Configure multiple Web servers and remote stand-alone appservers

 

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Overview

This procedure describes installing multiple Web servers and their Web server plug-ins for WAS on one machine and on multiple appservers on another machine.

This topology lets each profile have unique applications, configuration settings, data, and log files, while sharing the same set of system files. Creating multiple profiles creates multiple appserver environments that you can then dedicate to different purposes.

For example, each appserver on a Web site can serve a different application. In another example, each appserver can be a separate test environment that you assign to a programmer or a development team.

When multiple profiles exist, the plug-ins installer configures only the default profile.

If the WAS product family supports a particular brand of Web server, such as...

• IBM HTTP Server
• Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

...then the WAS product provides a binary plug-in for the Web server.

If the WAS product family does not provide a binary plug-in for a particular brand of Web server, then the Web server is not supported. The purpose of the binary plug-in is to provide the communication protocol between the Web server and the appserver.

Although not required, IBM recommends installing the Web server and the WAS product before installing the plug-ins for the supported Web server.

Each new new profile requires a new Web server. Use the Plug-ins installation wizard to configure the binary plug-in module for the new Web server.

The Plug-ins installation wizard...

• Installs the plug-in module
• Configures the Web server for communicating with the appserver
• Creates a Web server configuration definition in the appserver

If you are planning to add the appserver node into a deployment manager cell but have not done so yet, start the deployment manager and federate the node before installing the plug-in. You cannot add an appserver with a Web server definition into the deployment manager cell.

The following topology is considered a remote topology because the Web server is on a separate machine.

A deployment manager by itself is also considered a remote scenario if the deployment manager has no managed nodes. Although multiple appservers are not shown in the preceding diagram, Machine B could have more than one appserver profile.

 

Procedure

1. Log on to the operating system.

   

2. Select a umask allows the owner read/write access to files, and allows others read access.

   For root, a umask of 022 is recommended. For non-root users a umask of 002 or 022 could be used, depending on whether or not the users share the group.

   To verify the umask setting,...

   umask

   To set the umask setting to 022,...

   umask 022

   When installing on a Windows system, a Windows service is automatically created to autostart the appserver if the installer user account has the following advanced user rights:

   • Act as part of the operating system

   • Log on as a service

   For example, on some Windows systems, click...

   Administrative Tools | Local Security Policy | User Rights Assignments

   ...to set the advanced options.

   If you plan to run the appserver as a Windows service, do not install from a user ID that contains spaces. A user ID with spaces cannot be validated. Such a user ID is not allowed to continue the installation. To work around this problem, install with a user ID that does not contain spaces.

3. Install WAS ND on Machine A.

4. Create the first appserver profile using the Profile Management tool on Machine A.

5. Install the IBM HTTP Server or another supported Web server on Machine B.

6. Launch the Plug-ins installation wizard on the machine with the Web server.

   Select the Plug-ins installation wizard from the launchpad or change directories to the plugin directory on the product disc or in the downloaded installation image and issue the install command.

7. Clear the check box for the roadmap.

8. Accept the license agreement.

9. If your system does not pass the prerequisites check, stop the installation, correct any problems, and restart the installation.

   If your system passes the prerequisites check, click Next.

   Look for the appropriate log file for information about missing prerequisites:

   • If you stop the installation, see the temporaryPluginInstallLog.txt file in the temporary directory of the user who installed the plug-ins. For example, the file...

     /tmp/temporaryPluginInstallLog.txt

     ...might exist if the root user installed the plug-ins on an operating system such as AIX or Linux.

   • If you continue the installation in spite of warnings about missing prerequisites, see...

     plugins_root/logs/install/log.txt

     ...after the installation is complete.

   See Troubleshooting installation for more information about log files.

10. Select the type of Web server that you are configuring and click Next.

    The Plug-ins installation wizard panel prompts you to identify the Web servers to configure. Actually you can select only one Web server each time you run the Plug-ins installation wizard.

    Stop any Web server while you are configuring it. A step later in the procedure directs you to start the Web server as you begin the snoop servlet test.

    If you select the Web server identification option labeled None, the Web server installs the binary plug-ins but does not configure the Web server.

11. Select Web server machine (remote) and click Next.

12. Accept the default location for the installation root directory for the plug-ins. Click Next.

    You can type another new directory or click Browse to select an empty directory. The fully qualified path identifies the plug-ins installation root directory.

    The default location is shown in Directory conventions.

    A possibility exists that the Web server might run on a platform that WAS does not support.

13. Click Browse to select the configuration file for your Web server, verify that the Web server port is correct, and then click Next when you are finished.

    Select the file and not just the directory of the file. Some Web servers have two configuration files and require you to browse for each file.

    The following list shows configuration files for supported Web servers:

    Apache HTTP Server

    apache_root/config/httpd.conf

    Domino Web Server

    names.nsf and Notes.jar

    The wizard prompts for the notes.jar file. The actual name is Notes.jar.

    The Plug-ins installation wizard verifies that the files exist but the wizard does not validate either file.

    IBM HTTP Server

    IHS_root/conf/httpd.conf

    Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

    The Plug-ins installation wizard can determine the correct files to edit.

    Sun ONE Web Server 6.0 or Sun Java System Web Server, V6.1

    obj.conf and magnus.conf

    The wizard displays a naming panel for the nickname of the Web server definition.

14. Specify a nickname for the Web server. Click Next when you are finished.

    The wizard uses the value to name configuration folders in the plug-ins installation root directory. The wizard also uses the name in the configuration script for the appserver to name the Web server definition.

    If the appserver profile already has a Web server definition, delete the Web server definition before continuing...

    $AdminTask deleteServer { -serverName webserver1 -nodeName webserver1_node }
    $AdminTask removeUnmanagedNode { -nodeName webserver1_node }
    $AdminConfig save

    webserver1 is the Web server name.

15. Accept the default location for the plugin-cfg.xml file that the wizard creates on the Web server machine, then click Next.

    You can type a change to the value or click Browse to select a file in another location. If you do not accept the default location, the plugin-cfg.xml file must exist.

16. Identify the host name or IP address of Machine A, which is the appserver machine, then click Next.

17. Examine the summary panel. Click Next when you are finished.

    The panel notifies you that you have manual steps to perform to complete the installation and configuration. The type of Web server, the nickname of the Web server, and the location of the plugin-cfg.xml file displays on the panel.

    The Plug-ins installation wizard creates...

    plugins_root/bin/configureWebServerName.sh

    ...on Machine B.

    The Plug-ins installation wizard also creates the plugin-cfg.xml file in...

    plugins_root/config/WebServerName

    The Web server reads the plugin-cfg.xml file to determine the applications that the appserver on Machine A can serve to the Web server on Machine B. Whenever the configuration changes, the appserver regenerates the file. When regeneration occurs, propagate, or copy the actual plugin-cfg.xml file from the appserver machine to the Web server machine. You can automatically propagate the file to the IBM HTTP Server product.

18. Click Next on the pre-installation summary panel to begin the installation or click Back to change any characteristics of the installation.

    The panel specifies the plug-ins installation root directory, the Web server plug-ins feature, and the disc size of the code that installs when you click Next.

19. After the wizard installs the code and creates the uninstaller program, examine the post-installation summary panel. Click Next when you are finished to display the Plug-ins installation roadmap.

    The Plug-ins installation wizard installs the binary plug-in module. On a Linux system, for example, the installation creates plugins_root directory.

    The directory...

    plugins_root/config/WebServerName

    ...contains the plugin-cfg.xml file.

    The wizard displays the name and location of the configuration script and the plugin-cfg.xml file.

    The wizard also displays the type of Web server that is configured and the nickname of the Web server.

    If a problem occurs and the installation is unsuccessful, examine the logs in...

    plugins_root/logs

    Correct any problems and reinstall.

20. Close the road map and click Finish to exit the wizard.

    Log files from the installation are in...

    plugins_root/logs/install

21. Copy the configureWebServerName script from Machine B to...

    app_server_root/bin

    ...on Machine A.

    WebServerName is the nickname of the Web server specified in step 12. WebServerName is not a vendor name, such as IIS or Apache.

    On an operating system such as AIX or Linux, the file is configureWebServerName.sh.

    On a Windows system, the file is configureWebServerName.bat.

    For example, on a Linux system with an IBM HTTP Server named web_server_1 in the default location, copy...

    plugins_root/bin/configureweb_server_1.sh

    ...from Machine B to...

    app_server_root/bin

    ... on Machine A.

    If one platform is a system such as AIX or Linux and the other is a Windows platform, copy the script from the crossPlatformScripts directory.

    For example:

    • UNIX:

      plugins_root/bin/configureWebServerName.sh

    • Windows:

      plugins_root/bin/crossPlatformScripts/configureWebServerName.bat

22. Compensate for file encoding differences to prevent script failure.

    The content of the configureWebServerName.bat script or the configureWebServerName.sh script can be corrupt if the default file encoding of the two machines differs. This scenario is possible when one machine is set up for a double-byte character set (DBCS) locale and the other machine is not.

    Determine the file encoding and use one of the following procedures to circumvent the failure. To determine the default file encoding, run the appropriate command.

    • Run the following command on a system such as AIX or Linux:

      locale

    • Run the following command on a Windows machine:

      CHCP

    Use the result of the command on each machine as the value of the web_server_machine_encoding variable and the application_server_machine_encoding variable in one of the following procedures.

    Procedures for compensating for encoding differences

    Suppose that the Web server is running on a Linux machine and ND is running on a Windows machine.

    Web server running on a system such as AIX or Linux

    Run the following command on the system to encode the script file that configures the Web server definition, before you FTP the file to the Windows machine in binary mode:

    iconv -f web_server_machine_encoding -t application_server_machine_encoding configureWebServerName.bat

    Omit the continuation characters (\) if you enter the command on one line.

    The name of the Web server (nick name) is used in the name of the script file.

    The name cannot contain characters from a double-byte character set (DBCS) if you intend to set up IBM HTTP Server for automatic propagation.

    Suppose that the Web server is running on a Windows machine and ND is running on a machine with a system such as AIX or Linux.

    Web server running on a Windows machine

    Run the following command on the machine with a system such as AIX or Linux to encode the script file that configures the Web server definition, after you FTP the file in binary mode:

    iconv -f web_server_machine_encoding -t application_server_machine_encoding configureWebServerName.sh

    Omit the continuation characters (\) if you enter the command on one line.

    If the conversion mapping is not supported by the iconv command on your system, copy the contents of the Web server configuration script to a clip board and paste it onto the machine where the appserver is running.

23. Start the appserver on Machine A. Use the startServer command...
    profile_root/bin/startServer.sh server1

24. Open a command window and change to the profile directory where the Web server should be assigned. Run the script that you copied to Machine A. You will need the following parameters:

    Profile Name (Optional) Admin user ID (Optional) Admin user password
    
    

    For example:

    configurewebserver1.sh Dmgr01 myUserID myPassword

    The webserver will be configured via wsadmin.

25. From the console of the deployment manager, click...

    System administration | Save Changes to Master Repository | Synchronize changes with Nodes | Save

26. Domino Web server only:

    Set the WAS_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILE environment variable.

    On platforms such as AIX or Linux, sourcing a script to the parent shell allows child processes to inherit the exported variables.

    On Windows systems, run the script as you would run any other command. Sourcing is automatic on Windows systems.

    • UNIX:

      .   plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh

    • Windows:

      source plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh

    The script is also in the lotus_root/notesdata directory on operating systems such as AIX or Linux.

    Issue the appropriate command for the script before starting the Domino Web Server.

27. Regenerate the plugin-cfg.xml file on Machine A using the console. Click Servers > Web server. Select the Web server, then click Generate Plug-in.

    During the installation of the plug-ins, the default plugin-cfg.xml file is installed on Machine B in...

    plugins_root/config/WebServerName

    The Web server plug-in configuration service regenerates the plugin-cfg.xml file automatically. To use the current plugin-cfg.xml file from the appserver, propagate the plugin-cfg.xml file as described in the next step.

    This step shows you how to regenerate the plugin-cfg.xml file. WAS products are configured to automatically regenerate the file each time a significant event occurs. Such events include installing applications on the appserver and the Web server, for example. Creating a new virtual host is another such event.

28. Propagate the plugin-cfg.xml file from the appserver to the Web server using the console. Click Servers > Web server. Select the Web server, then click Propagate Plug-in. Web servers other than IBM HTTP Server require manual propagation.

    The Web server plug-in configuration service propagates the plugin-cfg.xml file automatically for IBM HTTP Server 6.0 only. For all other Web servers, propagate the plug-in configuration file by manually copying the plugin-cfg.xml file from...

    profile_root/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/node_name/servers/WebServerName

    ...Machine A to...

    plugins_root/config/WebServerName

    ...on Machine B.

29. Start the Snoop servlet to verify the ability of the Web server to retrieve an application from the Application Server.

    Test your environment by starting your Application Server, your Web server, and using the snoop servlet with an IP address.

    1. Start the Application Server. In a ND environment, the Snoop servlet is available in the cell only if you included the DefaultApplication when adding the Application Server to the cell. The -includeapps option for the addNode command migrates the DefaultApplication to the cell. If the application is not present, skip this step. Change directories to...

       profile_root/bin

       ...and run the startServer command:

       ./startServer.sh server1

    2. Start the IBM HTTP Server or the Web server that you are using.

       Use a command window to change the directory to the IBM HTTP Server installed image, or to the installed image of your Web server. Issue the appropriate command to start the Web server, such as these commands for IBM HTTP Server:

       To start the IBM HTTP Server from the command line:

       Access the apache and apachectl commands in the IBMHttpServer/bin directory.

       • ./apachectl start

       • apache

    3. Point your browser to http://localhost:9080/snoop to test the internal HTTP transport provided by the Application Server. Point your browser to http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the Web server plug-in.

       The HTTP Transport port is 9080 by default and must be unique for every profile. The port is associated with a virtual host named default_host, which is configured to host the installed DefaultApplication and any installed Samples. The snoop servlet is part of the DefaultApplication. Change the port to match your actual HTTP Transport port.

    4. Verify that snoop is running.

       Either Web address should display the Snoop Servlet - Request/Client Information page.

        

    5. Remote IBM HTTP Server only:

       Verify that the automatic propagation function can work on a remote IBM HTTP Server by using the following steps. This procedure is not necessary for local Web servers.

       1. Create a user=adminUser, password=adminPassword in the IHS_root /conf/admin.passwd file.

          For example: c:\ws\ihs60\bin\htpasswd -cb c:\ws\ihs60\conf\admin.passwd adminUser adminPassword

       2. Use the console of the deployment manager or the Application Server to enter the User ID and password information that you created for the administrative user of IBM HTTP Server. Go to...

          Servers | Web server | Web_server_definition | Remote Web server administration

          Set the following values...

          admin Port=8008
          User Id=adminUser
          Password=adminPassword

       3. Set the correct read/write permissions for the httpd.conf file and the plugin-cfg.xml file. See the file...

          IHS_root/logs/admin_error.log

          ...file for more information.

       Automatic propagation of the plug-in configuration file requires the IBM HTTP administrative server to be up and running. If you are managing an IBM HTTP Server using the console, the following error might display:

       "Could not connect to IHS Administration server error"

       Perform the following procedure to correct the error:

       1. Verify that the IBM HTTP Server administration server is running.

       2. Verify that the Web server host name and the port that is defined in the console matches the IBM HTTP Server administration host name and port.

       3. Verify that the fire wall is not preventing you from accessing the IBM HTTP Server administration server from the WAS administrative console.

       4. Verify that the user ID and password that is specified in the WebSphere Application Server console under remote managed, is created in the admin.passwd file, using the htpasswd command.

       5. If you are trying to connect securely, verify that you export the IBM HTTP Server administration server keydb personal certificate into the WebSphere Application Server key database as a signer certificate. This key database is specified by the com.ibm.ssl.trustStore directive in the sas.client.props file in the profile where your console is running. This consideration is primarily for self-signed certificates.

       6. If you still have problems, check the IBM HTTP Server admin_error.log file and the WAS logs (trace.log file) to determine the cause of the problem.

30. Create the second appserver profile using the Profile Management tool on Machine A. Make the profile the default profile during the profile creation by selecting the check box on the appropriate panel.

    The script that the Plug-ins installation wizard creates only works on the default profile. So, this script can create only a Web server definition on the profile that is the default profile at the time that the script runs.

31. Install a second IBM HTTP Server or another supported Web server on Machine B.

32. On Machine B, install the Web server plug-ins to configure the second Web server using the Plug-ins installation wizard. Both Web servers share a single installation of the plug-in binaries but must be configured individually.

33. The Plug-ins installation wizard creates a script named configureweb_server_name for the second Web server. The script is in the plugins_root/bin directory on Machine B. Copy the script to the app_server_root/bin directory on Machine A.

34. Start the second appserver.

35. Run the configureweb_server_name script to create a Web server definition in the console. You can then use the console to manage the Web server.

36. Propagate the plugin-cfg.xml file from the second appserver to the Web server using the console.

    Click Servers > Web server > Propagate Plug-in. Web servers other than IBM HTTP Server require manual propagation.

37. Run the snoop servlet on the second Web server to verify that it is operational.

 

Results

This procedure results in installing two or more appservers on one machine and installing dedicated Web servers on another machine. This procedure installs the Web server plug-ins for both Web servers and configures both Web servers and both appservers.

 

What to do next

See Selecting a Web server topology diagram and roadmap for an overview of the installation procedure.

See Edit Web server configuration files for information about how the Plug-ins installation wizard configures supported Web servers.

See Web server configuration for more information about the files involved in configuring a Web server.

For IHS Web servers, you can stop and start the Web server and propagate the plugin-cfg.xml file from the WAS machine to the Web server machine.

For all other Web servers, you can not start/stop or propagate the plugin-cfg.xml file in the admin console. You will need to propagate the plugin-cfg.xml file manually. The following three steps describes how to perform manual propagation:

1. After completion of configuration with Web servers other than IHS 6.x, verify that the plugin-cfg.xml file exists at...

   WAS_HOME/profiles/profile/config/cells/cell/nodes/server/servers/webserver_definition

2. Transfer the above plugin-cfg.xml to replace...

   PLUGIN_HOME/config/webserver_definition/plugin-xfg.xml

3. Restart the Web server and corresponding profile.

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Related tasks

Installing Web server plug-ins