Confusion between application server 10.1.2 and managed servers

[VinodN]

Hi Erman, I have great difficulty in understanding the FMW, Application server concepts.. For example, what is the difference between Application Server 10.1.2 and the Weblogic Server? AS is used for forms and reports and the forms managed server is also providing forms functionality.. so what is the difference between them?

[ErmanArslansOracleBlog]

Both are APPS server. Weblogic is the newer one. It is more sophisticated and advanced.
But, some of the codes/products in the relevant context couldn't be run in Weblogic (due to the lack of necessary developments to make them compatible with Weblogic) and that's why they are running on OAS (Oracle Application Server). That's all . So if you see, Weblogic and OAS both are there for servicing an application, it means there are some dependencies to OAS.. If there wouldn't be any dependencies, all of the products/codes would be running on Weblogic and OAS wouldn't be there. You can think like that.

[VinodN]

Okay. I get it. Thanks!
Regarding forms functionality - which part of it is served by the OAS and which part by the Weblogic forms managed  server?

[ErmanArslansOracleBlog]

Answer to this question is already publicly available.
Please see -> https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E26401_01/doc.122/e22949/T120505T120508.htm

[VinodN]

Oh.. I had read it (from the link you just shared) but I keep forgetting it, mainly because I did not really understand it in the first place..



It is not clear to me what exactly formsapp.ear does/is used for and what part WLS-forms carries out.

[ErmanArslansOracleBlog]

The following is from my book. I hope it answers you question.

->
The EBS modules (formsapp.ear) and the actual forms executable (frmweb) runs on this 10.1.2
application tier Home, but all the major services for frmweb are served by the Oracle Fusion Middleware.
So, when an Oracle report program is executed or a client request is made for opening an Oracle form-based EBS screen, the binaries in this Oracle Home are triggered.

Oracle Fusion Middleware (FMW ) 11.1.1.9.0 is the application server for applications that provide the
core functionalities in EBS Java code. Using the WebLogic Server that resides in it, FMW hosts the Oacore
server to provide the pages developed with Oracle Application Framework (OAF), which is a framework
supplied by Oracle to be used for development within the Oracle E-Business Suite OAFM to provide such as
web services and a secure enterprise search agent. In addition, it hosts the forms server for services, all the
forms functionality, and forms-c4ws to expose forms-based functionalities as web services.
 A JSP compiler and JSP engine are also included in FMW.
 The WebLogic JSP compiler , weblogic appc, is used for the precompilation of JSP pages in EBS. The SP
engine is used for processing the JSP pages and converting them to the servlets.
 FMW also includes control mechanisms/utilities for its core WebLogic services, as well as all the JRF
files needed by EBS and Oracle HTTP Server to be used as a web entry point for EBS.
 So, Oracle HTTP Server, WebLogic Server, 10.1.2 Home services, and the binaries stored in application
directories such as COMMON_TOP and APPL_TOP are used together for the application tier processing.
Figure  1-5 shows the FMW components such as Oracle HTTP Server and WebLogic Server, as well as the
other technologies such as 10.1.2 Oracle Home and three important top-level EBS directories such as
APPL_TOP, COMMON_TOP, and INST_TOP working together.

[VinodN]

I really appreciate you taking pains to answer our queries in so much detail, Erman. I have your book and it is the best book for apps dbas, in my opinion. I read it once and I need to read it carefully again.
I guess I cannot fully understand many things because I don't have their background knowledge, such as knowledge of Java for understanding forms.