Jerry Held

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(No Transcript)
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Jason PepperPrincipal Product Manager Oracle
Corporation
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Tips Techniques for Deploying a Scalable Portal
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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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Why Portals?

• Enable integrated, secure access to all
  information sources
• Support personalized views for different users
  and communities

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The Portal Challenge?
How to make it Popular

• and Fast!

Or, how to make it Scale?
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How to make your Portal scale?

• Cross platform
• Choose the most cost-effective platform for each
  component
• Distributed
• Spread the load across servers
• Parallel execution
• Use multiple threads to access content
• Cache, Cache, Cache

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Intelligent Caching

• Keep information fresh and timely while
  minimizing the cost of dynamic, personalized
  content
• Must support
• Personalization
• Modularity pages and page fragments
• Page, Portlet, and Item-level security

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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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OracleAS Portal Page Generation
OracleAS Portal Middle Tier
OracleAS Portal Database Tier
Browser Client
Web Cache
Page Metadata
Oracle HTTP Server
mod_oc4j
Parallel Page Engine
Portal Repository
Database Provider
PortletContent
CachedMetadata Content
PortletContent
Web Provider
Portal Cache
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(No Transcript)
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My Oracle Architecture
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OracleAS Portal Page Generation
OracleAS Portal Middle Tier
OracleAS Portal Database Tier
Browser Client
Web Cache
Page Metadata
Oracle HTTP Server
mod_oc4j
Parallel Page Engine
Portal Repository
Database Provider
PortletContent
CachedMetadata Content
PortletContent
Web Provider
Portal Cache
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OracleAS Web Cache

• Memory-based cache
• Combines caching, compression, and assembly to
  accelerate both static and dynamic content
• Also provides load-balancing, failover, and surge
  protection to improve availability, reliability
• Portal functions as Origin Server

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Portal Use of Web Cache

• Automatically installed and configured
• UI for global cache settings and invalidation (by
  user, by object, or for entire cache)
• Features used
• Caching of dynamically generated, user-specific
  page and portlet content
• Fine-grained cache control
• Invalidation-based caching
• Layer 7 load balancing and failover detection
• Performance Assurance and Surge Protection

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Web Cache Deployment Options

• Single Portal Installation
• Co-located
• Same physical server as Portal middle tier
• OK for smaller sites
• Dedicated
• Web Cache on own server
• Preferred option to avoid resource contention
• Performs well on inexpensive hardware

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Web Cache Deployment Options

• Multiple Portal Installations and/or Web
  Providers
• Dedicated
• Each installation/provider has its own Web Cache
• Better for autonomous administration, load
  distribution, firewall protection, network
  performance
• Privilege changes cause invalidation on local
  site only
• Shared
• Each installation/provider uses a common Web
  Cache
• Privilege changes cause invalidation across sites

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My Oracle Tweaks

• Upgraded to Web Cache 904
• Compressed CSS bug
• Buffer limit incompatibilty 32K
• Invalidation propogation fails without identical
  config files
• Enable session binding to match LBR
• Compression rule for non-cacheable pages using
  /portal/page

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OracleAS Portal Page Generation
OracleAS Portal Middle Tier
OracleAS Portal Database Tier
Browser Client
Web Cache
Page Metadata
Oracle HTTP Server
mod_oc4j
Parallel Page Engine
Portal Repository
Database Provider
PortletContent
CachedMetadata Content
PortletContent
Web Provider
Portal Cache
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Portal Middle Tier

• OracleAS installation acts as the Portal middle
  tier
• Portal directly leverages the following OracleAS
  services
• Oracle HTTP Server
• mod_plsql
• mod_oc4j
• Web Cache

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Oracle HTTP Server

• Powered by Apache
• De-facto standard web listener
• Serves as the HTTP entry point to OracleAS

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My Oracle Tweaks

• KeepAlive Off
• MinSpareServers 30
• MaxSpareServers 100
• StartServers 30
• MaxClients 250
• MaxRequestsPerChild 2000

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mod_oc4j

• Apache plug-in
• Routes Servlet requests to OracleAS Containers
  for J2EE (OC4J) Servlet engine
• Proven industry leading performance
• Supports latest J2EE specifications

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My Oracle Tweaks

• Removed xingc from opmn.xml
• Increased mx and ms
• cacheDir matched to PlsqlCacheDirectory
• TCP.NODELAY Yes
• SDU 8761
• numProcs set in opmn.xml

ltoc4j maxRetry"3" instanceName"home"
numProcs"2"gt ltconfig-file
path"/disk2/oracle/midtier/j2ee/home/config/serve
r.xml"/gt ltoc4j-option value"-properties"/gt
ltport ajp"3000-3100" jms"3201-3300"
rmi"3101-3200"/gt ltenvironmentgt ltprop
name"LD_LIBRARY_PATH" value"/disk2/oracle/midtie
r/lib"/gt lt/environmentgt lt/oc4jgt
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Parallel Page Engine

• Runs as a Servlet
• Responsible for page assembly
• Talks to web and database providers to get
  portlet content
• Leverages local file system cache to store page
  definitions and portlet content
• Configurable number of threads for talking to
  providers in parallel

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mod_plsql

• Translates URL requests into stored procedure
  calls
• Gateway into Portal Database
• Access to Portal Repository, Portal UI and
  Database Providers
• Provides connection pooling for efficient session
  management

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My Oracle Tweaks

• NLS_LANG matches DB setting
• PlsqlIdleSessionCleanup 15 (mins)
• PlsqlCacheDirectory aliased to RAM disk
• PlsqlCacheTotalSixe 8Gb
• PlsqlCacheMaxAge 15 (days)

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Portal Cache

• File system-based storage for cached versions of
  page definitions and portlet content
• Eliminates the need to always regenerate pages
  and portlets
• Provides backup to Web Cache

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OracleAS Portal Page Generation
OracleAS Portal Middle Tier
OracleAS Portal Database Tier
Browser Client
Web Cache
Page Metadata
Oracle HTTP Server
mod_oc4j
Parallel Page Engine
Portal Repository
Database Provider
PortletContent
CachedMetadata Content
PortletContent
Web Provider
Portal Cache
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Portal Database

• Foundation of an Oracle Portal installation
• Consists of 200 tables/views and over 1000
  PL/SQL packages
• Portal Databases can be registered with each
  other to make up a federated portal environment
• departmental portals/installations can be easily
  networked together to form an enterprise portal

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Portal Repository

• Storage for
• provider registry
• page and style definitions
• user customizations
• access controls
• definitions of page groups, data-driven
  components, etc.
• logs
• UI screens for creating and editing all of the
  portal objects (e.g. pages, items, charts, etc.)

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Database Providers

• Hosted out of a Portal Database
• Implemented as PL/SQL or Java stored procedures
• Interacts with framework via direct database
  procedure calls results returned as HTML/XML
• Ideal for database-centric applications
• Built with PDK-PL/SQL and/or declarative wizards
• APIs for preference store, logging, translation
  store, security, caching, etc.

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OracleAS Portal Page Generation
OracleAS Portal Middle Tier
OracleAS Portal Database Tier
Browser Client
Web Cache
Page Metadata
Oracle HTTP Server
mod_oc4j
Parallel Page Engine
Portal Repository
Database Provider
PortletContent
CachedMetadata Content
PortletContent
Web Provider
Portal Cache
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Web Providers

• Work in any web environment
• Servlet, JSP, ASP, cgi-bin, Perl, etc.
• Communication via HTTP results returned as
  HTML/XML
• Stuctured data exchange using SOAP
• Ideal for adapting existing or remote Web
  services
• allow developers to work in a familiar
  development environment
• Java PDK
• Helper classes for portlet creation
• Provide Java API-level services (storage,
  preferences, parameter passing, errors, etc.)

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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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Page and Portlet Caching

• Dynamic page assembly is an expensive operation
• Places heavy load on providers, database,
  network, and middle tier
• Caching minimizes database and provider calls
• Almost all content and metadata is cached
• Page definitions
• Portlet content
• Assembled pages
• Documents (including images)
• Events
• Login Metadata

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Caching Types

• Invalidation-based caching (Web Cache)
• Providers proactively send invalidation message
• Content can also expire when maximum cache
  retention period is reached (invalidation-with-exp
  iry)
• Validation-based caching (Portal Cache)
• The middle tier contacts the provider to see if
  the cache entry is still valid
• Expiry-based caching (Portal Cache)
• PPE checks a time stamp for the cache entry to
  see if it is still valid

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Choosing a Caching Type

• Validation/Invalidation
• Users will always see the most up-to-date
  information
• Use when
• Content changes frequently
• Cost of checking validity or triggering
  invalidation is low
• Expiry
• Content cached for specified period of time may
  grow stale
• Use when
• Content is not time-sensitive
• Cost of validation/invalidation is high

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User and System Level Caching

• System level
• Cache entries shared by all users, including
  public users
• Recommended for content that isnt protected, or
  for content that doesnt support user
  customizations
• User level
• Cache entries only available to a specific user
• Required for protected content, or for content
  that supports user customizations

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Web Cache and User Level Caching
Web Cache

• User-level content keyed by userid
• Can be refreshed from Portal Cache if
  invalidation-based combined with validation-based
  caching (DB portlets only)
• System-level content in Web Cache shared across
  sessions

Sess 1
Sess 2
Sess 3
Sess 4
User1
User2
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Page Caching Options
Page Group
Page
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Page Caching Options

• Cache page definition only
• Page definition (page structure, portlets, items)
  cached at user level
• Both Web Cache and Portal Cache (invalidation
  validation)
• Refreshed when any change occurs on page,
  including customization, items, privileges,
  templates, and styles
• Page re-assembled on every request
• Portlet validity/expiry checked on every request

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Page Caching Options

• Cache page definition and content for N minutes
• Caches assembled page at user level
• Portal Cache only (expiry-based) plus browser
• Best for performance
• Eliminates definition generation and page
  assembly
• But can result in stale content
• Ignores portlet caching options until page
  expires
• Change to page definition will always force a
  refresh

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Page Caching Options

• Cache Page Definition Only at System Level
• Single cached copy of the page definition in the
  system cache for all users.
• Page customization options disabled.
• Reduces storage requirements and improves
  performance.
• Cache Page Definition And Content at System Level
  for Minutes
• Single cached copy of the page definition and
  page content, including the rendered content of
  all portlets.
• Page customizations are not possible
• Select this option for pages that are more static
  and are unlikely to change within the specified
  period.

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Page Caching Options

• Dont cache
• Disables page caching
• Use sparingly to avoid impact on performance
• Use when
• Testing
• Page contains PL/SQL items or URL items to render
  dynamic content that must be constantly refreshed
  (better to use a portlet with short expiry)
• Concerned that changes to security can cause
  active users to lose privileges on page

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Page Caching Options - Summary
Page Definition Only
Page Definition and Content
Dont Cache

• Portlets where content must always be up-to-date
• System Cache for all users

• Static content
• Expiry-based portlets
• System Cache for all users

• Dynamic items that must be up-to-date
• Testing

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Portlet Caching
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Portlet Caching

• Content only is cached (not metadata)
• Invalidation-based provider must send
  invalidation message
• Validation-based provider contacted to validate
  portlet
• Expiry-based provider not contacted until cache
  entry expires (different than pages)
• Invoked through PDK APIs
• Can combine validation invalidation for DB
  portlets

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Portlet Caching System Level

• Disables all customization options for the
  portlet.
• Does not enforce access privileges for the
  portlet.
• Displays only public data.
• A System cached Page, will cause the portlet to
  be cached at the system level.
• If Web Provider specifies system-level caching
  for a portlet. Cannot change the cache setting
  for the portlet manually because it is already
  set.

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Choosing Portlet Caching Options
Invalidation
Validation
Expiry

• Static or Dynamic content
• Real-time application can send invalidation
  message

• Same as Invalidation
• Use in combination with invalidation (DB Portlets
  only)

• Static content (choose period to match update
  frequency) e.g. page banner
• Dynamic, not real time (e.g. delayed stock quote,
  catalogue)

• Dont cache if content must be real-time and the
  application cannot trigger an invalidation message

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Document and Image Caching

• Documents and Images in Portal Repository (/docs)
• Cached in Portal Cache only (for security)
• Exceptions Category, Perspective, Style
• Documents and Images from File System
• Default Cached in Web Cache forever
• Portal /images directory set to expire after 30
  days
• Recommended for widely used images (e.g. logo,
  banner icons)

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Other Cacheable Objects

• Event Metadata
• New feature
• Portlets can publish/subscribe to events (e.g.
  push button, click link, select value)
• Minimizes coding makes portlets more reusable
• Supports inter-portlet and inter-page
  communication via formal parameters
• Same caching model as pages (invalidation
  validation)
• Login Metadata
• Describes the current session
• Passed to providers that want to track state
• Cached in Web Cache

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Invalidation Events

• Two types
• Hard Invalidations Happen immediately
• Soft Invalidations Deferred to avoid processing
  spikes
• Affect both Web Cache and Portal Cache
• Granular scope, depending on event
• Entire Cache
• All objects for a specified user
• All instances of a specified object
• Pages containing an invalidated portlet

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Hard Invalidation Events

• Clear entire cache
• Clear cache for user
• Clear cache for object
• Click Refresh link on page
• Modify page properties or layout

• Modify item
• Modify template or style
• Modify provider properties
• Customize page or portlet
• Edit defaults on page or portlet

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Soft Invalidation Events

• Delete user
• Add user to group
• Remove user from group
• Add group to group
• Remove group from group
• Delete group
• Change privilege on object in Repository

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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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Other Performance Factors

• HTTP Server
• Login Rate
• Portlet Execution Speed
• Page Complexity
• Network Bandwidth
• Load Distribution

• Other Portal Activity
• Hardware Resources
• CPU Performance
• Type of Content
• SSL

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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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Unique Logins per Day
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Unique Logins per Hour
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Page Views per Day
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Page Views CPU Load
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Agenda

• Why is Scalability Important for Portal
  Deployment?
• OracleAS Portal Page Generation Architecture
• Page and Portlet Caching
• Other Performance Factors
• Results
• Conclusion

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Conclusion

• Key Success Factors for deploying an enterprise
  portal to a large audience
• Intelligent Caching
• Scalable, Distributed, Cross-Platform
  Architecture
• Uniquely combined in OracleAS Portal
• Understanding scalability features and the page
  generation process will help you design and build
  your enterprise portal

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Next Steps.

• Recommended sessions
• 40046 An Overview of Enterprise Portals Today
  and Tomorrow - Marco Tilli
• 40031 The New Enterprise Manager End-to-end
  Performance Management of Oracle Solutions
• 40051 Manage, Integrate and Publish your
  Enterprise Content into Your Portal
• 40047 Collaborate on the same Portal page
• Recommended demos and/or hands-on labs
• Oracle Application Server Portal Hands-on lab

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Next Steps.

• See Your Business in Our Software
• Visit the DEMOgrounds for a customized
  architectural review, see a customized demo with
  Solutions Factory, or receive a personalized
  proposal. Visit the DEMOgrounds for more
  information.
• Relevant web sites to visit for more information
• http//portalcenter.oracle.com
• http//otn.oracle.com/products/oem/content.html

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A
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Session Activity Guide
Sessions - ENTERPRISE PORTALS

• Design an Attractive and Compelling Portal
  InterfaceMonday, 400 PM Moscone 133
• An Overview of Enterprise Portals Today and
  TomorrowTuesday, 1100 AM Moscone 134
• Manage, Integrate, and Publish Enterprise Content
  into Your PortalTuesday, 830 AM Moscone 133
• Develop Java Portlets for Your PortalTuesday,
  500 PM Moscone 252

• Get Your Community to Collaborate on the Same
  Portal PageWednesday, 830 AM Moscone 252
• Integrate your Enterprise Business Applications
  Into Your PortalWednesday, 1100 AM Moscone 252
• Tips and Techniques for Deploying a Scalable
  PortalWednesday, 100 PM Moscone 302
• Administer and Monitor Your Portal with Oracle
  Enterprise ManagerWednesday, 430 PM Moscone 302

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Session Activity Guide
Activities - ENTERPRISE PORTALS

• Hands On Labs Monday, 1030 AM 500
  PMTuesday, 830 AM 1230 PMTuesday, 300 PM
  500 PMTuesday, 630 PM 1000 PMWednesday,
  830 AM 430 PMThursday, 830 AM 230
  PMMarriott Hotel - Golden Gate B2
• Oracle DEMOgroundsMonday, 500 PM 800
  PMTuesday, 1030 AM 100 PMTuesday, 300 PM
  600 PMWednesday, 1100 AM 430 PMThursday,
  1030 AM 200 PMShow floor Booth 1326 Oracle
  AS

• Meet the Portal Guru Marco TilliTuesday, 330
  PM Guru Lounge
• Portal PartnersOracle Application Server Partner
  Pavilion Booth 710

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