Installing Oracle APEX in run-time only mode.

I recently learned it is possible to install Oracle Application Express on two different ways.

1. Developer install : The normal install of Oracle APEX, including APEX administration console and all the developer features.


2. Run-time install : Completely stripped version of Oracle APEX without any developer features or administration console.

Usually I install APEX using the first option. However with all the new stuff I've learned over the last couple of months I thought.. Why don't I give the run-time only install a try ? Perhaps it's not a bad idea to use this type of configuration for production systems ?

Well today I tried it. And it turned out to be not that difficult.

APEX installation to Oracle XE

1. This is basically the most important step. Normally I use @apexins.sql to install. But for the run-time version I use a different sql file.
   

   @apxrtins.sql SYSAUX SYSAUX TEMP /i/

   
   


2. Then change the default password
   

   @apxchpwd.sql

   
   


3. This is an optional step : Install the necessary images. This isn't mandatory but if you plan on using any theme I suggest you install this.
   

   @apxldimg.sql /opt/apex

   
   


4. Then change the password one more time
   

   @apxchpwd.sql

   
   

Now after this our APEX run-time version is installed. I pointed my browser to http://localhost:8080/apex/
And all I saw... was an error. Err-1014 Application not found

Meaning absolutely nothing was installed.

Now I wanted to test a the installation of a new application. This proved to be a bit more difficult, because every change to the APEX administration needs to be done using a PL/SQL command, and not the console (which doesn't exist). For more information concerning this API : http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E10513_01/doc/apirefs.310/e12855/apex_instance.htm

Using the following steps I installed the Oracle Event Packaged application

1. Create demo user (add some grants offcourse : CONNECT,RESOURCE, etc..)
   

   CREATE USER demo IDENTIFIED BY demopwd;

   
   


2. Create a new workspace (with the matching workspace id from the SQL file)
   

   BEGIN

   
   

         APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN.ADD_WORKSPACE(269990401159459463,'WKS_DEMO','DEMO','');

   
   

   END;

   
   


3. Load the SQL file. (I performed this as SYSDBA, however it is a lot smarted to create a specific APEX deployment user. Using the APEX_ADMINISTRATOR_ROLE privilege)
   

   @events_installer_1.0.sql

   
   

As by magic the application is deployed an available at the url http://localhost:8080/apex/f?p=180 without having used the administration console.

Well I hope you folks found it useful and there are a lot of extra functions available using the ADMIN API so check em out to make your APEX environment a bit more secure.

Note : This was just a small selection of the features that are "disabled" in the run-time mode. For more information read the APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN documentation or ask on the Oracle forum.