What is new for administrators

This topic highlights what is new or changed, for users who are going to customize, administer, monitor, and tune production server environments. It also addresses those who are going to deploy and operate applications.

• Adding, managing, and removing nodes

  We can select the default SDK for a node on the Java SDKs page of the console. The page lists all software development kits that are installed on the node. A node can have one default SDK. Servers on the node use the default SDK unless a server overrides the SDK selection and specifies a different SDK.

• Administrative job types

  We can submit jobs to install and uninstall Liberty profile resources, and to start and stop Liberty profile servers. A Liberty profile server is a fast to start, dynamic application server which we can add features to and administer by editing XML configuration files. Liberty profile servers are available in WebSphere Application Server v8.5.

• Configure a messaging engine data store to use a data source

  This parameter specifies whether the active messaging engine must retain long running locks on the SIBOWNER table in the database.

• Configure checkpoints

  We can configure a checkpoint to back up copies of files from the master configuration repository. A full checkpoint is a complete copy of the entire configuration repository. A delta checkpoint is a subset snapshot of the configuration repository that is made when you change a product configuration. Use a checkpoint to restore the configuration repository back to a prior state.

• (WAS v8.5.0.1)
• Configure the JVM

  IBM SDK and Runtime Environment Java Technology Edition, Version 7, which is provided with WebSphere Application Server, enables you to take advantage of the Intel Advance Encryption Standard (AES) Instruction Set when performing AES Cryptography. This Instruction Set allows for improved performance when using AES Ciphers in SSL. AES is a symmetric block cipher that encrypts and decrypts data through several rounds. The enablement of this function has resulted in performance improvements in WebSphere Application Server SSL processing. To enable this function, add the JVM option -Dcom.ibm.crypto.provider.doAESInHardware to the Generic JVM arguments setting for your JVM, and set this option to true. See the IBM SDK and Runtime Environment for AIX, Java Technology Edition, Version 7 Information Center for more information about AES.

• Configure the memory leak policy

  We can configure WebSphere Application Server to detect, prevent, and take action, if possible, on classloader memory leaks using the memory leak detection policy. For more information about memory leaks, read the Memory Leaks in JEE applications topic.

• Cross Component Trace (XCT)

  XCT helps identify the root cause of problems across components, which provides the following benefits:

  • Enables administrators and support teams to follow the flow of a request from end-to-end as it traverses thread or process boundaries, or travels between stack products and WebSphere Application Server.

  • Helps to resolve questions about which component is responsible for a request that fails.

• High Performance Extensible Logging (HPEL)

  • We can use the LogViewer command-line tool to filter records based on the content of log and trace record extensions. The application server automatically creates an appName extension for each log and trace record related to a Java EE application, indicating the name of that application. The application server also automatically creates a requestID extension for each log and trace record created during the processing of certain types of requests (for example HTTP or JMS requests), indicating the unique ID of that request.

  • Developers can use HPEL to add custom extensions to log and trace records through a log record context API (com.ibm.websphere.logging.hpel.LogRecordContext). When HPEL stores log and trace records, it includes any extensions present in the log record context on the same thread. For example, a developer might write a servlet filter to add important HTTP request parameters to the log record context. While that servlet runs, HPEL adds those extensions to any log and trace records created on the same thread.

• Memory leaks in JEE applications

  WebSphere Application Server v8.5 provides a top down pattern-based memory leak detection, prevention, and action by watching for suspect patterns in application code at run time. WebSphere Application Server has some means of protection against memory leaks when stopping or redeploying applications. If leak detection, prevention and action are enabled, WebSphere Application Server monitors application and module activity performs diagnostic actions to detect and fix leaks when an application or an individual module stops. This feature helps in increasing application up time with frequent application redeployments without cycling the server.

• (v8550) MongoDB databases

  This feature enables the usage of the MongoDB Java Driver and allows DB instances to be configured in the server configuration, injected into managed components such as EJBs, and looked up in JNDI. Applications interact with these DB instances via the normal MongoDB APIs.

• recoverMEConfig command

  This command recovers the configuration data of the messaging engine of queues and topics from the message store.

• (dist)(zos) SCA in WebSphere Application Server: Overview

  v8.5 adds support for the Service Component Architecture (SCA) OASIS programming model implementation.

• Submitting jobs to deploy Liberty profile installations

  v8.5 introduces the Liberty profile, which provides the following features:

  • Central administration through job manager jobs

    • We can use the job manager to submit jobs that support the full life cycle of Liberty profile resource deployment from initial install, to updates, to uninstall.

    • A deployment manager is not required, although we can use the job manager function available on a deployment manager to administer Liberty profile servers and their resources.

  • Quick installation

    • Store the Liberty profile resources in one or more compressed (.zip) files and run the Install Liberty profile resources job to transfer and extract the files.

    • Installation of Liberty profile resources requires no formal installation tool such as IBM Installation Manager.

  • To simplify deployment and maintenance, we can share a SDK, runtime binary files, server configuration files, and application binary files among many isolated Liberty profile server instances.

  • No agent is required on target hosts, reducing administration overhead.

  • Non-destructive update enables easy installation of new versions of Liberty profile resources of any type. We can switch easily between old and new versions of resources, or run concurrent versions of resources.

• Use the IBM Support Assistant Data Collector

  The IBM Support Assistant Data Collector for WebSphere Application Server tool focuses on automatic collection of problem data. It also provides symptom analysis support for the various categories of problems encountered by IBM software products. Information pertinent to a type of problem is collected to help identify the origin of the problem under investigation. The tool assists customers by reducing the amount of time it takes to reproduce a problem with the proper RAS tracing levels set, as well as by reducing the effort required to send the appropriate log information to IBM Support.

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