Network Deployment (Distributed operating systems), v8.0 > Set up intermediary services > Implement a web server plug-in > Administer web servers from the administrative console
Web server definition
To administer or manage a web server , create a web server definition or object in the WAS repository.
The creation of this object is exclusive of the actual installation of a web server. The web server object in the WAS repository represents the web server for administering and managing the web server from the administrative console.
The web server object contains the following web server properties:
- installation root
- port
- configuration file paths
- log file paths
In addition to web server properties, the web server contains a plug-in object. The plug-in object contains properties that define the plugin-cfg.xml file.
The definitions of the web server object are made using the wsadmin command or the administrative console. We can also define a web server object in the WAS repository using the profile create script during installation, a .jacl script, and by wizard.
There are three types of WAS nodes upon which you can create a web server. The type depends on the version of WAS, as follows:
- Managed node. A node that contains a node agent. This node can exist only in a dmgr environment. The importance of defining a web server on a managed node is that the administration and configuration of the web server is handled through the node agent from the administrative console. Support for administration and configuration through the administrative console is limited to IBM HTTP Server only. Non-IBM HTTP Server web servers must be on a managed node to handle plug-in administrative functions and the generation and propagation of the plugin-cfg.xml file.
- Stand-alone node. A node that does not contain a node agent. This node usually exists in WAS (base) or WAS, Express environment. A stand-alone node can become a managed node in a dmgr environment after the node is federated . A stand-alone node does not contain a node agent, so to administer and manage IBM HTTP Server, there must be an IBM HTTP Server administration server installed and running on the stand-alone machine that the node represents. IBM HTTP Server ships with the IBM HTTP Server administration server and is installed by default. Support for administration and configuration through the administrative console is limited to IBM HTTP Server only.
- Unmanaged node. A node that is not associated with a WAS node agent. This node cannot be federated. Typically, the unmanaged node represents a remote machine that does not have WAS installed. However, you can define an unmanaged node on a machine where WAS is installed. This node can exist in aWAS (base), WAS, Express, or dmgr environment. An unmanaged node does not contain a node agent, so to administer and manage IBM HTTP Server, an IBM HTTP Server administration server must be installed and running on the stand-alone machine that the node represents. Support for administration and configuration through the administrative console is limited to IBM HTTP Server only.
Web servers, which are not IBM HTTP Servers for WAS, are not fully administered from the WAS administrative console. The administration functions for Web servers, which are not IBM HTTP Servers for WAS, are:
- On managed nodes:
- Web server status in the web server collection panel or serverStatus.sh
- Generation of the plugin-cfg.xml
- Propagation of the plugin-cfg.xml
- On unmanaged nodes:
- Web server status in the web server collection panel or serverStatus.sh
- Generation of the plugin-cfg.xml