Install and configure a swinging profile environment

(Linux)
Install and configure a swinging profile environment

To be able to swing profiles, install and configure a master application server installation and a set of common profiles.

An environment configured for swinging profiles relies on one or more master installations, which are the installations to which we apply service from fix packs or interim fixes. The master installation is used to create application server copies for production use, and application server profiles are created with a symbolic link so that the service level can be changed independent of the product installation.

Tasks
Create directories for the common profiles and product installations.
Profile directories:

Main common profile directory: /opt/SPCommonArea, referred to as common_profile_dir
Common profile subdirectories:

common_profile_dir/logs
common_profile_dir/logs/manageprofiles
common_profile_dir/properties
common_profile_dir/profiles

Product installation directories:

Main product installation directory: /opt/SPInstalls, referred to as sp_install_dir
Master product installation subdirectory: sp_install_dir/MASTER/AppServer
Create a symbolic link for the master installation directory under the common profile directory.
The following example creates the /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink symbolic link.
ln -s /opt/SPInstalls/MASTER/AppServer /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink
Install the master WebSphere Application Server installation, specifying the symbolic link as the installation directory.
For information about installing the product, see Install the product offerings.

As a result of the symbolic link, the product is installed to the master installation directory, sp_install_dir/MASTER/AppServer. All fix packs and interim fixes will be applied to this installation, but it will not be used to create profiles.
Modify the following properties in the master installation wasprofile.properties file to point to common profile directories.
WS_CMT_LOG_HOME=/opt/SPCommonArea/logs/manageprofiles
WS_PROFILE_REGISTRY=/opt/SPCommonArea/properties/profileRegistry.xml
WS_WSPROFILE_DEFAULT_PROFILE_HOME=/opt/SPCommonArea/profiles
If we have multiple master installations, update the wasprofile.properties in each installation.
Copy the contents of the master installation AppServer directory to a new product installation directory, such as sp_install_dir/V9000/AppServer.
cp -R /opt/SPInstalls/MASTER/AppServer/* /opt/SPInstalls/V9000/AppServer/
Only application servers on the same host as the master installation have functional installation shortcuts. If we created an application server copy on a different host, no shortcuts are created.
Update the symbolic link to point to the AppServer directory of the copied application server.
The following example removes the existing symbolic link and creates a new one for the copied application server.
rm /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink
ln -s /opt/SPInstalls/V9000/AppServer /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink
Use the symbolic link, create an application server profile using the Profile Management Tool or the manageprofiles command.
The following example uses the manageprofiles command to create the AppSrv01 profile.
/opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink/bin/manageprofiles.sh -create -profileName AppSrv01
If we create a profile from a template, specify the template path using the symbolic link.
All profile artifacts, such as the updated profile registry, logs, and the profile itself, are created in the common profile directories.
Use the symbolic link, start the application server by running the server start command.
/opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink/bin/startServer -profileName AppSrv01 server1
The application server runs at the service level of the installation referenced by the symbolic link.

We must use the symbolic link when we run all $WAS_HOME/bin commands.
What to do next
We can swing profiles to change the product service level to an updated installation or a previously installed service level. See Change product service levels by swinging profiles.

Swinging profiles between product installations
Manage profiles