside the region changed .

Issue -
Though the taskflow refreshed but the page showed the same data  within the ADF Table (based on the POJO Data control) which was surprising !

Concern - 
Since as per the documentation -

http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E21764_01/web.1111/b31974/taskflows_regions.htm#CHDEIFBB

Example 17-8 says :
You do not need to refresh an ADF region to refresh the data controls inside the ADF region. During the ADF lifecycle, the refresh events telling the iterators to update will be propagated to the binding container of the current page of the ADF region.

Solution -
We had to re-execute the iterator's Query to get this to work either as a method call before your view is loaded or by overriding the refreshRegion() method of the Region Controller class.

Explanation - 
The actual reason why this is expected is because the way ADF works with ADF BC as the business services layer and the UI-aware data model aspect from the Oracle documentation. Other non - ADF BC business services implementation donot support this pattern and we would need to refresh iterators programmatically or clear cache's etc to reflect most recent data when using POJO's/ WS Datacontrols etc.

"When you use ADF Business Components in combination with the ADF Model layer and ADF Faces UI components, the data model is "UI aware" because your UI components will automatically update to reflect any changes to the row sets of these business objects
Thus, the UI-aware data model represents a solution that works across application technology layers to ensure that the UI and data model remain synchronized."

Here is the forum thread for reference.

Conclusion - 
Though many people who have worked in open source platforms and are used to having a handle to the code aren't fans of ADF BC - but ADF BC simplifies development by providing really cool features like the UI Aware Data Model.I would try to outline more in this in another post.

ADF/Webcenter : High Availability/Failover Configuration

We need to add the following parameters to our config files to enable High Availability in ADF /Webcenter applications.

Specifically ensure the weblogic-application.xml file has the following:
<session-descriptor>
<cookie-path>/appname</cookie-path>
<persistent-store-type>REPLICATED_IF_CLUSTERED</persistent-store-type>
</session-descriptor>

And the adf-config.xml file has the following:
<adf-controller-config xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/adf/controller/config">
<adf-scope-ha-support>true</adf-scope-ha-support>
</adf-controller-config>

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/availability/bestpracticescustomwcapps-1854907.pdf

Some other factors you should consider at a code level.

ADF : Refactoring/Modularizing your AMImpl code

Lot of our ADF Applications use a single Application Module(AM henceforth) to house most of the business logic. Thus results in a huge AMImpl.java which keeps growing and eventually becomes difficult to maintain with multiple developers working on it.

With this file being the heart and soul of the application , it would not hurt to refactor the business logic within it to separate standalone Java classes which can be separated out based on some functional/logical separation.

This can be easily achieved by calling these standalone Java classes from the AMImpl.java and passing the AM instance to them so that the required operation could be carried out independantly and in context.The AMImpl.java just houses the skeleton methods to call the standalone Java class methods.

Example

Code in <yourAMName>Impl.java

       public void scheduleJobViaAM(){ // this could be called from the UI via method call in a Taskflow

        Scheduler scheduler=new Scheduler(); // can be made a static class as well based on need

        scheduler.scheduleJobsViaQuartz(this);

    }

Code in StandAlone java class

    public void scheduleJobsViaQuartz(ApplicationModuleImpl am){// accepts an instance of super Class of our AMImpl.java'

         OrgAMImpl orgAM=(OrgAMImpl)am; //typecast AM  to its appropriate Impl class to get access to its method and objects

        orgAM.commitSalaryForEmployee(100); // call AM method to do processing with its VO Instances , alternatively that code could be written here too since we have a handle to the AM instance !

 }

Finally we have more readable , manageable code which goes a huge way in having a timely delivered project with minimum issues  !

ADF/WebCenter : Things to keep in mind while integrating Google Analytics

Download this article here to configure Google Analytics with ADF ( Pretty much similar to integration of GA with JSP)  . This will help you see page views by location , browser

Few Issues I faced & might help you -

1)Tracking not Installed is misleading , check Real Time reports -> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16952379/google-analytics-says-tracking-not-installed-but-i-see-it-working

2)Enabling IP Address on IWLS -

http://www.coderanch.com/t/570109/BEA-Weblogic/Resolving-Replacing-localhost-IP-Address

3)Use Universal Analytics or Basic Classic Analytics (without additional settings) as clearly mentioned here -

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2817075

4)Limitations & how to capture button clicks -
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/adf-methodology/7h8JulWeHZU

ADF : Lifecycle of a POJO Data Control

Though ADF BC is the Oracle recommended Business Services layer , but for many use cases  we end up using POJOs and exposing them in the UI via POJO Datacontrols

e.g. consuming Webservices as WS Proxy , calling 3rd party or IDM APIs

I would like to point out that its highly recommended that you generate datacontrols out of the POJO and consume them in the UI rather than get a handle to the POJO directly in the UI surpassing any binding layer per se. That ways we can leverage cool features like sorting , filtering etc OOTB as well as the results are not cached when the table is bound to a pageFlowScope bean.

I have seen even ignorant so called 'Sr Solution Architects' use the wrong approach & face weird issues & blame it on ADF !!

This post is intended to share the insights I received from Oracle PMs and others on the popular ADF Enterprise Methodology Group (EMG) on the below use case.

A POJO  in the model layer with its constructor and a few public methods which return a list or the like which is finally exposed as a Datacontrol to a ADF UI.

When will the POJO Datacontrol and the POJO be initialized and in what memory scope would it be kept in case it needs to be accessed in various places on the same page or in different pages in same/different TFs ?

See   the ADF EMG post & Frank's reply on the forum post for more details  and precise answers on the above.

Oracle Access Manager(OAM) & Oracle Internet Directory(OID)'s restricted use license with WebCenter Portal

A restricted use of Oracle Access Manager(OAM) & Oracle Internet Directory(OID) is allowed with WebCenter Suite Plus licensing which is one of the most common licenses available to Customers implementing a WebCenter Portal.

Thus OAM & OID can be used to provide Single Sign On (SSO) between WebCenter , UCM/Content & IPM without the client having to buy any additional licenses albeit with a few technical limitations.

In addition out of the box features like Impersonation can be leveraged easily.

On a whole this should help customers easily leverage Single-Sign-On using OAM & use Oracle's LDAP - OID when implementing a WebCenter Portal.

Source :

Oracle® Fusion Middleware Licensing Information 11g Release 1 (11.1.1)

"Oracle Access Manager(OAM) for enabling Single-Sign On (SSO) between WebCenter Portal components. Use of Oracle Access Manager to a) enable SSO for any custom services or functions or third party applications;

b) Direct Oracle Access Manager SDK calls; or c) Third party directory integration, is not allowed.

Oracle Internet Directory(OID) - The use of OID is restricted to storing credentials and policies specific to WebCenter Portal and its delivered components."

Limitations :

1) OAM & OID alongwith the WebTier would need to be installed in the same VMs as Webcenter Portal when leveraged as a part of this licensing.

This makes it slightly different from Oracle's recommended deployment Architecture for OAM.

What is Oracle Mobile Application Framework (MAF) ?

 Oracle Mobile Application Framework (MAF) was launched on June 30 , 2014. 

It is Oracle's latest mobile platform to develop hybrid mobile applications(which run on device and are built using web technologies like Java/ADF) and can be deployed to iOS & Android platforms.

It is basically an extension of ADF Mobile with a few additional features -

• Ability to develop using multiple IDE Tools like Eclipse(OEPE*) besides Jdeveloper.
• Additional AMX* components (totally 80 now) to develop mobile applications & provide a rich look & feel.
• Newly suppported ADF DVT* components like Sunburst & Timeline.[Demos]
• Supoort for Apache Cordova Plugins .
• Support for O-Auth & web-SSO for Security.
• Complete integration with Oracle Mobile Security Suite (OMSS) which is a part of Oracle IDM.
• Available Jdeveloper 12.1.3 onwards.
• Migration of existing ADF Mobile Applications is easy , just open application in new Jdeveloper !
• Licensing for Oracle MAF is now seperate ( per user per app or unlimited users per app).
• Higher reusability using Feature Archives (FARs) & custom components.
• Support for HTML5 and Javscript development.

Architecture ( Source : Oracle )

Resources

Announcement

Datasheet

Introduction video & videos for developers (by Grant Ronald)

Demos

Certification Matrix

Glossary
*  DVT - Data Visualization Components (Graphs/Charts etc)
*  OEPE - Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse
*  AMX - ADF Mobile XML

Allowing unauthenticated access to Webcenter Content/UCM public documents via OAM SSO

Recently we had a requirement at a client wherein Public Documents in UCM be accessed via a SSO URL (using the OHS Port) without the user being challenged for credentials.

Sounds pretty straighforward right ? Since anyways using the default managed server port of 16200 of the Content Server , anyways those documents don't popup asking for user credentials.

Well , wasn't that simple really! Took us(myself , Sachin Saxena et al) a few days to exactly figure this out and now we have Oracle's stamp on it as well !

Following were the examples of documents which needed to be publically accessible

1)http://<host>:7778/cs/idcplg?idcService=GET_FILE&dID=1445&dDocName=DEV_COMPLOGO_31364&allowInterrupt=1

(Accessing public document  called 'DEV_COMPLOGO_31364' having Public Security group via IdcService)

2)http://<host>:7778/cs/groups/public/documents/digitalmedia/b2dv/xzmx/~edisp/dev_complogo_31364.jpg

(This has a definite URL Pattern of /cs/groups/public)

3)Also this general service/document search page needs to open up without authentication.

http://<host>:7778/cs/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DOC_PAGE

**Oracle Access Manager (OAM) basically protects URLs or definite URL parameters , it cannot go inside an end-user application and check security assigned to a resource to determine if that should be challenged for credentials.

(Example in this case is that it cannot go and check the authorization / security Group using IdcService URL for the file DEV_COMPLOG_31364)**

Hence we have only two options here -

1)Either the URL pattern /cs/groups/public can be marked as unprotected in OAM Application Domain and hence user won't be challenged when using Pattern 2 as above.

2)Create a mapping folder pattern in UCM , like pretty URL to access even webDav content)

3)You can configure the IdcService url pattern to be public via OAM. (something like http://oamserver.com/cs/idcplg as url and query parameters as IdcService=GET_FILE) .But by exposing that people can still construct url of private documents if they know the dID and bypass OAM as the pattern is public. But once they reach UCM, ucm security will deny them access as they are not authenticated/have required permissions [Courtesy : Shidharth Mishra]

References

1)Oracle SR [Closed]            2) Forums

Database Security - Enterprise User Security (EUS)

About Enterprise User Security (EUS)

• Enterprise User Security (EUS) is a way of integrating Oracle Database with LDAP compliant directory server like Oracle Internet Directory (OID) or Microsoft AD
  so that database Users , Passwords & Roles can be centrally managed in a LDAP Directory Server.
• Belongs to Database Security category of the IdM stack.

Advantages 

• Offers low costs & centralized authentication.
• Increases security & compliance.
• No data migration needed , clients continue to use existing directories.

Architecture

• Oracle Virtual Directory (OVD) has a EUS Adapter and EUS Plugins OOTB.
• The LDAP Directory (OID or AD or Novell or Sun eDirectory) needs to be setup for EUS.
• The Oracle Database/s need to be EUS enabled using NETCA & DBCA utility.
• The Database/s can be logged into using a centralized EUS User/s later.
• Kerberos authentication can be enabled to do native authentication for SQL clients like sql plus & SQL Developer.

Useful Resources 

1. EUS DataSheet with Architecture
2. Enterprise User Security Guide
3. Integrating Enterprise Security with AD
4. Oracle Whitepaper
5. Atul Kumar’s Blog
6. How To Configure EUS with OVD 11.1.1.6 and Active Directory - AD (Doc ID 1449132.1)
7. Expected Issues - How To Avoid Extending The Active Directory Schema With extendAD For OVD-OID-AD-EUS 11g Integration? (Doc ID 1159337.1)