Deploying to Sun AppServer PE 8.1 (build b41-fcs) with an Oracle database

Question

Hello,
I'm trying to deploy an application to Sun AppServer PE 8.1(an external server, not the embedded one).
I already know that the direct deployment preview feature doesn't work with 8.1:
http://swforum.sun.com/jive/thread.jspa?forumID=123&threadID=50572
So I tried the export war method, and correctly configured the resource ref with the deployment tool. The deployment itself worked fine, but I can't access the database.
The oracle drivers, from their web site don't work, I get the following exception:
[#|2005-01-25T20:33:48.642+0000|SEVERE|sun-appserver-pe8.1|javax.enterprise.system.container.web|_ThreadID=19;|WebModule[/smwebinterface]userView Initialization Failure
javax.faces.FacesException: java.sql.SQLException: JDBC driver does not support PreparedStatement.getMetaData()
(...)I also tried to use the JSC bundled drivers as explained in
http://devservices.sun.com/premium/jscreator/standard/learning/tutorials/appserver7.html
and I got the following exception:
[#|2005-01-25T19:44:56.236+0000|WARNING|sun-appserver-pe8.1|javax.enterprise.system.stream.err|_ThreadID=15;|JdbcRowSetXImpl (prepare): [sunm][Oracle JDBC Driver]This driver is locked for use with embedded applications.|#]
[#|2005-01-25T19:44:56.252+0000|SEVERE|sun-appserver-pe8.1|javax.enterprise.system.container.web|_ThreadID=15;|WebModule[/smwebinterface]userView Initialization Failure
javax.faces.FacesException: java.sql.SQLException: [sunm][Oracle JDBC Driver]This driver is locked for use with embedded applications.
     at com.sun.jsfcl.data.RowSetDataModel.synchronize(RowSetDataModel.java:1197)
     at com.sun.jsfcl.data.RowSetDataModel.connect(RowSetDataModel.java:962)
     at
Caused by: java.sql.SQLException: [sunm][Oracle JDBC Driver]This driver is locked for use with embedded applications.
     at com.sun.sql.jdbc.base.BaseExceptions.createException(Unknown Source)
     at com.sun.sql.jdbc.base.BaseExceptions.getException(Unknown Source)
     at com.sun.sql.jdbc.base.BaseConnection.prepareStatement(Unknown Source)
     at com.sun.gjc.spi.ConnectionHolder.prepareStatement(ConnectionHolder.java:407)
     at com.sun.sql.rowset.JdbcRowSetXImpl.prepare(JdbcRowSetXImpl.java:560)
     at com.sun.sql.rowset.JdbcRowSetXImpl.getMetaData(JdbcRowSetXImpl.java:1005)
     at com.sun.jsfcl.data.RowSetDataModel.synchronize(RowSetDataModel.java:1172)
     ... 92 more
|#]It appears that these drivers are somehow locked to JSC and cannot be used in production servers, despite what the tutorial says ....
Has anybody dealt with this issue before? Can someone help me with this?
Thanx,
Pedro Pires

Answer 1

Oracle drivers have that limitation - that's one reason why we ship with our own drivers for accessing oracle.
For trying to use the JSC bundled drivers in 8.1 - there's license restrictions (read $$$) involved with using JSC bundled drivers and "other" app servers. It this case, 8.1 PE (emphasis on the PE) is classified as an "other".
Buying 8.1 (i.e., non PE), or waiting for JSC to bundle 8.1, seem to be your options if 8.1 is required.