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Configure a web server and a custom profile on the same machine

This procedure describes installing a web server and its plug-in on a machine where the default profile is a custom profile.

When multiple profiles exist, we can select the profile that the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool configures. See Plug-ins configuration for a description of the flow of logic that determines how to select the profile to configure.

This procedure configures the custom profile on Machine B. This procedure assumes that we already have installed a deployment manager on Machine A.

The WebSphere Application Server node on Machine B is the custom node that we create in this procedure. This procedure starts the deployment manager and federates the custom node before installing the Web Server Plug-ins.

Start the deployment manager. The deployment manager must be running to successfully federate and configure the custom node.

IBM recommends using the High Performance Extensible Logging (HPEL) log and trace infrastructure . We view HPEL log and trace information using the logViewer .

Use this procedure to install the web server plug-in, configure the web server, and create a web server definition in the custom profile (custom node).

This tool is supported only on AIX, Linux, and Windows. As an alternative to using the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool, we can use the pct command-line tool with a response file to configure a web server. Read Configure a web server plug-in using the pct tool for more information.


Tasks

  1. Log on to the operating system.

    If we are installing as a nonroot or non-administrative user, then there are certain limitations.

    (UNIX) In addition, select a umask that allows the owner to read/write to the files, and allows others to access them according to the prevailing system policy. For root, a umask of 022 is recommended. For nonroot users, a umask of 002 or 022 could be used, depending on whether or not the users share the group. To verify the umask setting, issue the following command: 

    umask
    To set the umask setting to 022, issue the following command: 
    umask 022

    (Windows) When installing as an administrative user on a Windows operating system, a Windows service is automatically created to autostart the application server. The installer user account must have the following advanced user rights:

    • Act as part of the operating system
    • Log on as a service

    For example, on some Windows operating systems, click Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies > User Rights Assignments to set the advanced options. See your Windows operating system documentation for more information.

    (Windows) If we plan to run the application server as a Windows service, do not install from a user ID containing spaces. A user ID with spaces cannot be validated. Such a user ID is not allowed to continue the installation. To work around this restriction, install with a user ID that does not contain spaces.

  2. Use Installation Manager to install the following on Machine B.

  3. Use Installation Manager to install IBM HTTP Server on Machine B, or install another supported web server on Machine B.

  4. Create a custom profile as the first profile on Machine B, and federate the node as we create the profile.

  5. Optional: Use the administrative console of the deployment manager to create an application server on the custom node.

    Click...

      Servers > Applications servers > New

    ...and follow the instructions to create a server. A server is not required for installing the plug-ins but it lets you verify the functionality of the web server.

  6. Optional: Install the DefaultApplication on the new server while we are in the administrative console of the deployment manager.

    The DefaultApplication includes the Snoop servlet. The verification step uses the Snoop servlet.

  7. Open the WebSphere Customization Toolbox and launch the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool on Machine B.

  8. Select a web server plug-in runtime location.

    If the location of a previously installed web server plug-in to use is not in the list, perform the following actions to add the location to your working set:

    1. Click Add.

    2. Enter a name for the web server plug-in location.

    3. Perform one of the following actions:

      • Enter the location.

      • Click Browse, find the location, and click OK.

  9. Click Create.

  10. Select the type of web server that we are configuring, and click Next.

  11. Select the architecture of our installed target web server (64 bit or 32 bit) and click Next if we are asked.

  12. Click Browse to select the configuration file or files for our web server, verify that the web server port is correct> Next when we are finished.

    Select the file and not just the directory of the file. Some web servers have two configuration files and require you to browse for each file.

    The following list shows configuration files for supported web servers:

      Apache Web Server

      apache_root/config/httpd.conf

      Domino Web Server

      names.nsf and Notes.jar

      The wizard prompts for the notes.jar file. The actual name is Notes.jar.

      The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool verifies that the files exist but the tool does not validate either file.

      IBM HTTP Server

      (Dist) IHS_root/conf/httpd.conf

      (iSeries) IHS_profile_root/conf/httpd.conf

      Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

      The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool can determine the correct files to edit.

      Oracle iPlanet Web Server

      obj.conf and magnus.conf

  13. If we are configuring an IBM HTTP web server plug-in, perform the following actions.

    1. Optionally, set up the administration server configuration to administer the web server.

      When using the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool to configure the IBM HTTP Server Administration server, the WebSphere Customization Toolbox must be run as a "local" account with administrator/root privileges.

      1. Select...

          Setup IBM HTTP Server Administration Server

      2. Specify a port number on which the IBM HTTP administration server will communicate.

      3. Optionally, select...

          >Create a user ID for IBM Server Administration Server authentication

        ...and enter a user ID and password to authenticate to the IBM HTTP Server administrative server from the administrative console.

    2. Click Next.

    3. (AIX) (Linux) Specify the system user ID and group to have write permission to IBM HTTP Server, the IBM HTTP Server administrative server, and the web server plug-in configuration files.

      If necessary, select...

        Create a new unique system user ID and group using the credentials

      (AIX) Restriction: The configuration might fail if we specify a new user ID or group name that exceeds the platform limit, which is commonly 8 characters and is sometimes configurable.

    4. (Windows) Optionally, set up the IBM HTTP Server Administration Server to run as a Window service.

      1. Select...

          IBM HTTP Server Administration Server as a Windows Service

      2. Perform one of the following actions:

        • Select...

            Log on as a local system account.

          • Select...

              Log on as a specified user account

            ...and enter the user ID and password for that account.

            The user ID requires the following advanced user rights:

            • Act as part of the operating system
            • Log on as a service

        • Choose whether your startup type will be automatic or manual.

    5. Click Next.

  14. Specify a unique name for the web server definition, and click Next.

  15. Select the configuration scenario.

    1. Choose the local scenario.

    2. Perform one of the following actions:

      • Enter the installation location of WAS (app_server_root).

      • Click Browse, find the installation location of WAS (app_server_root), and click OK.

    3. Click Next.

  16. Select the profile to configure with the current web server plug-in, and click Next.

  17. Review the summary information, and click Configure to begin configuring the web server, web server plug-in, and profile.

  18. Verify the success of the installation on the summary panel, and click Finish.

    If a problem occurs and the installation is unsuccessful, examine the logs in the plugins_root/logs directory. Correct any problems and re-configure.

  19. Create the web server definition on Machine A.

    Use the administrative console of the deployment manager to create the web server definition on a federated node; or we can run the configuration script that the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool created.

    The script already contains all of the information that we must gather when using the administrative console option.

    • Use the administrative console

      Click Servers > Web servers > New and use the Create new web server entry wizard to create the web server definition.

    • Run the configuration script

      1. Paste the configureweb_server script from Machine B to app_server_root/bin on Machine A.
      2. Issue the appropriate command from a command window:

        • (AIX) (Linux) ./plugins_root/bin/configureweb_server.sh
        • (Windows) plugins_root\bin\configureweb_server.bat

        • (iSeries) ./plugins_root/bin/configureweb_server

      If we have enabled security or changed the default JMX connector type, edit the script and include the appropriate parameters on the wsadmin command.

  20. Domino Web Server only: Set the WAS_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILE environment variable.

    On platforms such as AIX or Linux, sourcing a script to the parent shell allows child processes to inherit the exported variables. On Windows systems, run the script as we would run any other command. Sourcing is automatic on Windows systems.

    1. Open a command window.

    2. Change directories to the plug-ins installation root directory.
    3. Issue the appropriate command for the plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh script:

      • (AIX) (HPUX) (Solaris) . plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh (Notice the space between the period and the installation root directory.)
      • (Linux) source plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh

    The script is also in the lotus_root/notesdata directory on operating systems such as AIX or Linux.

    Issue the appropriate command for the script before starting the Domino Web Server.

  21. Start the Snoop servlet to verify the ability of the web server to retrieve an application from the application server.

    Test the environment by starting the application server, the web server, and using the Snoop servlet with an IP address.

    1. Start the application server. In a Network Deployment environment, the Snoop servlet is available in the cell only if you included the DefaultApplication when adding the application server to the cell. The -includeapps option for the addNode command migrates the DefaultApplication to the cell. If the application is not present, skip this step.

      Change directories to the profile_root/bin directory and run the startServer command:

      • (UNIX) ./startServer.sh server1
      • (Windows) startServer server1

      • (iSeries) startServer server1

    2. Start the IBM HTTP Server or the web server that we are using.

      (iSeries) Use either the 2001 page or use the STRTCPSVR SERVER(*HTTP) HTTPSVR(instance_name ) command to start the IBM HTTP Server.

      (Dist) Use a command window to change the directory to the IBM HTTP Server installed image, or to the installed image of our web server. Issue the appropriate command to start the web server, such as these commands for IBM HTTP Server:

      (Dist) To start the IBM HTTP Server from the command line:

      (Dist) Access the apache and apachectl commands in the IBMHttpServer/bin directory.

      • (UNIX) ./apachectl start
      • (Windows) apache

    3. Point your browser to http://localhost:9080/snoop to test the internal HTTP transport provided by the application server. Point your browser to http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the web server plug-in.

      The HTTP Transport port is 9080 by default and must be unique for every profile. The port is associated with a virtual host named default_host, which is configured to host the installed DefaultApplication. The Snoop servlet is part of the DefaultApplication. Change the port to match your actual HTTP Transport port.

    4. Verify that Snoop is running.

      Either Web address should display the Snoop Servlet - Request/Client Information page.

    5. Remote IBM HTTP Server only:

      (Dist) Verify that the automatic propagation function can work on a remote IBM HTTP Server using the following steps. This procedure is not necessary for local web servers.

      1. Create a user=adminUser, password=adminPassword in the IHS_root /conf/admin.passwd file. For example: c:\ws\ihs90\bin\htpasswd -cb c:\ws\ihs90\conf\admin.passwd adminUser adminPassword

      2. Use the administrative console of the deployment manager or the application server to enter the User ID and password information that we created for the administrative user of IBM HTTP Server. Go...

          Servers > Web server > web_server_definition > Remote Web server administration

        Set the following values: admin Port=8008, User Id=adminUser, Password=adminPassword.

      3. Set the correct read/write permissions for the httpd.conf file and the plugin-cfg.xml file. See the IHS_root /logs/admin_ERROR. LOG file for more information.

      Automatic propagation of the plug-in configuration file requires the IBM HTTP administrative server to be up and running. If we are managing an IBM HTTP Server using the WAS administrative console, the following error might display:

        "Could not connect to IHS Administration server error"

      Perform the following procedure to correct the error:

      1. Verify that the IBM HTTP Server Administration server is running.

      2. Verify that the web server host name and the port that is defined in the WAS administrative console matches the IBM HTTP Server administration host name and port.

      3. Verify that the fire wall is not preventing you from accessing the IBM HTTP Server administration server from the WAS administrative console.

      4. Verify that the user ID and password specified in the WAS administrative console under remote managed, is created in the admin.passwd file, using the htpasswd command.

      5. If we are trying to connect securely, export the IBM HTTP Server administration server keydb personal certificate into the WAS key database as a signer certificate. This key database is specified by the com.ibm.ssl.trustStore directive in the sas.client.props file in the profile where the administrative console is running. This consideration is primarily for self-signed certificates.

      6. If we still have problems, check the IBM HTTP Server admin_ERROR. LOG file and the WAS logs (trace.log file) to determine the cause of the problem.

  22. If the deployment manager does not have the DefaultApplication installed, we can test the functionality of the web server and the custom node using an application of our own.

  23. From the administrative console of the deployment manager, click...

      System administration > Save Changes to Master Repository > Synchronize changes with Nodes > Save

  24. To create multiple web server definitions for the managed node, use the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool to configure each web server.

    Identify the same managed node each time. Give each web server a different nick name.

This procedure results in the installation of the Web Server Plug-ins for WAS on a web server machine. The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool creates a web server definition within the managed node.

The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool configures the web server to use the plugin-cfg.xml file within the managed custom node.

The deployment manager regenerates the web server plug-in configuration file, plugin-cfg.xml whenever an event occurs that affects the file. Such events include the addition or removal of an application, server, or virtual host.

The creation or removal of clusters and cluster members also causes file regeneration. Automatic propagation through node synchronization copies the file after each regeneration to the following location on the custom node machine: 

profile_root
   /config/cells/cell/nodes/
   node_of_custom_profile/servers/
   web_server/plugin-cfg.xml

The installation of the Web Server Plug-ins results in the creation of the Plugins directory and several subdirectories. The following directories are among those created on a Linux system, for example:


What to do next

See Plug-ins configuration for information about the location of the plug-in configuration file.

See Web server configuration for more information about the files involved in configuring a web server.

See Editing web server configuration files for information about how the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool configures supported web servers.

See Configure web server plug-ins for information about other installation scenarios for installing Web server plug-ins.


Related:

  • Plug-ins configuration
  • Configure web server plug-ins
  • Configure a web server plug-in using the pct tool