WSRR Installation Issues

WSRR or Websphere Service Registry and Repository is IBM’s answer to a robust SOA Governance solution framework. Every complex product brings some issues along with it and when its an IBM product, it is obvious.

If you are installing WSRR 6.1, make sure you have followed the below mentioned steps:

1. Installed Websphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1.0.13 or later.  If not, first install Update Installer in WAS Installation Directory.

2. Install Websphere Application Server fix pack using Update Installer on top of existing Websphere Application Server installation.

3. Install IBM SDK SR6 using Update Installer from here

4. Install Oracle or DB2 database and create database schema.

5. Install Websphere Service Registry Repository

6. Deploy WSRR on WAS using “deploywizard” or “installall” batch/shell scripts (Located under WSRR_HOME/install directory).

To download Update Installer, interim fix and Fix Packs 13 for windows, Click Here

Note: Web Service feature pack is not required for WSRR. If you have already installed Web Services feature pack, please install interim fix and Fix Pack for Web Services feature pack before following step 3. (Not Recommended)

Chances are that deployment of WSRR ear on WAS may fail. In such cases, make sure that

1. you have correctly specified server and profile details of WAS on one of the deployement details screens.

2. If you are on database details screen, choose “Preload the database” option rather than “Reuse an existing database” option. If not, you may end up getting only configuration perpective of WSRR. Administrator and User perspective may not be visible. Though, you can go to Configuration –> Manage Configuration Profile –> Configuration Profiles from your WSRR Homepage, Select Load Configuration Profile, Browse to $REGISTRY_HOME/samples, select SamplesProfile.zip, select OK and Restart server.

3. If you have opted for Oracle database, make sure you have set Oracle_JDBC_Driver_Path. If not, go to WAS Administrative Console –> Environment –> Websphere variables. Set the value for Oracle_JDBC_Driver_Path and restart server.

Best UDDI Registries

UDDI service registry is of paramount importance when it comes to providing a SOA Governance solution. A service registry stores metadata that is related to the particular asset you have interest in, without actually containing those assets.  It is essentially an online directory of services that enables the service providers to advertise their offerings and allowing service consumers to find services that match their criteria. It provides a foundation for the governance and lifecycle management of Business Services. It provides with what is needed to obtain enterprise-wide insight, control and economic leverage of organization’s business and service artifacts. The registry also supports metadata like classifications, categorizations, relationships and properties. These metadata are then used to define taxonomies, describe how service artifacts are related to each other and associate generic as well as object specific characteristics for service artifacts.

Here are some UDDI registries that are widely used in organizations:

1. Systinet Registry (now HP SOA Systinet Registry)  

2. Oracle Service Registry : It is a modified version of Systinet Registry. Remodeled according to Oracle needs.

3. Aqualogic Service Registry: Again a modified version of Systinet Registry.

4. IBM Web Services Registry Repository

5. TIBCO ActiveMatrix: Again a modified version of Systinet Registry.

Managing registry without a repository?

When it comes to SOA Governance practice, the first thing advocated is having a registry-repository. In almost all the cases, the registry and repository are two seperate entities. They are integrated using some utility to serve the purpose of a good SOA Governance solution.  When Oracle acquired BEA, it knew that with this acquisition it will get some powerful tools of SOA that are classified under Aqualogic series.

AquaLogic Enterprise Repository or ALER is now going to be rebranded as Oracle Enterprise Repository. What about Aqualogic Service registry (ALSR) ? Well, ALSR is nothing but an OEM version of Systinet registry (now acquired by HP). So when BEA was rebranding Sytinet registry, Oracle was also doing the same. Oracle rebranded systinet registry as Oracle Service Registry (OSR). Most of the people will now think that Oracle has redundant registry but it is not completely true. Aqualogic was not supposed to support oc4j servers whereas all products belonging to Oracle breed should support oc4j server. Though Oracle is now looking to come out of this thought process. Replacing embedded oc4j server with weblogic server in jdeveloper is one such example. But how did Oracle manage to have a registry without a repository? The answer is Oracle never had a full SOA governance solution in place because the governance process has to be automated. One cannot claim that he can manage the lifecyle of an asset without synchronizing the changes, that a service is undergoing, across the organization.

To avoid the changes that can occur while moving the assets to a new location, the importance of having a repository in place cannot be undermined. Moving one step further, the repository can have a workspace to facilitate accelerated development of artifacts.

SOA Governance

Any organization willing to implement SOA should already have a plan for its governance. Most people think that SOA Governance is optional and it’s not true. Without SOA Governance it is impossible to reap the true benefits of a full-fledged SOA. Some benefits that are directly related to success of any organization.

“With the widespread adoption of SOA, the challenges associated with SOA projects are emerging. SOA governance isn’t optional— it’s imperative. Without it, return on investment will be low and every SOA project out of pilot phase will be at risk.”

                                                        —Paolo Malinverno

                                                           Gartner, Inc.1

Failure to provide effective SOA governance exposes your organization to serious risks:

• Insufficient knowledge of available services
• General failure to reuse services
• Unnecessary, uncontrolled service duplication
• Resources wasted on services that can’t be reused
• Service sprawl across siloed SOAs
• Ineffective communication of best practices.

   

A good blog on SOA Governance: http://blogs.oracle.com/governance/