firststeps command

The firststeps command starts the First steps console. The First steps console is a post-installation ease-of-use tool for directing WebSphere Application Server ND elements from one place. Options display dynamically on the First steps console, depending on features that you install and the availability of certain elements on a particular operating system platform. Options include verifying the installation, starting and stopping deployment manager and appserver processes, creating profiles, accessing the admin console, accessing the online information center, the Samples gallery.

 

First steps overview

A prompt to launch the First steps console displays on the last panel of the Profile Management Tool.

This version lets you start the Profile Management Tool to get started defining a cell, a management profile, and appservers for the cell. A cell consists of a dmgr profile and a federated application server profile. We can also define standalone appservers. Each profile has its own First steps console.

We can also start the First steps console from the command line as described later in this topic. First steps consoles exist for the cell profile, the management profiles, the standalone application server profile, and the custom profile. The secure proxy profile only has a first steps console when installed and configured on a DMZ Secure Proxy Server node.

Option	Product	Profiles
		Cell *		Management (Deployment Manager, Administrative Agent, and Job Manager)	Standalone Application Server	Custom	Secure Proxy
		Cell Deployment Manager	Cell Node
Installation verification	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Start and stop the dmgr	No	Yes	No	Yes (deployment manager)	No	No	No
Start and stop the server	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Administrative console	No	Yes (if available)	No	Yes (if available)	Yes (if available)	No	Yes
Samples gallery (when feature exists)	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
Information center	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Migration wizard	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Exit	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

* When launching the First steps console from the Profile Management Tool in a cell-creation flow, the dmgr instance is used.

 

Option descriptions

Installation verification

This option starts the installation verification test. The test consists of starting and monitoring the deployment manager or the standalone appserver during its start up.

If this is the first time that we have used the First steps console since creating a dmgr or standalone appserver profile, click Installation verification to verify the installation. The verification process starts the deployment manager or the appserver.

The Start the dmgr option or the Start the appserver option is unavailable while the IVT runs. The IVT provides the following useful information about the dmgr or the appserver:

• Name of the server process

• Name of the profile

• Profile path, which is the file path and the name of the profile

• Type of profile

• Cell name

• Node name

• Current encoding

• Port number for the admin console, which is 9060 by default

• Various informational messages that include the location of SystemOut.log and how many errors are listed within the file

• Completion message

Start the server

This option toggles to Stop the server when the appserver runs.

This option displays when the First steps console is in a standalone appserver profile or a cell profile.

After selecting the Start the server option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the server is open for e-business. Then the menu item toggles to Stop the server and both the Administrative console option and the Samples gallery option enable.

If you select the Start the server option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the application server runs.

Start the dmgr

This option toggles to Stop the dmgr when the dmgr runs.

This option displays when the First steps console is in a dmgr profile or a cell profile.

After selecting the Start the deployment manager option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the dmgr is open for e-business. Then the menu item changes to Stop the dmgr.

If you select the Start the dmgr option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the deployment manager runs.

Start the admin agent

This option toggles to Stop the admin agent when the admin agent runs.

This option displays when the First steps console is in an admin agent profile.

After selecting the Start the admin agent option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the admin agent is open for e-business. Then the menu item changes to Stop the admin agent.

If you select the Start the admin agent option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the admin agent runs.

Start the job manager

This option toggles to Stop the job manager when the job manager runs.

This option displays when the First steps console is in a job manager profile or a cell profile.

After selecting the Start the job manager option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the job manager is open for e-business. Then the menu item changes to Stop the job manager.

If you select the Start the job manager option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the job manager runs.

Administrative console

This option is unavailable until the appserver or dmgr runs.

The administrative console is a configuration editor that runs in one of the supported web browsers. The admin console lets you work with XML configuration files for the standalone appserver or the dmgr and all of the appservers that are in the cell. To launch the admin console, click Administrative console or point the browser to http://localhost:9060/ibm/console. Substitute the host name for localhost if the address does not load. Verify the installation to verify the administrative console port number, if 9060 does not load.

Avoid trouble: If installing WAS on these operating systems, then disable IPv6 and restart the machine to view and log on to the admin console.

The admin console prompts for a login name. This is not a security item, but merely a tag to identify configuration changes that you make during the session. Secure signon is also available when admin security is enabled.

The installation procedure in the information center cautions you to write down the admin user ID and password when security is enabled during installation. Without the ID and password, we cannot use the administrative console or scripting.

Profile Management Tool

This option starts the Profile Management Tool, which can create standalone appserver profiles, a management profile, a cell profile, a secure proxy profile, or a custom profile.

Each profile has its own admin interface. A custom profile is an exception. A custom profile is an empty node that we can federate into a dmgr cell and customize. No default server processes or applications are created for a custom profile.

Each profile also has its own First steps console except for the secure proxy profile.

Samples gallery

This option starts the Samples gallery. The option is unavailable until you start the appserver. The option displays when you have installed the samples during installation. To launch the Samples gallery, click Samples gallery or point the browser to http://localhost:9080/WSsamples. The web address is case sensitive.

Substitute your own host name and default host port number if the address does not load. Verify the port number by opening the admin console and clicking Servers > Application servers > server_name > [Communications] Ports. Use the WC_defaulthost port number value or the WC_defaulthost_secure value instead of 9080, which is the default.

If you do not install the Samples during the initial installation of WAS ND, the option does not display on the First steps console. We can perform an incremental installation to add the Samples feature. After adding the Samples, the option displays on the First steps console.

Information center for

This option links you to the online information center.

Migration wizard

This option starts the Migration wizard, which is the graphical interface to the migration tools.

Exit

This option closes the First steps console.

 

Location of the command file

The location of the firststeps command that starts the First steps console for a profile is:

profile_root/firststeps/firststeps.sh

 

Parameters

No parameters are associated with this command.

 

Syntax for the firststeps command

Use the following syntax for the command:

./firststeps.sh

 

Link tips

The following links exist on the First steps console for the WAS ND product:

ND provides different types of profiles. Not all profiles have all of the links shown in the table.

Option	Link
Installation verification	Calls the ivt command... $PROFILE_ROOT/bin/ivt.sh
Start the server	Calls the startServer command. $PROFILE_ROOT/bin/startServer.sh server_name When we have more than one appserver on the same machine, the command starts the same appserver that is associated with the First steps console.
Stop the server	Calls the stopServer command. profile_root/bin/stopServer.sh server_name
Start the dmgr	Calls the startManager command. profile_root/bin/startManager.sh When we have more than one dmgr on the same machine, the command starts the same dmgr that is associated with the First steps console.
Stop the dmgr	Calls the stopManager command. profile_root/bin/stopManager.sh
Administrative console	Opens the default browser to the http://localhost:9060/ibm/console web address. When we have more than one appserver on the same machine, the port varies. The First steps console starts the administrative console that is associated with the First steps console. Avoid trouble: If installing WAS ND on the Windows Vista operating system, then disable IPv6 and restart the machine to view and log on to the administrative console.
Profile Management Tool	The command file name is: APP_ROOT/bin/ProfileManagement/pmt.sh
Samples gallery	Opens the default browser to the http://localhost:9080/WSsamples Web address.
Information center for WebSphere Application Server products	Opens the default browser to the online information center.
Migration wizard	Calls the migration command APP_ROOT/bin/migration.sh The migration tools are also in the /migration folder on the supplements disk.

Related information

Configure WAS after installation
Use the installation verification tool