forms 9i - dream and reality

Oracle Forms 9iDream & Reality

Peter Anzenbergerpeter@peter-partner.com

Anual conference 2003 - Vienna

Applications Evolving With Forms

BlockModeBlockMode

CharacterModeCharacterMode

Client ServerClient Server WebWeb ?? ??

History of Forms

Oracle Forms 10g

20046i

Oracle Forms 10g ???

The Problem and the Reality

! Many data entry applications don’t need desktop integration

! But many do….! Can be a significant barrier to Web deployment! There are ways…

! Should I Migrate to the Web Today?

Integration Migrate?

Occasional Upload Yes

Background Calculations Yes

Mail Merge Maybe

Document Storage in the DB Probably Not

Full on Outlook & Word Integration Probably Not

Integration with Testing Equipment Maybe

Integration Migrate?

Occasional Upload Yes

Background Calculations Yes

Mail Merge Maybe

Document Storage in the DB Probably Not

Full on Outlook & Word Integration Probably Not

Integration with Testing Equipment Maybe

Form Runs HereForm Runs Here•• HostHost•• OLEOLE•• Read_Image_FileRead_Image_File•• ORA_FFIORA_FFI

Generic Generic AppletApplet•• PJC PJC •• JavaBeansJavaBeans

DesktopDesktop

Application Application ServerServer

DatabaseDatabase•• Document StorageDocument Storage

DB ServerDB Server

The End of Client/Server?

A successful Migration

! Customer: voestalpine stahl Linz GmbH

! What to do:!C/S …. Forms 6i or!Web …. Forms 9i

! How much forms: approximately 150

History of the Project

! At the beginning was Forms 3.0! Terminals on SCO Unix Servers

! Migration with Designer 2.1 to Forms 5.0! Creation of an OLB for Designer! Creation of Templates! Reverse Engineering and Generation with Designer 2.1! Layout made new with FormBuilder

! We packed almost everything on Code into the Database

Conclusion of the Migration Process

! Migration worked only with FormBuilder! We needed only 1 Day to migrate 150 Forms! Tests took 2 weeks! Everything worked fine because we worked

fine in the past

Forms 4.5 to 9i Forms

! Conversion! Migration Wizard! Forms Builder

! OTN Web Site! Remember to start OC4J!

The migration from versions earlier than 6i is not supported.But may work!!! ☺

IT - Infrastructure

! The Migration Process is not the Main Problem! The real Problem is:

You need the Oracle IAS 9i now!

Running on O9iAS

! Current client/server apps now need O9iAS ! licensing! administration

! Getting this wrong can kill your project! Complex configuration! Need experienced O9iAS admin

! Q: What killed the Reports Server?! A: Permissions on the /tmpdirectory

Infrastructure of C/S

Developer Client • Forms• Reports• GraphicsSQL*Net

Database Server

Form Startup

Client Application Server

HTTP Server (mod_oc4j)

WWWBrowser

HTML Startup File

File System

Forms Servlet

JInitiatorApplet Window

Forms Listener Servlet

17Application Server Database Server

Java Files

Forms Files

GIF Files

File System

Database

Client

Form Runtime

HTTP Server

Forms ListenerServlet

WWWBrowser

JInitiatorWindow

Forms Servlet

Forms RuntimeEngine

WWWBrowser

JInitiatorWindow

WWWBrowser

JInitiatorWindow Forms Runtime

Engine

Installation of iAS 9.0.2

! Now you are ready to install the Oracle9iAS Infrastructure. TheOracle9iAS Metadata Repository, Oracle Internet Directory and Oracle9iAS Single Sign-On will be installed.

! Note: If you will be installing Oracle9i Application Server Business Intelligence and Forms and the Oracle9i Database Release 2 on thesame machine, it is recommended that you clean off your machine.

! When you install Oracle9iAS Infrastructure, a database is also installed. This database stored the metadata repository for all theOracle9iAS products and components associated with a repository. The unique instance name will be used to identify this installation of Oracle9iAS infrastructure.

We are on the way

! Now that you have the Oracle9iAS Infrastructureinstalled, you will need to install the applicationsthat will use the infrastructure. In this case, youwant to utilize J2EE and Web Cache as well as Wireless, Portal and Discoverer so you will installthe Business Intelligence and Forms installoption.

! The Oracle Universal Installer should detect thatyou already have an Oracle9iAS Infrastructureinstalled and Single Sign-On is enabled.

Installation: Conclusion

! It takes much time to install the iAS 9i Rel 2! It also takes much nerves

! Sometime it works.

! The recomended Infrastructure for! iAS 9.0.2 with!Oracle 9.2 Database looks like this:

IT Infrastructure form iAS and Forms 9i

! 1st machine with Infrastructure DB (9.0.x)

! 2nd machine with iAS (Foms Server, ….)

! 3rd machine or somewhere else: 9.2 Database

! Will be better in newer Releases

Configuring Forms Services

! The Oracle Installer does the hard work! It configures iAS

! You only need to configure Forms itself…! formsweb.cfg! default.env! Registry.dat

! … And then run your application!

formsweb.cfg! Specifies runtime parameters for Forms apps! Client-server equivalent of command line options! All parameters listed in Oracle9iAS Forms

Services Deployment Guide on OTN.

formsweb.cfg! Runtime parameters! All settings can be set

in the default section! Application sections over-

ride default

formsweb.cfg File…userid=form=test.fmxbackground=width=640height=480

[order]userid=order/order@orclform=ordersbackground=order.jpg

formsweb.cfg File…userid=form=text.fmxbackground=width=640height=480

formsweb.cfg! Runtime parameters! All settings can be set

in the default section! Application sections over-

ride default! You can have many

environments on one installation

default.env! Specifies runtime environment variables! Client-server equivalent of environment variables

or Windows Registry entries

default.env! Environment variables

formsweb.cfg File…userid=form=text.fmxbackground=width=640height=480envFile=default.env

default.env File…ORACLE_HOME=C:\Oracle\Forms9iFORMS90_PATH=D:\Work…

default.env! Environment variables! Each app section can have

an env file

formsweb.cfg File…userid=form=text.fmxbackground=width=640height=480envFile=default.env

[order]userid=order/order@orclform=ordersbackground=order.jpgenvFile=orders.env

orders.env File…ORACLE_HOME=C:\Oracle\Forms9iFORMS90_PATH=D:\Orders…

Some Scenarios

But how will our System run withinsome Scenarios of failures?

Let‘s see ……

Agenda

! 1 machine – HTTP and Forms together! 2 machines – HTTP and Forms separate! Load Balancing Configurations

Application Tier Database TierClient Tier

One Machine (a)Simplest configuration

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

One Machine (b)Not dedicating memory and CPU to Forms Services

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

One Machine (c)Single point of failure

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Agenda

Two Machines (a)Not load balancing

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Two Machines (b)HTTP server can be used for other purposes without taking resources from Forms Services

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Two Machines (c)Useful if one machine is not powerful enough for all components

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Two Machines (c)Configure MOD_OC4J in HTTP server to point to servlet engine on other machine

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Two Machines (d)Single point of failure

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Two Machines (e)

Single point of failure

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Agenda

1. MOD_OC4J Load Balancing

Load Balancing (1a)OC4J load balancing (built into Oracle9iAS)

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1b)Load balancing only occurs for the first request

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1c)Forms Services not a single point of failure

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1d)May overload remaining machine

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1e)iAS Release 2 can restart OC4J servlet engines

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1f)HTTP server still single point of failure

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1g)Add more Forms Services as needed

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJHH

TTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (1h)Add more Forms Services as needed

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

2. MOD_OC4J Load Balancing, but combining components

Load Balancing (2a)

If one machine becomes fully utilized, add another machine for Forms Services

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (2b)

If one machine becomes fully utilized, add another machine for Forms Services

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (2c)

Better availability

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

Load Balancing (2c)

Better availability

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

3. External load balancer

Load Balancing (3a)Use hardware/software Load Balancer to route requests between HTTP servers

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (3b)Load Balancer may be hardware or software

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (3c)Load Balancer must support session binding

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (3d)If you don’t have enough hardware, combine components

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (3e)Load Balancer is a single point of failure, but less so than other components

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (3f)Single point of failure cannot be eliminated; you need to weigh risk versus cost and hassle

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (3g)If HTTP server goes down, not utilizing Forms Services behind it

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

4. MOD_OC4J Load Balancing with external load balancer

Load Balancing (4a)Use a combination of a Load Balancer, plus OC4J load balancing on each HTTP server

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (4b)Only single point of failure is Load Balancer

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (4c)If HTTP server or Forms Services goes down, requests routed to others

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (4d)If HTTP server or Forms Services goes down, requests routed to others

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (4e)Any number of machines

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

HHTTTTPP

5. MOD_OC4J Load Balancing with external load balancer, plus a router

Load Balancing (5a)

Allows for separate HTTP server for Forms, and for other requests

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

FFOORRMMSS

HHTTTTPP

RROOUUTTEERR

HHTTTTPP

Load Balancing (5b)

This means you can size for Forms

HHTTTTPP

FFOORRMMSS

OOCC44JJ

FFOORRMMSS

HHTTTTPP

RROOUUTTEERR

HHTTTTPP

What to do?

! You see, you are depending on the count of Servers! To make sure the System is running you need at least:

! 1 (or 2) iAS machine! 1 DB machine (like until now)

! Small Projects will die! How will I explain my customer, that he needs for 5 or 10 clients 2 or 3 or

even more Servers?

! My customer decided as follows:! Critical Users will work with 6i Client/Server! Non Critcal Users will be changed to Intranet with 9i

Kostenlose Werbungask: Weichselberger, Stmmer, Hofmann

Let‘s wait for the

* BUT: how are the costs for the servers (hardware and administration)?

Migration

! But also the Migration is not so easy like it looks

! Let‘s see some points of Interest:

Components to be removed in Forms 9i

Oracle Graphics is dead, long live BI beans

38 page White Paper how to integrate Graphics and Forms 9i

Forms 9i New Features

Obsolete Features in Forms 9i

Where is my Menu?

Where are the Data for my LOV‘s?

How much Data may be entered?

Stricter Enforcement of Triggers and Built-Ins

Where are all my Icons* gone?

BUT .....

* In the Forms Builder still „ico“14 page White Paper how to deploy Icons in the Web

DatabaseDatabase

Client/Server architectureOLE2Host

Desktop drives

OLE Containers

ORA_FFI

DatabaseDatabase

Web-deployed architecture

ORA_FFI

Going back to the application…

! The following features will not work with web deployment…! Third party workflow! Address validation! D2KWUTIL! Calls to .DLL and .EXE files! Integration with MS Word! Production of Excel spreadsheets! Upload files! Reading registry

…without making changes! This is not an upgrade, it is a migration

Porting to Unix

! Watch out for :! case sensitivity! embedded file names! directory separators

! O9iDS is less usable on Unix! Not supported on terminal

emulators

Introducing WebUtil

! Oracle Beta Pre-Production software! Client side versions of old favourites

! CLIENT_HOST! CLIENT_TEXT_IO! CLIENT_OLE2! CLIENT_GET_FILE_DIR! CLIENT_TOOL_ENV! CLIENT_WIN_API_ENVIRONMENT

! New features! WEBUTIL_FILE_TRANSFER! WEBUTIL_HOST! WEBUTIL_C_API! WEBUTIL_CLIENTINFO! WEBUTIL_BROWSER

! All straight PL/SQL calls

Limitations of WebUtil

!Uses Pluggable Java Components!Require PJC instantiations

!Not useable in many triggers# Use timers!Can only use in Forms, not Reports or Menus# Create one-off Forms

!Cannot get a Windows handle!Not always the best approach

! CLIENT_TEXT_IO! CLIENT_OLE2

So, do I have to become a Java head?

! Must know how Java CLASSPATH works

! ORA_JAVA requires some familiarity with:! classes! inheritance

! May need to write your own Java class

Migrated functionality

! Through ORA_JAVA! Third party workflow! Address validation

! Through WEBUTIL_C_API! Complex technical calculations! Terrain mapping

! Through CLIENT_OLE2! Integration with MS Word! Production of Excel spreadsheets

! Through WEBUTIL miscellaneous! Upload files! Read registry

Lost functionality

! Help files! Using Notepad to edit items! Performance

! Using Forms to launch apps! Using timers instead of W-N-F-I! CLIENT_OLE2 time lag

! IDENTIFIED EXTERNALLY! DLL transactions

So What Alternatives To This?

JACOB & Others

! JAva COm Bridge! Open Source! http://danadler.com/jacob/! Similar APIs to ms.com classes (simple method) but

not dependant on Microsoft JVM! Intrinsyc (Linar) J/Integra

! Not free but trial available! Have an Add-in for Oracle9i JDeveloper

! jacoZoom – www.infozoom.de! Again not free but can evaluate

Some Design Considerations

! Move SQL code to the database!Good idea with any environment

! Do some of the standard Forms features make sense on the Web?!Toolbar buttons !Enter Query mode!MDI windows!Next Record, Next Block, Clear Form

! Set user expectations (use OLAF?)

! “Oracle Look And Feel” ! Rounded everything: buttons, scrollbars! Animated alert icons! lookAndFeel=oracle

! Pre-designed color palettes for Oracle look and feel

! Blue, Khaki, Olive, Purple, Red, Teal, Titanium

! colorScheme=olive

! Background density! darkLook=true

Neat OLAF Parameters

! LOV button!Button appears automatically

if item has an LOV! In registry.dat file on the app server:

app.ui.lovButtons=true! Required items with yellow background (registry.dat)

! app.ui.requiredFieldVA=true! app.ui.requiredFieldVABGColor=255,242,203

! Read-only items with light gray background!ServerArgs again! readOnlyBackground=”true”

Fonts and Colors

! Fonts are different! Use fonts with a Java equivalent ! There are only a few fonts in Java

• Dialog, Serif, SansSerif, Monospaced, DialogInput• MS Sans Serif becomes Dialog

! Font substitutions in Deploying Forms Applications to the Web with Forms Server – design chapter 7

! Use 9 point – translates better than 8 point! Use Display Items if nothing else works! registry.dat contains font mappings

! Use visual attributes for buttons! The Windows manager does not color

them as it does in client/server

The Fastest-Loading Design

! Reduce the number of items! E.g., logon form

! After validating the user, issue a NEW_FORM to a menu form

! Small initial forms break up the startup time! Forms Server process startup! Loading form into memory! Loading library code

! Achieve startup times of 5 seconds!! From the URL click to the

form appearing

Use JavaBeans

! Unlimited design elements! Anything you want to use as an extension! File browser; spell checker; animated dogs

! Roll your own Pluggable Java Components (PJCs)! Replace objects such as buttons and items! Or use a Bean Area - layout object

• Use custom trigger and get and set properties• JDeveloper can help create these

! Lots of samples on OTN! Look for white paper: Oracle9i Forms in a Java World

! Import Java methods! Program | Import Java Classes

Why Use Java?

! Allows you to interact with the client machine! Do FFI or DDE! Use the ORA_JAVA built-in package in Forms 9i

! Include any Java component! Java components have many possibilities! Easily extended and customized

! Leverage existing Java code! For computation or business rules! OO handling of data

! Get experience with Java! Extending forms applications is a small step towards learning

about Java

System Variables

! Some values are different from client/server! :SYSTEM.MOUSE_BUTTON_SHIFT_STATE

$ In c/s,“Ctrl+” for control key and mouse button$ In Web Forms, it is “Control+”

! :SYSTEM.MOUSE_BUTTON_PRESSED• Normally “1” and “3”

For left and right button• Web Forms: “1” and nothing

! Use :SYSTEM.MOUSE_BUTTON_MODIFIERS! O/S non-specific; Info in help system Find tab

! Test for the environment:

The docs mention that this is

platform-specific

get_application_property(USER_INTERFACE) = ’WEB’

Operating System Calls

! Forms runs on the app server ! The host operating system is on the app server

! HOST built-in runs on the application server! Registry reads and writes go to the app server! Other operating system facilities:

! OCX and VBX! OLE and DDE ! User exits! HINT.PLL! Be careful when changing environments

(moving from Windows to UNIX)! Will not display on the client

OTN white paper describes a solution using Java COM Bridge

(JACOB).

Operating System Calls

! ORA_FFI operates on the app server ! FFI calls may break if you port to another O/S

! The same for TEXT_IO and printing! If the server can see the client machine, you can read and

write client files with TEXT_IO! For printing and TEXT_IO, use ORARRP

• Oracle utility• Works for Reports; OTN has details

! Use WEB.SHOW_DOCUMENT!Opens the browser and a URL

Preview on OTN: WebUtil.PLL for 9i that includes some functions of D2KWUTIL.PLL

Startup Parameters

! Placed in the HTML startup file (serverArgs)! Default is an MDI frame

! You can turn Multiple Document Interface off! usesdi=yes

! Run form in the browser window ! Not separate window! separateFrame=false

! Splash page that shows while Forms loads! Can “trick” the users! splashScreen=co_logo.gif

Other Tips and Differences

! Locate app server close to database server! Key mappings are different

! Uses FMRWEB.RES by default! Substitute FMRPCWEB.RES

for the same key mapping as client/server! These are editable ASCII files

! No magic menu items for Cut, Copy, Paste! Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V do work! Use CUT_REGION, COPY_REGION,

PASTE_REGION instead! Turn off menu buffering

SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(MENU_BUFFERING,'FALSE');

! Fewer network messages (menu is not resent)

In ORACLE_HOME/FORMS60 directory

Other Tips

! This doesn’t work:SET_WINDOW_PROPERTY(FORMS_MDI_WINDOW,

WINDOW_STATE, MINIMIZE)

! Disappearing canvas tips! Increase space between stacked canvases if one

disappears• They might be slightly overlapped on the Web

!Use SHOW_VIEW() to display a shy canvas

! Update to the latest mouse drivers! Otherwise, the mouse buttons may not work if you switch the mouse

buttons for left-handed mousers! Logitech or Intellimouse

Tuning Options prior to Web Forms

! Database access! Optimize SQL access! Array fetches, etc

! Application tuning! Good coding practice! Efficient code, etc! Lots of advice out there

! Client hardware! The more memory and

CPU, the better

Additional Tuning Options for Web Forms

(Tips on the previous slide still apply)

! Network Tuning! Oracle Application Server Tuning

! Objects that display on a screen need to be initialized

! Less items on an initial screen speeds up performance!Have a lean first screen!Hide items that are not needed

Reduce Items on the Screen

! Tabbed canvases

All items aredownloaded to client

Results in a possiblelarge initial downloadtime

Reduce Items on the Screen:Tab canvases

! Tabbed canvases

Use hidden stackedcanvas on each tabto defer download

Trade off: possibledelay when usernavigates to tab for thefirst time

Promote Similarities

! Similar items are likely to be handled by the Forms smart delta messaging! Only the differences are sent

across the network

! Promote similarity in the UI! Use Property classes and Object

groups! Use Inheritance where possible

Resources on the Web

! OracleWorld: www.oracle.com/oracleworld

! Oracle Technology Network: otn.oracle.com! Mostly 9i now, but links exist to 6i material

! otn.oracle.com/products/forms/techlisting9i.html

! otn.oracle.com/docs/products/forms

! Migrate to the Web• otn.oracle.com/products/forms/htdocs/upgrade

! Migration Assistant - from Forms 6i to 9i• otn.oracle.com/software/products/forms

! IOUG Technical Repository: www.ioug.org

! ODTUG web site: www.odtug.com

forms 9i - dream and reality

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