Migrate Web server configurations

 

You can migrate a Web server from supporting an earlier version of WAS to support the current version.

 

Procedure

1. Install the IBM HTTP Server Version 6.x and its plug-in or a plug-in for another supported Web server. Install the HTTP Server and its plug-in on a different machine with the following procedure:

   1. Insert the product disk into the machine.

   2. Close the launchpad if it starts automatically.

   3. Change directories to the IHS directory on the product disk.

   4. Install the IBM HTTP Server.Run the appropriate installation script for your platform.

      • InstallIHS.sh

      • InstallIHS.bat

      This script installs the plug-in that we need and makes the necessary configuration changes for the supported Web server.

   IBM HTTP Server V6.1 can coexist with earlier versions, or you can upgrade earlier versions to V6.1. Upgrading relieves you from having to uninstall and reinstall the HTTP server. Install V6.1 into the same directory structure as the earlier version to upgrade that version. If you install the HTTP Server into a different directory, V6.1 coexists with the previous version. By default, the administration server and the Web Server use the same ports as the previous version, which causes a conflict. However, you can change the port assignments on the port assignment panel of the WAS Installation wizard or the Profile Management tool. See Installing the product and additional software.

   • Change the port number assignments for the new installation if you install into a separate directory. You can change port numbers on the coexistence panel. You can back track through the Installation wizard and change the port settings if you have not already done so. Or, you can change the port settings after installation in the httpd.conf file in the HTTP Server directory.

   • Update the IBM HTTP Server httpd.conf configuration entries to remove entries for earlier WAS versions if you install into the same directory as an earlier version.

     Versions 5.x, 6.0.x, and 6.1 of WAS use the same HTTP transport plug-in binary module. If the Web server configuration file contains WebSphere Application Server V5.x or 6.0.x plug-in information, manually remove it. Otherwise when the HTTP Server attempts to start the second V6.1 plug-in binary module, there is an error. The error indicates that the module is already loaded. The configuration file might contain duplicate entries for accessing WAS samples. Remove any aliases for previous versions and retain the V6.1 entries:

     V5.x installation:
     Alias /WSsamples "c:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\WSsamples"
     Alias /IBMWebAS/ "c:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\web\"
     
     V6.0.x installation:
     Alias /WSsamples "c:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\WSsamples"
     Alias /IBMWebAS/ "c:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\web\"
     
     V6.1 installation:
     Alias /WSsamples "c:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\WSsamples"
     Alias /IBMWebAS/ "c:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\web\"
     
     

2. Migrate plug-ins to work with WAS V6.1. Starting with WAS V6.0, the following are true:

   • Web servers can be represented in the console.

   • The Web server plug-in configuration file (plugin-cfg.xml) is associated with every Web server definition instead of one cell-wide plug-in configuration file.

   • The settings in the generated plug-in configuration file are based on the list of applications that are deployed on the hosting Web server.

   Use the following steps to generate a Web server plug-in configuration file that is based on topology. This method was used for generated plug-in configuration files in previous releases.

   1. Use the GenPluginCfg command to generate the plug-in configuration file.

      See GenPluginCfg command.

   2. Manually propagate the generated plug-in configuration file from the machine on which the WAS resides to the remote Web server.

   3. Use the Plug-ins installation wizard to configure the Web server. Instead of using the default plug-in configuration file location, specify the new location of the plug-in configuration file that was propagated in the previous step.

      See Installing Web server plug-ins.

   You should migrate to the application-centric approach that uses the Plug-ins installation wizard. The Plug-ins installation wizard generates scripts that can be used to create the Web server definition for that Web server and to map all of the applications that are currently deployed to the newly created Web server definition.

 

What to do next

Migrating from WAS V5.x: This information is only applicable if you migrated from WAS V5.x; it is not applicable if you migrated from V6.0.x.

• The plug-in configuration file (plugin-cfg.xml) generated after successful migration from V5.x to V6.1 is topology centric—that is, it includes all the applications within a cell. You can manage this cell-wide plug-in configuration file from the V6.1 console, by using the GenPluginCfg command, or by using the Plug-in Config Generator MBean. See GenPluginCfg command.

  Be aware that regenerating the plug-in configuration can overwrite manual configuration changes that you might want to preserve.

• The application-centric generation of the plugin-cfg.xml file is supported using the V6.x console. Being application centric means that the plugin-cfg.xml file generated in the administration console has a granularity that allows each application to be mapped to its specific Web or appserver.

• To set up the console so used to it to manage the Web server plug-in configuration, first create a default Web server configuration and then use the console to add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file to this Web server configuration.

  • To create a default Web server configuration and then add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file in a ND configuration, use the V6.x administrative console to perform the following tasks:

    1. Create a default Web server configuration.

       See Setting up a local Web server or Setting up a remote Web server.

    2. Add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file to this Web server configuration.

       See Communicating with Web servers and Web server plug-in configuration properties.

  • To create a default Web server configuration and then add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file in a standalone appserver configuration, perform the following tasks:

    1. Use the V6.x Plug-ins installation wizard to create a default Web server configuration.

       See Installing Web server plug-ins.

    2. Use the V6.x console to edit the configuration and define the plug-in properties.

       See Communicating with Web servers and Web server plug-in configuration properties.

Migrating from WAS V6.0.x: This information is only applicable if you migrated from WAS V6.0.x; it is not applicable if you migrated from V5.x.

• If you are migrating a Web server and plug-ins from WebSphere Application Server V6.0.x to V6.1, the configureWebserverDefintion.jacl script does not update all of the information related to the Web server. You must recreate the V6.0.x Web server definition for V6.1.

  The configureWebserverDefintion.jacl script updates all of the information related to the Web server plug-in such as the locations of the plug-in installation root, log file, configuration file, and key store on the Web-server machine. However, the script does not update other properties related to the Web server if the Web server definition already exists.

• To recreate the Web server definition, perform the following actions:

  1. Delete the existing V6.1 Web server definition by performing one of the following actions:

     • Use the following wsadmin commands:

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

     • Use the console to perform the following actions:

       1. From the console, click Servers > Web servers.

       2. Select the Web server to delete, and click Delete.

  2. Create a new V6.1 Web server definition using the configureweb_server_name script generated by the plug-in installer.

---

Overview of migration, coexistence, and interoperability
Premigration considerations

 

Related tasks

Installing IBM HTTP Server
Edit Web server configuration files
Web server plug-in properties