PropertiesBasedConfiguration using wsadmin.sh

Use scripting to customize part of our system configuration using properties files. The WebSphere configuration repository stores many different types of configurations. We can use properties files to customize some of these configurations. We can customize some configurations created by the WebSphere Common Configuration Model (WCCM) or configurations deployed as Java EE applications.

The WebSphere Common Configuration Model is configured using the AdminConfig command in scripting. AdminConfig.types() lists the types in WCCM, and AdminConfig.attributes("type") lists the attributes for a specific type. Customizing these types using properties files is often easier than writing a script to make the same changes. In a production environment, Java EE applications are often deployed through the AdminApp command in scripting. For a development environment, the use of a properties file offers an easier to understand syntax when constructing the parameters needed to manage the application. Note that application deployment uses its own set of WCCM types.

Examples of configurations that we cannot directly configure through properties files include:

• SIBus
• Business-level applications
• Key and trust store files
• Web services policy set files
• File based user registry

These configurations are managed through their own AdminTask commands. Note that there is an escape in properties files based configuration to invoke AdminTask commands. But this is just an alternative syntax to calling the commands. The actual configuration is not provided in the properties file.

Use properties files as follows:

1. Examine samples documented in Managing specific configuration objects using properties files.

2. Copy and paste applicable samples into a text file, edit the samples as needed, and apply the samples to the environment with suitable variable substitutions. There are many samples to cover a wide range of commonly used configurations.

3. For a supported WCCM type, we can extract that type from an existing cell as the starting point, edit the extracted file, and apply it back to the existing cell.

   For supported WCCM types that are not Cell, Node, Server, or ServerCluster, extract the specific type from an existing cell with the option -options [[PortablePropertiesFile true]] to create a portable file format. Then, edit the properties file and apply it to a different cell with appropriate variable substitutions. We might use this approach to move commonly used configuration subsets such as resource definitions and Java virtual machine (JVM) settings from one environment to another.

Use properties files to customize, not replicate or merge environments. Do not extract an entire Cell, Node, Server, or ServerCluster to apply to a different environment. Only a subset of WCCM types are applied, and the extracted information is not merged with the new environment in a meaningful way.

The following WCCM types are supported:

AccessPointGroup	ActivationSpec	ActivationSpecTemplateProps	ActivitySessionService
AdminObject	AdminObjectTemplateProps	AdminServerAuthentication	AdminService
AllActivePolicy	AllAuthenticatedUserExt	AllAuthenticatedUsersInTrustedRealmsExt	ApplicationProfileService
ApplicationServer	Audit	AuditEventFactory	AuditNotificationMonitor
AuditPolicy	AuditServiceProvider	AuditSpecification	AuthenticationMechanism
AuthenticationTarget	AuthorizationConfig	AuthorizationGroup	AuthorizationGroupMember
AuthorizationProvider	AuthorizationTableExt	AuthorizationTableImpl	BackupCluster
BridgeInterface	CACertificate	CAClient	CMPConnectorFactory
CacheProvider	Cell	Certificate	Chain
Classloader	ClusterMember	CommonSecureInterop	CompensationService
ConfigSynchronizationService	ConnectionDefTemplateProps	ConnectionDefinition	ConnectionPool
ConnectionTest	Connector	Cookie	CoreGroup
CoreGroupAccessPoint	CoreGroupBridgeService	CoreGroupBridgeSettings	CoreGroupServer
CryptoHardwareToken	CustomAuthMechanism	CustomService	CustomUserRegistry
DCSInboundChannel	DPClonableDeviceSettings	DPClonableDeviceSettingsVersion	DPDevice
DPDomain	DPDomainVersion	DPFirmware	DPFirmwareVersion
DPManagedSet	DPManager	DRSConnectionPool	DRSPartition
DRSSerialization	DRSSettings	DataPowerMgrInboundChannel	DataReplication
DataReplicationDomain	DataSource	DebugService	DiagnosticProviderService
DigestAuthentication	DiskCacheCustomPerformanceSettings	DiskCacheEvictionPolicy	DistributionQueue
DynamicCache	EJBCache	EJBContainer	EJBTimer
EndPoint	ExternalCacheGroup	EveryoneExt	ExtensionMBean
ExtensionMBeanProvider	GenericChannelFactory	ExternalCacheGroupMember	FileTransferService
Filter	GenericOutboundChannel	GenericInboundChannel	GenericJMSConnectionFactory
GenericJMSDestination	HTTPOutboundChannel	HAManagerService	HTTPConnector
HTTPInboundChannel	HostAlias	HTTPTransport	HTTPTunnelInboundChannel
HTTPTunnelOutboundChannel	IconType	I18NService	IIOPSecurityProtocol
IIOPTransport	InvalidationSchedule	IdentityAssertionLayer	IdentityAssertionQOP
IdentityAssertionTypeAssociation	J2EEResourcePropertySet	J2CActivationSpec	J2CAdminObject
J2CResourceAdapter	JAASLoginModule	JAASAuthData	JAASConfiguration
JAASConfigurationEntry	JFAPOutboundChannel	JDBCProvider	JFAPFactory
JFAPInboundChannel	JavaVirtualMachine	JMSProvider	JMSTransport
JavaProcessDef	KeyReference	KRB	Key
KeyManager	KeyStoreFile	KeySet	KeySetGroup
KeyStore	Library	LDAPSearchFilter	LDAPUserRegistry
LTPA	MOfNPolicy	LibraryRef	ListenerPort
LocalOSUserRegistry	MQQueue	MQConnectionFactory	MQFAPInboundChannel
MQFAPOutboundChannel	MailProvider	MQQueueConnectionFactory	MQTopic
MQTopicConnectionFactory	MemoryCacheEvictionPolicy	MailSession	ManagementScope
MappingModule	MessageQOP	MessageLayer	MessageListener
MessageListenerService	NoOpPolicy	MimeEntry	MonitorPolicy
NameServer	ObjectCacheInstance	Node	NodeGroup
ORBInboundChannel	ObjectPoolService	ObjectPool	ObjectPoolManagerInfo
ObjectPoolProvider	OutputRedirect	ObjectRequestBroker	OneOfNPolicy
OutboundResourceAdapter	PMIService	PME51ServerExtension	PMEServerExtension
PMIModule	PluginConfigService	PMRClusterExtension	PeerAccessPoint
PeerCoreGroup	PreferredServerPolicy	PluginProperties	PluginServerClusterProperties
PortletContainer	ProxyInboundChannel	PrimaryAdminExt	ProcessExecution
ProtocolProvider	RMQOutboundChannel	RASLoggingService	RMIConnector
RMQChannelFactory	ResourceAdapter	RSAToken	Referenceable
RepositoryService	ServerEntry	ResourceEnvironmentProvider	RoleAssignmentExt
SecurityRoleExt	SIPContainerInboundChannel	ServerExt	ServerIndex
SIPContainer	SOAPConnector	SIPInboundChannel	SIPOutboundChannel
SIPProxyInboundChannel	SSLInboundChannel	SPNEGO	SSLConfig
SSLConfigGroup	SchedulerProvider	SSLOutboundChannel	SWAMAuthentication
SchedulerConfiguration	Security	SchedulerService	SecureAssociationService
SecureSocketLayer	Server	SecurityDomain	SecurityPermission
SecurityProtocolQOP	ServletCacheInstance	ServerCluster	ServerIdentity
ServiceLog	SingleSignon	SessionBeanConfig	SessionDatabasePersistence
SessionManager	StaticPolicy	StartupBeansService	StateManageable
StatefulSessionBeanConfig	SystemMessageServer	StatisticsProvider	StreamRedirect
StringNameSpaceBinding	TCPOutboundChannel	TAInterceptor	TCPFactory
TCPInboundChannel	TimerManagerInfo	TPVService	TaskProvider
ThreadPool	TransactionService	TimerManagerProvider	TraceLog
TraceService	TransportQOP	TransportChannelFactory	TransportChannelService
TransportLayer	TuneParams	TrustAssociation	TrustManager
TrustedAuthenticationRealm	UDPInboundChannel	TunnelAccessPointGroup	TunnelPeerAccessPoint
TunnelTemplate	UserExt	UDPOutboundChannel	URL
URLProvider	WAS40DataSource	VariableMap	VirtualHost
WAS40ConnectionPool	WASTopicConnectionFactory	WASQueue	WASQueueConnectionFactory
WASTopic	WSSchedule	WIMUserRegistry	WLMCoreGroupBridgePlugin
WSNotification	WebModuleDeployment	WebContainer	WebContainerInboundChannel
WebModuleConfig	WorkAreaPartition	WebServer	WebserverPluginSettings
WeightAdvisor	WorkManagerProvider	WorkAreaPartitionService	WorkAreaService
WorkManagerInfo		WorkManagerService

Manage the system configuration:

• applyConfigProperties
• createPropertiesFileTemplates
• deleteConfigProperties
• extractConfigProperties
• validateConfigProperties

applyConfigProperties

The applyConfigProperties command applies properties in a specific properties file to the configuration. The system adds attributes or configuration data to the configuration if a specific properties do not exist. If the properties exist in the configuration, the system sets the new values for the attributes.

Target object: None.

Required parameters:

-propertiesFileName

Name of the properties file to apply. (String, required)

Optional parameters:

-variablesMapFileName

Name of the variables map file. This file contains values for variables the system uses from the properties file. (String, optional)

-variablesMap

Values of the variables to use with the properties file. (Properties, optional)

-reportFileName

Name of a report file containing the output for the applyConfigProperties command. (String, optional)

-reportFilterMechanism

Type of report filter mechanism. Specify All to display all report information. Specify Errors to display error information. Specify Errors_And_Changes to display error and change information. (String, optional)

-validate

Specifies whether to validate the properties file before applying the changes. By default, the command validates the properties file. Specify false to disable validation. (Boolean, optional)

-zipFileName

Name of the compressed file containing the policy sets that we want applied to the cell. (String, optional)

Return value. The command does not return output.

Batch mode example usage

• Use Jython string:

  AdminTask.applyConfigProperties('-propertiesFileName myPropFile.props -zipFileName myZipFile.zip 
  -validate true')
  

• Use Jython list:

  AdminTask.applyConfigProperties(['-propertiesFileName', 'myPropFile.props', '-zipFileName', 
  'myZipFile.zip', '-validate', 'true'])
  

Interactive mode example usage

• Use Jython:

  AdminTask.applyConfigProperties('-interactive')
  

createPropertiesFileTemplates

The createPropertiesFileTemplates command creates template properties files to use to create or delete specific object types. The command stores the template properties file in the properties file specified by the propertiesFileName parameter.

Target object: None.

Required parameters:

-propertiesFileName

Name of the properties file where the template is stored. (String, required)

-configType

Resource type for the template to create. (String, required)

• Specify Server to create a server type properties file template.

• Specify ServerCluster to create a server cluster type properties file template.

• Specify Application to create an application type properties file template.

• Specify AuthorizationGroup to create an authorization group type properties file template.

Optional parameters: None

Return value

The command does not return output.

Batch mode example usage

• Use Jython string:

  AdminTask.createPropertiesFileTemplates('-propertiesFileName serverTemplate.props -configType Server')
  

• Use Jython list:

  AdminTask.createPropertiesFileTemplates(['-propertiesFileName', 'serverTemplate.props', 
  '-configType', 'Server'])
  

Interactive mode example usage

• Use Jython:

  AdminTask.createPropertiesFileTemplates('-interactive')
  

deleteConfigProperties

The deleteConfigProperties command deletes properties in the configuration as designated in a properties file. The system removes the attributes or configuration data that corresponds to each property in the properties file.

Target object: None.

Required parameters:

-propertiesFileName

Name of the properties file to delete. (String, required)

Optional parameters:

-variablesMapFileName

Name of the variables map file. This file contains values for variables the system uses from the properties file. (String, optional)

-variablesMap

Values of the variables to use with the properties file. (Properties, optional)

-reportFileName

Name of a report file containing the output for the command. (String, optional)

-reportFilterMechanism

Type of report filter mechanism. Specify All to display all report information. Specify Errors to display error information. Specify Errors_And_Changes to display error and change information. (String, optional)

-validate

Specifies whether to validate the properties file before applying the changes. By default, the command validates the properties file. Specify false to disable validation. (Boolean, optional)

Return value. The command does not return output.

Batch mode example usage

• Use Jython string:

  AdminTask.deleteConfigProperties('-propertiesFileName myPropFile.props')
  

• Use Jython list:

  AdminTask.deleteConfigProperties(['-propertiesFileName', 'myPropFile.props'])
  

Interactive mode example usage

• Use Jython:

  AdminTask.deleteConfigProperties('-interactive')
  

extractConfigProperties

The extractConfigProperties command extracts configuration data in the form of a properties file. The system exports the most commonly used configuration data and attributes, converts the attributes to properties, and saves the data to a file. We can specify the resource of interest with the target object or the configData parameter. Use the configData parameter to specify a server, node, cluster, policy set, or application instance. If no configuration object is specified, the command extracts the profile configuration data.

Target object:

Specify the object name of the configuration object of interest in the format: Node=nodeName:Server=serverName

Required parameters:

-propertiesFileName

Name of the properties file to extract. (String, required)

Optional parameters:

-configData

Configuration object instance in the format Node=node1. (String, optional)

-options

Specifies additional configuration options, such as GENERATETEMPLATE=true. (Properties, optional)

-filterMechanism

Specifies filter information for extracting configuration properties. (String, optional)

• Specify All to extract all configuration properties.

• Specify NO_SUBTYPES to extract the properties of the given object without including the subtypes.

• Specify SELECTED_SUBTYPES to extract specific configuration object subtypes specified with the selectedSubTypes parameter. This can include any subtype for a configuration object or any WCCM type that exists under the object type hierarchy.

-selectedSubTypes

Configuration properties to include or exclude when the command extracts the properties. Specify if we set the filterMechanism parameter to NO_SUBTYPES or SELECTED_SUBTYPES. The following strings are examples of subtypes: ApplicationServer, EJBContainer. (String, optional)

Configuration object type	Subtypes	Extensions
AdminService	None	None
Deployment	ApplicationName	None
ApplicationServer	TransactionService, DynamicCache, WebContainer, EJBContainer, PortletContainer, SIPContainer, WebserverPluginSettings	None
AuthorizationGroup	None	None
AuthorizationTableExt	None	None
Cell	VirtualHost, DataReplicationDomain, ServerCluster, CoreGroup, NodeGroup, AuthorizationGroup, AuthorizationTableExt, Security, J2CResourceAdapter, JDBCProvider, JMSProvider, ailProvider, URLProvider, EventInfrastructureProvider, ObjectPoolProvider, WorkManagerProvider, TimerManagerProvider, SchedulerProvider, Node, VariableMap	None
CoreGroup	None	None
CoreGroupBridgeService	None	None
DynamicCache	None	None
EJBContainer	None	None
EventInfrastructureProvider	None	None
EventInfrastructureService	None	None
HAManagerService	None	None
J2CResourceAdapter	None	None
JDBCProvider	None	None
JMSProvider	None	None
JavaVirtualMachine	None	None
Library	None	None
MailProvider	None	None
NameServer	None	None
Node	Server, J2CResourceAdapter, JDBCProvider, JMSProvider, MailProvider, URLProvider, EventInfrastructureProvider, ObjectPoolProvider, WorkManagerProvider, TimerManagerProvider, SchedulerProvider, VariableMap	The NodeMetadata Extension extracts node Metadata properties.
NodeGroup	None	None
ObjectPoolProvider	None	None
ObjectRequestBroker	None	None
PMEServerExtension	None	None
PMIModule	None	None
PMIService	None	None
PortletContainer	None	None
SIPContainer	None	None
SchedulerProvider	None	None
Security	JAASAuthData	None
Server	PMIService, AdminService, CoreGroupBridgeService, TPVService, ObjectRequestBroker, ApplicationServer, NameServer, J2CResourceAdapter, JDBCProvider, JMSProvider, ailProvider, URLProvider, EventInfrastructureProvider, ObjectPoolProvider, WorkManagerProvider, TimerManagerProvider, SchedulerProvider, VariableMap, EventInfrastructureService, PMEServerExtension, Library, HAManagerService, PMIModule, Security	The extension lists deployed applications for a specific server.
ServerCluster	J2CResourceAdapter, JDBCProvider, JMSProvider, MailProvider, URLProvider, ObjectPoolProvider, WorkManagerProvider, TimerManagerProvider, SchedulerProvider, VariableMap	The extension lists deployed applications for a specific cluster.
TPVService	None	None
TimerManagerProvider	None	None
TransactionService	None	None
URLProvider	None	None
VariableMap	None	None
VirtualHost	None	None
WebContainer	None	None
WebserverPluginSettings	None	None
WorkManagerProvider	None	None

-zipFileName

Name of the compressed file into which we want to extract policy sets. (String, optional)

Return value.

The command returns the name of the properties file the system creates.

Batch mode example usage

• Use Jython string:

  AdminTask.extractConfigProperties('-configData Node=myNode -propertiesFileName myNodeProperties.props 
  -zipFileName myZipFile.zip')
  

• Use Jython list:

  AdminTask.extractConfigProperties(['-configData', 'Node=myNode', '-propertiesFileName', 
  'myNodeProperties.props', '-zipFileName', 'myZipFile.zip'])
  

Interactive mode example usage

• Use Jython string:

  AdminTask.extractConfigProperties('-interactive')
  

Because of the way filtering works, when you extract many objects that are not hierarchically related from a large cell or node scope using SELECTED_SUBTYPE, the system scans parts of the cell or node that might not contain an instance of the targeted object type. We can achieve better performance by iteratively extracting each item and then targeting it explicitly. For example, if the goal is to extract all virtual hosts in a cell (compared to targeting the entire cell for extracting and filtering on the virtual host subtype), performance is improved by querying for all virtual hosts as one operation and then targeting each virtual host in a loop, as shown in the following example:

for vhost in AdminConfig.list( 'VirtualHost' ).splitlines() : 
   name = AdminConfig.showAttribute( vhost, 'name' ) 
   parms = '[-propertiesFileName ' + name + '.properties -configData VirtualHost=' + name + ' 
   -options [[PortablePropertiesFile true]] ]'
   AdminTask.extractConfigProperties(parms)

This example produces a &ltVIRTUALHOSTNAME>.properties file for each virtualHost in the cell.

validateConfigProperties

The validateConfigProperties command verifies that the properties in the properties file are valid and can be successfully applied to the new configuration.

Target object: None.

Required parameters:

-propertiesFileName

Name of the properties file to validate. (String, required)

Optional parameters:

-variablesMapFileName

Name of the variables map file. This file contains values for variables the system uses from the properties file. (String, optional)

-variablesMap

Values of the variables to use with the properties file. (Properties, optional)

-reportFileName

Name of a report file containing the output for the applyConfigProperties command. (String, optional)

-reportFilterMechanism

Type of report filter mechanism. Specify All to display all report information. Specify Errors to display error information. Specify Errors_And_Changes to display error and change information. (String, optional)

-zipFileName

Name of the compressed file containing the policy sets that we want applied to the cell. (String, optional)

Return value.

The command returns a value of true if the system validates the properties file or policy set .zip file.

Batch mode example usage

• Use Jython string:

  AdminTask.validateConfigProperties('-propertiesFileName myNodeProperties.props -zipFileName
   myZipFile.zip -reportFileName report.txt')
  

• Use Jython list:

  AdminTask.validateConfigProperties(['-propertiesFileName', 'myNodeProperties.props', '-zipFileName', 
  'myZipFile.zip', '-reportFileName', 'report.txt'])
  

Interactive mode example usage

• Use Jython:

  AdminTask.validateConfigProperties('-interactive')
  

Extracting properties files

Applying properties files

Validate properties files

Create server, cluster, application, or authorization group objects using properties files and wsadmin scripting

Deleting server, cluster, application, or authorization group objects using properties files

Create and delete configuration objects using properties files and wsadmin scripting

Extracting properties files to troubleshoot the environment

Manage environment configurations with properties files