WebFOCUS and ReportCaster Installation Requirements

In this section:

Review the sections that follow to ensure that your machine or machines meet the necessary WebFOCUS and ReportCaster requirements.


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Full Installation Requirement

A full installation is required when you upgrade from WebFOCUS 7.x. To migrate from WebFOCUS 7.x and preserve your Managed Reporting repository, Dashboard views, and customizations, do not uninstall WebFOCUS 7.x.


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Upgrade Installation Requirement

If you decide to upgrade your current WebFOCUS installation, you must clear the cache in your application server after the upgrade process is complete. For example, if you are using Apache Tomcat, the cache can be cleared by manually deleting any subdirectories that correspond to the context roots that you deployed (for example, /ibi_apps), which are located in the following directory:

\{TOMCAT_HOME}\work\Catalina\localhost

Note: Before installing a service pack or running an upgrade installation, ensure that the WebFOCUS web applications have been stopped (or just bring down the application server). In addition, the Distribution Server must be stopped.


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JVM and J2SE Support Information

WebFOCUS 8 requires Java Virtual Machine (Java VM) Version 1.6 on the system that is hosting the application server where the WebFOCUS Reporting Server and ReportCaster Distribution Server are installed. In addition, any supported portal server (for example, SAP Enterprise Portal Server, IBM WebSphere Portal Server, and so on) that is integrated with WebFOCUS Open Portal Services must be hosted on a system that is using Java VM Version 1.6.

Note: For information regarding WebFOCUS release support for the different Oracle JDK versions that WebFOCUS and ReportCaster web applications are installed, see WebFOCUS Support Statement for Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) on the Customer Support Services site, https://techsupport.informationbuilders.com/tech/wbf/wbf_tmo_047_j2se.html.

For more information on Java VM support, see WebFOCUS Applet Interface Support Statement for Java VM on the Customer Support Services site, http://techsupport.informationbuilders.com/tech/wbf/wbf_tmo_047.html.


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Windows 64-bit Support

The WebFOCUS installation program can install WebFOCUS and ReportCaster on Windows AMD or x64 64-bit machines.

Note: When installing on a 64-bit machine:


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WebFOCUS and ReportCaster Machine Requirements

This table lists basic requirements for the machine or machines that run WebFOCUS and ReportCaster. Where necessary, these requirements are described in more detail later in this chapter. If WebFOCUS components are installed on different machines, requirements apply to all machines, except where noted.

Item

Options or Requirements

Note

Operating System

Microsoft® Windows® 2012 Server

or

Microsoft Windows 2008 Server

or

Microsoft Windows 2008 Server r2 Hyper - V Virtualization

or

Microsoft Windows 2003 Server

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Windows 7 can be used in development environments only.
  • NTFS considerations for Windows 2003 apply to Windows XP.
  • If running the installation on Windows 7 and higher or Windows Server editions 2008 and higher, you must sign in as the administrator.

Application Server/Servlet Container

(WebFOCUS Client Machine)

Must meet both J2EE 1.4 web container and J2SE 1.5 specifications. This includes servlet API 2.4 specifications.

In WebFOCUS 8, Apache Tomcat version 7.0.33 is provided and can be installed with WebFOCUS. For more information on Apache Tomcat™ and other supported application servers, see Web Server and Application Server Requirements.

To run Apache Tomcat as a 64-bit service on Windows AMD 64-bit machines, Tomcat version 7.0.33 is required. It is provided with the WebFOCUS 8 installation.

Web Server

(WebFOCUS Client Machine)

Must support aliasing.

If you choose to use a web server, you have two ways to use it:

  • For WebFOCUS processing of aliases.
  • Only for forwarding requests through a firewall to an application server.

Apache Tomcat is provided and can be used as both a web server and application server. Microsoft IIS and other web servers can be used along with Tomcat or other application servers, if you require. For more information, see Web Server and Application Server Requirements.

Microsoft .NET Framework

Version 2.0 or higher.

On Windows AMD 64-bit machines, the Microsoft .NET Framework is required for the Tomcat Connector plug-in to function correctly. It can be downloaded from the Microsoft website and must exist on the machine prior to the WebFOCUS installation. If the Tomcat Connector plug-in will not be configured, Microsoft .NET is not required.

Java JDK (32-bit)

Java JDK (64-bit)

Java JDK 1.6.

Oracle Java 1.6.0_25 (JRE only) is provided and automatically installs with WebFOCUS 8.

WebFOCUS Repository

TCP/IP access to a Database Server.

For JDBC drivers.

A WebFOCUS repository is required to store reports, scheduling, and all WebFOCUS data. You can use any supported database. For more information, see WebFOCUS Repository Setup.

User ID

You must install as an administrator to the Windows machine.

 

Disk Space

WebFOCUS Reporting Server: 225 MB

WebFOCUS Client: 1 GB

ReportCaster Distribution Center: 35MB

Approximately, double this space should be available during the installation process. Additional space is needed for your application servers.

Memory (RAM)

4 GB or higher.

Refer to any requirements for your application server.

Processor Speed

500 MHz or higher.

Refer to any requirements for your application server.



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End User Machine Requirements

In this section:

This section explains the desktop and accessibility compliance (Section 508) requirements for running WebFOCUS and ReportCaster.



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Section 508 Compliance

WebFOCUS HTML report accessibility provides support for assistive technologies, such as screen readers, when the report request complies with the accessibility requirements documented in Technical Memo 4505: WebFOCUS HTML Report Accessibility Support. For more information on end-user configuration requirements for WebFOCUS HTML report accessibility support, see:

http://techsupport.informationbuilders.com

For information on specific accessibility requirements for WebFOCUS Business Intelligence (BI) Portal, InfoAssist, and ReportCaster, see the WebFOCUS Accessibility Guide.



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Desktop Requirements

The following table lists requirements for machines from which end users or administrators can access WebFOCUS reports and applications. Not all requirements apply to all users and in many situations, only a web browser is required.

Item

Options or Requirements

Notes

Web Browser

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0, Internet Explorer 9.0 32-bit, and Internet Explorer 10 32-bit are certified with WebFOCUS 8.

Mozilla Firefox® 22.

All features are supported on Internet Explorer®. You should use Internet Explorer for administration tools and development interfaces, such as InfoAssist.

For more details on browser support, access the following support website:

http://techsupport.informationbuilders.com/tech/wbf/wbf_tmo_027.html

Adobe Acrobat Reader

WebFOCUS 8 is certified with Adobe® Reader® X and Adobe Reader XI.

Acrobat is needed to view PDF reports generated by WebFOCUS.

Adobe Flash Player

WebFOCUS 8 is certified with Adobe® Flash® Player 10 and higher.

For more information on Adobe Flash Player requirements, see:

http://techsupport.informationbuilders.com

Java VM Browser Plug-In

(for applet-based graphics)

Java VM 1.6.

For more information on Java VM Browser Plug-In requirements, see the WebFOCUS Applet Interface Support Statement for Java Virtual Machine (JVM):

http://techsupport.informationbuilders.com/tech/wbf/wbf_tmo_047.html



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Communication Requirements

WebFOCUS uses TCP/IP for communications between components. During the installation, you choose which ports are used. Ensure that communications are possible on those ports.

Component

Number of Ports

Default Ports

Notes

WebFOCUS Reporting Server

4 consecutive ports

8120 (TCP)

8121 (HTTP)

8122

8123

When you install the WebFOCUS Reporting Server, you are prompted for the HTTP and TCP ports. The HTTP port is the first of three consecutive ports that the server uses. The TCP port is normally one less than the HTTP port.

WebFOCUS Client

Runs through web servers or application servers

 

For most features, the WebFOCUS Client does not require its own dedicated port and runs through the web and application servers.

For Tomcat, ports 8080, 8009, and 8005 are used by default.

ReportCaster Distribution Server

1 port

8200

When you install ReportCaster, you are prompted for this port.

Additional ports may be needed when Workload Manager and/or Failover options are configured.



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Web Server and Application Server Requirements

Apache Tomcat is provided and can be installed with WebFOCUS, so you do not have to install and configure your own web server or application server for WebFOCUS. There are two supported Tomcat options that the WebFOCUS installation can configure for you:

Note: It is also possible to have Tomcat perform all processing and use IIS on a separate machine only to forward requests through a firewall to Tomcat. For that environment, you use a Tomcat stand-alone configuration for WebFOCUS and then configure IIS manually on a separate machine.

Using Apache Tomcat is not required. You can use any application server, servlet container, or servlet engine that meets the specifications described in JVM and J2SE Support Information. Other application servers that are commonly used for WebFOCUS are IBM WebSphere or Oracle WebLogic. For additional application server support, contact Information Builders Customer Support. For background information about web and application servers, see Application Server and Web Application Overview.

In this document, the term application server refers to J2EE-compliant application servers, servlet containers, or servlet engines. Technically, Tomcat is a servlet container, but the term application server is used for simplicity.

Note: Depending on the level of usage, you may need to increase your application server Java memory options, especially if you use InfoAssist. This is done for you if the WebFOCUS 8 installation configures Tomcat. For other application servers, see Java Memory Issues.


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WebFOCUS and ReportCaster Machine Java Requirements

JVM 1.6 is the minimum JVM version required for the WebFOCUS and ReportCaster application servers, as well as the Distribution Server. If you use Apache Tomcat 7.0.33, a JRE 1.6 or higher is required on the WebFOCUS Client machine. The WebFOCUS Client installation can install JRE 1.6.0_25 for you. We recommend installing the JDK on a WebFOCUS Reporting Server machine.

Note: For all WebSphere releases, apply the IBM APAR patch to change the JSP compiler level to 1.6. For steps to apply the IBM APAR patch, go to How to Apply the IBM APAR.

A JRE contains a subset of JDK features and both the JRE and JDK are needed. When you install the JDK, a JRE is also installed by default. Accept default settings when you install the JDK.

If you use ReportCaster, it is recommended to install the provided JRE 1.6.0_25. The Distribution Server will automatically use that Java release.

Note:


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End User Java Requirements for Applets

How to:

Most end users do not need to install Java components on their machines. A separate Java installation on end user machines is required only for applet-based graphics.

Java processing is done through the web browser of the end-user machine, rather than on machines where you install WebFOCUS. For the web browser to process applets, the following is needed:

  1. A Java VM must be installed on the end user machine.
  2. The end user browser must be configured to use Oracle Java VM 1.6.


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Procedure: How to Test and Configure the Java Plug-In

You can determine the Java VM a browser uses by going to the following page:

http://www.java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp

If the browser is configured to use a Java VM, an applet should display, listing the vendor and version of the Java VM.

If you require applet graphics, install Oracle Java VM 1.6, as explained below.

Oracle Java VM is installed with a J2SE JDK or JRE.


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ReportCaster Distribution Requirements

If you are not using ReportCaster, proceed to Installation Worksheet.

The following communication requirements are necessary to schedule and distribute reports:

Note: The ReportCaster web components and the ReportCaster Distribution Server need a common time zone for proper operation. Therefore, if ReportCaster components run on different machines, all machines must be in the same time zone.


WebFOCUS