We primarily use it for ADA applications. We develop on the ADS platform and use forms and records.
It is good because it's easy to use. I mean, it's not just a matter of being easy. It's actually a very stable tool and service, based on my experience. It doesn't crash frequently like other servers. We don't have to restart it every week or so. It's reliable. However, when it does encounter issues, it's not always easy to identify the problem.
It is not easy maintenance and has some performance issues. Let's say you have a log file filled with information, and you put your tool in trace mode. It's not easy to diagnose or identify the root cause of the problem. It requires lots of experience and a lot of patience and time to delve into such deep-seated issues. You need a lot of time and a precise location to address the problem effectively because you have to read a lot and a lot of log files because there is no diagnostic tool available that is good enough to take you in the right direction.
In additional features, I would like to see diagnostic tools.
I have been working with Oracle WebLogic Server for the last ten years. It has been the basis for several HPE CTP ADA applications. We are currently using version 12.
In my experience, it is a stable solution. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
I have little experience with creating clusters, but overall, it seems to be scalable. There are more than a hundred end users using this solution.
The customer service and support team is not very good in general. It could be more knowledgeable. Oracle needs to have more knowledge at the first level of support. It's essential to provide excellent support at that level.
The initial setup is easy. It is generally easy. However, if you're talking to someone who is new to this kind of work, they may find it challenging without proper guidance and an installation guide.
A basic understanding of the operating system and networking is necessary to communicate effectively with the tool. It's a fundamental requirement for anyone working with such a tool.
In my company, we have around five or six WebLogic servers. We use Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) for monitoring and diagnostics. So, I can delve deeper and perform diagnostics. There are two of us managing the maintenance. We have a maintenance agreement with Oracle. It's an on-call support model.
The first time installation may take some time. However, subsequent installations are quicker. Let's say it takes a few hours initially, but subsequent installations can be done in much less time. It's not a lengthy process overall. Just a few hours for installation and then additional time for deployment, adaptation, and configuration. So, it's not a significant time commitment.
Configuration is a big problem. It requires a deeper understanding and expertise. It comes with basic installation and preconfigured parameters, which are usually good enough for the first time.
However, when it comes to performance, there are numerous parameters to consider. If you don't fully understand the relationship between these parameters, it becomes challenging. It's crucial to either have a self-tuning diagnostic tool or to perform performance tuning with a good understanding of the parameters because there are quite a lot of them.
The number of people required for the deployment depends. In a small company, one person may handle the entire process. They install the server, set up the services, and perform all the necessary tasks. However, in big companies, there might be different individuals assigned to each stage of the installation. For me, I handled the installation process in my company. I work as a system administrator and a DBA, so I have the necessary expertise. Perhaps in different organizations, it may be distributed across different technical roles and teams.
Oracle is not cheap. We use a yearly-basis subscription model.
My advice would be to have a good book on performance issues. While it's a stable server, you need to put in the effort to know and understand it. It's not just a series of next-click installations but rather a basic installation that requires knowledge and learning.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. I would like to see improvements in administrative tools and diagnostic tools.
