System and method for providing an enterprise deployment topology with thick client functionality

• US 8,856,295 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Aliminati, Janga
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, VIVA L
• Application Number:
  US13/468,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 717/176, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, one or more software application products, such as Oracle Fusion Applications, can be installed and/or configured according to an integration and deployment design/blueprint that is built or optimized for use within a multi-tiered deployment topology at an organization'"'"'s (i.e., customer'"'"'s) data center. Based on the customer site topology, provisioning of the software applications can be optimized; and application life cycle operations performed. This enables each product to be aware of the topology, which in turn provides customers with an “out-of-the-box” solution. The topology can also be optimized for security, performance and simplicity. In accordance with an embodiment, the deployment topology can include thick client functionality.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data center having a deployment topology which includes a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) public zone, a DMZ secure zone, and an Intranet Data Tier;

a plurality of application hosts and applications provided in the DMZ secure zone according to the deployment topology, wherein said application hosts include one or more microprocessor;

a plurality of virtual hosts and external URLs provided in the DMZ public zone for providing access to aspects of functionality of said plurality of application hosts and applications to Intranet-based users and Internet-based users;

wherein said plurality of virtual hosts communicate with the plurality of application hosts and applications, using HTTP without secure socket layer (SSI) via internal URLs which are not exposed external to the data center, whereby the data center can process requests from said Intranet-based users and Internet-based users; and

an administrative subnet in the DMZ public zone;

a plurality of thick client applications hosted within the administrative subnet; and

a VPN socket connection which allows SSL access to the administrative subnet from a workstation external to said data center, said VPN socket connection being independent of said external URLs provided in the DMZ public zone, whereby an administrative user of the workstation can communicate with said plurality of thick client applications such that said thick clients can communicate requests from the thick-client workstation to said plurality of application hosts and applications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thick client applications includes a plurality of administrative applications and a plurality of provider applications.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said virtual hosts may only communicate with said plurality of application hosts and applications using HTTP, but wherein said plurality of thick clients communicate with said plurality of application hosts and applications using a variety of protocols including two or more of HTTP, ODBC, RMI, and OAP, depending on the particular requirements of each application, and the particular needs of the enterprise.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said DMZ public zone comprises a firewall in which all ports are closed other than port 443 for HTTPS and port 80 for HTTP.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said DMZ public zone comprises a firewall in which only HTTP ports are open.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said administrative user can communicate with said plurality of thick clients such that said thick clients using a published SSL URL over a VNC/remote desktop to perform thick client activities.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said administrative subnet comprises a plurality of Windows servers upon which said plurality of thick clients is installed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of thick clients in configured for use by an administrative user of the workstation external to the data center so that each of said plurality of thick clients can use appropriate protocols to access said data center.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thick clients includes a plurality of applications selected from the group consisting of:

FR Studio, OBIEE Administrative Client, BI Catalog Manager, OFR, OFR Verifier, OFR Designer, ODC, Mail Server for ODC, FTP Server, JDev, and OD1.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of thick clients in configured for use by an administrative user of the workstation external to the data center so that each of said plurality of thick clients can use appropriate protocols to access said data center.

10. A method, comprising:

providing a data center deployment topology including a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) DMZ public zone, a DMZ secure zone, and an Intranet Data Tier;

providing a plurality of application hosts and applications in the DMZ secure zone according to the deployment topology;

providing a plurality of virtual hosts and external URLs in the DMZ public zone for providing access to aspects of functionality of said plurality of application hosts and applications to Intranet-based users and Internet-based users;

communicating between said plurality of virtual hosts and said plurality of application hosts and applications using HTTP without secure socket layer (SSL) via internal URLs which are not exposed external to the data center, whereby the data center can process requests from said Intranet-based users and Internet-based users; and

providing an administrative subnet in the DMZ public zone;

providing a plurality of thick client applications hosted within the administrative subnet; and

providing a VPN socket connection allows SSL access to the administrative subnet from a workstation external to said data center, said VPN socket connection being independent of said external URLs provided in the DMZ public zone, whereby an administrative user of the workstation can communicate with said plurality of thick client applications such that said thick clients can communicate requests from the thick-client workstation to said plurality of application hosts and applications.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of thick client applications includes a plurality of administrative applications and a plurality of provider applications.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said virtual hosts may only communicate with said plurality of application hosts and applications using HTTP, but wherein said plurality of thick clients communicate with said plurality of application hosts and applications using a variety of protocols including two or more of HTTP, ODBC, RMI, and OAP, depending on the particular requirements of each application, and the particular needs of the enterprise.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a firewall protecting said DMZ public zone in which all ports are closed other than port 443 for HTTPS and port 80 for HTTP.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a firewall protecting said DMZ public zone in which only HTTP ports are open.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

allowing said administrative user to communicate with said plurality of thick clients such that said thick clients using a published SSL URL over a VNC/remote desktop to perform thick client activities.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said administrative subnet comprises a plurality of Windows servers upon which said plurality of thick clients is installed.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform steps comprising:

providing a data center deployment topology including a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) public zone, a DMZ secure zone, and an Intranet Data Tier;

providing a plurality of application hosts and applications in the DMZ secure zone according to the deployment topology;

providing a plurality of virtual hosts and external URLs in the DMZ public zone for providing access to aspects of functionality of said plurality of application hosts and applications to Intranet-based users and Internet-based users;

communicating between said plurality of virtual hosts and said plurality of application hosts and applications using HTTP without secure socket layer (SSL) via internal URLs which are not exposed external to the data center, whereby the data center can process requests from said Intranet-based users and Internet-based users; and

providing an administrative subnet in the DMZ public zone;

providing a plurality of thick client applications hosted within the administrative subnet; and

providing a VPN socket connection which allows SSL access to the administrative subnet from a workstation external to said data center, said VPN socket connection being independent of said external URLs provided in the DMZ public zone, whereby an administrative user of the workstation can communicate with said plurality of thick client applications such that said thick clients can communicate requests from the thick-client workstation to said plurality of application hosts and applications.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said virtual hosts may only communicate with said plurality of application hosts and applications using HTTP, but wherein said plurality of thick clients communicate with said plurality of application hosts and applications using a variety of protocols including two or more of HTTP, ODBC, RMI, and OAP, depending on the particular requirements of each application, and the particular needs of the enterprise.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a firewall protecting said DMZ public zone in which only HTTP ports are open.