Oracle MVA

On Oracle Open World 2009 I was first introduced with JRockit Virtual Introduction. From the beginning on I was excited by the idea of having a VM based on “just” java, the concept seems quiet strong to me. For those of you unknown to the concept of JRockit VE, here’s the press release announcing the product. The product is not new, BEA was already working on it (e.g. see this link) but just today I found a download of JRockit VE with WLS 10.3.2 installed and I decided to have a look.

Currently there’s no documentation (at least I can’t find it), so in time this post will be irrelevant.

***** UPDATE *****

Rob den Braber pointed out to me that Oracle changed the image for JRockit VE. It doesn’t contain a demo domain anymore.

***** UPDATE *****

First of all you need to install Oracle VM. In my case I am testing on a laptop, which means installing OVM in VMWare Player. Obviously this is far from a production environment, but for testing this is quiet okay. The minimum requirement is Oracle VM 2.2, which can be downloaded from edelivery.oracle.com. Installing OVM is quiet a straight forward process, I think it doesn’t need any explaining here. Since I am limited in hardware and a cli-junkie, I decided not to run a Oracle VM Manager for now.

Without the use of VM Manager, I had to copy the downloaded zipfile to the Oracle VM Server. I copied the file to /OVS/seed_pool and unzipped the file:

[root@ovm seed_pool]# ls -la
total 381440
drwxrwxrwx 3 root root 3896 May 8 21:03 .
drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 3896 May 8 20:56 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4715 Apr 13 19:33 README.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 306183 Mar 31 13:56 THIRDPARTYLICENSEREADME.txt
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 3896 May 8 21:12 wlsve
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 950939 Apr 13 20:45 wlsveimagetool.jar
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69700 Apr 13 19:33 wlsve_medrec_domain_with_odb.pdf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 388431635 May 8 16:51 wlsvePackage.zip


Next to the OVM template, the zipfile contains a utility to modify the OVM template called wlsveimagetool.jar. More about this tool alter. The wlsve directory contains a system image and a vm configuration file:

[root@ovm seed_pool]# ls -la wlsve/
total 1048576
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 3896 May 8 21:12 .
drwxrwxrwx 3 root root 3896 May 8 21:03 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1073741824 Apr 13 20:49 system.img
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 271 May 8 17:49 vm.cfg


The contents of the vm configuration is rather short, making the configuration of the VM easy. I did have to fix the path at the disk directive to match te reality on my VM Server:

[root@ovm seed_pool]# cat wlsve/vm.cfg
# for use with 'xm [-c] vm.cfg'
#
# note that xen requires an absolute path to the image!

name="wlsve_domain_WlsveAdmin"
bootloader="/usr/bin/pygrub"
memory=1024
disk=['tap:aio:/OVS/seed_pool/wlsve/system.img,sda1,w']
vif=['']
on_crash="coredump-destroy"

Now this is enough to create a VM with weblogic 10.3.2 running in it. Since I am fond of breaking software even before I started it up, I decided to change to configuration of the VM to include a fixed IP adress (for starters). This can be done by configuring the wlsve.xml file. As you can see, the wlsve.xml file seems to be no part of the downloaded zipfile. Here’s where the wlsveimagetool.jar comes in.

To be able to use the wlsveimagetool.jar tool, you need java. Java is not installed on Oracle VM by default, so it I downloaded and installed a 1.6 update 20 SDK for RHEL 5 (32-bit). You can install the rpm as root and next you are able to get the wlsve.xml file from the system image:
[root@ovm seed_pool]# java -jar wlsveimagetool.jar -r wlsve/vm.cfg get config wlsve.xml
Done


The wlsve.xml file contains the configuration of the virtual server:

[root@ovm seed_pool]# cat wlsve.xml

To get a fixed IP I changed the netwerk configuration from

<network>
<nics>
<nic/>
</nics>
</network>

to

<network>
<dns>
<server-order>
<server ip=”192.168.10.1″/>
</server-order>
<lookup-order>
<name suffix=”area51.local”/>
</lookup-order>
</dns>
<nics>
<nic type=”bridged”>
<ip>192.168.10.20</ip>
<netmask>255.255.255.0</netmask>
<gateway>192.168.10.1</gateway>
<mac>12:ab:34:cd:56:ef</mac>
</nic>
</nics>
</network>

Also I changed my timezone to my local timezone:

<timezone>Europe/Amsterdam</timezone>

Now it’s time to inject the configuration in the VM and get going:

[root@ovm seed_pool]# java -jar wlsveimagetool.jar -r wlsve/vm.cfg set config wlsve.xml
Done

[root@ovm seed_pool]# date
Sat May  8 22:06:45 CEST 2010
[root@ovm seed_pool]# xm create -c wlsve/vm.cfg
Using config file “./wlsve/vm.cfg”.
pyGRUB  version 0.6
lqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqk
x JRockit Virtual Edition                        x
x                                                                        x
x                                                                        x
x                                                                        x
x                                                                        x
x                                                                        x
x                                                                        x
x                                                                        x
mqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqj

Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted.
Press enter to boot the selected OS, ‘e’ to edit the
commands before booting, ‘a’ to modify the kernel arguments
before booting, or ‘c’ for a command line.

Started domain wlsve_domain_WlsveAdmin (id=8)

JRockitVE 11.1.1.3.0-67-131044 (Kernel 6.1.0.0-97-131024)
Hypervisor: Xen 3.4.0, Hostname: 192.168.10.20
<May 8, 2010 10:07:23 PM CEST> <Info> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000377> <Starting WebLogic Server with BEA JRockit(R) Version R27.6.6-28_o-125824-1.6.0_17-20091214-2104-linux-ia32 from BEA Systems, Inc.>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:26 PM CEST> <Info> <Management> <BEA-141107> <Version: WebLogic Server Temporary Patch for bug9403327
WebLogic Server 10.3.2.0  Tue Oct 20 12:16:15 PDT 2009 1267925 >
<May 8, 2010 10:07:30 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to STARTING>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:30 PM CEST> <Info> <WorkManager> <BEA-002900> <Initializing self-tuning thread pool>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:31 PM CEST> <Notice> <Log Management> <BEA-170019> <The server log file /application/user_projects/domains/wlsve_domain/servers/WlsveAdmin/logs/WlsveAdmin.log is opened. All server side log events will be written to this file.>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:40 PM CEST> <Notice> <Security> <BEA-090082> <Security initializing using security realm myrealm.>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:45 PM CEST> <Warning> <> <BEA-000000> <SSH Service is unavailable for initialization>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:51 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to STANDBY>
<May 8, 2010 10:07:51 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to STARTING>
May 8, 2010 10:08:03 PM com.sun.faces.config.ConfigureListener contextInitialized
INFO: Initializing Sun’s JavaServer Faces implementation (1.2_03-b04-FCS) for context ‘/console’
May 8, 2010 10:08:03 PM com.sun.faces.config.ConfigureListener contextInitialized
INFO: Completed initializing Sun’s JavaServer Faces implementation (1.2_03-b04-FCS) for context ‘/console’
<May 8, 2010 10:08:06 PM CEST> <Notice> <Log Management> <BEA-170027> <The Server has established connection with the Domain level Diagnostic Service successfully.>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:07 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to ADMIN>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:07 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to RESUMING>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Alert> <Security> <BEA-090165> <Cannot find identity keystore file /application/wlserver_10.3/server/lib/DemoIdentity.jks on server WlsveAdmin>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Error> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000297> <Inconsistent security configuration, weblogic.management.configuration.ConfigurationException: Cannot find identity keystore file /application/wlserver_10.3/server/lib/DemoIdentity.jks on server WlsveAdmin>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Emergency> <Security> <BEA-090034> <Not listening for SSL, java.io.IOException: Cannot find identity keystore file /application/wlserver_10.3/server/lib/DemoIdentity.jks on server WlsveAdmin.>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Alert> <Security> <BEA-090165> <Cannot find identity keystore file /application/wlserver_10.3/server/lib/DemoIdentity.jks on server WlsveAdmin>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Error> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000297> <Inconsistent security configuration, weblogic.management.configuration.ConfigurationException: Cannot find identity keystore file /application/wlserver_10.3/server/lib/DemoIdentity.jks on server WlsveAdmin>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Emergency> <Security> <BEA-090034> <Not listening for SSL, java.io.IOException: Cannot find identity keystore file /application/wlserver_10.3/server/lib/DemoIdentity.jks on server WlsveAdmin.>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Notice> <Server> <BEA-002613> <Channel “Default” is now listening on 192.168.10.20:7001 for protocols iiop, t3, ldap, snmp, http.>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Notice> <Server> <BEA-002613> <Channel “Default[1]” is now listening on 127.0.0.1:7001 for protocols iiop, t3, ldap, snmp, http.>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000329> <Started WebLogic Admin Server “WlsveAdmin” for domain “wlsve_domain” running in Production Mode>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:08 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to RUNNING>
<May 8, 2010 10:08:09 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000360> <Server started in RUNNING mode>

Now my Oracle VM server VM has 1 CPU and 2048 MB RAM and even then the VM start up in less then 2 minutes (which is way faster then a VM with OEL and WLS).

Now shutting down the VM is quiet an easy process too. First turn on shutdown mode by hitting 5 or F5 and then hit CTRL+C.

Debug-key ’5′ pressed
Shutdown enabled.
Debug-key ‘CTRL-c’ pressed
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000388> <JVM called WLS shutdown hook. The server will force shutdown now>
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Alert> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000396> <Server shutdown has been requested by <WLS Kernel>>
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to FORCE_SUSPENDING>
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to ADMIN>
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Notice> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000365> <Server state changed to FORCE_SHUTTING_DOWN>
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Notice> <Server> <BEA-002607> <Channel “Default” listening on 192.168.10.20:7001 was shutdown.>
<May 8, 2010 10:35:41 PM CEST> <Notice> <Server> <BEA-002607> <Channel “Default[1]” listening on 127.0.0.1:7001 was shutdown.>
JRockitVE is shutting down (130)

This configuration is far from perfect, but the lack of documentation makes progress slow. The old BEA docs and the Liquid VM docs can hopefully help me, but without proper tools I might have to reside to trial and error config.

What does this tell me so far:

• Startup of the VM is fast
• Configuration of the VM is very easy and very centralized
• Oracle (or BEA) has managed to remove the OS and get a proper J2EE server running in Oracle VM
• The J2EE server itself feels snappy and very fast

Time to start digging around the old BEA docs for information. If any of you Oracle guys can sent me in the right direction, please leave a comment at this post of sent me an email.

P.S. Sorry for the lame-layout. I have some issues with wordpress.