Configure WebSphere Application Server

Choose Configuration:

    Standalone Server
    Clustered Server

Contents

Overview

Clustering requires a Deployment Manager profile (dmgr) created on the same computer (host) as the IFS Installer is executed on and at least one Custom profile. Each custom profile need to be federated before the installation. The Web Servers can be created either before or after the installation. One application server (custom profile) can be created on the host machine along with the dmgr. This also applies for the webserver. The dmgr will create a cluster for each federated node during the installation.
Example:

Machine A (the host) has one Managed profile, one Custom profile and one webserver. The custom profile has been federated to Machine A (the dmgr on the same machine)
Machine B has one Custom profile and one webserver. The custom profile has been federated with Machine A (the dmgr).
Add the desired number of nodes in the same manner.

This is just one example out of many combinations. It is possible to keep the HTTP Servers on separate machines as well if desired. However the installer only supports horizontal clustering, i.e. only clusters that contains multiple physical machines (nodes) and not multiple server instances hosted on the same physical machine (node). If you need a vertical cluster you need to manually add the rest of the server instances after the installation.

Create a Standalone Server

Using terminal (optional)

  1. RedHat/aix: Log on as root.
  2. Use the command manageprofiles:

    Mandatory arguments: -templatePath, -enableAdminSecurity (set to true) -adminUserName and adminPassword.
    Optional arguments: -profileName (the name of the profile, can be anything) -profilePath (the location of the profile, can be anything).

     

    Example 1:

    <was_home>/bin/manageprofiles -create -templatePath <was_home>/profileTemplates/default -enableAdminSecurity true -adminUserName wasAdmin -adminPassword wasAdmin


    Example 2:

    <was_home>/bin/manageprofiles -create -templatePath <was_home>/profileTemplates/default -profilePath <profiles_home>/ifsprofile -profileName ifsprofile -enableAdminSecurity true -adminUserName wasAdmin -adminPassword wasAdmin

    Hint: It is possible to register the server as a service using command:
    <was_home>/bin/WASService -add serviceName -serverName server1 -profilePath <profiles_home>/<profile_name> -startType automatic
    where serviceName can be anything and startType can be either automatic, manual or disabled.

  3. Skip to Increase Java Maximum Heap Size

Using Profile Management Tool

  1. RedHat/aix: Log in as root.
  2. Start the Profile Management Tool (<was_home>/bin/ProfileManagement/pmt).
  3. Click Create.
     
  4. Select Application server and click Next.

  5. Select Typical profile creation and click Next.
     
  6. Enter user name and password and click Next.
     
  7. Verify settings and click Create.
     
  8. Click Finish.
     
  9. Click Installation verification.
     
  10. Make sure the verification is successful.
     

Create a Deployment Manager

Using terminal (optional)

    RedHat/aix: Log on as root.
    Use command manageprofiles:
    Mandatory arguments: -templatePath, -enableAdminSecurity (set to true) -adminUserName & adminPassword
    Optional arguments: -profileName -profilePath
    Example 1: <was_home>/bin/manageprofiles -create -templatePath <was_home>/profileTemplates/dmgr -enableAdminSecurity true -adminUserName wasAdmin -adminPassword wasAdmin
    Example 2: <was_home>/bin/manageprofiles -create -templatePath <was_home>/profileTemplates/dmgr -profilePath <profiles_home>\ifsprofile -profileName ifsprofile -enableAdminSecurity true -adminUserName wasAdmin -adminPassword wasAdmin
    Skip to Increase Java Maximum Heap Size

Using Profile Management Tool

    Create the deployment manager on the same machine as the <ifs_home> will be.
  1. RedHat/aix: Log on as root.
    Start the Profile Management Tool (<was_home>/bin/ProfileManagement/pmt).
    Select Create.
  2. Select Management.
    Press Next.
     
  3. Select Deployment Manager.
    Press Next.
     
  4. Select Typical profile creation.
    Press Next.
     
  5. Enable administrative security and provide a user name and password for the profile.
    Press Next.
     
  6. Make note of the Deployment manager SOAP connector port (8879 is the default). This is needed for federating the nodes later on.
    Press Create.
     
  7. Wait for the profile creation to complete.
    Select Launch First Step Console and select Finish.
     
  8. Wait for the First step console to launch.
    Select to Start the deployment manager.
     
  9. Wait for the deployment manager to start.
    Make sure the deployment manager is successfully started.
     
  10. Close the first step console

Create a Custom Profile
    The custom profile creation is done on each machine part of the cluster. If two servers are to be included in the cluster create two custom profiles on separate machines. At least one custom profile is needed for the installer to be able to create a cluster.
  1. RedHat/aix: Log in as root.
    Start the Profile Management Tool (<was_home>/bin/ProfileManagement/pmt).
    Select Create
    2. .
     
  2. Select Custom Profile.
    Press Next
    Press Next.

    3.  
  3. Select Typical Profile Creation.
    Press Next.

    4.  
  4. Type the host name or IP address of your deployment manager and the SOAP connector port (see previous step).
    Insert the user name and password for the deployment manager.
    Make sure that the deployment manager is running!
    Note: It is possible to federate the nodes later if necessary, however doing it now is simpler.
    Press Next.

    5.  
  5. Press Create.

    6.  
  6. Wait for the profile creation to complete.
    Deselect Launch first steps console.
    Press Finish.

    7.  
  7. Repeat for each machine to be included in the cluster

Increase Java Maximum Heap Size

Deploying applications using scripting requires more memory than what is allocated by default. Increase the java maximum heap space to prevent running out of memory.

Configure WebSphere for non root user

This part is only applicable for user running on RedHat/aix. Windows user can skip this section.
Configuring WebSphere for ifs user is mandatory for the installation scenario to work.

  1. Log on as root.

    The following steps needs to be done for each profiles in the cluster, including the deployment manager.

    Set the <ifs user> as the owner of the profile of WebSphere Application Server:

    1. cd <was_home>/profiles
    2. chown -R <ifs user> <profile_name>

    Example:
    [root@rhel profiles]# chown -R ifs:ifs AppSrv01

  2. As root, grant <ifs user> write access to external lib folder in WebSphere installation root
    1. cd <was_home>/
    2. chmod -R 775 lib/ext/

    Example:
    [root@rhel Appserver]# chmod 775 lib/ext/

  3. Log in as <ifs user>
  4. Verify the changes by starting and stopping the server:
    1. <profiles_path>/<profileName>/bin/startServer.sh server1
    2. <profiles_path>/<profileName>/bin/stopServer.sh server1 -user <userName> -password <password>

Configure WebSphere for non root user

This part is only applicable for user running on RedHat/aix. Windows user can skip this section.
Configuring WebSphere for ifs user is mandatory for the installation scenario to work.

  1. Log on as root.

    The following steps needs to be done for each profiles in the cluster, including the deployment manager.

    Set the <ifs user> as the owner of the profile of WebSphere Application Server:

    1. cd <was_home>/profiles
    2. chown -R <ifs user> <profile_name>

    Example:

    1. [root@rhel profiles]# chown -R ifs:ifs Dmgr01

    2. [root@rhel profiles]# chown -R ifs:ifs Custom01

    3. [root@rhel profiles]# chown -R ifs:ifs Custom0N

    Note that the custom profiles might reside on different machines.
  2. As root, grant <ifs user> write access to external lib folder in WebSphere installation root
    1. cd <was_home>/
    2. chmod -R 775 lib/ext/

    Example:
    [root@rhel Appserver]# chmod 775 lib/ext/

  3. Log in as <ifs user>
  4. Verify the changes by starting and stopping the server:
    1. <profiles_path>/<profileName>/bin/startServer.sh server1
    2. <profiles_path>/<profileName>/bin/stopServer.sh server1 -user <userName> -password <password>

Setup Nodes
    The nodes need some additional setup which is not covered during the installation. This is the first part out of two where the second step will be performed after the installation has been done.
  1. On all nodes except for the node hosting the deployment manager copy the file <build_home>/server/javaruntime/ifs-was-user-registry.jar to <was_home>/lib/ext
    Example: In the above example showing the cluster, copy the file to Node B but not Node A.

Verify

RedHat/aix: As <ifs user> make sure the server can be started and stopped.

Windows: Make sure the server can be started and stopped.
Check the server output logs and try to determine the cause.

RedHat/aix: Make sure that WebSphere has been configured for a non root user.