Allow web servers to access the administrative console

This topic describes how to add the virtual host that servers the administrative console to the plug-in configuration file so that we can access the administrative console through a web server.

Note: If a web server is in a configuration, its port must be higher than 1023 to use a nonroot node agent. Otherwise the node agent must be running as root in order for the administrative console of the deployment manager to stop and start the web server process in that managed node.

Install your WebSphere Application Server product, a web server, the Web Server Plug-ins, and the WebSphere Customization Toolbox.

(dist) The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool creates a web server definition on the application server system, either directly when they are on the same machine or by a script for remote scenarios.

(iseries) When you configure a web server plug-in, a Web server definition is created on the application server system, either directly when they are on the same machine or by a script for remote scenarios.

After creating the web server definition, the plug-in configuration file exists within the web server definition.

The plugin-cfg.xml file can be overwritten by the deployment manager synchronization operation, the GenPluginCfg script or any other method that regenerates the file. If we make changes to the plugin-cfg.xml file, and want to keep those changes, IBM recommends that we create a copy of the file in a separate location. Make the manual updates each time the file is automatically refreshed by another process.

This task gives you the option of configuring the admin_host so that web servers can access the administrative console. When the web server plug-in configuration file is generated, it does not include admin_host on the list of virtual hosts.

1. Use the administrative console to change the admin_host virtual host group to include the web server port (80 by default).

   1. Click Environment > Virtual Host > admin_host > Host Aliases > New.

      The default port that displays is 80, unless specified a different port during profile creation.

   2. Specify the IP address, or the name of the machine that is hosting the HTTP server.

      For example, if you installed a WAS product on a machine that is named waslwaj.rtp.ibm.com, specify the name in this field.

2. Click Apply > Save.

3. Stop and restart the application server.

   For example, to access the administrative console of a stand-alone application server, stop and restart the server1 process.

   (dist) To stop server1, open a command window and navigate to the profile_root/bin directory. Then issue the following command:

   ./stopServer.sh server1

   (iseries) Start a Qshell session and run the following command:

   cd profile_root/bin
   stopServer server1

   Then issue the following command to stop the application server:
   stopServer -profileName myProfile server1

   After receiving the following message, we can restart the application server:

   Server server1 stop completed.

   To start the application server, issue the following command:

   (dist)

   ./startServer.sh server1

   (iseries)

   startServer server1

   (dist) When you receive a message that is similar to the following message, the server1 process is running:

   Server server1 open for e-business; process id is 1719

   (iseries) When the application server is running, a message is displayed that indicates that the process is running. This message includes the iSeries job ID and the administrative console port.

4. Stop and restart a deployment manager.

   For example, to access the administrative console of a deployment manager, stop and restart the deployment manager.

   (dist) To stop the deployment manager, open a command window and navigate to the profile_root/bin directory. Then issue this command:

   ./stopManager.sh

   (iseries) Start a Qshell session and run the following command:

   cd profile_root/bin

   Then issue the following command to stop the deployment manager:

   (dist)

   ./stopManager.sh

   (iseries)

   stopManager

   After receiving the following message, we can restart the deployment manager:

   Server dmgr stop completed.

   To start the deployment manager, issue the following command:

   (dist)

   ./startManager.sh

   (iseries)

   startManager

   (dist) When you receive a message that is similar to the following message, the deployment manager is running:

   Server dmgr open for e-business; process id is 1720

   (iseries) When the deployment manager is running, a message is displayed that indicates that the process is running. This message includes the iSeries job ID and the administrative console port.

5. Edit the plugin-cfg.xml file to include the following entries:

   (dist)

   <VirtualHostGroup Name="admin_host">
           <VirtualHost Name="*:9060"/>
           <VirtualHost Name="*:80"/>
           <VirtualHost Name="*:9043"/>
       </VirtualHostGroup>
       ...
       ...
       ...
       <ServerCluster Name="server1_SERVER1HOSTserver1_Cluster">
           <Server LoadBalanceWeight="1" Name="SERVER1HOSTserver1_dmgr">
               <Transport Hostname="SERVER1HOST" Port="9060" Protocol="http"/>
           </Server>
                    <PrimaryServers>
               <Server Name="SERVER1HOSTserver1_dmgr"/>
           </PrimaryServers>
       </ServerCluster>
       ...
       ...
       ...
       <UriGroup Name="admin_host_server1_SERVER1HOSTserver1_Cluster_URIs">
           <Uri AffinityCookie="JSESSIONID"
               AffinityURLIdentifier="jsessionid" Name="/ibm/console/*"/>
       </UriGroup>
       <Route ServerCluster="server1_SERVER1HOSTserver1_Cluster"
           UriGroup="admin_host_server1_SERVER1HOSTserver1_Cluster_URIs" VirtualHostGroup="admin_host"/>
           

   (iseries)

   <VirtualHostGroup Name="admin_host">
           <VirtualHost Name="*:13060"/>
      </VirtualHostGroup>
       ...
       ...
       ...
       <ServerCluster Name="my60Profile.dmgr_muiSeries_Cluster">
           <Server LoadBalanceWeight="1" Name="myiSeries_my60Profile.dmgr">
               <Transport Hostname="myiSeries" Port="11060" Protocol="http"/>
           </Server>
                    <PrimaryServers>
               <Server Name="myiSeries_my60Profile.dmgr"/>
           </PrimaryServers>
       </ServerCluster>
       ...
       ...
       ...
       <UriGroup Name="admin_host_my60Profile.dmgr_myiSeries_Cluster_URIs">
           <Uri AffinityCookie="JSESSIONID"
               AffinityURLIdentifier="jsessionid" Name="/ibm/console/*"/>
       </UriGroup>
       <Route ServerCluster="my60Profile.dmgr_myiSeries_Cluster"
           UriGroup="admin_host_my60Profile.dmgr_myiSeries_Cluster_URIs" VirtualHostGroup="admin_host"/>

   If wer HTTP server has an HTTP port other than 80, add an entry to the VirtualHostGroup:

   <VirtualHost Name="*:port"/>
   

   The port variable is the HTTP server port.

Results

We can configure the supported web servers to access the administrative console application of a deployment manager or a stand-alone application server.