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Tag: ords updates

  • ORDS 25.1 Release Highlights

    ORDS 25.1 Release Highlights

    ORDS 25.1 is now available, here are the highlights 😀

    JWT roles-based scopes

    You are probably well aware of our current JWTs authentication and authorization support. But shortly after releasing this functionality, one of our long-time customers asked us to enhance ORDS JWT Profiles so they could also support roles “claims” (and scopes). So now, when creating your ORDS JWT Profile, you can set your p_role_claim_name => '/roles'. This setting would “point” to the roles you have configured within your identity provider (like IAM, IDCS, Auth0, etc.).1

    🛎️ Come back to my blog in about two days, and you’ll see a new updated tutorial illustrating this new functionality (with JSON Pointers for the roles-based claim).

    In the meantime, be sure to check out my current JWT-related blog posts:

    ORDS_EXPORT and ORDS_EXPORT_ADMIN

    The most significant changes are available options for users you’ve granted the ORDS_ADMINISTRATOR_ROLE.2 Now, you can export another user’s entire schema, including the details for their JWT Profile. In the screenshots below, you’ll see examples of the ORDS_EXPORT_ADMIN.EXPORT_SCHEMA procedure, using various optional parameters.

    You have a lot of flexibility here; you can choose which optional parameters to include. Can you spot the differences?

    An example showing the ENABLE_SCHEMA and RUNNABLE_AS_ADMIN parameters.
    An example that consists of the SCHEMA parameter but turns off the RUNNABLE_AS_ADMIN parameter.
    An example showing the new INCLUDE_JWT_PROFILES parameter.

    ORDS_SECURITY updates

    The next time you create an ORDS OAuth client, you might notice some changes to the UI. Under the covers, this action is made possible by the ORDS_SECURITY PL/SQL package. You can still use the older, now deprecated OAUTH packages, but we now default to these newer ORDS_SECURITY procedures and functions.

    One of the most notable changes is that these procedures now follow the standard convention (you’ve probably seen elsewhere) of showing a Client’s Secret once and only once. The procedure is now more succinct, organized, and secure.

    💡When you need a new Client Secret, you can “rotate” it with the new ROTATE_CLIENT_SECRET functions (using the Client Name, Client Id, ORDS/internal Id).

    Dark mode

    Dark mode is activated. You can set SQL Developer Web (aka Database Actions) to Light, Dark, or Same as browser. I quite like the third option, as it makes shifting from Apple’s Light to Dark Mode seamless.

    Including this here to remind you of the other available configurable settings.

    DBA_ORDS views

    These views aren’t new for this release, but I don’t think we’ve mentioned them recently. Any of your REST-enabled schemas can access these DBA_ORDS_[View Name] views (for their respective schemas), and they are really helpful when you need to quickly view your most important configurations.

    Like always, you can drag and drop “objects” into the SQL Worksheet. After dropping, a modal will appear with different options (depending on the object type), allowing you to choose an action.

    Important links

    And finally, the important links:

    That’s all for now. I am working on a JWT-using-roles tutorial, which should be out by Friday this week. I’ll update this post when it is live.

    And I have another new ORDS plug-in tutorial that I’d like to share; this one is Java-based. My friend Reydan from the Oracle Health (via Cerner) side is integrating the heck out of their stuff with ORDS, and this example is something he came up with as an exploratory exercise. It’s nothing fancy, but I thought it would be great for the beginner.

    And that’s all for now!

    References

    1. This is known as a JavaScript Object Notation Pointer (JSON Pointer). An upcoming JWT tutorial using role-based claims will provide more details. The technical specifications for the JSON Pointer can be found here. ↩︎
    2. If you are using the Autonomous Database (ADB, ATP, JSON), then you’ll know this ORDS Administrator as your “ADMIN” user. ↩︎

  • ORDS 24.3 Release Highlights

    ORDS 24.3 Release Highlights

    Overview

    There’s plenty to talk about in this release. However, I’m most excited about the performance improvements, ORDS sample applications, and documentation changes. Read on to get the whole story.

    Enhancements

    API Performance

    REST API responses from either AutoREST or customer based modules could see as much as a 30% improvement in response times.

    About a year ago, we introduced (we owe all our progress to Orla though) an internal program to track performance changes/improvements across ORDS APIs quantitatively. I can’t go into too much detail, but here is what I can divulge:

    • Although we use K6 for our performance testing, we are not promoting its use over any other available performance testing solution. There are other great tools available (e.g., Artillery, JMeter, and, of course, k6).
    • Testing is performed nightly against a 23ai database (installed in a PDB); we also include APEX in these tests.
    • For the tests, 250 schemas are created and then populated with various database objects (e.g., Functions, Materialized Views, PLSQL Packages, Sequences, Tables, Triggers, JSON Relational Duality Views, etc.)
      • These schemas are then absolutely hammered with Virtual Users. Users perform actions such as auto-REST enabling objects, creating custom Resource Modules, creating JSON Relational Duality Views, interrogating ORDS Metadata, and performing bulk inserts (BATCHLOAD) GETs, POSTs, etc.
    • These metrics are what we use to track the ORDS quantitative metrics longitudinally.

    So, that’s what we mean by “performance improvements.” Pretty cool, eh? 

    NOTE: I don't know if that 30% average is mean or median. So, for all you stat nerds, don't ask 🤣!

    ORDS Sample applications

    We have not one but TWO sample ORDS applications for you 😍!

    Flask/Python

    The first is a fully contained LiveLabs sandbox workshop, which can be found here. But if you want to remix the code, check out my repo here (everything is heavily commented; hopefully, this will ease your pain).

    Node.js/React

    Secondly, our development team has created a brand new advanced application. Details are here.

    NOTE: We'll continue to iterate and improve on both, so please share with us your feedback!

    OAuth2.0 changes

    A consolidation and streamlining of the OAUTH and OAUTH_ADMIN PLSQL packages. The details:

    • We’ve consolidated those mentioned above into these two new packages: 
      • ORDS_SECURITY
      • ORDS_SECURITY_ADMIN
    • The OAUTH and OAUTH_ADMIN PL/SQL Packages have been deprecated by royal decree. However, they’ll still be included until ORDS version 25.3 (this time next year).
    • Creating a client and receiving your Client ID and Client Secret is now streamlined, and Client Secrets can now be rotated (by supporting two active Client Secrets while in rotation).

    Locating the new PL/SQL Packages:

    Finding PL/SQL Packages in Database Actions.

    23ai Boolean

    ORDS now returns BOOLEAN types as JSON TRUE|FALSE properties instead of 0|1.

    What this looks like in practice with various configurations1:

    Oracle Database 23ai + ORDS 24.3
    Oracle Database 23ai + ORDS 24.2
    Oracle DB 21c Enterprise Edition + ORDS 24.3
    Not possible. #RedHerring

    1Thank you internet stranger for providing us with this juicy bit of code.

    Mong[ooohhh, no, you didn’t?!] DB API

    • Support for even more Database Administration commands:
      • listIndexes
      • dropIndexes, and
      • optional parameter expireAfterSeconds (which applies to the createIndexes command)
    • The following MongoDB Aggregation Stages are now supported:
    • Users may now specify a JSON Schema validator when creating a collection
    • You may now create MongoDB API connections without TLS connections (Oracle Database 19c and later) can now be made.
    • Users can now set the createIndexes’ “online” option to TRUE to allow DML operations at index creation time.

    To-Do: More details will come from the MongoDB API team as they publish new content.

    In the meantime, here are some resources I found:

    UPDATE: MongoDB API update article (October 10, 2024)

    A brand new article about the latest MongoDB API updates just dropped! Thanks to Hermann for publishing and sharing the latest. Details are here. 

    Documentation

    Introduced the following new sections:

    • 6.2.4 Using OCI Monitoring Service with Oracle REST Data Services
      • This new section details the configuration of the recently added ords-metrics utility. You can find details on how to set up this monitoring service (to communicate with OCI) here.
    • 3.2 Deploying ORDS with Central Configuration Server
    • Appendix D ORDS Central Configuration OpenAPI
      • Along with the updated docs, we’ve included the OpenAPI spec for creating the endpoints required for a central configuration server (and a special video clip of me retrieving the PL/SQL definitions and the OpenAPI spec in Database Actions).
      • OpenAPI spec doc here.

    Java notes

    In our Release Notes, we claim support for the following JDKs:

    • Oracle Java 11, 17, or 21
    • Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition for Java 11
    • Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition for Java 17
    • Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition for Java 21

    However, this may be confusing regarding Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Editions. You should know that there are currently TWO Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition JDKs:

    • Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition 20
    • Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition 21

    Instead of how we’ve presented, here is another, cleaner presentation of these JDKs:

    Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition 20Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition 21
    Linux (x86-64): Java 8, 11Linux (x86-64 and aarch64): Java 8, 11, 17
    macOS (x86-64): Java 8, 11macOS (x86-64 only): 8, 11, 17
    Windows (x86-64): Java 8, 11Windows (x86-64 only): 8, 11, 17
    Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition details

    So when you are choosing your JDK (to use with ORDS), make sure you consider your platform and use cases. Details on using GraalVM with ORDS here.

    fin

    This concludes the release notes supplement.

    This space ⬇️ left intentionally blank.

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