Forms-Reports Services Installation for Oracle Application Server 10g

1st January 2004

Contents

Introduction
Available Features
Restrictions
Differences Between This Install Type and the Full Oracle Application Server 10g Release
Support
Licensing
Download Forms and Reports Services 10g
More Information

Introduction

In previous versions of Oracle Application Server, such as Oracle9iAS Release 2, it was necessary to install the full package, namely the Middle and Infrastructure tiers.  In Oracle Application Server 10g (9.0.4) Oracle have introduced a new installation option for Forms and Reports Services only.  It allows you to install and configure Forms and Reports Services -- "standalone" -- without the need to install and configure all of Oracle Application Server 10g.

Available Features

When you install Oracle Application Server Forms and Reports Services installation you'll have access to these features:

• Oracle Application Server Forms Services
• Oracle Application Server Reports Services
• Oracle HTTP Server
• Oracle Containers for Java (OC4J)
• Oracle Application Server Web Cache
• Oracle Enterprise Manager
• Oracle Process and Management Notification (OPMN)
• Distributed Configuration Management (DCM)

Restrictions

The Oracle Application Server Forms and Reports Services installation provides no Infrastructure services, such as Single Sign-On or Identity Management integration.  However Infrastructure services are available with the Business Intelligence and Forms Installation type.

Furthermore, it is not possible to associate or link this installation with an Infrastructure at a future point in time.  If you later wish to take advantage of Infrastructure features -- such as Single Sign-On -- you'll need to install an instance of Oracle Application Server with Business Intelligence and Forms, and move your applications to this new installation.

Differences Between This Install Type and the Full Oracle Application Server 10g Release

In terms of the functionality of Forms and Reports Services, there is no difference between this install type and the full Oracle Application Server.

The major difference is that this option does not require the Infrastructure components to be installed.  The advantage is that the architecture is more lightweight, simple, and easier to configure and manage.  On the other hand, by its nature, this install type cannot deliver all of the features and functionality of the full Oracle Application Server, such Single Sign-On functionality or integration with products like Oracle Portal.

Support

Support and platform certification will be the same as for the full Oracle Application Server 10g.

There will be no separate specific patchsets for the Forms and Reports Services installation.  The strategy is to have Oracle Application Server patchsets which can be applied to any installation, including this one.

Licensing

The licensing for this installation type is the same as for Oracle Application Server with Business Intelligence and Forms.

Downloading Forms and Reports Services 10g

The Forms and Reports Services 10g installation is on a separate CD from Oracle Application Server 10g.  However it should be considered as just another installation type of Oracle Application Server 10g.  In a future release, it is planned to have the Forms and Reports Services only install as an integrated installation option for Oracle Application Server rather than delivered as a separate CD / download.

You can download the Forms and Reports Services 10g installation of Oracle Application Server 10g from the following locations:

http://otn.oracle.com/software/products/ias/devuse.html
http://otn.oracle.com/software/products/forms/index.html

More Information

Refer to Metalink note 260795.1 for more information, including an FAQ.