(Dist) firststeps command
The firststeps command starts the First steps console. The First steps console is a post-installation ease-of-use tool for directing WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment elements from one place. Options display dynamically on the First steps console, depending on features that we install and the availability of certain elements on a particular operating system platform. Options include verifying the installation, starting and stopping deployment manager and application server processes, accessing the tools for creating and managing profiles, accessing the administrative console, and accessing the online information center.
First steps overview
A prompt to launch the First steps console displays on the last panel of the Profile Management Tool.
This version lets we start the Profile Management Tool to get started defining a cell, a management profile, and application servers for the cell. A cell consists of a deployment manager profile and a federated application server profile. We can also define standalone application servers. Each profile has its own First steps console.
We can also start the First steps console from the command line.
First step consoles exist for the cell profile, the management profiles, the standalone application server profile, and the custom profile. The secure proxy profile only has a first steps console when installed and configured on a DMZ Secure Proxy Server node.
Option Product Profiles
Cell * Management (Deployment Manager, Administrative Agent, and Job Manager) Standalone Application Server Custom Secure Proxy Cell Deployment Manager Cell Node Installation verification No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Restart the deployment manager No Yes No Yes (deployment manager) No No No Restart the server No No No No Yes No Yes Administrative console No Yes (if available) No Yes (if available) Yes (if available) No Yes WebSphere Customization Toolbox (containing the Profile Management Tool and the Configuration Migration Tool) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Product documentation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes IBM Education Assistant Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Exit Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes * When launching the First steps console from the Profile Management Tool in a cell-creation flow, the dmgr instance is used.
Option descriptions
- Installation verification
- This option starts the installation verification test. The test consists of starting and monitoring the deployment manager or the standalone application server during its start up.
If this is the first time that we have used the First steps console since creating a deployment manager or standalone application server profile, click Installation verification to verify the installation. The verification process starts the deployment manager or the application server.
The Start the deployment manager option or the Start the application server option is unavailable while the IVT runs.
The IVT provides the following useful information about the deployment manager or the application server:
- Name of the server process
- Name of the profile
- Profile path, which is the file path and the name of the profile
- Type of profile
- Cell name
- Node name
- Current encoding
- Port number for the administrative console, which is 9060 by default
- Various informational messages that include the location of the SystemOut.log file and how many errors are listed within the file
- Completion message
- Start the server
- This option toggles to Stop the server when the application server runs.
This option displays when the First steps console is in a standalone application server profile or a cell profile.
After selecting the Start the server option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the server is open for e-business. Then the menu item toggles to Stop the server and the Administrative console option enables
If we select the Start the server option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the application server runs.
- Start the deployment manager
- This option toggles to Stop the deployment manager when the deployment manager runs.
This option displays when the First steps console is in a deployment manager profile or a cell profile.
After selecting the Start the deployment manager option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the deployment manager is open for e-business. Then the menu item changes to Stop the deployment manager.
If we select the Start the deployment manager option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the deployment manager runs.
- Start the administrative agent
- This option toggles to Stop the administrative agent when the administrative agent runs.
This option displays when the First steps console is in an administrative agent profile.
After selecting the Start the administrative agent option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the administrative agent is open for e-business. Then the menu item changes to Stop the administrative agent.
If we select the Start the administrative agent option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the administrative agent runs.
- Start the job manager
- This option toggles to Stop the job manager when the job manager runs.
This option displays when the First steps console is in a job manager profile or a cell profile.
After selecting the Start the job manager option, an output screen displays with status messages. The success message informs you that the job manager is open for e-business. Then the menu item changes to Stop the job manager.
If we select the Start the job manager option, the Installation verification option is unavailable while the job manager runs.
- Administrative console
- This option is unavailable until the application server or deployment manager runs.
The administrative console is a configuration editor that runs in one of the supported web browsers. The administrative console lets you work with XML configuration files for the standalone application server or the deployment manager and all of the application servers in the cell.
To launch the administrative console, click Administrative console or point your browser to http://localhost:9060/ibm/console. Substitute the host name for localhost if the address does not load. Verify the installation to verify the administrative console port number, if 9060 does not load.
If we are installing the product on Windows 7, then we must disable IPv6 and restart the machine to view and log on to the administrative console. See IPv6 for Microsoft Windows: Frequently Asked Questions for more information on disabling IPv6.
The administrative console prompts for a login name. This is not a security item, but merely a tag to identify configuration changes that we make during the session. Secure signon is also available when administrative security is enabled.
The installation procedure in the information center cautions you to write down the administrative user ID and password when security is enabled during installation. Without the ID and password, we cannot use the administrative console or scripting.
- WebSphere Customization Toolbox
- This option opens the WebSphere Customization Toolbox, which contains the Profile Management Tool and the Configuration Migration Tool.
- Profile Management Tool
- The Profile Management Tool can create a standalone application server profile, a cell profile, a secure proxy profile, a custom profile, or a management profile.
Each profile has its own administrative interface. A custom profile is an exception. A custom profile is an empty node that we can federate into a deployment manager cell and customize. No default server processes or applications are created for a custom profile.
Each profile also has its own First steps console except for the secure proxy profile.
- Configuration Migration Tool
- The Configuration Migration Tool is the graphical interface to the migration tools.
- Knowledge Center for WAS
- This option links you to the online product documentation.
- IBM Education Assistant
- This option links you to the IBM Education Assistant.
- Exit
- This option closes the First steps console.
Location of the command file
The location of the firststeps command that starts the First steps console for a profile is:
cd profile_root/firststeps/
firststeps.sh
Parameters
No parameters are associated with this command.
Syntax for the firststeps command
Use the following syntax for the command:
./firststeps.sh
Link tips
The following links exist on the First steps console for the WAS Network Deployment product:
Network Deployment provides different types of profiles. Not all profiles have all of the links shown in the table. See the previous description of available options for each profile.
Option Link Installation verification profile_root/bin/ivt.sh Start the server profile_root/bin/startServer.sh server When we have more than one application server on the same machine, the command starts the same application server associated with the First steps console.
Stop the server profile_root/bin/stopServer.sh server Start the deployment manager profile_root/bin/startManager.sh When we have more than one deployment manager on the same machine, the command starts the same deployment manager associated with the First steps console.
Stop the deployment manager profile_root/bin/stopManager.sh Administrative console Opens browser to http://localhost:9060/ibm/console When we have more than one application server on the same machine, the port varies. The First steps console starts the administrative console associated with the First steps console.
WebSphere Customization Toolbox profile_root/bin/wct.sh IBM Knowledge Center for WAS products Opens the default browser to the online product documentation. IBM Education Assistant Opens the default browser to the IBM Education Assistant.
Configure the product after installation Use the installation verification tool High Performance Extensible Logging