Configuring an Oracle database for MCS

The first stage in the process of installing the Multi-Channel Server (MCS) software on WebSphere® Portal for use with Oracle is to configure the Oracle database.

1. Log in.

   Log in as the Oracle user. (An Oracle user is equivalent to a DB2® instance.) If you are logged in as root, run the following command to change to the Oracle user: su - oracle_user

   Log in as a user with administrative privileges.

2. Use the Oracle database configuration assistant to create a new MCS database called mcs. If you choose another database name, use the chosen name instead of mcs in subsequent steps.
   Note: You must create the database as a UTF-8 character set database.
3. Verify that the $ORACLE_HOME and $ORACLE_SID environment variables are set correctly by using the following commands:
   

   echo $ORACLE_HOME
   echo $ORACLE_SID

   If the environment variables are not set as specified in the Oracle documentation, correct them by using the following commands:

   ORACLE_HOME=db_root
   export ORACLE_HOME
   ORACLE_SID=mcs
   export ORACLE_SID

   where db_root is the value specified in the Oracle documentation.
   

   set ORACLE_HOME=db_root
   set ORACLE_SID=mcs

   where db_root is the value specified in the Oracle documentation.
4. If your database server is on the same server as WebSphere Portal, change the working directory to:

   wp_root/wp.mobile/wp.mobile.mcs/repository/oracle

   If your database is not on the same server as WebSphere Portal, copy the file create_vm_tables.sql in the directory wp_root/wp.mobile/wp.mobile.mcs/repository/oracle/ from your WebSphere Portal server to a directory on your database server. Then, make that directory your working directory.

5. Log in to SQL*Plus, the Oracle SQL command line interface (CLI), using the following command sequence:

   sqlplus
   Enter user-name: sysadmin_userID
   Enter password: sysadmin_password

   where sysadmin_userID and sysadmin_password are the user ID and password for the Oracle system administrator.
6. Create an Oracle database user ID and password for the database. At the SQL> prompt, run the following command:

   create user mcs_userID identified by mcs_user_password;

   where mcs_userID is the user ID for the database user, and mcs_user_password is the password for the database user.
7. Grant connect and resource privileges to the database user you just created. At the SQL> prompt, run the following command.

   grant create session, create table, create sequence, exp_full_database, imp_full_database, unlimited tablespace to mcs_userID;

   Note: If you are using the Oracle database in a development or test environment where database security and privilege assignment is not a concern, you can grant the user more authority by using the following shorter command instead:

   grant connect, resource to mcs_userID;

8. Connect to the MCS database using the database user you just created. At the SQL> prompt, go through the following command/response sequence.

   connect
   Enter user-name: mcs_userID
   Enter password: mcs_user_password
   Connected.

9. Create the MCS tables. At the SQL> prompt, using the following command:

   start create_vm_tables.sql

   Run create_mdpr_tables.sql

   start create_mdpr_tables.sql

10. Exit SQL*Plus. At the SQL> prompt, use the following command:

    exit

11. Exit the Oracle user if you used the su command in Step 1 using the following command:

    exit

12. Determine the Oracle port number and ensure that the port is open.

    By default, Oracle listens on port 1521. If you are not sure what port number is being used, check the port number in the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/listener.ora and $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora files.