3. Integration

3.1. Building the Cache class

To compile your Cache class, you need to have the rwrun.jar in your classpath. The rwrun.jar file is in the $ORACLE_HOME/reports/jlib directory. If you are using Oracle9i JDeveloper (Oracle9iDS) just add the Reports Runtime library to your project

The complete size cache example used in this tutorial is available in the resources section.

3.2. Deploying the classes on your server

To deploy the cache classes on your server, you can either:

• Deploy Java classes
• Deploy a JAR file.

3.2.1. Deploy Java Classes

If you are running a Reports Server version 9.0.2.0.4 or lower, you should:

1. Create a classes directory in your $ORACLE_HOME/reports/ directory
2. Copy your classes to this new directory ($ORACLE_HOME/reports/classes)

If you are running a Reports Server version 9.0.2.0.5 or higher, you should copy your classes to the $ORACLE_HOME/reports/jlib/classes directory.

3.2.2. Deploy a JAR file

If you packaged your classes in a JAR file, you need to manually modify the class path to point to the JAR file.

The Java class plath of your Report Server depends on the way that you use the server : In-Process or Stand-Alone. You can find more information in chapter Specifying an In-Process Server of Publishing Reports to the Web Using Oracle9iAS Reports Services manual.

The In-Process server configuration is the default. The In-Process server enables faster response time, since it reduces the communication expense between processes and consequently increases response times. In this context, the Reports Server starts automatically, whenever it receives the first request from the client via the Reports Servlet (rwservlet) or a Reports JSP.

If you configure the server as a Stand-Alone server you should start it manually with the rwserver command line. In this context, Reports Server and the application server processes are independent. You can use this configuration when debugging your reports extension, stopping and starting the Reports Server without any effect on your application server.

If you are using the "In-Process" server (the class path used by Oracle9i Reports is the OC4J path).

1. Copy the JAR file in a directory, often we use the $ORACLE_HOME/reports/jlib directory to store Oracle9i Reports related JAR files.
2. Open the OC4J configuration file $ORACLE_HOME/j2ee/<instance_name>/config/server.xml. The <instance_name> represents the name of the OC4J where the reports are executing, by default in Oracle9iDS the instance is Oracle9iDS and in Oracle9iAS it is OC4J_BI_Form
3. Add the JAR file to the class path using this XML entry, for example if you put the JAR file under $ORACLE_HOME/reports/jlib directory
   <library path="../../../reports/jlib/SizeCache.jar" />
   

If you are using the "Stand-Alone" server:

1. Copy the JAR file to the $ORACLE_HOME/reports/jlib directory
2. Add file address $ORACLE_HOME/reports/jlib/SizeCache.jar to the REPORTS_CLASSPATH environment variable. On Windows the REPORTS_CLASSPATH is in the registry. On unix you can modify the REPORTS_CLASSPATH in the $ORACLE_HOME/bin/reports.sh file.

 3.3. Registering the new cache

To register the new cache, add an XML entry for the cache plug-in in the Reports Server configuration file.

Open the Reports Server configuration file ($ORACLE_HOME/reports/conf/rep_<your server>.conf), and add a new XML entry.

For example, in the size cache example, the entry looks like this:

	
   <cache class="oracle.reports.plugin.cache.size.SizeCache">
    <property name="cacheSize" value="<max_cache_size>"/>
    <property name="cacheDir" value="<your_cache_directory>"/>
    <property name="maxCacheFileNumber" value="<max_number_of_cache_files>"/>
  </cache>

The cache tag has one attribute:

• class  contains the complete class name of the cache plugin.

If your cache needs some specific parameters you can use the property tag to create name-value pairs. The parameters used by the size cache are:

• cacheSize: maximum size of the cache you want to allow.
• cacheDir: path of your cache directory - the default value is <ORACLE_HOME>/reports/cache
• maxCacheFileNumber: maximum number of files you want to allow in the cache.

 3.4. Using your new cache

Now your new size cache is deployed and registered with your Reports Server. The cache will now be managed on the basis of "biggest file size" logic. That means, whenever the cache size or number of files in the cache exceeds the parameters you specify in the server.conf file, the biggest 5 files will be deleted from the cache directory.