Use the DataPower appliance manager

The DataPower appliance manager automatically starts if you issue a request to the DataPower appliance manager and it is not already started. We can initiate a request , or by selecting any of the console pages that enable you to view or change settings for DataPower appliances, firmware, or managed sets, or the administrative console page used to monitor DataPower appliance manager tasks. The appliance manager also automatically starts when the deployment manager starts if there are any DataPower appliances configured in the appliance manager.

The first time that you use the DataPower appliance manager, add at least one appliance to the appliance manager. Before adding an appliance to the appliance manager, verify that:

• The appliance that you are adding is at a Version 3.6.0.4 or higher firmware level. The appliance manager cannot manage an appliances that is not at a Version 3.6.0.4 or higher firmware level.

• The appliance manager can communicate with the port used for the XML Management interface AMP endpoint on the appliance. The appliance manager uses this port to send commands to an appliance.

• The appliance can communicate with the port used for the DataPowerMgr_inbound_secure endpoint on the deployment manager. The appliance uses this port to send events to the appliance manager.

• The Appliance Management Protocol (AMP) endpoint is enabled for each appliance. If the XML Management interface AMP endpoint was disabled during installation, use the DataPower WebGUI to enable the AMP endpoint.

• There is not a firewall between the deployment manager and the appliances that will be part of a managed set. If there is a firewall between the deployment manager and the appliances, that firewall might prevent the appliance manager from communicating with the appliances in a managed set.

Avoid trouble: Remember that the XML management interface port, which defaults to port number 5550, is different from the Web Management Service port, which defaults to port number 9090. The DataPower appliance manager uses the XML management interface port to manage the DataPower appliances. Use Web Management Service port to access the WebGUI on the DataPower appliance. We can use the same user ID and password to access both the XML management interface and the WebGUI. gotcha

When the DataPower appliance manager starts, it automatically starts the channel chain which causes a bind to the port defined for the DataPower appliance manager.

To access the DataPower appliance manager, in the console, click Servers > DataPower, and then perform one or more of the following actions. As previously stated, if this is the first time that you are using the DataPower appliance manager, add at least one appliance to the appliance manager before completing any of the other actions.

If we need to shut down the DataPower appliance manager, in the console, click Servers > DataPower > Appliance manager, and then click Shutdown Manager.

• Add an appliance to the DataPower appliance manager.

• Add a new firmware version to the DataPower appliance manager.

• Create a new managed set.

• Monitor the tasks that are queued for the DataPower appliance manager
  

• Modify appliance manager settings.

• Manage the DataPower appliance domins.

• View the managed domains history.

• Manage versions of sharable appliance settings.

What to do next

We can configure SSL for the DataPower appliance manager.

Subtopics

• WebSphere DataPower appliance manager overview
  WebSphere DataPower appliance manager provides a set of capabilities for managing sets of appliances. DataPower appliance manager can be used to manage appliances with a 3.6.0.4 or higher level of firmware.

• Add DataPower appliances to the DataPower appliance manager
  We can use the DataPower appliance manager provided with the product to administer a DataPower appliance. After we add an appliance to the DataPower appliance manager, we can make it part of a managed set of appliances if we want the DataPower appliance manager to keep the shared appliance settings for this appliance synchronized with the shared appliance settings of the other appliances that are part of that managed set.

• Replace a DataPower appliance
  If a problem occurs that makes a DataPower appliance unable to function properly, we can use the DataPower appliance manager to copy the configuration of that appliance to a different appliance.

• Add new firmware versions to the DataPower appliance manager
  We can use the DataPower appliance manager to add a new firmware version to the DataPower appliance manager. Appliances that the DataPower appliance manager manages must have a 3.6.0.4 or higher firmware level.

• Add a new managed set
  Add a new managed set to synchronize settings for multiple appliances. A managed set is a grouping of appliances that share the same shareable appliance settings, managed domains and firmware version. Shareable appliance settings and managed domains are propagated to the subordinate appliances from the master appliance.

• Modify DataPower appliance manager settings
  We can change the global settings that apply to the DataPower appliance manager.

• Monitoring tasks that DataPower appliance manager is handling
  Use this page to view the status of long running requests, or tasks, that are queued for the DataPower appliance manager to complete.

• Administer managed domain versions
  We can change the version of a managed domain that the DataPower appliance manager uses for a managed set, or we can copy a version of a managed domain to another managed set.

• Manage versions of sharable appliance settings
  Every time that sharable appliance settings are changed, the DataPower appliance manager automatically creates a copy of the new shareable appliance settings as a new settings version. We can view a list of all of the available settings versions that are available for an managed set, we can change which version is the active version, or we can copy a version to another managed set.

• Administer DataPower appliance domains
  A DataPower appliance domain is a group of configuration information for an appliance. By default, these domains are unmanaged. We can use the console to change an unmanaged domain to a managed domain, or to change a managed domain to an unmanaged domain. However, we cannot use the console to configure a domain. We must use the DataPower WebGUI to configure a domain. See the DataPower WebGUI documentation for information about configuring a domain.

• Secure Socket Layer communication with DataPower
  Based on the default installations of the application server and the DataPower appliance manager, secure sockets layer (SSL) communication is used to send commands and receive events. The default SSL configuration used by the DataPower appliance manager can be strengthened by customizing the SSL connection. Modifying the default SSL configuration is optional and only needs to be done if the default configuration is not sufficient for the requirements.

• Add the DataPower signer certificate to the WAS default truststore to enable an SSL connection
  When configuring a DataPower appliance when security is enabled, the signer certificate of the DataPower server must be added to the WAS default truststore to enable an SSL connection to be made from WebSphere Application Server to the DataPower server.

Related tasks

Set up the DataPower appliance manager

dpManagerCommands (AdminTask)

Appliance manager settings