Configuration documents

WebSphere Application Server stores configuration data in several documents in a cascading hierarchy of directories. Most configuration documents have XML content.

The configuration documents describe the available application servers, their configurations, and their contents.

Hierarchy of directories of documents

The cascading hierarchy of directories and the documents' structure support multinode replication to synchronize the activities of all servers in a cell. In a WAS ND environment, changes made to configuration documents in the cell repository, are automatically replicated to the same configuration documents stored on nodes throughout the cell.

At the top-level of the hierarchy is the cells directory. It holds a subdirectory for each cell. The names of the cell subdirectories match the names of the cells. For example, a cell named cell1 has its configuration documents in the subdirectory cell1. The name of the cell must be different from the cluster name pair.

On the WAS ND node, the subdirectories under the cell contain the entire set of documents for every node and server throughout the cell. On other nodes, the set of documents is limited to what applies to that specific node. If a configuration document only applies to node1, then that document exists in the configuration on node1 and in the WAS ND configuration, but not on any other node in the cell.

Each cell subdirectory has the following files and subdirectories:

• The cell.xml file, which provides configuration data for the cell.

• Files such as security.xml, virtualhosts.xml, resources.xml, and variables.xml, which provide configuration data that applies across every node in the cell.

• The clusters subdirectory, which holds a subdirectory for each cluster defined in the cell. The names of the subdirectories under clusters match the names of the clusters.

  Each cluster subdirectory holds a cluster.xml file, which provides configuration data specifically for that cluster.

• The nodes subdirectory, which holds a subdirectory for each node in the cell. The names of the nodes subdirectories match the names of the nodes.

  Each node subdirectory holds files such as variables.xml and resources.xml, which provide configuration data that applies across the node. Note that these files have the same name as those in the containing cell's directory. The configurations specified in these node documents override the configurations specified in cell documents having the same name. For example, if a particular variable is in both cell- and node-level variables.xmlfiles, all servers on the node use the variable definition in the node document and ignore the definition in the cell document.

  Each node subdirectory holds a subdirectory for each server defined on the node. The names of the subdirectories match the names of the servers. Each server subdirectory holds a server.xml file, which provides configuration data specific to that server. Server subdirectories might hold files such as security.xml, resources.xml and variables.xml, which provide configuration data that applies only to the server. The configurations specified in these server documents override the configurations specified in containing cell and node documents having the same name.

• The applications subdirectory, which holds a subdirectory for each application deployed in the cell. The names of the applications subdirectories match the names of the deployed applications.

  Each deployed application subdirectory holds a deployment.xml file containing configuration data on the application deployment. Each subdirectory also holds a META-INF subdirectory that holds a J2EE application deployment descriptor file as well as IBM deployment extensions files and bindings files. Deployed application subdirectories also hold subdirectories for all .war and entity bean .jar files in the application. Binary files such as .jar files are also part of the configuration structure.

An example file structure is as follows:

cells
  cell1
     cell.xml resources.xml virtualhosts.xml variables.xml security.xml
     nodes
        nodeX
           node.xml variables.xml resources.xml serverindex.xml
           serverA
              server.xml variables.xml
           nodeAgent
              server.xml variables.xml
        nodeY
           node.xml variables.xml resources.xml serverindex.xml
     applications
        sampleApp1
           deployment.xml
           META-INF
              application.xml ibm-application-ext.xml ibm-application-bnd.xml
        sampleApp2
           deployment.xml
           META-INF
              application.xml ibm-application-ext.xml ibm-application-bnd.xml

Change configuration documents

Using one of the administrative tools (console, wsadmin, Java APIs) to modify configuration documents or edit them directly. It is preferable to use the administrative console because it validates changes made to configurations. " Configuration document descriptions" states whether we can edit a document using the administrative tools or must edit it directly.

For transitioning users: The following z/OS variable definitions no longer exist in v8.x and later configuration documents:

• private_Enable_zWAS_for_64bit in server scope variables.xml
• AMODE=64 in processDefinition for control, servant, or adjunct processes in server.xml
• was.com.ibm.websphere.zos.jvmmode in processDefinition for control processes in server.xml

In v8.0 and later, we do not see AMODE=64 in Start command arguments for the server process. To see the current bit mode of the server:

• Use wsadmin, run AdminTask commands to get the bit mode used.

• Use the administrative console, see Run in 64 bit JVM Mode on the application server settings page. Click Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server.

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Transformation of configuration files

The WAS master configuration repository stores configuration files for all the nodes in the cell. When we upgrade the deployment manager from one release of WAS to another, the configuration files stored in the master repository for the nodes on the old release are converted into the format of the new release.

With this conversion, the deployment manager can process the configuration files uniformly. However, nodes on an old release cannot readily use configuration files in the format of the new release. WAS addresses the problem when it synchronizes the configuration files from the master repository to a node on an old release. The configuration files are first transformed into the old release format before they ship to the node. WAS performs the following transformations on configuration documents:

• Changes the XML name space from the format of the new release to the format of the old release
• Strips out attributes of cell-level documents that are applicable to the new release only
• Strips out new resource definitions that are not understood by old release nodes

Work with server configuration files

Configuration document descriptions