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Installing, updating, rolling back, and uninstalling the Application Client for IBM WebSphere Application Server

IBM Installation Manager is a common installer for many IBM software products that you use to install, update, roll back, and uninstall the Application Client for IBM WebSphere Application Server.

Before you start to use the installation tools, prepare for choosing and installing the variety of options and features provided by the Application Client. Read through all the steps in this article and read the related articles before installing the Application Client:

IBM recommends that we have 350 MB of temporary disk space available before starting the installation.

Restrictions:

• Application Client for WebSphere Application Server ships only with the 32-bit WebSphere Application Server.

• Installation Manager console mode, which is included in Installation Manager Version 1.4.3 and later, does not work with WebSphere Application Server v8.5 offerings on systems other than z/OS.

Although almost all of the instructions in this section of the information center will work with earlier versions of IBM Installation Manager, the information here is optimized for users who have installed or upgraded to Installation Manager Version 1.5 or later.

The Application Client provides resources and clients to aid development of client applications for use with WebSphere Application Server. The Application Client is a source for the clients (as runtime frameworks) for client applications, either to run on the Application Client machine or to be distributed with client applications that are to run on other machines.

To assemble some types of client applications, we need to install the client that provides the framework for the client application. Instead of installing WebSphere Application Server, we can install the Application Client feature, which provides the same resources and clients to aid development of client applications.

Similarly, running some types of client applications for use with WebSphere Application Server requires that the associated client is deployed with the client application. For client applications that only need a small fraction of the Application Client, we can install the Application Client onto a machine, such as the machine used to develop the client application, then package the client application with only the clients that it needs. For example, this means that a standalone client application is deployed on only the required fraction of the clients provided with the Application Client.

For information on installing and removing fix packs for WebSphere Application Server offerings on distributed operating systems using the Installation Manager command line, read the following articles in this information center:

• Install fix packs on distributed operating systems using the command line

• Uninstall fix packs from distributed operating systems using the command line

• Install the Application Client using the GUI
  

• Install the Application Client using response files
  

• Install the Application Client using the command line
  

• Install features in the Application Client
  

• Install fix packs on the Application Client using the GUI
  

• Uninstall fix packs from the Application Client using the GUI
  

• Uninstall the Application Client using the GUI
  

• Uninstall the Application Client using response files
  

• Uninstall the Application Client using the command line
  

Results

Notes on logging and tracing:

• An easy way to view the logs is to open Installation Manager and go to File > View Log. An individual log file can be opened by selecting it in the table and then clicking the Open log file icon.

• Logs are located in the logs directory of Installation Manager's application data location. For example:

  • Administrative installation:
    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\IBM\Installation Manager\logs

  • Non-administrative installation:
    C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\IBM\Installation Manager\logs

  • 
    Administrative installation:

    /var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs

  • 
    Non-administrative installation:

    user_home/var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs

• The main log files are time-stamped XML files in the logs directory, and they can be viewed using any standard web browser.

• The log.properties file in the logs directory specifies the level of logging or tracing that Installation Manager uses. To turn on tracing, for example, create a log.properties file with the following content:

  com.ibm.ws=DEBUG
  com.ibm.cic.agent.core.Engine=DEBUG
  global=DEBUG

  Restart Installation Manager as necessary, and Installation Manager outputs traces.

Notes on troubleshooting:

• By default, some HP-UX systems are configured to not use DNS to resolve host names. This could result in Installation Manager not being able to connect to an external repository.

  We can ping the repository, but nslookup does not return anything.

  Work with the system administrator to configure the machine to use DNS, or use the IP address of the repository.

• In some cases, we might need to bypass existing checking mechanisms in Installation Manager.

  • On some network file systems, disk space might not be reported correctly at times; and we might need to bypass disk-space checking and proceed with the installation.

    To disable disk-space checking, specify the following system property in the config.ini file in IM_install_root/eclipse/configuration and restart Installation Manager:

    cic.override.disk.space=sizeunit

    where size is a positive integer and unit is blank for bytes, k for kilo, m for megabytes, or g for gigabytes. For example:

    cic.override.disk.space=120 (120 bytes)
    cic.override.disk.space=130k (130 kilobytes)
    cic.override.disk.space=140m (140 megabytes)
    cic.override.disk.space=150g (150 gigabytes)
    cic.override.disk.space=true

    Installation Manager will report a disk-space size of Long.MAX_VALUE. Instead of displaying a very large amount of available disk space, N/A is displayed.

  • To bypass operating-system prerequisite checking, add disableOSPrereqChecking=true to the config.ini file in IM_install_root/eclipse/configuration and restart Installation Manager.

  If use any of these bypass methods, contact IBM Support for assistance in developing a solution that does not involve bypassing the Installation Manager checking mechanisms.

• For more information on using Installation Manager, read the IBM Installation Manager Version 1.6 Information Center.

  Read the release notes to learn more about the latest version of Installation Manager. To access the release notes, complete the following task:

  • Click Start > Programs > IBM Installation Manager > Release Notes.

  • Go to the documentation subdirectory in the directory where Installation Manager is installed, and open the readme.html file.

Subtopics

• Install the Application Client using the GUI
  We can use the Installation Manager GUI to install the Application Client.

• Install the Application Client using response files
  We can install the Application Client using Installation Manager response files.

• Install the Application Client using the command line
  We can install the Application Client using the Installation Manager command line.

• Install features in the Application Client
  We can use Installation Manager to install or remove a feature in the Application Client for IBM WebSphere Application Server.

• Install fix packs on the Application Client using the GUI
  We can update the Application Client to a later version using the Installation Manager GUI.

• Uninstall fix packs from the Application Client using the GUI
  We can roll back the Application Client to an earlier version using the Installation Manager GUI.

• Uninstall the Application Client using the GUI
  Use the Installation Manager GUI to uninstall the Application Client.

• Uninstall the Application Client using response files
  We can uninstall the Application Client using Installation Manager response files.

• Uninstall the Application Client using the command line
  We can uninstall the Application Client using the Installation Manager command line.

Related tasks

Install the Application Client using the GUI

Install the Application Client using response files

Install the Application Client using the command line

Install features in the Application Client

Install fix packs on the Application Client using the GUI

Uninstall fix packs from the Application Client using the GUI

Uninstall the Application Client using the GUI

Uninstall the Application Client using response files

Uninstall the Application Client using the command line