AutoConfig Operation

As AutoConfig is used for a wide range of system configuration activities, from installation to maintenance, the following discussion of its operations is divided into several sections.

Context Value Management

Context Value Management (CVM) is an AutoConfig component that is used to manage the values of variables in the context file, and automate required updates to it. CVM supports updates to both the application tier and database tier context files.
CVM actions include:

• Adding new variables to a context file
  
• Updating values of variables in an existing context file
  
• Applying new versions of context file templates
  
• Executing scripts or configuration tools that must complete before the AutoConfig engine starts, for example when generating the tnsnames.ora file

CVM is activated when the Applications context file is updated, but before the AutoConfig engine itself starts. This enables CVM to execute scripts or other tools to manipulate any required file on the file system, and allow the appropriate settings to be propagated as needed to both the file system and database. For example, it is possible to update values in the context file which will then be propagated to the file system.
Note: AutoConfig does not undertake all aspects of configuration management, such as operations at operating system level that may have implications outside the context of Oracle E-Business Suite.
Like the core AutoConfig components, CVM utilizes configuration files on both the application and database tiers, as shown in the following tables.

Table 5-2 Application Tier CVM Files

File Location	Description
<AD_TOP>/bin/adcvm.sh	Main CVM script
<AD_TcOP>/admin/template/adcvmat.xml	Stores CVM-related data for the application tier

Table 5-3 Database Tier CVM Files

File Location	Description
<RDBMS_ORACLE_HOME>/appsutil/bin/adcvm.sh	Main CVM script
<RDBMS_ORACLE_HOME>/appsutil/template/adcvmdb.xml	Stores CVM-related data for the database tier

AutoConfig Files

As well as the context files and configuration scripts that have already been described, AutoConfig uses several other types of file in its configuration management activities. These may themselves be divided into different categories.
Template Files
AutoConfig template files are used as the starting point for creating site-specific configuration files. AutoConfig evaluates the context variables in a template file, determines the actual values required, and creates a configuration file with these values substituted. This process, described in more detail later in this chapter, is called instantiation. There is one template file for each configuration file. Template files are located in the various <PROD_TOP>/admin/template directories on the application tier, and in the <RDBMS_ORACLE_HOME>/appsutil/template directory on the database tier.
Template files used by AutoConfig can be divided into the following categories:
Templates for APPL_TOP Configuration Files - These are either files requiring configuration-specific information in the APPL_TOP, or files used to load configuration profiles into the Oracle E-Business Suite database.
Templates for Management Scripts - To run all the standard processes required by Oracle E-Business Suite, Rapid Install creates scripts to start and stop each of these required processes. These scripts need configuration information in order to:

• Create the correct environments for each process
  
• Start the processes with the correct parameters
  
• Point the processes at the correct database instance (if applicable)

Driver Files
AutoConfig driver files are used to list the corresponding template files and locations, and specify the commands to be executed. For example, the commands might update profile options.
Driver files are located in each <PROD>_TOP/admin/driver directory on the application tier, and in the <RDBMS_ORACLE_HOME>/appsutil/template directory on the database tier.
Configuration Files
AutoConfig configuration files, such as httpd.conf, are created as a result of AutoConfig instantiating the corresponding template files. Configuration files contain values corresponding to the settings specified for a particular site. After AutoConfig has been run, numerous configuration files will have been created in various directories.
Figure 5-1 illustrates the relationship between the different types of file AutoConfig uses.
Figure 5-1 Relationship Between AutoConfig Files

Instantiation

As mentioned earlier, instantiation is the process whereby AutoConfig creates a configuration file with contents tailored for a specific environment. AutoConfig can be used to instantiate files or scripts, and then execute them for installation and configuration.
Examples of instantiation include:

• Instantiation of a configuration file to be used at runtime
  
• Instantiation of an SQL script to set profile options
  
• Instantiation of a shell script or Windows command file to run an SQL script in SQL*Plus
  
• Instantiation of scripts to start up and shut down application tier services

The adautocfg.sh script updates configuration files and profile options in the following way:

1. Instantiates template files with instance-specific values derived from the relevant context file
   
2. Copies in any customizations
   
3. Overwrites existing configuration files with newly instantiated ones
   
4. Runs SQL scripts to update database profile options

Role of the template and driver files
AutoConfig uses the various template files to determine the basic settings needed. There is one template file for each configuration file. Different versions of the template files exist for UNIX (for example httpd_ux.conf), and Windows (for example httpd_nt.conf).
The driver files list the names and locations of the files that need to have context variables replaced. They also define the phases into which instantiation is divided, and specify the commands that are to be executed for specific products. When AutoConfig runs, it cycles through the various <PROD>_TOP/admin/driver directories looking for driver files such as adtmpl.drv, fndtmpl.drv, and icxtmpl.drv.
Figure 5-2 illustrates the instantiation mechanism used by AutoConfig to create the various configuration files.
Figure 5-2 AutoConfig Instantiation Mechanism

Note: For further details of AutoConfig operation, see My Oracle Support Knowledge Document 387859.1, Using AutoConfig to Manage System Configurations with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.

Execution of Scripts

As well as its instantiation activities, AutoConfig may execute other scripts, depending on the requirements of the specific Oracle E-Business Suite system.

Phases of Operation

As AutoConfig parses the driver files, it carries out a series of actions, grouped into several distinct phases:

• INSTE8 - Instantiates AutoConfig template files to the AutoConfig configuration files specified in the relevant template driver files.
  
• INSTE8_SETUP - Executes setup scripts that carry out activities not involving connection to the database.
  
• INSTE8_PRF - Executes setup scripts that update profile options.
  
• INSTE8_APPLY - Executes setup scripts that carry out activities involving updates to the database.
  
• BINCPY - Copies the file mentioned from the source file to the configuration file, creating parent directories for the latter if necessary. AutoConfig will report an error if the source file cannot be found.
  
• BINCPY_IGERR - Copies the file mentioned from the source file to the configuration file, creating parent directories for the latter if necessary. AutoConfig will not report an error if the source file cannot be found.

AutoConfig carries out these actions in the following order:

1. All INSTE8 and BINCPY actions - Carries out all file instantiations called for during INSTE8, INSTE8_SETUP, INSTE8_PRF and INSTE8_APPLY, and all copying from source files to target configuration files.
   
2. INSTE8_SETUP actions - For the files that were instantiated in Step 1, AutoConfig runs all SETUP scripts.
   
3. INSTE8_PRF actions - For the files that were instantiated in Step 1, AutoConfig runs all PRF scripts.
   
4. INSTE8_APPLY actions - For the files that were instantiated in Step 1, AutoConfig runs all APPLY scripts.

At the end of this process, the required configuration files and profile options have been created for the E-Business Suite installation.