WLS: Several ManagedServer without clustering and same activities

Question

Hi all,
I have a request for special solution for several ManagedServer without clustering and same activities (e.g. SOA or OSB).
In classic case, we have for example 1 AdminServer + 1 ManagedServer (SOA, or OSB). If we want to increase number of SOA-Managedserver, then we add other managed server in WLS-cluster.
In this case, we want to have several "Independent" ManagedServer with different port number and without cluaster but in same domain.
In addition, because we don't want to impact any project in one managed server to other managed server, we need to define different URL:ports for administration: For example: OSB has following URL:
http://localhost:7001/sbconsole
Is it possible to define other ports for other OSB-managed server? e.g. http://localhost:7003/sbconsole, http://localhost:7004/sbconsole
I would like to know, if any experience is available regarding this matter.
Thanks inadvance,
Moh

Answer 1

Hi Moh
1. There are few things that should be clear about the Weblogic Domain and Weblogic Cluster Architecture.
2. Any Weblogic Domain whether its Clustered or Non Clustered will have ONLY ONE Single AdminServer. You CANNOT have more than one AdminServer. Now for Cluster, you can have "n" number of Managed Servers and "n" number of Clusters. Each Cluster is just like a logical grouping of some managed servers. BUT main thing is, if you want to have High Availability architecture to support load balancing, fail over etc, you should and must have a Cluster with managed servers. And expose this Clustered Weblogic Servers into some sort of load balancer like Apace WebServer. Then expose single Apache Web Server URL (host, port + app url) to outside world. General practice is for HA architecture, you do not expose individual managed servers.
3. So coming to your requirement, you can have "n" number of managed servers. And each managed server can deploy their own specific application. And these managed servers naturally will have different port numbers, if they are all on the same physical box. If they are on different boxes, there is no clash of port numbers. Then in front end apache web server, check for each in coming request url and according direct that to appropriate backend weblogic server. This is good but you will NOT get any HA features going in this way. Instead of exposing individual managed servers, I would recommend just create a cluster for each one of them. And expose cluster. For now each cluster can have only 1 manged severs. Later on you can add more also. This gives you HA features. Something like this for example:
Domain = Single Domain
AdminServer = 1 AdminServer only. Not possible more then one.
ManagedServers = 4 (MS1, MS2, MS3, MS4)
Cluster1 = MS1, MS2 -> Deploy App1
Cluster2 = MS3 -> Deploy App2
Cluster3 = MS4 -> Deploy App3
Have a SINGLE Apache WebServer or any other Hard ware load balancer (Apache is free and widely used). Expose this host, port to outside world or actual users (outside or inside). In Apache httpd.conf file, configure like 3 settings, to check for incoming urls and redirect to back end cluster 1 or 2 or 3. Refer docs for full details.
Requests coming to Apache WebServer can use incoming url pattern and pass the request to appropriate backend cluster
http://apachehost:apachport/myApp1 -> Redirect to Cluster1
http://apachehost:apachport/myApp2 -> Redirect to Cluster2
http://apachehost:apachport/myApp3 -> Redirect to Cluster3
Now this gives you full flexibility to add or remove more servers from any of above Clusters. Even if you have single managed server, try to put that into cluster and expose the cluster.
4. Now comes the Adminstration applications like console, sbconsole, em (Enterprise Manager for SOA), cs (Content Server for ECM) etc. All these are deployed only to AdminServer and it makes sense also. Say in above architecture only AdminServer can have visibility to all the managed servers and clusters. Each managed server may not know about the others. Anyhow, the point is, for any Domain you will have only 1 AdminServer and most of the adminstration applications are deployed only to AdminServer. This means literally you will have just one url to control all the applications across all the clusters like http://adminhost:adminport/sbconsole. I am not familiar with sbconole, but for em I am sure its only targetted to admin server. Now, if you manually target these apps to cluster, not sure if this works also. Mostly it may not.
Also, admin urls are not exposed to any users. Only Adminstrators can access them. You can refine some rules like have very few admins with full privileges. Some can do only deployments, some can do only monitoring (read only access) etc.
Thanks
Ravi Jegga