5 Oracle Application Express Postinstallation Tasks

5.5.2.1 Changing the Password for the ADMIN Account

To change the password for the ADMIN account:

1. Change your working directory to %ORACLE_HOME%\apex.

2. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS. For example:

   sqlplus /nolog
   SQL> CONNECT sys/SYS_password AS SYSDBA
   

3. Enter the following command followed by the new password:

   @apxxepwd.sql password
   

   For example to change the password to apex1234:

   @apxxepwd.sql password apex1234
   

5.5.2.2 Unlocking the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Database User

When configuring Oracle HTTP Server for Application Express in a new installation, you must unlock the account for the database user APEX_PUBLIC_USER. Perform the following steps to unlock the account:

1. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS. For example:

   ORACLE_HOME\bin\sqlplus 
   SQL> CONNECT SYS as SYSDBA
   Enter password: SYS_password
   

2. Run the following command:

   SQL> ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER ACCOUNT UNLOCK
   

5.5.2.3 Changing the Password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Database User

To specify the password in the DAD file, use the following procedure to the password for the database user APEX_PUBLIC_USER:

1. Start SQL*Plus, and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS. For example:

   sqlplus /nolog
   SQL> CONNECT sys/SYS_password AS SYSDBA
   

2. Enter the following SQL statement, where PASSWORD is the new password:

   ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER IDENTIFIED BY PASSWORD
   

5.5.2.4 Modifying the wdbsvr.app File in a New Installation

To create the DAD, you modify the wdbsvr.app file and add an entry for Oracle Application Express. To modify the wdbsvr.app file:

1. Use a text editor and open the wdbsvr.app file:

   ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HTTPSERVER_HOME\Apache\modplsql\cfg\wdbsvr.app
   

2. Add an entry for Oracle Application Express using the following syntax. Only change the settings indicated in italics.

   [DAD_apex] 
    connect_string = localhost:1521:orcl 
    password = apex 
    username = apex_public_user 
    default_page = apex 
    document_table = wwv_flow_file_objects$ 
    document_path = docs 
    document_proc = wwv_flow_file_mgr.process_download 
    reuse = Yes 
    enablesso = No 
    stateful = STATELESS_RESET 
    nls_lang = American_America.AL32UTF8
   

   Where:

   • connect_string refers to the host ID, port number, and Oracle9i database where Oracle Application Express was installed. Use the format host:port:sid.

     If the Oracle9i version of Oracle HTTP Server you want to use is installed in the same Oracle home as the database you specified for use with Oracle Application Express, leave this parameter blank.

   • password is the password you specified in the section "Changing the Password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Database User".

   • nls_lang determines the language setting of the DAD. The character set portion of the nls_lang value must always be set to AL32UTF8, regardless of whether or not the database character set is AL32UTF8.

     If either the territory portion or the language portion of the NLS settings contains a space, you must wrap the value in double quotes as shown in the following example:

     nls_lang = "ENGLISH_UNITED KINGDOM.AL32UTF8"
     

     You can find information about your database's NLS settings by querying the view NLS_DATABASE_PARAMETERS as shown in the following example:

     SELECT parameter,value 
      FROM nls_database_parameters 
      WHERE PARAMETER IN ('NLS_CHARACTERSET','NLS_LANGUAGE','NLS_TERRITORY');
     

3. Leave the remaining settings, including the user name setting, as they appear in the previous example.

4. Save and exit the wdbsvr.app file.

5.5.2.5 Modifying the Oracle9i httpd.conf

You need to modify the httpd.conf file to include an alias that points to the file system path where you copied the images directory. You may also need to modify the httpd.conf file to add two new MIME types to support SQL Workshop.

To modify httpd.conf file:

1. Use a text editor and open the httpd.conf file

   ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HTTPSERVER_HOME\Apache\Apache\conf\httpd.conf
   

2. Add an alias entry that points to the file system path where you copied the images directory.

   Alias /i/ "C:\oracle\ora92\Apache\Apache\images/"
   

   Note you must include the forward slash (/) at the end of the path.

3. Next, add two new MIME types to support SQL Workshop:

   • Add the following line if it does not currently exist:

     AddType text/xml             xbl
     

   • Add the following line if it does not currently exist:

     AddType text/x-component     htc 
     

4. Save and exit the httpd.conf file.

5. Stop and restart Oracle HTTP Server.

   • Stop Oracle HTTP Server - From the Start menu, select Programs, Oracle - OraHome, Oracle HTTP Server, and Stop HTTP Server.

   • Restart Oracle HTTP Server - From the Start menu, select Programs, Oracle - OraHome, Oracle HTTP Server, and Start HTTP Server.

5.5.3.1 Changing the Password for the ADMIN Account

You must change the password for the Oracle Application Express ADMIN account.

To change the password for the ADMIN account:

1. Change your working directory to ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HOME\apex.

2. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS. For example:

   sqlplus /nolog
   SQL> CONNECT sys/SYS_password AS SYSDBA
   

3. Using the following syntax, enter the new password:

   > @apxxepwd.sql password
   

   For example, to change the password to apex1234:

   > @apxxepwd.sql apex1234
   

5.5.3.2 Changing the Password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Database User

To specify the password in the DAD file, use the following procedure to change the password for the database user APEX_PUBLIC_USER:

1. Start SQL*Plus, and connect to the database where Oracle Application Express is installed as SYS. For example:

   sqlplus /nolog
   SQL> CONNECT sys/SYS_password AS SYSDBA
   

2. Enter the following SQL statement, where PASSWORD is the new password:

   ALTER USER APEX_PUBLIC_USER IDENTIFIED BY PASSWORD
   

5.5.3.3 Edit the dads.conf File

If this is a new installation of Oracle Application Express, then you must edit the dads.conf file.

To edit the dads.conf file:

1. Using a text editor, open the dads.conf file for your release:

   • Oracle Application Server 10g

     ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HTTPSERVER_HOME\Apache\modplsql\conf\dads.conf
     

   • Oracle HTTP Server 11g:

     ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HTTPSERVER_HOME\ohs\modplsql\conf\dads.conf
     

2. Copy the following code text into the dads.conf file.

   In the text, replace the variables %ORACLE_HOME%, host, port, service_name, and apex_public_user_password with values appropriate for your system. Note that apex_public_user_password is the password that you defined in the section "Changing the Password for the APEX_PUBLIC_USER Database User".

   Alias /i/ "ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HTTPSERVER_HOME\images/"
   AddType text/xml       xbl
   AddType text/x-component       htc
    
   <Location /pls/apex>
    Order deny,allow
    PlsqlDocumentPath docs
    AllowOverride None
    PlsqlDocumentProcedure      wwv_flow_file_mgr.process_download
    PlsqlDatabaseConnectString  host:port:service_name ServiceNameFormat
    PlsqlNLSLanguage            AMERICAN_AMERICA.AL32UTF8
    PlsqlAuthenticationMode     Basic
    SetHandler                  pls_handler
    PlsqlDocumentTablename      wwv_flow_file_objects$
    PlsqlDatabaseUsername       APEX_PUBLIC_USER
    PlsqlDefaultPage            apex
    PlsqlDatabasePassword       apex_public_user_password
    Allow from all
   </Location>
   

3. Locate the line containing PlsqlNLSLanguage.

   The PlsqlNLSLanguage setting determines the language setting of the DAD. The character set portion of the PlsqlNLSLanguage value must be set to AL32UTF8, regardless of whether or not the database character set is AL32UTF8. For example:

   PlsqlNLSLanguage            AMERICAN_AMERICA.AL32UTF8
   

4. Save and exit the dads.conf file.

5.5.6.1 Viewing the Number of JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES

You can view the number of number of JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES using one of the following methods:

• Viewing JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES in the Installation Log File

• Viewing JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES in Oracle Application Express

• Viewing JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES from SQL*Plus

> SELECT VALUE FROM v$parameter WHERE NAME = 'job_queue_processes'

5.5.6.2 Changing the Number of JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES

You can change the number of JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES by running a SQL statement in SQL*Plus, using the following procedure:

1. Log in to the database as SYSDBA using SQL*Plus.

2. In SQL*Plus run the following SQL statement, where the variable number represents the number of processes you want to set:

   > ALTER SYSTEM SET JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES = number
   

   For example, running the statement ALTER SYSTEM SET JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES = 20 sets JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES to 20.

5.5.7.1 Obfuscating Passwords

To obfuscate passwords, run dadTool.pl by following the instructions in the dadTool.README file.

5.5.8.1 Oracle Application Express User Roles

In the Oracle Application Express development environment, users log in to a shared work area called a workspace. Users are divided into four primary roles:

• Workspace administrators are users who perform administrator tasks specific to a workspace such as managing user accounts, monitoring workspace activity, and viewing log files.

• Developers are users who create and edit applications. Developers can have their own workspace or share a workspace.

• End users have no development privileges. You define end users so that they can access applications that do not use an external authentication scheme.

• Oracle Application Express administrators are superusers that manage an entire hosted instance using the Application Express Administration Services application.

5.5.8.2 Setting Up Your Local Environment

How you set up Oracle Application Express depends upon your user role. If you are a developer accessing a hosted development environment, then an administrator must grant you access to a workspace. If you are an Oracle Application Express administrator, then you must perform the following steps:

1. Log in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services. Oracle Application Express Administration Services is a separate application for managing an entire Oracle Application Express instance. You log in using the ADMIN account and password created or reset during the installation process.

2. Specify a provisioning mode. In Oracle Application Express Administration Services, you need to determine how the process of creating (or provisioning) a workspace will work in your development environment.

3. Create a Workspace. A workspace is a virtual private database allowing multiple users to work within the same Oracle Application Express installation while keeping their objects, data and applications private. Each workspace has a unique ID and name. An Oracle Application Express administrator can create a workspace manually or have users submit requests.

4. Log in to a Workspace. Once you create a workspace in Oracle Application Express Administration Services, return to the Oracle Application Express Login page and log in to that workspace.

   See Also:

   Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide or "Quick Start" on Oracle Database Application Express User's Guide