(Windows)

Prepare Windows systems for installation

Before installing IBM WebSphere Application Server products on Windows systems, prepare the operating system with these steps.

Preparing the OS involves such changes as allocating disk space and installing patches to the operating system. IBM tests WAS products on each operating system platform. Such tests verify whether an operating system change is required for WAS products to run correctly. Without the required changes, WAS products do not run correctly.

Tasks

1. Log on to a user ID that belongs to the administrator group.

   Log on as a member of the administrator group to successfully install the product. We cannot create Windows services from a user ID that does not belong to the administrator group. The creation of Windows services requires the user to have the advanced user rights Act as part of the operating system and Log on as a service.

   During the procedure, we can assign another ID or the one we are using to install as the user who will log on the Windows service. That user requires the advanced user right: Log on as a service.

   However, if we do not have this advanced user right or if the user ID that is to log on the Windows service does not have the advanced user right, Installation Manager assigns the advanced right to the user.

2. Optional: Download and install a web browser.

   If the system does not have a default browser or the browser has been corrupted or installed incorrectly, then we might experience errors when trying to open various links in the installation panels.

3. Stop all Java processes related to WAS on the machine where we are installing the product.

4. Stop any web server process such as the IBM HTTP Server.

5. Stop all instances of the process_spawner.exe program. We can skip this step if the process_spawner.exe does not exist.

   The process_spawner.exe is a required binary file for the WAS to function properly. The process_spawner.exe is not intended to be called directly and is a core functionality of the WAS on Windows.

6. Provide adequate disk space.

   The amount of disk space required varies with the number of features or products installed. If we are installing the product using Installation Manager, the installation summary panel indicates the approximate amount of disk space required based on the features and products we have selected.

   Installing all features and products requires approximately 2 GB of disk space. This estimate includes the following products, components, and features:
   • Main application server product installation
   • Profiles
   • Sample applications
   • IBM HTTP Server
   • Web Server Plug-ins
   • Application Client for WAS

   If we plan to migrate applications and the configuration from a previous version, verify that the application objects have enough disk space. As a rough guideline, plan for space equal to 110 percent of the size of the applications.

7. Verify that prerequisites and corequisites are at the required release levels.

   Although Installation Manager checks for prerequisite operating system patches, review the prerequisites on the Supported hardware and software website if we have not done so already.

   Refer to the documentation for non-IBM prerequisite and corequisite products to learn how to migrate to their supported versions.

This procedure results in preparing the operating system for installing the product.

What to do next

After verifying prerequisites, verifying the product disk, and setting the installation goals, we can start installing. Using one of the following links to open the installation procedure that you require.

• Install the product.

  See Install the product offerings.

• Install additional features on an existing product.

  See Install features on distributed operating systems.

Prepare the operating system for product installation