How to Configure Multiple Portal Middle Tiers with a Load Balancing Router

Question

Hi,
Portal version trying to install 10.1.2 on Windows 2003 boxes.
I am following the guide http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B14099_19/portal.1012/b14037/cg_advnc.htm#i1046354. I have InfraStructure installed on a different box and am trying to install 2 Portal Midtiers each on separate boxes and using LBR. The above document is kind of confusing as I am trying to following
5.3.1 Step 1: Install a Single Portal and Wireless Middle Tier (M1)
5.3.2 Step 2: Configure OracleAS Portal on M1 to Be Accessed Through the LBR (AND FOLLOW ARE THE STEPS 1 to 14 in sequence)
if I follow 1 to 14 steps in sequence the information is not consistent what is being listed in the following sections
5.4.1 Create Virtual Hosts
5.4.2 Configure OracleAS Web Cache
5.4.3 Register OracleAS Portal with OracleAS Single Sign-On
i.e.
ptlconfig -dad portal -sso -host www.abc.com -port 7779
ptlconfig -dad portal -sso -host www.xyz.com -port 7779
as in the above steps it says to run
ptlconfig -dad portal -wc -site
and ssoreg command that always fails because I am running it from midtier as it gives error saying invalid username/password
as oppoesed to steps listed in point 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Can someone please privide the steps in sequence I need to follow when installing 2 midtiers with frontend LBR and one infrastructure. I am trying to follow the architecture listed in the above link.
Any help is really appreciated.
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi,
Will appreciate any inputs on the following.
I am planning to install Infrastructure and one Midtier BI Forms Reports Discoverer, Portal on one windows box and the second midtier BI Forms Discoverer, Portal on the second windows box.
Please correct me if I am wrong on installing and configuring the mid-tiers as following are the steps I have compiled going through the document and want to make sure this time I do it right.
As I'll be installing BI Forms Reports Discoverer, Portal so wondering when I install the second midtier do I need to unselect all Portal, Forms, Reports, Discoverer or just the Portal I need to unselect.
Also in the host file of both the windows boxes do I just need to keep the LBR IP Address entry and remove the rest.
LBR:_
Computer Name: bigip5.prd.com
IP Address: *167.123.2.5*
Listen Port: *80*
Invaidation Port: *9401*
Infrastructure:_
Computer Name: portal1.prd.com
IP Address: *167.123.2.6*
Oracle HTTP Server Listening Port: *7777*
Application Server Control port: *1800*
M1 (Portal & BI Forms Reports Discoverer):_
Computer Name: portal1.prd.com
IP Address: *167.123.2.6*
Oracle HTTP Server Listening Port: *7778*
OracleAS Web Cache Listening Port: *80*
OracleAS Web Cache Invalidation Port: *9401*
OracleAS Web Cache Administration Port: *9400*
Web Cache Statistics port: *9402*
Application Server Control port: *1810*
M2 (Portal & BI Forms Reports Discoverer):_
Computer Name: portal2.prd.com
IP Address: *167.123.2.7*
Oracle HTTP Server Listening Port: *7778*
OracleAS Web Cache Listening Port: *80*
OracleAS Web Cache Invalidation Port: *9401*
OracleAS Web Cache Administration Port: *9400*
Web Cache Statistics port: *9402*
Application Server Control port: *1810*
First to create MetadataRepository and then Install Infrastructure and then follow the below steps to install Midtiers
Install and Configure of M1 (Portal and BI Forms Reports Discoverer):-_
*5.3.1 Step 1*: Install a Single Portal and BI Forms Reports Discoverer (M1 i.e. portal1.prd.com)
*5.3.2 Step 2*: Configure OracleAS Portal and BI Forms Reports Discoverer on M1 to Be Accessed Through the LBR
*1.* Configure LBR
*2.* Follow Section 5.4.1.1 to create the Virtual Host for bigip5.prd.com (LBR) and portal1.prd.com (M1)
*3.* Define a site that matches the virtual host entry for bigip5.prd.com (LBR) on Webcache of M1
*4.* Use OracleAS Web Cache Manager on M1, to map the site bigip5.prd.com (LBR) to middle tier portal1.prd.com (M1).
Follow steps 5 and 6 as per the document
*7.* Configure bigip5.prd.com (LBR) to accept invalidation requests from the OracleAS Metadata Repository on a separate port i.e. 9401
*8.* Change iasconfig.xml on M1
*9.* run ptlconfig -encrypt
*10.* Register the URL changes with OracleAS Portal by running ptlconfig -dad portal -wc -site
*11.* No need as it is http only
*12.* Run the follwoing
MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME_M1\sso\bin\ssoreg.bat
-site_name bigip5.prd.com
-mod_osso_url http://bigip5.prd.com:80
-config_mod_osso TRUE
-oracle_home_path MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME_M1
-config_file MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME_M1\Apache\Apache\conf\osso\osso.conf
-admin_info cn=orcladmin
-virtualhost
*13.* Edit targets.xml to enable monitoring of the LBR's front-end host and port settings for OracleAS Portal
+<Property NAME="PortalListeningHostPort" VALUE=http://bigip5.prd.com:80/>+ and then run
MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME_M1\bin\emctl reload
*14.* Test the setup
Install and Configure of M2 (Portal and BI Forms Reports Discoverer):-_
*5.3.4 Step 4*: Install a Single Portal and BI Forms Reports Discoverer (M2 i.e. portal2.prd.com)
*1.* As I am installing on wiondows so will not set IASCONFIG_LOC environment variable as I can just copy the iasconfig.xml file from M1 to M2
*2.* Run OUI on M2
*3.* Clear the selection for OracleAS Portal but don't know if I need to unselect Forms , Reports, Discoverer also.
*4.* Enable OracleAS Portal
*5.3.5 Step 5:* Configure the New Middle Tier (M2) to Run Your Existing Portal
*1.* Create both virtual hosts as done on M1
*2.* Copy dads.conf, oradav.conf, cache.conf, web.xml from M1 to M2
*3.* Re-register mod_osso on M2. To do this, perform the following steps by copying osso.conf from M1 to M2
*4.* Synchronize the DCM by using the following command
MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME_M2/Apache/Apache/bin/ssotransfer MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME_M2/Apache/Apache/conf/osso/osso.conf
*5.* Run dcmctl updateConfig
*6.* add the necessary mod_rewrite and mod_oc4j directives to the httpd.conf and mod_oc4j.conf files respectively
*7.* Restart Oracle HTTP Server on M2
*8.* Access the OracleAS Web Cache Manager on M1 and follow steps 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 for Webcache seetings and clustering.
Also will appreciate if can get some info on the following:
*1.*
When I configure the Webcache as per the Document but if I bring down one Midtier Instance the requests are not going to the other Instance that is up and ignores the case whether an instance is down. Any idea how what and where do I need to provide any setting which in case of instance is down routes the requests to the one that is up.
*2.*
What exactly happens when it says To enable monitoring of the LBR's front-end host and port settings for OracleAS Portal edit target.xml. Is this for LBR to find if an Instance is down or not and route the requests appropriately.
Thanks again for all the help.