Set a Web server and an appserver profile on the same machine

 

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This procedure describes installing a Web server and Web server plug-in for WAS and the appserver on the same machine.

When multiple profiles exist, the plug-ins installer configures only the default profile. See Plug-ins configuration for a description of the flow of logic that determines how the installer selects the profile to configure.

If WAS v7 family supports a particular brand of Web server, such as IBM HTTP Server or Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), then WAS v7 provides a binary plug-in for the Web server that install.

If WAS v7 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 application server.

Suppose created a new profile. Suppose also to use a Web server. You must install a new Web server for the new profile and use the Plug-ins installation wizard to install the binary plug-in module and to configure both the Web server and the appserver.

If the Web server is not already installed, we can still install the plug-ins for future use. If WAS v7 is not installed, we can still install the plug-ins. However, it is recommended that you install the Web server and WAS v7 before installing the plug-ins for the supported Web server.

This procedure configures the appserver profile that is the default profile on the machine. A one-to-one relationship exists between a Web server and the application server.

However, a stand-alone appserver profile and a managed profile can each have multiple Web servers defined, each in a separate Web server definition.

This page describes how to create the following topology:

The set of steps leading up to the next diagram show how to configure a stand-alone appserver. The set of steps after the next diagram show how to configure an appserver that is federated into a dmgr cell.

Non-root installation for the plug-in component is only supported if the application server was also installed by the same non-root user. Otherwise the Web server configuration scripts will fail to run against the appserver installation.

The wizard performs three steps to properly configure a Web server. The wizard performs the steps in the following order:

1. The wizard installs the unique binary plug-in module for the supported Web server after collecting the following information:

   • The type of Web server

   • The location of the configuration file for the Web server that the wizard configures

   • The plug-ins installation root directory for the Web server plug-in modules that the wizard installs

   • The installation root directory of WAS v7, where the wizard creates a Web server definition

   If administrative security is enabled, the Plug-ins installation wizard prompts for the admin user ID and password for the profile.

2. The wizard prompts you for the location of the configuration file or files for the Web server. You must browse for and select the correct file.

   The wizard edits the configuration file or files for a Web server by creating directives that point to the location of the binary plug-in module and the plug-in configuration file.

   The name of the binary plug-in module varies per Web server type. The plug-in configuration file is always plugin-cfg.xml.

3. The wizard creates a Web server definition in the configuration of the appserver unless one already exists.

   Use the admin console to manage the Web server configuration. For example, when you install an application on the appserver, we can also choose to install it on the Web server definition. If so, the updated plugin-cfg.xml file shows that the new application is available. When the Web server reads the updated plug-in configuration file, the Web server becomes aware of the new application that it can serve to Web clients.

   If we choose not to install the new application on the Web server definition, the application is not added to the plug-in configuration file. The Web server is not aware of the application and cannot serve it to Web clients.

Use the following procedure to install the Web server plug-in, configure the Web server, and create a Web server definition in the default appserver profile.

 

1. Log on to the operating system. If installing as a non-root or non-administrative user, then there are certain limitations. See the documentation for non-root installation for more information. [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris]

   In addition, select a umask that allows the owner to read/write to the files, and allows others to access them according to the prevailing system policy. 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, issue the following command:

   umask

   To set the umask setting to 022, issue the following command:

   umask 022

   (Windows) When installing as an administrative user on a Windows operating system, a Windows service is automatically created to autostart the appserver. The installer user account must have the following advanced user rights:

   • Act as part of the operating system

   • Log on as a service

   For example, on some Windows operating systems, click Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > User Rights Assignments to set the advanced options. See the Windows operating system documentation for more information.

   (Windows) If we 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 restriction, install with a user ID that does not contain spaces.

2. Install WAS ND on the machine.

   Read the "Installing WAS and additional software" topic for more information.

3. Install the IBM HTTP Server or another supported Web server on the machine.

   See Install IBM HTTP Server or refer to WAS documentation for the Web server for more information.

4. Stop the stand-alone appserver before installing the Web server plug-ins. For example, assuming that the profile name is default, use one of the following commands.

   • [AIX] /usr/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/default/ bin/stopServer.sh server1

   • [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris]

     /IBM/WAS/AppServer/ profiles/default/bin/stopServer.sh server1

   • (Windows) C: Program Files\ IBM\WebSphere\ AppServer\profiles\ default\bin\stopServer.sh server1

5. Launch the Plug-ins installation wizard on the machine.

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

6. Clear the check box for the roadmap or select the check box to view the roadmap, then click Next.

   If unsure of which installation scenario to follow, display the roadmap instead. Print and keep the roadmap as a handy overview of the installation steps.

   Press Ctrl-P to print the roadmap if the Web browser navigation controls and the menu bar are not present on the browser window that displays the Plug-ins roadmap. Press Ctrl-W to close the browser window if the navigation controls and the menu bar do not display. Or close the browser window with the window control in the title bar.

7. Read the license agreement and accept the agreement it if we agree to its terms. Click Next when we are finished.

8. If the system does not pass the prerequisites check, stop the installation, correct any problems, and restart the installation. If the system passes the prerequisites check, click Next.

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

   • If we stop the installation, see the temporaryPluginInstallLog.txt file in the temporary directory of the user who installed the plug-ins. For example, the /tmp/temporaryPluginInstallLog.txt file might exist if the root user installed the plug-ins on an operating system such as AIX or Linux.

   • If we continue the installation in spite of warnings about missing prerequisites, see the PLUGINS_ROOT/logs/install/log.txt file after the installation is complete.

   Read the "Troubleshooting installation" topic for more information about log files.

9. Select the type of Web server that we are configuring and click Next.

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

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

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

10. Select Application Server machine (local) and click Next.

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

    We 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.

    Restriction: The installation directory cannot contain any unsupported characters. See "Object names: what the name string cannot contain" for more information.

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

12. Click Browse on the appserver Installation Location panel to browse for the location of the appserver profile if necessary. Click Next when the installation root directory is correct.

    The fully qualified path identifies the installation root directory for WAS v7, which is referred to as the APP_ROOT throughout the information center.

13. Enter an admin user ID and password if administrative security is enabled on the appserver.

14. Click Browse to select the configuration file for the 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

    Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

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

    Sun Java System Web Server (formerly Sun ONE Web Server and iPlanet Web Server) V6.0 and later

    obj.conf and magnus.conf

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

15. Specify a nickname for the Web server. Click Next when we 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. Use the following commands to delete the Web server definition:

    $AdminTask deleteServer { -serverName webserver1 -nodeName webserver1_node }

    $AdminTask removeUnmanagedNode { -nodeName webserver1_node }

    $AdminConfig save

    In these commands, webserver1 is the Web server name.

16. Specify the location for plugin-cfg.xml and click Next.

    This is a critical selection. See Plug-ins configuration for a description of the logic that determines what path is configured by default.

    The following possibilities exist for the default location of the plug-in configuration file. The wizard determines the characteristics of the appserver to determine the best path for the file:

    • An appserver that has an existing Web server definition has the following path:

      PLUGINS_ROOT/config/ web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

    • A stand-alone appserver that does not have a Web server definition has the following path:

      $WP_PROFILE/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/ web_server_name_node/servers/ web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

    We can accept the default value if the appserver does not have a Web server definition.

    Use an existing Web server definition

    If the appserver has a Web server definition, the wizard cannot create a new Web server definition within the appserver configuration. However, the wizard can reconfigure the Web server. Click Browse and select the existing plugin-cfg.xml file in the application server configuration. To find the plug-in configuration file in a stand-alone appserver, follow this file path:

    $WP_PROFILE /config/cells/cell_name/nodes/ web_server_name_node/servers/ web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

    If the existing web_server_name is different than the nickname that you gave the Web server in the wizard, click Back to return to the naming panel for the Web server and change the name to match the existing Web server definition name. If we cannot find an existing plugin-cfg.xml file after all, install the temporary plugin-cfg.xml file. In such a case, type the path to the plug-ins installation root directory so that the wizard can install the temporary plug-in configuration file:

    PLUGINS_ROOT/config/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

17. Click Next after verifying the characteristics of the plug-ins installation or click Back to make changes.

    Once created, a Web server definition on a stand-alone appserver node cannot be removed except through scripting. (See Uninstall the Web server plug-ins for WAS for the procedure.)

    You can, however, reuse the same definition for a different type of Web server. Run the Plug-ins installation wizard to configure a new Web server in that situation. The Plug-ins installation wizard configures the new Web server to use the existing plugin-cfg.xml file.

18. Click Next on the pre-installation summary panel to begin the installation or click Back to change any characteristics of the installation. The wizard begins installing the plug-ins and configuring the Web server and the appserver.

    The wizard shows an installation status panel as it installs the plug-ins.

    The wizard displays the Installation summary panel at the completion of the installation.

19. Verify the success of the installation on the Installation summary panel and click Finish to exit the wizard.

    If a problem occurs and the installation is unsuccessful, examine the logs in the PLUGINS_ROOT/logs directory. Correct any problems and reinstall.

20. 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.

    1. Open a command window.

    2. Change directories to the plug-ins installation root directory.

    3. Issue the appropriate command for the PLUGINS_ROOT/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh script:

       • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Solaris]

         . PLUGINS_ROOT/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh (Notice the space between the period and the installation root directory.)

       • (Linux) 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.

21. Start the Snoop servlet to verify the ability of the Web server to retrieve an application from the appserver.

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

    1. Start the appserver. In an ND environment, the Snoop servlet is available in the cell only if we included the DefaultApplication when adding the appserver 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 the $WP_PROFILE/bin directory and run the startServer command:

       • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris]

         ./startServer.sh server1

       • (Windows) startServer server1

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

       To start the IBM HTTP Server from the command line: Access the apache and apachectl commands in the IBMHttpServer/bin directory.

       • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris]

         ./apachectl start

       • (Windows) apache

    3. Point the browser to http://localhost:9082/snoop to test the internal HTTP transport provided by the appserver. Point the browser to http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the Web server plug-in.

       The HTTP Transport port is 9082 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 the 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 admin console of the deployment manager or the appserver to enter the User ID and password information createdd for the admin 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, =adminPassword.

       3. Set the correct read/write permissions for httpd.conf and plugin-cfg.xml. See the IHS_root /logs/admin_error.log file for more information.

       Automatic propagation of the plug-in configuration file requires the IBM HTTP admin server to be up and running. If managing an IBM HTTP Server using the WAS admin 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 WAS admin 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 admin console.

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

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

       6. If we 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.

22. Set a Web server and a distributed appserver profile on the same machine.

    The rest of these steps describe how to configure an appserver that is federated into a dmgr cell.

    The following topology is considered a local distributed topology because it involves a cell:

    

    This part of the procedure assumes that we have already installed WAS ND on both machines. Also assumed is that you have already configured a dmgr profile on Machine A and an application server profile on Machine B.

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

    A Web server definition on a federated application server is installed on the same managed node as the appserver. There is one node, but with two server processes, the appserver and the Web server definition.

    If installing the plug-ins for use with a federated appserver, start the dmgr. Verify that the node agent process on the managed node is also running. Both the deployment manager and the node agent must be running to successfully configure a managed node.

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

    See Install IBM HTTP Server or refer to WAS documentation for the Web server for more information.

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

25. Clear the check box for the roadmap or select the check box to view the roadmap, then click Next.

26. Read the license agreement and accept the agreement it if we agree to its terms, then click Next.

27. If wer system does not pass the prerequisites check, stop the installation, correct any problems, and restart the installation. If the system passes the prerequisites check, click Next.

28. Select the type of Web server that we are configuring, then click Next.

29. Select Application Server machine (local) and click Next.

30. Accept the default location for the installation root directory for the plug-ins, then click Next.

31. Click Browse on the appserver installation location panel to browse for the location of the appserver profile, if necessary. Click Next when the installation root directory is correct.

32. Click Browse to select the configuration file for the Web server, verify that the Web server port is correct, and then click Next.

33. Specify a nickname for the Web server, then click Next.

34. Specify the location for plugin-cfg.xml and click Next.

    This is a critical selection. A federated appserver that does not have a Web server definition has the following path:

    $WP_PROFILE/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/ node_name_of_AppServer/servers/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

    An appserver that has an existing Web server definition has the following path:

    PLUGINS_ROOT/config/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

    See Plug-ins configuration for a description of the logic that determines what path is configured by default.

35. Click Next after verifying the characteristics of the plug-ins installation or click Back to make changes.

    Use the admin console of the dmgr to delete an existing Web server or to create new ones. Federated nodes can have more than one Web server definition.

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

    The wizard begins installing the plug-ins and configuring the Web server and the application server.

    The wizard shows an installation status panel as it installs the plug-ins.

    The wizard displays the Installation summary panel at the completion of the installation.

37. Verify the success of the installation on the Installation summary panel and click Finish to exit the wizard.

38. Complete the installation by creating the Web server definition.

    You can use the admin console of the dmgr to create the Web server definition on a federated node. Or, we can run the configuration script that the Plug-ins installation wizard created.

    The script already contains all of the information that gather when using the admin console option. Select one of the following options:

    • Use the admin console

      Click Servers > Web servers > New and use the Create new Web server entry wizard to create the Web server definition.

    • Run the configuration scriptIssue the appropriate command from a command window:

      • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris]

        ./PLUGINS_ROOT/bin/configureweb_server_name.sh

      • (Windows) PLUGINS_ROOT\bin\configureweb_server_name.bat

      If we have enabled security or changed the default JMX connector type, edit the script and include the appropriate parameters on the wsadmin command.

39. From the admin console of the dmgr, click System administration > Save Changes to Master Repository > Synchronize changes with Nodes > Save.

40. Source the Domino Web server script if necessary.

41. Start the snoop servlet.

    See the snoop procedure for the stand-alone appserver for the full procedure.

 

Results

The installation of the binary plug-in modules results in the creation of the Plugins directory and several subdirectories.

The following directories are among those created on a Linux system...

• PLUGINS_ROOT/uninstall contains the uninstaller program
• PLUGINS_ROOT/bin contains the binary plug-ins for all supported Web servers
• PLUGINS_ROOT/logs contains log files
• PLUGINS_ROOT/properties contains version information
• PLUGINS_ROOT/roadmap contains the roadmap for the Plug-ins installation wizard

The Plug-ins installation wizard creates a Web server definition within the application server profile unless one already exists.

The Plug-ins installation wizard configures the Web server to use the $WP_PROFILE/plugin-cfg.xml file. The appserver regenerates the Web server plug-in configuration file, plugin-cfg.xml whenever an event occurs that affects the file. Such events include the addition or removal of an application, server, or virtual host. The stand-alone appserver regenerates the file in the following location:

$WP_PROFILE/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/web_server_name_node/servers/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

On a federated node, the creation or removal of clusters and cluster members also causes file regeneration. The dmgr regenerates the file for a federated appserver in the following location:

$WP_PROFILE/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/node_name_of_AppServer/servers/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml

 

Next steps

We can start a stand-alone appserver and the Web server immediately after installing of the binary plug-in for the local Web server. Open the admin console of the appserver after you start the server and save the changed configuration.

After installing the binary plug-in for the local Web server, we can start a federated appserver and the Web server after running the configuration script that completes the installation. Open the admin console of the deployment manager. Wait for node synchronization to occur. Save the changed configuration that includes the new Web server definition.

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

See Plug-ins configuration for information about the location of the plug-in configuration file.

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

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

See Install Web server plug-ins for information about other installation scenarios for installing Web server plug-ins.

 

Related concepts

Plug-ins configuration
Web server configuration

 

Related tasks

Install Web server plug-ins