Create application servers
During the installation process, the product creates a default application server, named server1. Most installations require several application servers to handle the application serving needs of their production environment. We can use the command-line tool or the console to create additional application servers.
Determine to use the application server that you are creating as part of a cluster. If this application server is going to be part of a cluster, use the Create a new cluster wizard instead of the Create a new application server wizard to create this application server. The topic Add members to a cluster describes how to use the Create a new cluster wizard.
To create a new application server that is not part of a cluster, we can either use the createApplicationServer, createWebServer, or createGenericServer wsadmin command, or we can use the console.
(zos) To create a new application server that is not part of a cluster, we can either use the Profile Management tool, the createApplicationServer, createWebServer, or createGenericServer wsadmin command, or we can use the console.
If we are migrating from a previous version of the product, we can upgrade a portion of the nodes in a cell, while leaving others at the previous product level. This means that, for a period of time, you might be managing servers that are running at two different release levels in the same cell. However, when creating a new server definition, use a server configuration template, and that template must be created from a server instance that matches the version of the node for which we are creating the server.
There are no restrictions on what we can do with the servers running on the more current release level.
(zos) Avoid trouble: For a global resource serialization (GRS) ring to attach one or more monoplexes to a sysplex environment, the cell name of any servers running in any of the monoplexes must be unique within the entire GRS environment. This requirement means that the cell name of a server running in any of the monoplexes:
- Must
be different than the cell name of any servers running in the sysplex
- Must be different than the cell name of any servers running in another monoplex that is attached to the sysplex
If we have servers with duplicate cell names within the GRS environment, WebSphere Application Server cannot differentiate between the sysplex cell and the monoplex cell, and treats both servers as part of the same cell, This inaccurate cell association typically causes unpredictable processing results.gotcha
Avoid trouble: If we use additional servers with unique ports, WAS does not automatically configure the virtual host for the server. Specifically, WAS does not automatically add the host alias ports to a virtual host. However, we can use the console to add a new host alias for each of the ports used by the new server. For more information, see the documentation about configuring virtual hosts.gotcha
Complete the following steps to use the console to create a new application server that is not part of a cluster.
- In the console, click Servers >
Server Types > WebSphere application servers > New.
The Create a new application server wizard starts.
- Select a node for the application server.
- Enter a name for the application server.
The name must be unique within the node.
- Click Next.
- Select a server template for the new server.
We can use a default application server template for the new server, or we can use the template that is optimized for development uses. The new application server inherits all of the configuration settings of the template server.
- Click Next.
By default, this option is enabled. If we select this option, then we might need to update the alias list for the virtual host to use with this server to contain these new port values. If we deselect this option, then ensure that the default port values do not conflict with other servers on the same physical machine.
- Select Generate
unique HTTP ports if we want the wizard to generate unique ports for the application server.
- (zos) Optional: Click Next and specify a short name for the server.
The short name is also used as the JOBNAME for the server. If we do not specify a value for the short name field, the short name defaults to BBOSnnn, where nnn is the first free number in the cell that can be used to create a unique short name. For example, if default short names are already assigned to two other servers in the cell, the short name BBOS003 will be assigned to this server if we do not specify a short name when creating this server
Avoid trouble: Make sure set up a RACF SERVER class profile that includes this short name.gotcha
- (zos) Optional: Specify a generic
short name for the server.
The generic short name for the server becomes the cluster transition name. If we do not specify a value for the generic short name field, the generic short name defaults to BBOCnnn, where nnn is the first free number in the cell that can be used to create a unique generic short name. For example, if default generic short names are already assigned to three other servers in the cell, the generic short name BBOC004 is assigned to this server if we do not specify a generic short name when creating this server.
Avoid trouble: Make sure set up a RACF SERVER class profile that includes this generic short name.gotcha
- Click Next. Review the settings for the new server.
- To change any of the settings, click Previous until
you return to a page where we can change that setting.
- Click Finish when we do not want to make any additional changes.
- Click Review, select Synchronize changes with
nodes, and then click Save to save the changes.
- (zos) Optional: Run the updateZOSStartArgs
script to enable an application server to use the z/OS reusable ASID
function, if it is not already enabled for the node that is associated
with this application server.
This function enables an application server to reuse all ASIDs, including those associated with cross-process services.
Avoid trouble: Before running this script, verify that you are running on z/OS Version 1.9 or higher, and that the reuse ASID function is enabled during the z/OS startup process. If the function is not enabled on z/OS, running this script has no affect on how ASIDs are handled.gotcha
Results
The new application server is in the list of servers on the console Application servers page.
What to do next
This newly created application server is configured with default settings that are not displayed when you run the Create New Application Server wizard.
We can:
- In the console, click Servers >
Server Types > WebSphere application servers , and then click the name of this application server to view all of the configuration settings for this application server.
We can then use this page to change some of the configuration settings for this server.
For example, if we do not need to have all of the sever components start during the server startup process, you might want to select Start components as needed, which is not automatically selected when a new server is created. When this property is selected, server components are dynamically started as they are needed. When this property is not selected, all of the server components are started during the startup process. Therefore, selecting this property usually results in improved startup time because fewer components are started during the startup process.
Avoid trouble: If we are running other WebSphere products on top of this product, make sure that those other products support this functionality before you select this property.gotcha
(zos)
Deprecated feature: The default addressing mode for a new server is 64-bit. We can deselect the Run in 64 bit mode field if use 31-bit addressing mode. However, support for running a server in 31-bit mode is deprecated.depfeat
- (zos) Use server custom properties to modify the timer
settings if we need to change the default timer settings for certain operations.
- Set the client.encoding.override JVM argument to UTF-8 if use multiple language encoding support in the console.
Subtopics
- (zos) Application server naming conventions
Before you install a new WebSphere Application Server for z/OS environment, it is important to carefully plan the naming convention. Your naming convention should be able to grow with the system when you increase the number of cells, nodes, servers, and clusters. It should also be able to accommodate Sysplex and LPAR names, as well as instances such as test, integration, and production stages in the environment. - Create server templates
A server template is used to define the configuration settings for a new application server. When creating a new application server, you either select the default server template or a template you previously created, based on another, already existing application server. The default template is used if we do not specify a different template when creating the server. - Delete server templates
The following steps describe how to delete a server template that you no longer need. - (iseries) Configure application servers for other language environments
We can configure individual application servers to run with different globalization settings to support different language environments. The following topics discuss how we can configure the application server to run with the language environment attributes which you require, and how we can configure the application server to use a specific language. - (zos) Configure an application server to use the WLM even distribution of HTTP requests function
By configuring the application server to use the WLM even distribution of HTTP requests function, HTTP session objects can be evenly distributed by workload management (WLM) to the servants in our configuration. We can use this task to distribute HTTP session objects in a round-robin manner among several servants instead of the normal situation where there is a servant affinity, and HTTP session objects reside in one or two servants.
Related tasks
(zos) Controlling application environments with RACF server class profiles
(zos) Resource Access Control Facility Tips for customizing WebSphere Application Server
(zos) SAF profile prefixes and the customization jobs
(zos) Application server custom properties for z/OS