Apache webtier

This section provides information about how to install and configure the Apache webtier to load balance Oracle WebCenter Sites domain clusters. You can configure Apache webtier for non-SSL and SSL termination access of the application URL.

Follow these steps to set up the Apache webtier as a load balancer for an Oracle WebCenter Sites domain in a Kubernetes cluster:

  1. Build the Apache webtier image
  2. Create the Apache plugin configuration file
  3. Prepare the certificate and private key
  4. Install the Apache webtier Helm chart
  5. Verify domain application URL access
  6. Uninstall Apache webtier

Build the Apache webtier image

Refer to the sample, to build the Apache webtier Docker image.

Create the Apache plugin configuration file

  1. The configuration file named custom_mod_wl_apache.conf should have all the URL routing rules for the Oracle WebCenter Sites applications deployed in the domain that needs to be accessible externally. Update this file with values based on your environment. The file content is similar to below.

    Click here to see the sample content of the configuration file custom_mod_wl_apache.conf for wcs domain
  2. Create a PV and PVC (pv-claim-name) that can be used to store the custom_mod_wl_apache.conf. Refer to the Sample for creating a PV or PVC.

Prepare the certificate and private key

  1. (For the SSL termination configuration only) Run the following commands to generate your own certificate and private key using openssl.

     $ cd ${WORKDIR}
     $ cd charts/apache-samples/custom-sample
     $ export VIRTUAL_HOST_NAME=WEBLOGIC_HOST
     $ export SSL_CERT_FILE=WEBLOGIC_HOST.crt
     $ export SSL_CERT_KEY_FILE=WEBLOGIC_HOST.key
     $ sh certgen.sh
    

    NOTE: Replace WEBLOGIC_HOST with the host name on which Apache webtier is to be installed.

    Click here to see the output of the certifcate generation
  2. Prepare input values for the Apache webtier Helm chart.

    Run the following commands to prepare the input value file for the Apache webtier Helm chart.

    $ base64 -i ${SSL_CERT_FILE} | tr -d '\n'
    $ base64 -i ${SSL_CERT_KEY_FILE} | tr -d '\n'
    $ touch input.yaml
    

    Update the input parameters file, charts/apache-samples/custom-sample/input.yaml.

    Click here to see the snapshot of the sample input.yaml file

Install the Apache webtier Helm chart

  1. Install the Apache webtier Helm chart to the domain namespace (for example wcsites-ns) with the specified input parameters:

    $ cd ${WORKDIR}/charts
    $ helm install apache-webtier --values apache-samples/custom-sample/input.yaml --namespace wcsites-ns apache-webtier --set image=oracle/apache:12.2.1.3
    
  2. Check the status of the Apache webtier:

     $ kubectl get all -n wcsites-ns | grep apache
    

    Sample output of the status of the Apache webtier:

    pod/apache-webtier-apache-webtier-65f69dc6bc-zg5pj   1/1     Running     0          22h
    service/apache-webtier-apache-webtier   NodePort       10.108.29.98     <none>        80:30305/TCP,4433:30443/TCP   22h
    deployment.apps/apache-webtier-apache-webtier   1/1     1            1           22h
    replicaset.apps/apache-webtier-apache-webtier-65f69dc6bc   1         1         1       22h
    

Verify domain application URL access

After the Apache webtier load balancer is running, verify that the domain applications are accessible through the load balancer port 30305/30443. The application URLs for domain of type wcs are:

Note: Port 30305 is the LOADBALANCER-Non-SSLPORT and port 30443 is LOADBALANCER-SSLPORT.

NONSSL configuration
 http://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-Non-SSLPORT}/weblogic/ready
 http://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-Non-SSLPORT}/console
 http://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-Non-SSLPORT}/em
 http://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-Non-SSLPORT}/sites/version.jsp
SSL configuration
https://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-SSLPORT}/weblogic/ready
https://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-SSLPORT}/console
https://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-SSLPORT}/em
https://${LOADBALANCER-HOSTNAME}:${LOADBALANCER-SSLPORT}/sites/version.jsp

Uninstall Apache webtier

$ helm delete apache-webtier -n wcsites-ns