Configure a Web server
Overview
By default WebSphere Portal uses the internal HTTP transport within WAS to handle requests. WAS also supports the use of an external Web server, either local or remote, to forward requests to Portal, through the use of a Web server plug-in, which is configured using the plugin-cfg.xml file.
To set up the WAS plug-in for use with the Web server...
- Ensure that the Web server is installed and configured.
- After the Web server is successfully installed and running, stop the Web server.
- Install the plug-in on the machine where the Web server is located:
- Launch the WAS installation program on the CD-ROM in...
was_cd_root/operating_system/WAS- Click Next on the welcome panel, indicate that you accept the license agreement, and click Next.
- Select Custom.
- On the features panel, deselect all features except Web Server Plugins and the entry for the specific Web server for which you are installing the plug-in, such as IBM HTTP Server.
- Specify the directory path where you want to install the files. This path must be the same as that used for the WAS that you are using with the Web server.
- Specify the location of the Web server configuration file or other required files, if appropriate. For example, the config file for IBM HTTP Server is...
$IHS_ROOT/conf/httpd.conf- Complete the installation.
There are additional manual steps required to complete the Web server plug-in installation for Lotus Domino V5, Lotus Domino V6, IIS V6.0, and Sun Java System Web Server V6.0 and later.
- Verify the WAS plug-in installation by checking the Web server configuration.
For example, if you install the IBM HTTP Server plug-in on a UNIX box, the plug-in installation updates...
$IHS_ROOT/conf/httpd.conf...with the following lines...
LoadModule ibm_app_server_http_module "/opt/WebSphere/AppServer/bin/mod_ibm_app_server_http.dll" WebSpherePluginConfig "/opt/WebSphere/AppServer/config/cells/plugin-cfg.xml"Note for IBM HTTP Server V2.0.47.1 users: Because the WAS installation program installs support for IBM HTTP Server V1.3.28.1 by default, manually edit the httpd.conf file and replace the previous lines with the following information:
LoadModule was_ap20_module "/opt/WebSphere/AppServer/bin/mod_was_ap20_http.dll" WebSpherePluginConfig "/opt/WebSphere/AppServer/config/cells/plugin-cfg.xml"- Update the WAS plug-in settings by completing the following steps:
- Ensure that the WAS administrative server is running...
cd $WAS_HOME/bin startServer.sh servername- Configure the WAS virtual host:
- Open the administrative console by accessing the following URL in a browser:
http://<hostname.setgetweb.com>:9090/admin- After logging in, click through...
Environment | Virtual Hosts | default_host | Host Aliases | New- Enter the host.name and port number of the machine where the Web server is installed. Click OK.
- Click Save.
- Regenerate the Web server plug-in settings:
administrative console | Environment | Update Web Server Plugin- Remote Web server only: Copy...
$WAS_HOME/config/cells/plugin-cfg.xml...to the machine where the Web server is installed. Ensure that you copy the file to same directory on the remote Web server machine.
- Restart the Web server.
- Verify the Web server plug-in configuration:
- Check the plug-in logs (the location of logs is specified in the plugin-cfg.xml file).
- Check the connection to WAS: Using a Web browser, request a URL to be served by WAS. For example,...
http://<webserver_hostname>:<port_number>/snoop- Ensure that WebSphere Portal is running by executing...
startServer.sh WebSphere_Portal- Verify that WebSphere Portal can be accessed from the Web server. For example, open a browser to...
http://<webserver_hostname>:<port_number>/wps/portal.
Access WebSphere Portal through another HTTP port
By default WebSphere Portal is configured to be accessed through the internal HTTP port in WAS. For example, a typical installation might use port 9081, and the portal would be accessed with a URL like...
http://hostname.setgetweb.com:9081/wps/portalThe default host.name and port used by WebSphere Portal are specified by the WpsHostName and WpsHostPort properties in the wpconfig.properties file.
After configuring WebSphere Portal to use an external Web server, you will access the portal with the Web server host.name and port (80). In addition, you will be unable to access the portal using the WebSphere Portal host name and port (9081), unless there is a corresponding virtual host definition for port 9081 in the WAS configuration.
Many of the WebSphere Portal configuration tasks rely on the WpsHostName and WpsHostPort properties from the wpconfig.properties file. Ensure that WebSphere Portal can be accessed using the host.name and port specified by these property values. You can do this in one of two ways:
- Modify the WpsHostName and WpsHostPort property values to specify the Web server host.name and port.
- Add the appropriate virtual host definition, as described below.
If you want to access WebSphere Portal using a host.name and port different from the Web server, add the required virtual host definition using the WAS administrative console. Cluster note: In a clustered environment use the deployment manager administrative console to perform these steps.
- Go to...
Environment | Virtual Hosts | hostname | Host Aliases- Verify whether there is a host.name and port entry corresponding to the values used to access WebSphere Portal (for example, *:9081). If the entry does not exist, click New, and enter the information for the host.name and port you want to use.
- Save the changes.
- Regenerate the Web server plug-in.
- If you are using a remote Web server, copy the updated plugin-cfg.xml file to the Web server machine.
WebSphere is a trademark of the IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
IBM is a trademark of the IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.