1. ESIS Consulting LLC (C) ESIS Consulting LLC. All rights reserved
Installation, Configuration and Maintenance of WebSphere Application Server 8.5
ESIS Consulting LLC
(C) ESIS Consulting LLC. All rights reserved

2. Section 2 Installation, Configuration and Maintenance

3. Installation process overview
Determine software and hardware prerequisites
Obtain product installation files from IBM Passport advantage site or local media
Plan for the right topology
Prepare the OS for installation
Using IBM Installation Manager, install the product and any optional components. Update to the latest fix pack possible
Configure the product for use

4. Steps to install WAS

5. Choosing topology Questions to ask: 1. Where will you place the DMGR ?
2. How many ‘hosts’ are in your cell ?
3. Do you need Flexible management ? (i.e) Do you need to install Job Manager and Administrative Agents ?
4. Do you need a Web Server ? Where is it located ? (i.e) DMZ or LAN
Determining topology before the installation is important since the installation process differs for each topology

6. Single Application Server host and Web Server on the same host
In this topology, the installation steps are:
1. Install WAS on host1
2. Launch Profile Management Tool. Create dmgr profile
3. Create Application Server profile
4. Start dmgr using firststeps console or startManager command.
5. Login to Admin Console. Federate the Application Server to the Cell
6. Create and start Application Server 2
7. Install Web Server (Ex: IBM HTTP Server or IIS)
8. Using WebSphere Customization toolbox, launch Web Server Plugin configuration tool to configure web server. A web server definition will be automatically created in the cell.

7. Application Servers and Web Server on the different hosts
In this topology, the installation steps are:
1, Install WAS on host1
2. Launch Profile Management Tool. Create dmgr profile
3. Create Application Server profile
4. Start dmgr using firststeps console or startManager command.
5. Login to Admin Console. Federate the Application Server to the Cell
6. Create and start Application Server 2
7. Install Web Server (Ex: IBM HTTP Server or IIS) on Host 2
8. Using WebSphere Customization toolbox on Host 2, launch Web Server Plugin configuration tool to configure web server.
9. Under plugins_root/bin directory, a script named configureweb_server_name is created. Copy this script to profile_root/bin on Host 1 and run it. This creates the Web Server definition in the cell
10. For web servers other than IBM HTTP Server, the plugin configuration file needs to be manually propagated

8. Flexible Management Topology
In this topology, the installation steps are:
1, Install WAS on host1
2. Launch Profile Management Tool. Create dmgr profile
3. Create Application Server profile
4. Start dmgr using firststeps console or startManager command.
5. Login to Admin Console. Federate the Application Server to the Cell
6. Create and start Application Server 2
7. Install Web Server (Ex: IBM HTTP Server or IIS) on Host 2
8. Using WebSphere Customization toolbox on Host 2, launch Web Server Plugin configuration tool to configure web server.
9. Under plugins_root/bin directory, a script named configureweb_server_name is created. Copy this script to profile_root/bin on Host 1 and run it. This creates the Web Server definition in the cell
10. For web servers other than IBM HTTP Server, the plugin configuration file needs to be manually propagated
11. Install WAS on Host 3. Create an Administrative Agent profile and multiple Application server profiles
12. Run registerNode command to register Application Servers with Administrative Agent
13. Install WAS on host 4. Create a Job Manager profile
14. Register the DMGR and Admin Agent using wsadmin.registerWithJobManager task. You can also use WAS Admin console and WAS Administrative Agent console to register with Job Manager

9. Secure Proxy Topology
Secure Proxy for WAS is a high speed reverse proxy that can be used to load balance and route requests for Web Applications. Consider this as a Web Server.
Secure Proxy does NOT have a web container and hence NO admin console. Use wsadmin to manage Secure Proxy runtime
Installation steps:
Install WAS as previous topologies. The Secure proxy installation steps are provided below
1. On Host 1, use profile management tool to create an Administrative Agent profile
2. On host 1, create a secure proxy configuration only profile
3. Register secure proxy with Admin Agent (using registerNode command)
4. Using AdminTask.exportProxyServer command, export secure proxy configuration to an EAR file
5. On Host 2 install DMZ Secure Proxy (Using IBM installation Manager)
6. Copy the configuration export from Host1 to Host 2 and run AdminTask.importProxyServer command to import configuration (you must repeat this step whenever you make configuration changes to Secure Proxyy)

10. Prepare Operating System
Ensure sufficient disk space exists
Ensure Operating System Patches meet the requirements
Ensure WAS will be installed in a SINGLE File system (i.e the files cannot span file systems)
If you are going to be installing as administrator/root, ensure you have necessary passwords
Make sure the host name is resolvable using dns or local hosts files.
DHCP is not supported

11. IBM Installation Manager
A Tool to centrally manage installing, updating and uninstalling range of WebSphere products
Can use local or remote file repositories
Can connect to IBM website to query latest fix packs
Three modes: GUI,Command Line, Silent install
Can be installed by an Administrator (root) or a regular user (non root)
When Installation Manager is installed by an Administrator, any administrator can use the product
When Installation Manager is installed by a non Administrator, only that user can use the product.
On Windows, if you are installing as non Administrator, make sure you install the produce on a Folder other than C:\Program Files as the user will need write access for proper
functionality of the product
IBM installation Manager is a free offering. However, the products you install (for example, WebSphere Application Server) may require licenses

12. IBM Installation Manager Cont...
Software product that can be installed with Installation manager is referred to as Package
Each package has a 'install location' and 'product level'
Package group consists of packages that are installed in a single location
Packages are stored in flat file repositories that contain meta data and product binaries
When you download a product to be installed by Installation manager, the product comes with a file named 'repository.config' which you will use to 'add' a repository in
Installation Manager. This file contains the available products in the download.

13. IBM Installation Manager Cont...
Using IBM Packaging utility, you can create custom repositories for installing through Installation manager
For example, you can combine WebSphere Application Server, fix pack files and Web Server Plugin in one custom repository
Installation Manager can install any fix pack without installation any interim levels
Obtain the Installation Manager from IBM Passport Advantage, media or from IBM download site
Important Note: If you install a fix pack level without installing any interim levels, you can only roll back to your original fix pack level.

14. Install IBM Installation Manager
Obtain the software; unzip if required
Run the 'install' command and follow prompts
Three modes for install: Admin, User, Group
Group Mode is not available on Windows
You can install IBM Installation manager silently using 'installc' command
The exact command to use will depend on the platform. Generally windows platforms will have .exe added to the commands. Unix platforms will not have this extension.
You can install the IBM installation manager in a)Admin mode b)User mode c)Group mode
Group mode is NOT available on Windows platforms
Admin mode: Only administrators can install and use the product. There can be only one Admin instance.
User mode: Only the user who performed the install can use the product. There can be only one User instance per user
Group mode: Users from a particular group can install use the product. The package you install must be enabled for group mode

15. Add repositories to Installation manager
You can use Web Based repositories if your computer has internet access
For local repositories (typical), obtain the software binaries and store them in a directory locally
Each product will have a file named repository.config
In Installation manager GUI, click File->Preferences->Repositories->Add repository to select the repository.config file
Web Based repositories use your IBM Passport advantage credentials

16. Add repositories to Installation manager Cont...

17. Installing WAS using GUI
Start the IBM Installation Manager
You can use the shortcut created during install or use IBMIM command
Click 'install'
IBM Installation manager searches the repositories configured and displays the available packages to install
Select "IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment" and appropriate version
You may be prompted for IBM ID and password if "Search service repositories during installation and updates" option is selected in IBM Installation Manager preferences.
You may also be prompted to update IBM Installation manager to update to its latest version. You must do so before proceeding.

18. Installing WAS using GUI Cont...
Accept the license agreement
Choose the root directory for the product install
If this is the first time you are installing a package, specify the shared resources directory (this is where artifacts that are common to one or more package groups are stored)
Select "WebSphere Application Server Full Profile"
You cannot use semicolon in path name
Root directory cannot be a symbolic link
The shared resources directory needs to be sufficiently large (typically several Gigabytes). This is where product binaries that are common to several WAS products will be stored.

19. Installing WAS using GUI Cont...
Optionally select EJB Deploy Tool, Sample Applications and Standalone clients
If you are installing on a 64 bit architecture, option to install 32bit or 64bit Java 6.0 SDK is provided
Optionally install WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile - A lightweight Application Server profile suited for fast development and simplified configuration
Review summary and click Install
Websphere 8.5 default runtime environment is Java 1.6. But it does support Java 1.7

20. Installing WAS using GUI Cont...
You can choose to view the install log file at the end
You can choose to run the profile management tool to start creating and managing profiles
Click Finish
If you need to view the log file, click File -> View Log
Websphere 8.5 default runtime environment is Java 1.6. But it does support Java 1.7
IBM Installation manager log file is an xml file

21. Installing silently using response file
You can install the product silently using response files
Response files can be generated using the GUI or you can manually create them
To install silently, use the command <install manager home>/eclipse/tools/imcl.exe -acceptLicense input <response file> -log <logfile>
To record a response file, use the command IBMIM.exe -record responseFile -skipInstall agentDataLocation
On Unix platforms the commands do not have the extension .exe
IBMIM command is located in <IBM Installation manager install location>/eclipse
While creating the response file, you can choose the directory location, options to install etc
Ensure that all product disk directories are on the same parent directory (i.e the install process should not prompt for inserting disk)

22. Installing silently using response file Cont...
While creating the response file, you can choose the directory location, options to install etc
Ensure that all product disk directories are on the same parent directory (i.e the install process should not prompt for inserting disk)
Once the installation is successful, you can proceed with creating and managing profiles
On Unix platforms the commands do not have the extension .exe
IBMIM command is located in <IBM Installation manager install location>/eclipse

23. Installing silently using response file Cont...
Sample response file (source: IBM info center)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input clean="true" temporary="true">
<server>
<repository location=" />
</server>
<install modify='false'>
<offering id='com.ibm.websphere.ND.v85'
profile='IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5'
features='core.feature,ejbdeploy,thinclient,embeddablecontainer,com.ibm.sdk.6_32bit,liberty' installFixes='none'/>
</install>
<profile id='IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5'
installLocation='C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer'>
<data key='eclipseLocation' value='C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer'/>
<data key='user.import.profile' value='false'/>
<data key='cic.selector.nl' value='en'/>
</profile>
</agent-input>

24. Using IBM Installation Manager in console mode
You can invoke the console mode using the command <IBM Installation Manager install directory>/eclipse/tools/imcl.exe -c
You can use chutils command to change permissions (Owner and group) on the entire installation.

25. Installation verification
The installver command used in Websphere 7 and prior has been replaced by the verification capabilities of IBM Installation Manager
Start the IBM Installation manager, click File -> view installed packages to verify successfully installed packages
The file 'installed.xml' should contain a 'location' element. (Example: <WAS Root>/properties/version/installed.xml)

26. Creating and Managing profiles
Profiles define the runtime environment for WAS. Multiple profiles share the same product binaries
At least one profile must exist to have a working application serving environment
Two ways to create and manage profiles
Profile Creation Tool (GUI)
manageprofiles command
You can start the profile creation tool GUI using the shortcuts created during install
The first profile you create is the 'default' profile which is the target for commands issued from <WAS ROOT>/bin

27. Creating and Managing Nodes
You can create managed or unmanaged node using WAS Admin Console or using addNode command. Managed node is the one that is federated to a Cell
By default nodes belong to default node group and default core group
On Windows, managed nodes can be configured to run as Windows Service
You can use asExistingNode option of addNode command to recover a damaged Node

28. Creating and Managing Nodes Cont...
You can start a node using the command startNode
You can stop a node using the command stopNode
You can stop and restart a node using Admin Console. You cannot start a node using Admin Console that is already stopped
A node group is a collection of nodes. Node groups define the boundary of a Cluster. By default all the nodes belong to default Node Group
When you are starting or stopping a managed node, you are really working on the Node Agent process of the node which is the administrative agent that represents a node

29. Backup and restore configuration
Configuration is automatically backed up whenever a change occurs (such as adding a node). The default backup direcotry is <profile root>/config/backup
Use <profile root>/bin/backupConfig command to backup configuration
Use <profile root>/bin/restoreConfig command to restore configuration
By default, all the Application Servers will be stopped when backupConfig or restoreConfig is run in order to avoid partial backup/restore. Use the option '-nostop' if you don't want to stop the Application Servers.
backupConfig command creates a zip file