10 Managing an Application

Viewing Application Summary and Utilization Reports

The bottom of the Application Builder Utilities page displays the following two lists:

• Application Summary Reports

• Utilization Reports

To view a specific report:

1. Click the appropriate list to expand it.

2. Select a report title.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Be aware that you can also access application reports by making selections in the Application Navigation Pane.

How Exporting an Application Works

Whether you are moving an application to another workspace or just making a copy of it, the export process involves the following steps:

• Export the application and all related files using Export.

• Import the exported files into the target Oracle HTML DB instance. Note that if the target instance is a different database, you also need to export and import any required database objects.

• Install the exported files from View Export Repository

You can import an application into your workspace regardless of the workspace in which it was developed.

About Managing Database Objects

Before you export an application and the appropriate related files, you need to determine if you also need to migrate the database objects referenced by the application.

If the target Oracle HTML DB instance is different from the development environment, you will need to migrate the database objects referenced by the application. In many cases this process can be as simple as using Oracle database export and import utilities to copy the application schema from the development environment to target Oracle HTML DB instance. The following are two common scenarios where this approach would not work:

• When the object development schema refers to tablespaces to which the target instance schema does not have access

• When the development instance schema has sample data that you do not to want migrate to the target instance schema

If a database administrator or an Oracle HTML DB administrator is the person responsible for exporting Oracle HTML DB applications, be sure to clearly communicate if he or she:

• Should include all data when exporting your application

• Should not include data from specific tables you identify

Exporting an Application and Related Files

Use Export to export an application and all related files. When you export a application, Oracle HTML DB generates a text file containing PL/SQL calls.

To export an application:

1. Click the Build icon and select the Utilities tab.

   The Application Builder Utilities page appears.

2. Click Export Import.

3. When prompted to select a task, select Export and click Next.

   Export appears. To view a list of existing applications, expand the Existing Applications list at the bottom of the page.

4. From the Application list, select an application.

5. From File Format, select how rows in the export file will be formatted by choosing one of the following:

   • UNIX. Results in a file containing rows delimited by line feeds.

   • DOS. Results in a file containing rows delimited by carriage returns and line feeds.

6. From Owner Override, select an optional overriding owner for this application.

   Entries made here replace the Owner attribute when the application is imported into the target instance. As discussed in "About Application Definition", the Owner attribute indicates the schema against which all of the application's SQL and PL/SQL will be parsed. This feature is useful when the development version of an application runs against a differently named schema then the one in the target instance.

7. From Build Status Override, select one of the following:

   • Run Application Only

   • Run and Build Application

   Only select Run Application Only if you wish to run the application in the target instance but make it inaccessible to developers.

8. Use As of to export your application as it was previously defined. Specify the number of minutes in the field provided.

   This utility uses the DBMS_FLASHBACK package. Because the timestamp to System Change Number (SCN) mapping is refreshed approximately every five minutes, you may have to wait that amount of time to locate the version you are looking for. The time undo information is retained and influenced by the startup parameter UNDO_RETENTION (the default is three hours). However, this only influences the size of the undo tablespace. While two databases may have the same UNDO_RETENTION parameter, you will be able to go back further in time on a database with fewer transactions since it is not filling the undo tablespace, forcing older data to be archived.

9. Click Export Application.

Importing Exported Application Files

Once you export an application and any related files, you need to import them into the target Oracle HTML DB instance before you can install them.

To import an application and related files:

1. Click the Build icon and then select the Utilities tab.

   The Application Builder Utilities page appears.

2. Click Export Import.

3. When prompted to select a task, select Import and click Next.

4. In Import file, specify the file you are importing.

5. From File Type, select the type of file you are importing and click Next.

   Once you have imported a file, you have the option to install it. You can also install it later from the View Export Repository.

Installing Files from the View Export Repository

Once you have imported files into the target Oracle HTML DB instance, you must install them before they become active in Application Builder.

To install files stored in the View Export Repository:

1. Click the Build icon and then select the Utilities tab.

   The Application Builder Utilities page appears.

2. Click View Export Repository.

3. To install a file, select it and click Install adjacent to the file you wish to install.

In addition to installing files, you can also use this page to:

• Import an application and related files into the View Export Repository, by clicking Import File.

• Delete an export file by selecting it and clicking Delete File.

To import an application and related files into the View Export Repository:

1. Click the Build icon and then select the Utilities tab.

   The Application Builder Utilities page appears.

2. Click Import File.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

   Once you have imported your application and the related files into the View Export Repository, you have the option of installing it.

4. To install your application, click Install.

   The Install Application page appears.

5. From Parse as Schema, select a schema. This is the schema against which all of the application's SQL and PL/SQL will be parsed

6. From Build Status, select one of the following:

   • Run Application Only

   • Run and Build Application

   Only select Run Application Only if you wish to run the application in the target instance but make it inaccessible to developers.

7. From Install As Application, select one of the following:

   • Reuse Application ID from Export File

   • Auto Assign New Application ID

   • Change Application ID

   Use these options to avoid application ID conflicts. These options come in handy when you need to have two versions of the same application in the same workspace. For example, if you are migrating an application to a production instance but still need to maintain development version.

Using the Security Navigation Pane

The Security Navigation pane displays on the left side of the Security Home page and offers quick access to a number a security functions.

To access the Security Navigation pane:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select the Security tab.

   The Security Navigation pane displays on the left side of the page.

4. Click Navigate to expand the list.

Understanding How Authentication Works

You determine how your application interacts with users. If all users have the same rights and privileges they are referred to as public users. However, if your application needs to track each user individually, you need to specify an authentication method.

Authentication establishes the identity of each user who accesses your application. Many authentication processes require a user provide some type of credentials such as a username and password. These credentials are then evaluated and they either pass or fail. If the credentials pass, the user has access to the application. Otherwise, access is denied.

Once a user has been identified, the HTML DB engine keeps track of each user by setting the value of a built-in substitution string. As a user navigates from page to page, the HTML DB engine sets the value of APP_USER to identify who they are. The HTML DB engine uses APP_USER as one component of a key for tracking each user's session state.

From a programming perspective, you can access APP_USER using the following syntax:

• From PL/SQL:

  v('APP_USER')
  
  

• As a bind variable from either PL/SQL or SQL:

  :APP_USER
  
  

You can use APP_USER to perform your own security checks and conditional processing. For example, suppose you created the following table:

CREATE TABLE my_security_table (
  user_id   VARCHAR2(30),
  privilege VARCHAR2(30));

Once created, you could populate this table with user privilege information and then use it to control the display of application pages, tabs, navigation bars, buttons, regions, or any other application component.

Creating an Authentication Scheme

As you create your application, you need to determine whether to include authentication. You can:

• Choose to not require authentication.

  Oracle HTML DB does not check any user credentials. All pages of your application are accessible to all users.

• Select a built-in authentication scheme.

  Create an authentication method based on available preconfigured authentication schemes. Depending on which scheme you choose, you may also have to configure the corresponding components of Oracle 9iAS, Oracle Internet Directory, or other external services.

• Create custom authentication scheme.

  Create a custom authentication method, giving you complete control over the authentication interface. To implement this approach, you must provide a PL/SQL function the HTML DB engine executes before processing each page request. This function's Boolean return value determines whether the HTML DB engine processes the page normally or displays a failure page.

To create an authentication scheme:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select the Security tab.

4. Select Authentication.

   The Authentication Schemes page appears.

5. To create a new authentication scheme, click Create Scheme.

6. Specify how the scheme should be created by selecting one of the following:

   • Based on preconfigured scheme

   • As a copy of an existing scheme

   • From Scratch

7. Follow the on-screen instructions

Using the Authentication Scheme Repository

Once created, available authentication schemes display in the Authentication Schemes Repository.

To navigate to the Authentication Schemes Repository:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select the Security tab.

4. Select Authentication.

From the Authentication Schemes Repository, you can:

• Make an authentication scheme current by selecting the make current link

• Edit an authentication scheme by clicking the edit icon

• View a flow chart explanation of an authentication scheme by clicking the View icon

• Create a new authentication scheme by clicking Create Scheme and following the on-screen instructions

Viewing the Current Authentication Scheme for an Application

To view the current authentication scheme for an application:

1. Click the Build icon.

   The list of pages for the selected application appears at the bottom of the page.

2. Select the Edit Attributes icon.

   The Edit Application Attributes page appears.

3. Scroll down to the Session Management attribute and click manage.

   The Authentication Schemes page appears. Available authentication schemes display in the Authentication Schemes Repository. You apply an authentication scheme to an application by designating it as current.

4. To apply an authentication scheme to the current application, select the make current link

About Preconfigured Authentication Schemes

When you select a preconfigured authentication scheme, Oracle HTML DB creates an authentication scheme for your application that follows a standard behavior for authentication and session management. The following list describes available preconfigured authentication schemes:

• Open Door Credentials enables anyone to access your application using a built-in login page which captures a username. This can be useful during application development.

• HTML DB Account Credentials refers to the internal user accounts (also known as "cookie user" accounts) created and managed in the Oracle HTML DB user repository. Using this scheme authentication method, your application can easily authenticate against these accounts.

• LDAP Credentials Verification requires you specify configuration parameters about the external LDAP directory you will be using.

• No Authentication (using DAD) gets the username from the Database Access Descriptor (DAD), either as the value stored in the DAD configuration or, if the account information is not stored in the DAD configuration, as the username captured using the basic authentication challenge.

• Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On (HTML DB engine as Partner App) delegates authentication to the 9iAS Single Sign-On (SSO) Server. To you use authentication scheme, your site must have already been registered as a partner application with the SSO server. For more information, contact your administrator.

• Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On (My application as Partner App) delegates authentication to the SSO server. In this case, you must register an application with SSO as a partner application. See the next page for more details.

About Creating an Authentication Scheme from Scratch

Creating an authentication scheme from scratch gives you complete control over your authentication interface. This is the best approach for applications when any of the following is true:

• Database authentication, or other methods are not adequate.

• You want to develop your own login form and associated methods.

• You want to delegate all aspects of user authentication to external services such as Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On.

• You want to control security aspects of Oracle HTML DB session management.

• You want to record or audit activity at the user or session level.

• You want to enforce session activity or expiry limits.

• You want to program conditional n-way redirection logic before Oracle HTML DB page processing.

• You want to integrate your application with non-Oracle HTML DB applications using a common session management framework.

• Your application consists of multiple applications that operate seamlessly (for example, more than one Oracle HTML DB application ID).

How Authorization Schemes Work

An authorization scheme extends the security of your application's authentication scheme. You can specify an authorization scheme for an entire application, a page, or specific component such as a region, item, or button. For example, you could use an authorization scheme to selectively determine which tabs, regions, or navigation bars a user sees.

An authorization scheme either succeeds or fails. If a component level authorization scheme succeeds, the user can view the component. If it fails, the user cannot view the component. If an application or page level authorization scheme fails, then Oracle HTML DB displays a previously defined message.

When you define an authorization scheme you give it a unique name. Once defined, you can attach it to any component in your application. To attach an authorization scheme to a component in your application, simply navigate to the appropriate attributes page and select an authorization scheme from the Authorization Scheme list.

Creating an Authorization Scheme

Before you can attach an authorization scheme to an application or an application component, you must first create it.

To create an authorization scheme:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select the Security tab.

4. When the Security Home page appears, select Authorization.

5. Click Create.

6. Specify how to create an authorization scheme by selecting one of the following:

   • From Scratch

   • As a Copy of an Existing Authorization Scheme

7. Follow the on-screen instructions.

To edit attributes of an existing authorization scheme:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select the Security tab.

4. When the Security Home page appears, select Authorization.

   Existing Authorization Schemes display at the bottom of the page.

5. To edit attributes for an existing authorizations scheme, click the edit icon.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Attaching an Authorization Scheme to an Application, Page, or Component

Once you have created an authorization scheme you can attach it to an entire application, page, or component.

To attach an authorization scheme to an application:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select the Edit Attributes icon.

   The Edit Application Attributes page appears.

4. Scroll down to Authorization and make a selection from the Authorization Scheme list.

To attach an authorization scheme to a page:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

   The list of pages for the selected application appears at the bottom of the page.

3. Navigate to a specific page, by either:

   • Entering the page ID in the Edit Page field and clicking Go

   • Clicking the page name

4. Under Page, click Edit to view the page attributes.

5. Scroll down to Security and make a selection from the Authorization Scheme list.

To attach an authorization scheme to a page component:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

   The list of pages for the selected application appears at the bottom of the page.

3. Navigate to a specific page, by either:

   • Entering the page ID in the Edit Page field and clicking Go

   • Clicking the page name

4. Access the attributes for the component to which you want to apply the authorization scheme. (See "Managing Page Rendering Components".)

5. Scroll down to the Authorization attribute and make a selection from the Authorization Scheme list.

Viewing the Authorization Scheme Utilization Report

You can use the Authorization Scheme Utilization Report to view details about authorization schemes included in your application.

To view Authorization Scheme Utilization Report:

1. Click the Build icon.

2. From the Available Applications list, select an application and click Go.

3. Select Security tab.

4. When the Security Home page appears, select Authorization.

   The Security Navigation pane displays on the left side of the page.

5. Click Navigate to expand or collapse the list.

6. Select Utilization.

7. Make a selection from the Authorization Scheme list and click Go.