i5/OS: Install WebSphere Portal with a response file

 

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  1. Overview
  2. Notes on installing WebSphere Portal with a response file
  3. Response file parameters
  4. Local install
  5. Remote install

 

Overview

Using a response file, we can install IBM WebSphere Portal without entering any information during the installation itself. Information you would normally enter as the installation progresses is instead gathered from the response file, which we can edit in advance to suit the needs.

Installing with a response file is well suited to situations where the use of a graphical installation program is impractical or undesirable, or where you want to install WebSphere Portal on multiple machines with a similar setup.

A sample response file, installresponse.txt, is located in the root directory of the Setup CD. Using a text editor, we can modify the values in this response file and use the Save as function to save the new response file to the local file system.

If you have not already done so, review Installation scenarios before installing WebSphere Portal.

 

Notes on installing WebSphere Portal with a response file

  • Hardware and software prerequisites should already be installed.

  • We can override values in the response file by entering them on the command line itself.

  • All values MUST BE ENCLOSED in double quotes ( "" ).

  • The response file you want to use must be on the same system as the Setup CD. In other words, if you are installing locally, the response file you want to use for the installation must be saved on the IBM iSeries server. If you are installing remotely, the file must be saved on the Windows PC.

  • Only use the response file parameters documented here. The example response file may include parameters that are not valid for WebSphere Portal v6.0.

  • We cannot install two profiles of the portal server at the same time, even in different directories. You must install each portal server completely before beginning the installation of the next one.

 

Response file parameters

The following parameters can be specified in the response file or directly on the command line when issuing the install command. All values MUST BE ENCLOSED in double quotes ( "" ).

Parameter default Description
-silent SILENT INSTALL CHOICE

Specify this parameter if you want to install WebSphere Portal silently. When installing silently, the installation program will not display any graphical interface panels or solicit input from the user.

If a required parameter is not specified in this response file, an error message will be logged.

To use this response file but do not want to install silently, comment the parameter out.

-G licenseAccepted="false" LICENSE ACCEPTANCE

Accept or reject the license agreement for WebSphere Portal. By default it is set to false. Set it to true for the silent install to complete successfully:

-G licenseAccepted="true"
-W wasAdmin.user="wasadmin"
-W wasAdmin.password=""
WEBSPHERE APPLICATION SERVER ADMINISTRATIVE USER AND PASSWORD

Enter the user ID and password for the IBM WAS administrator.

-W portalAdmin.user
-W portalAdmin.password
WebSphere Portal ADMINISTRATOR USER ID AND PASSWORD

Specify the user ID and password of the WebSphere Portal administrator.

-W cdSetup.cdPath="/cdimg/A-Setup" SETUP CD LOCATION

Required for: Traditional and Archive install

Directory path to the Setup CD. Although this can be to a CD-ROM drive, for unattended installation this location is more likely to be a directory where electronic product images are stored, such as on a network drive.

Be sure to follow the convention for specifying path information on the platform.

-W basicConfig.choice="yes" BASIC CONFIGURATION OPTION (iSeries ONLY)

Specify whether you want to perform basic configuration of WebSphere Portal automatically when WebSphere Portal is installed. Although typically you will perform basic configuration automatically, there might be some situations where you want to install WebSphere Portal without performing configuration.

Note that if you do not perform configuration during installation, rerun the installation program to perform the configuration steps and completely install WebSphere Portal.

Values:

  • "yes" - Basic configuration is performed automatically as part of the WebSphere Portal installation. This is the default value and is assumed if the basicConfig.choice parameter is not specified.

  • "no" - Basic configuration is not performed during installation, but must be performed through this installation program to completely install WebSphere Portal.

-W iSeriesdetectProfileAction.profileName="profile_root" USER SPECIFIED PROFILE NAME OPTION (iSeries ONLY)

Specify the name of WAS profile to be created, where profile_root is the name of the WAS profile where WebSphere Portal is installed. An example is

-W iSeriesdetectProfileAction.profileName="wp_profile9"

Enter option all on one line.

-W iSeriesStartingPort.startingPort="port" USER SPECIFIED STARTING PORT for WAS PROFILE CREATION (iSeries ONLY) Specify the starting port that will be used in creating the WAS profile. An example is

-W iSeriesStartingPort.startingPort="12345"
# -W emptyPortal.active="True"

INSTALL AN EMPTY WebSphere Portal

Specify that WebSphere Portal is to be installed without portlets or pages. This parameter is useful when you want to transfer an entire portal configuration from one portal to another, for example transferring a test portal environment to a production portal environment.

Values: The default value is "True" but the line is commented out. If you wish to use this parameter just remove the preceding pound sign '#'.

 

Install WebSphere Portal locally with a response file

To install WebSphere Portal locally on the iSeries system, follow the instructions below:

  1. Insert the WebSphere Portal Setup CD into the iSeries system.

  2. Open an OS/400 command prompt and start the Qshell Interpreter by entering the following:

    STRQSH

  3. Change to the root directory of the CD by entering the following:

    cd /qopt/cd_root

    ...where cd_root is the root directory of the WebSphere Portal Setup CD.

  4. Enter the following to start installation:

    install.sh -options "path_to_file/filename.txt"

    ...where path_to_file is the full path to the response file containing the values you want to use for the installation, and filename.txt is the name of the file.

  5. For security reasons, remove all user IDs and passwords from the response file when installation has completed.

  6. Return to Installation scenarios to complete the installation process.

 

Install WebSphere Portal remotely with a response file

To install WebSphere Portal remotely from a Windows workstation connected to the iSeries system, follow the instructions below:

  1. Disable any firewalls before beginning installation.

  2. Insert the WebSphere Portal Setup CD.

  3. Open a DOS command prompt and change to the root directory of the CD. For example, to change from the C:\ drive to the CD root directory on drive E:/, you would enter the following:

    cd /D E:/cd_root

    ...where cd_root is the root directory of the WebSphere Portal Setup CD. Note that the /D command is only necessary when changing from one drive to another.

  4. Enter the following to start installation:

    install400.bat ISERIES_SYSTEM USER_ID PASSWORD -options path_to_file/filename.txt

    ...where ISERIES_SYSTEM is the name of the iSeries system on which you are installing WebSphere Portal, USER_ID and PASSWORD are the user ID and password you use to log on to that system, path_to_file is the full path to the response file containing the values you want to use for the installation, and filename.txt is the name of the file.

  5. For security reasons, remove all user IDs and passwords from the response file when installation has completed.

  6. Return to Installation scenarios to complete the installation process.

    We can install more than one copy of WebSphere Portal on the same machine and have each WebSphere Portal operate independently of the others. Each copy of WebSphere Portal must be installed on a separate WAS profile.

    If an installation has already been completed, running the installation program again presents the default option of Config only. This option allows the addition of more than one portal on the same iSeries server where WebSphere Portal was installed. This option has the identical functions as the Install and configure option.

 

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