Recipe 21.4 Creating a DataSource on WebLogic

Problem

You want to create a javax.sql.DataSource on BEA WebLogic for use in your servlets.

Solution

Use the WebLogic console to configure a new connection pool, then configure a new DataSource associated with that pool.

Discussion

Configuring a WebLogic DataSource involves the following steps:

1. Login to the WebLogic console, which allows you to manage the WebLogic server from a browser. The URL for the console is typically http://<localhost:7001>/console (substitute your host name for "localhost" and the port number that matches your own WebLogic configuration).

2. Click on Your-domain-name Services JDBC Connnection Pools on the menu tree in the console's lefthand column. Then click on "Configure a new JDBC Connection Pool . . . ".

3. In the resulting window, enter a name for the connection pool, the JDBC URL (e.g., jdbc:oracle:thin:@192.168.0.2:1521:ORCL ), the Driver class name (e.g., oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver ), as well as the username and password in the "Properties" text field. Figure 21-2 shows a configured connection pool named "OraclePool." Remember this name ”you'll need it to configure a DataSource further along in the process.

Figure 21-2. Creating a connection pool with the WebLogic console application

4. Click on the "Create" button in this window to create the connection pool, then choose the "Targets" tab. The resulting screen allows you to choose a server to which the connection pool will apply. After you have chosen the server, click on the "Apply" button in the Targets screen. The name of the new pool should appear in the lefthand menu frame.

5. Click on Your-domain-name Services JDBC Data Sources and click on the URL "Configure a New JDBC Data Source . . . ". Figure 21-3 shows a DataSource configuration window that includes the DataSource name ("oracle-8i- athletes ") under which WebLogic will bind the DataSource as a JNDI object. The window also has a text field where you must enter the name of the connection pool that you just configured: "OraclePool." Click the "Create" button to create the new DataSource. Figure 21-3 shows the JDBC Data Sources window.

6. Take the same steps as in step 4 with the "Targets" screen to apply this DataSource to the appropriate server. Painless, right?

Figure 21-3. Creating a DataSource with the WebLogic console application

Figure 21-4 shows the WebLogic JNDI tree where the DataSource that you have just created is bound.

Figure 21-4. A view of the WebLogic JNDI tree containing the DataSource

See Also

The JDBC specification: http://java.sun.com/products/jdbc/download.html; Chapter 2 on deploying servlets and JSPs on WebLogic; Recipe 21.2 and Recipe 21.3 on using a DataSource on Tomcat; Recipe 21.5 and Recipe 21.6 on using DataSources with servlets and JSPs on WebLogic.