13th December 2002 1

Introduction to
AutoConfig
Agenda
– Introduction
What is AutoConfig?
What does it do?
What does it not do ?
– How does it work?
– Installing AutoConfig
– Managing the installation after AutoConfig
– Making configuration changes
– Other Issues
Troubleshooting
Cloning

13th December 2002 3

Background

¾ Before AutoConfig
– If it was required to make a change such as
system domain name, there were many files and
profile options to update manually
– This led to significant risks of a typographical or
other error, resulting in needless downtime
– This manual process is not recommended or
supported

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What is AutoConfig ?

¾ Applications 11i configuration tool

– Available for all supported platforms
– No need to manually change technology stack
configuration files or profile options
For example, hostname, or port number change
– Patches to AutoConfig files ensures latest configuration
recommendations are rolled out to all customers
For example - if tuning recommendation is changed
or new parameter required

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What does it do ?
¾ Maintains central repository of 11i
environment
– hostname, port number, directory structure, etc.
¾ Provides GUI screen to manage changes to
this configuration information

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What does it do ?
¾ Script is then run to update configuration files
with required changes
– Can generate report to preview the changes
before updating your configuration
¾ Can rollback these changes with back out
script
– back out script is automatically created each run

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What does it not do ?
¾ Doesn’t move directory structures for you
– If changing directory locations, you must manually move
the physical files yourself.
– Then run adconfig.sh rather than adautocfg.sh, unless you
manually amend adautocfg.sh to point to the correct
directory location.
¾ Doesn’t update DNS entries
– If changing hostname or domain name, these values must
be valid entries in the DNS database.

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What does it not do ?
¾ Check port numbers
– No test to see if port numbers are already used.
Up to you to ensure port numbers you choose
are not already in use
¾ And so on…..
– essentially, all AutoConfig does is update the
Applications configuration files, and update the
Database for such items as profile options, etc.

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Agenda
– Introduction
– How does it work?
– Installing AutoConfig
– Managing the installation after AutoConfig
– Making configuration changes
– Other Issues

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How does it work ?
¾ Uses template files to determine basic settings
– one template file for each configuration file. Although often
different versions for Unix and NT. For example:-
httpd_nt.conf and httpd_ux.conf
adfrmctl_nt.cmd and adfrmctl_ux.sh
– located in $PROD_TOP/admin/template directories, for
example:-
$AD_TOP/admin/template
$FND_TOP/admin/template
etc...

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How does it work ?
¾ Uses template files to determine basic settings
(continued)
– Driver files list file names and locations, AutoConfig
searches each Product Top looking for <PROD>tmpl.drv.
For example:-
adtmpl.drv
fndtmpl.drv
icxtmpl.drv
etc...
– Template and Driver files can be updated via Applications
patches

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How does it work ?
¾ <CONTEXTNAME>.xml file stores
environment specific settings
– Located in $APPL_TOP/admin
– Updated by running GUI utility which is launched
using “editcontext”
– Not recommended to manually update this file

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How does it work ?
¾ adautocfg.sh script is run to update
configuration files and profile options
– instantiates template files with values specific to
the instance taken from the xml configuration file.
– overwrites existing configuration files with newly
instantiated ones
– runs SQL scripts to update database. For
example to update profile options

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How does it work ?
Template Driver files
For example : adtmpl.drv,
fndtmpl.drv, icxtmpl.drv
Configuration File
$APPL_TOP/admin/<CONTEXT
NAME>.xml

Template file for each

configuration file

Apps 11i Environment

APPL_TOP O_H iAS

O_H 8.1.7
O_H 8.0.6

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 How does it work ?
Update configuration with
editcontext Template Driver files
For example : adtmpl.drv,
fndtmpl.drv, icxtmpl.drv
Configuration File
$APPL_TOP/admin/<CONTEXT
NAME>.xml

Template file for each

configuration file

Apps 11i Environment

APPL_TOP O_H iAS

O_H 8.1.7
O_H 8.0.6

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 How does it work ? Patches to update
template files
Update configuration with
editcontext Template Driver files
For example : adtmpl.drv,
fndtmpl.drv, icxtmpl.drv
Configuration File
$APPL_TOP/admin/<CONTEXT
NAME>.xml

Template file for each

configuration file

Apps 11i Environment

APPL_TOP O_H iAS

O_H 8.1.7
O_H 8.0.6

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 How does it work ? Patches to update
template files
Update configuration with
editcontext Template Driver files
For example : adtmpl.drv,
fndtmpl.drv, icxtmpl.drv
Configuration File
$APPL_TOP/admin/<CONTEXT
NAME>.xml

Merge template files Template file for each

and config file configuration file

Apps 11i Environment

adautocfg.sh

Update configuration
APPL_TOP O_H iAS files and run SQL
O_H 8.1.7
O_H 8.0.6 against database

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How does it work ?
¾ adautocfg.sh script (continued)
– uses the <PROD>tmpl.drv files as drivers for the
process
– <PROD>tmpl.drv files define source and
destination of files to be merged
– <PROD>tmpl.drv files define which commands
need to be executed, for example to update
profile options, etc.

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How does it work ?
¾ Running SQL/Scripts
– Some processes require SQL or operating
system scripts to be run
– Achieved with directives in the driver file
(adtmpl.drv for example) Listed in 4th column of
the file
* INSTE8 : instantiate template file
* INSTE8_SETUP, INSTE8_PRF or INSTE8_APPLY :
instantiate template file, then executes resulting script.
This will normally be running SQL script, for example

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Agenda
– Introduction
– How does it work?
– Installing AutoConfig
– Managing the installation after AutoConfig
– Making configuration changes
– Other Issues

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Installing AutoConfig
¾ Before commencing this procedure, ensure
you have full backup of your existing
environment
– For Windows environments, this includes backing
up the registry
– If you need to back out the initial implementation
of AutoConfig, you will need to restore your
filesystem (and registry for Windows) from a
backup copy

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Installing AutoConfig

¾ New install from 11.5.7+ CD pack

– Already configured to utilize AutoConfig
– Need to apply latest AutoConfig Consolidated
patch
* See Metalink Note 165195.1 for latest patch
number

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Installing AutoConfig
¾ Previous versions of 11i
– Pre-requisites: JDK 1.3 and AD.F+
– Additional steps for 11.5.1 sites. See Metalink
note 165195.1
– Apply copy driver for latest AutoConfig patch to
all nodes with an APPL_TOP
* See Metalink note 165195.1 for latest patch
number

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Installing AutoConfig
¾ Previous versions of 11i
– Create XML file (if required)
Run adbldxml.sh to convert “config.txt” to
<CONTEXTNAME>.xml file
* This process should only be run as part of the
initial conversion procedure.
* Note 165195.1 implies that if the XML file already
exists you are already converted to AutoConfig,
however:-
* you are ready to convert and do not have to regenerate
the XML file.
* you are not yet converted as the file could exist because
you installed Applications 11.5.5

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Installing AutoConfig
– Run adchkcfg.sh to generate a report, which highlights
differences between the original config files and AutoConfig
generated config files.
* AutoConfig generated files are not converted from
existing settings, they are created from AutoConfig
templates.
* Any manual changes made to the existing configuration
files will therefore be lost unless action is taken.
* Report highlights new files and differences between
files. (cfgcheck.txt)

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Installing AutoConfig
– Run “adconfig.sh” to generate and apply the
AutoConfig versions of the configuration files
– The conversion to AutoConfig is now complete

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Installing AutoConfig
¾ Config.txt
– The config.txt file is from the original install, so needs to be
checked for accuracy and may need to be updated
manually
i.e. - If the technology stack has been upgraded since install,
for example you upgraded RDBMS 8.1.6. to 8.1.7, or
upgraded from JDK 1.2 to 1.3
– If this file has not been retained from the original install, it
can be re-created by running rapidWiz and answering the
set-up questions then cancelling out before actually running
the installation

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Agenda
– Introduction
– How does it work?
– Installing AutoConfig
– Managing the installation after AutoConfig
– Making configuration changes
– Other Issues

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Managing the installation after
AutoConfig
¾ Starting the system
– Use adstrtal.sh script to start all services.
– Located in
$COMMON_TOP/admin/scripts/<CONTEXTNAM
E>
– Required parameter of apps username/password

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Managing the installation after
AutoConfig
¾ Stopping the system
– Use adstpall.sh
– Located in
$COMMON_TOP/admin/scripts/<CONTEXTNAME>
– Required parameter of apps username/password.
¾ Both these scripts are generated from
AutoConfig templates

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Agenda
– Introduction
– How does it work?
– Installing AutoConfig
– Managing the installation after AutoConfig
– Making configuration changes
– Other Issues

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Making configuration changes
¾ Use editcontext to modify the xml file
– ALL changes should be done via editcontext
– Edit then save the changes you require
¾ Run adchkcfg.sh (optional step)
– Generates report of differences. (runs adconfig.sh with
“test” option)
¾ Run AutoConfig to implement changes
– Use script adautocfg.sh
– Located in $COMMON_TOP/admin/scripts/<TWO TASK>
– Review log files in $APPL_TOP/admin/log/MMDDhhmm
– Start processes and ensure everything is OK

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Making configuration changes
¾ To backout changes made by AutoConfig
– Each execution of AutoConfig creates backup of
files and a rollback script
– Located in $APPL_TOP/admin/out/MMDDhhmm
where MMDDhhmm is date and time of run
– Change to this directory then run script
“restore.sh” to restore previous settings

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Multiple Middle Tiers
¾ You need to run AutoConfig on ALL the Middle Tier
Servers
– You may have multiple Web Server, Forms Server and
Concurrent Manager Nodes in your environment
– Each of the Middle Tier servers will have it's own
<CONTEXTNAME>.xml file and own set of configuration
files
– The profile options will be updated each time you run
AutoConfig so will hold the value from the LAST server
where AutoConfig is run
This should not be a problem as all servers will be
on the same version of AutoConfig

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Agenda
– Introduction
– How does it work?
– Installing AutoConfig
– Managing the installation after AutoConfig
– Making configuration changes
– Other Issues

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Things to watch out for
¾ Metalink Notes, readme or other
documentation which give instructions to
make manual changes to configuration files
– Do not follow these instructions without guidance
from Oracle Support, as all changes should be
made using the editcontext tool

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Things to watch out for
¾ Always check patch readme as to whether
AutoConfig should be re-run
– The Applications DBA needs to run adautocfg.sh
to update your systems if a template file has
been patched

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Things to watch out for
¾ Disabling unwanted processes, such as
Metrics Client/Server
– This should be done by setting the
oa_process_status flag for the process to
'disabled' in the XML file instead of ‘enabled’
(via editcontext)

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Things to watch out for
¾ Multiple output directories created for one run of
AutoConfig
– There is one directory per AutoConfig engine execution,
however as AutoConfig engine starts one time for each
product top there are multiple directories created as the
directory name is based on the time of that execution
– This shouldn’t cause problems, unless need to restore, in
which case would need to ensure all directories are merged
into one

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Things to watch out for
¾ AutoConfig and GSM
– GSM Enabled profile option is set to Y
* If not running GSM, you will have to manually change
profile option to ‘N’ after running AutoConfig
– Whenever re-run adchkcfg.sh, the report will
always show Apps listener.ora to have FND_SM
entries marked to be deleted
• This is OK as the entries are re-generated as part of
AutoConfig.sh run

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Troubleshooting Tips
¾ Check the “MMDDhhmm.log” file located in
$APPL_TOP/admin/log directory for messages
¾ Also check the $APPL_TOP/admin/log/
MMDDhhmm/adconfig.log file
¾ Use “adchkcfg.sh” which runs adconfig.sh with “test”
flag to do dummy run
¾ Always check you have applied the latest AutoConfig
consolidated patch
– See Metalink Note 165195.1 for latest patch

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Cloning
¾ Use the Oracle White Paper entitled “Cloning
Oracle Applications Release 11i with
AutoConfig”
– Available via Metalink Note 135792.1
– Applies to all 11i versions that are using
AutoConfig
– Ensure you also check Note 165195.1 and apply
latest AutoConfig patch as part of pre-clone set-
up

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References
¾ Metalink notes
– 165195.1 Using AutoConfig to manage system
configurations with 11i
– 135792.1 Cloning Oracle Applications Release
11i
Cloning Oracle Applications Release 11i with
AutoConfig
Cloning Oracle Applications Release 11i with Rapid
Clone

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