Hello,
I've noticed some strange behaviour when deploying an ADF application (11g, latest release) to a WLS (integrated or stand-alone), when using JDBC DataSource as a connection type for the application module.
Normally, when you create your Business Components, a Database Connection is added to the Application Resources panel, eg MyConnection. If you then set your AM to JDBC DataSource instead of JDBC URL, the default datasource would be jdbc/MyConnectionDS. To make the application use the DataSource defined on the WLS, I then uncheck "Auto Generate and Synchronize weblogic-jdbc.xml Descriptors during deployment" in the Application Properties > Deployment tab.
So far so good: after deployment to the WLS, the application uses the DataSource defined on the WLS server (jdbc/MyConnectionDS). When changing it on the server to another database, the application indeed uses this other database. Also, the following is automatically added to the web.xml during deployment to .ear file:
<resource-ref>
<res-ref-name>jdbc/MyConnectionDS</res-ref-name>
<res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type>
<res-auth>Container</res-auth>
</resource-ref>
Now the part that doens't make sense to me: if I delete the password in the Database Connection under Application Resources, I can still deploy the application, but the jdbc/MyConnectionDS on the WLS is not found anymore. While it is still there. I get the following error message:
Unable to lookup Data Source at context java:comp/env/jdbc/MyConnectionDS
oracle.jbo.DMLException: JBO-27200: JNDI failure. Unable to lookup Data Source at context java:comp/env/jdbc/MyConnectionDS
I made the JDev connection (used at development) invalid, and the deployed application stops working (at runtime). While it should just be using the JDBC DataSource defined on the WLS, that is still there. The reason appears to be that when there is no password in the Database Connection in JDev, the entry in the web.xml (see above) is not made during deployment.
I am doing something wrong? Or is this "expected" behaviour?
The reason why it bothers me: I have made a reusable component (a Data Control, let's call it A) from a model project, by deploying it to a ADF library JAR. I've set the AM of this project to use a certain jdbc datasource, which will be defined on the WLS.
When importing the library JAR of A inside another application (B), the connection of the A is added to B. But ofcourse, without the password for security reasons, so we're in the situation described above: When I deploy the new application B, the web.xml is not updated with the DataSource of A, and the application doens't work. And what I would like to avoid, is that whenever someone uses component A, that they have to update the connection details of component A in application B. Because when I fill in the password of application A's Database Connection in application B, all works well again.
I hope this question makes sense. :-)
Thanks in advance,
Chris