Forms Builder: Why do you need 2 application servers to run an Oracle Form

SebaVasta

So I was able to successfully install Oracle Forms and Reports (11.2) in my machine.

First I installed WebLogic Server 10.3.6. This is an application server.

Then I installed Oracle Oracle Fusion Middleware Server. This is from ofm_frmrpts_win_11.1.2.2.0_64_disk1_1of2.zip and 2of2 which is the Forms & Reports builder installation disks. However, this seem to be installing another 2 application servers called Forms & Reports.

Here I had to give a Home directory under Middleware home. I gave Oracle_FRHome1.

It says it is installing Forms, Reports, Forms Builder & Reports Builder.

What is Forms & Reports??? Are they 2 more application servers?? Why do we need these additional application servers?

However, when this installation is finished Oracle Forms & Reports builders are still not installed. I know this because I can't find them in the Start Menu -> Programs.

In order to install Forms & Reports builder (i.e. Developer) I have to run another configuration tool bin directory inside my Oracle home. The file to run was C:\Oracle\Middleware\Oracle_FRHome1\BIN\config.bat .

Now this launches are another installer dialog box. Here step 4 has Weblogic Server Location as c:\Oracle\Middleware\wlsserver_10.3 and Oracle Instance Location as c:\Oracle\Middleware\asinst_1. The Oracle Instance Name is given as asinst_1. I press Next and the installation completes and now I can see the Forms Builder and Reports Builder (as Start Reports Builder bat file) in the Start Menu.

This final installation also have installed an Oracle Forms Server and an Oracle Reports Server.

My questions are:

(1.) Why do we need Weblogic server and 2 others servers for Forms and Reports?? I.e. Oracle Forms Server & Oracle Reports Server??

(2.) What about OC4J?? Isn't it installed now??

(3.) If I just want to run a form created by my Forms builder in my PC what do I need?? Is it WLS or the 2nd application server called Oracle Forms Server??

I am new to Oracle Forms so I want to know how these things are set up and what is needed by what to run a form?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Michael Ferrante-Oracle

Welcome to the world of Oracle Forms and Fusion Middleware! 😉

As a "newbie", I strongly recommend you spend some time in the product documentation. There you will find answers to many of your questions. For questions that remain unanswered, this Forum and Internet searches will get you going. The product documentation can be found on the Forms product page (URL) below. One thing that should become very clear very quickly is that version 11 is old and no longer supported. If you are trying to learn something new or working for a company that is still using this version, this might be a good time to upgrade to a supported version like 12.2.1.4. Again, more information can be found on the product page.

https://www.oracle.com/application-development/technologies/forms/forms.html#documentation

Regarding your specific question, I will offer some brief answers, but again the documentation seems like a good place to start.

(1.) Why do we need Weblogic server and 2 others servers for Forms and Reports?? I.e. Oracle Forms Server & Oracle Reports Server??

WebLogic Server is a Java Application server. It hosts J2EE applications, some created and delivered by Oracle as well as your own. Neither Forms or Reports are "J2EE" applications, nor are they complete "servers". They rely on the power of WLS to manage a small part of each of those products/technologies that are J2EE. Again, although Forms and Reports include J2EE apps those only represent a very small part of what makes these products useful. So, to be clear; neither Forms or Reports are "application servers". The only thing they serve are their own technology. Without WLS they would be unusable.

(2.) What about OC4J?? Isn't it installed now??

OC4J is the predecessor to WLS. It was the application server of earlier releases. Beginning in version 11, Oracle moved to using WLS. WLS is a far more advanced and powerful application server compared to OC4j.

(3.) If I just want to run a form created by my Forms builder in my PC what do I need?? Is it WLS or the 2nd application server called Oracle Forms Server??

See #1 - In order to run a Forms application you need WebLogic Server with Forms installed on top of it.

Take a look at the Technical Overview paper found on the product page for more information. The paper is a bit old, but the concept remains the same today.

https://www.oracle.com/application-development/technologies/forms/forms.html#panel2

SebaVasta

The Technical Overview was very helpful Michael.

So are you saying that the Oracle Forms Server is the Forms Runtime Process in Figure 4 of this PDF??

Michael Ferrante-Oracle

Yes, the Forms Server is also referred to as the Forms Runtime (e.g. frmweb.exe). If you are at all familiar with old versions of Forms (pre-web), this runtime process is essentially the same process as the runtime process used on the client tier however in the modern versions the display/presentation layer has been removed and converted into a client side Java app (applet). The server/runtime sends messages to the client and instructs it how to draw/render the UI.