Autoconfig is one of the central components of the 11i Architecture. AutoConfig is a process in which several key configuration files are managed centrally by Oracle. If you understand how Oracle uses Autoconfig process to maintain numerous configuration files such as init.ora, listener.ora, tnsnames.ora etc.., maintaining and administering 11i E-Business suite will be more fun and less stressful.
If your current system is not AutoConfig enabled, you can migrate it to start using AutoConfig.
This post is introduction to AutoConfig. My other posts discuss internals of AutoConfig and Customizing AutoConfig.
Key Terms and their meaning
CONTEXT_NAME
Logical name for your Context. Default: _In earlier versions the default was set to
AutoConfig template file
An AutoConfig template file contains named tags, which are replaced with instance-specific information when AutoConfig runs. AutoConfig template files should not be edited.For example:$FND_TOP/admin/template/appsweb.cfg
To customize AutoConfig-managed configuration files, copy the AutoConfig template file to the custom template file and edit the custom template file. When AutoConfig detects a custom template file, AutoConfig instantiates this file in place of the AutoConfig template file.For example:$FND_TOP/admin/template/custom/appsweb.cfgAutoConfig template directory
Directory where Oracle delivers AutoConfig template files. There is an AutoConfig template directory for every product.Location:/admin/template /appsutil/template
For example:$FND_TOP/admin/template $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/template Custom template directory
Directory where you keep customized AutoConfig template files.Location:/admin/template/custom /appsutil/template/custom
For example:$FND_TOP/admin/template/custom $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/template/customConfiguration file
The instantiated configuration file created when AutoConfig runs.For example:$COMMON_TOP/html/bin/appsweb_$CONTEXT_NAME.cfgAutoconfig process reads an XML file ( CONTEXT_NAME.xml located under $APPL_TOP/admin in the application tier and $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil on the Database Tier) containing parameters and values, instantiates a template, replaces the place holders with actual values from the XML file to create an actual configuuration file.
Creating an AutoConfig enabled environment on the Application Tier involve as following steps
- Setting the environment correctly by sourcing the relevant .env file
- Generate an XML file containing parameters and values
- Run the AutoConfig process to create the configuration files
Lets look at the detailed stepsAutoConfig on Application Tier
- If you have an existing xml file in the directory /admin/(CONTEXT_NAME).xml, take the backup of the file. The perl script adbldxml.pl file during this process will overwrite this file.
- Make sure you source the environment correctly by running .env file located under $APPL_TOP. If the environment is not sourced correctly, i.e COMMON_TOP, APPL_TOP,IAS_ORACLE_HOME, ORACLE_HOME are not established correctly, the xml file being generated in this step will contain incorrect values. That would generate incorrect configuration files in the AutoConfig run phase in step
Generate the xml file using adbldxml.pl perl script - cd $AD_TOP/bin
- perl adbldxml.pl tier=apps appsuser= appspasswd= (apps password )
- Review the xml file generated in the above step to ensure all parameters and values are set correctly.
- Run adautocfg.sh using the above generated XML file as an input to generate the required configuration files such as tnsnames.ora, Listener.ora, etc.
$AD_TOP/bin/adconfig.sh contextfile= appspass=AutoConfig on Database Tier
Creating an AutoConfig enabled environment on the Database Tier is a similar process
- Generate appsutil.zip file on the Application Tier
- Ftp the appsutil.zip to the DB tier
- Unzip and run the AutoConfig on the DB Tier
Now lets see those steps in detail
On the Application Tier (as the APPLMGR user):
- Log in to the APPL_TOP environment (source the environment file)
- cd $AD_TOP/bin
- perl admkappsutil.pl
- This will create appsutil.zip in $APPL_TOP/admin/out directory
- Ftp the appsutil.zip created in the step 1 to the $RDBMS ORACLE_HOME on the Database Tier
- Unzip appsutil.zip in the $ORACLE_HOME on the Database Tier.
- cd $ORACLE_HOME on the DB Tier
- unzip -o appsutil.zip
- If there is (CONTEXT_NAME).xml file in $RDBMS ORACLE_HOME/appsutil, review the file and take a backup.
- cd $ORACLE_HOME on DB Tier
- . (CONTEXT_NAME) .env to source the environment
- cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin
- perl adbldxml.pl tier=db appsuser= appspasswd=
Review the xml file generated in the step above. Ensure that all parameters and values are set correctly. - Enable AutoConfig by running adconfig.sh using the above generated XML file as an input to generate the required configuration files such as tnsnames.ora, Listener.ora, etc..
cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin - adconfig.sh contextfile= ( XML file name with full path) appspass= (apps Password) Reviewing AutoConfig Log files
AutoConfig logfiles are stored under the following directories:Application Tier
(APPL_TOP)/admin/(CONTEXT_NAME)/log/(MMDDhhmm)
Database (
RDBMS ORACLE_HOME)/appsutil/log/(CONTEXT_NAME)/(MMDDhhmm)
There will be one log file per AutoConfig session, and it will contain exact information for every action that AutoConfig performed.
Rolling back an AutoConfig session
Each execution of AutoConfig creates a rollback script in case you need to revert to the previous configuration settings. The script and all backup configuration files from each AutoConfig session are stored in:
Application
(APPL_TOP)/admin/(CONTEXT_NAME)/out/(MMDDhhmm)
Database
(RDBMS ORACLE_HOME)/appsutil/out/(CONTEXT_NAME)/(MMDDhhmm)
where::(MMDDhhmm) = (month, day, hour, minute of AutoConfig run)
To roll back an AutoConfig session:
restore.shReferences
Refer to Metalink Notes 165195.1 and 270519.1 for requisite patch levels