Interoperate with previous product versions

Overview

IBM WebSphere Application Server inter-operates with the previous product versions. Use this topic to configure this behavior.

The current release of the Application Server distinguishes the identities of the user who acts as an administrator, managing the Application Server environment, from the identity of the user used for authenticating between servers. In prior releases, the user had to specify a server user ID and password as the user identity for authenticating between servers. In the current release of the Application Server, the server user ID is generated automatically and internally; however, the user can specify that the server user ID and password not be automatically generated. This option is especially important in the case of a mixed-release cell, where the server user ID and password are specified in a down-level version of the Application Server. In such a scenario, the user should opt out of automatically generating the server user ID and instead use the server user ID and password specified in the down-level version of the Application Server, in order to ensure backwards compatibility.

Interoperability is achieved only when the LTPA authentication mechanism and a distributed user registry is used such as LDAP or a distributed Custom user registry. LocalOS on most platforms is not considered a distributed user registry.

Interoperate with previous versions

1. Configure WAS V9.0 with the same distributed user registry (that is, LDAP or Custom) configured with the previous version.

   Verify the same LDAP user registry is shared by all of the product versions.

   1. In the administrative console, select...
      Security | Global security | Realm definition | Configure

      In WAS, Versions 5.x and 6.0.x, a single user identity is required for both administrative access and internal process communication. When migrating to V9.0, this identity is used as the server user identity. We need to specify another user for the administrative user identity.

      In WAS, V6.0.x, a single user identity is required for both administrative access and internal process communication. When migrating to V9.0, this identity is used as the server user identity. We need to specify another user for the administrative user identity.

   2. When interoperating with V6.0.x or previous versions, select the Server identity stored in the user repository.

      Enter the Server user id and the associated Password.

2. Configure the LTPA authentication mechanism.

   Automatic generation of the LTPA keys should be disabled. If not, keys used by a previous release are lost. Export the current LTPA keys from WAS V8.0 and import them into the previous release or export the LTPA keys from the previous release into V8.0.

   1. In the administrative console select...
      Security | Global security | Authentication mechanisms and expiration | LTPA | Key set groups | key set group

   2. Clear the check box...
      Automatically generate keys

   3. Click OK, then click Authentication mechanisms and expiration in the path on the Key set groups panel.

   4. Scroll down to the Cross-cell single sign-on section, and enter a password to use for encrypting the LTPA keys when adding them to the file.

   5. Enter the password again to confirm the password.

   6. Enter the Fully qualified key file name containing the exported keys.

   7. Click Export keys.

   8. Follow the instructions provided in the previous release to import the exported LTPA keys into that configuration.

3. If we are using the default SSL configuration, extract all of the signer certificates from the WAS V9.0 common trust store.

   Otherwise, extract signers where necessary to import them into the previous release.

   1. In the administrative console, click...
      Security | SSL certificate and key management | Key stores and certificates | CellDefaultTrustStore | Signer certificates

   2. Select one signer and click Extract.

   3. Enter a unique path and filename for the signer. For example, /tmp/signer1.arm.

   4. Click OK. Repeat for all of the signers in the trust store.

   5. Check other trust stores for other signers that might need to be shared with the other server.

      Repeat steps e through h to extract the other signers.

   We can also import a signer certificate, which is also called a certificate authority (CA) certificate, from a truststore.

4. Add the exported signers to DummyServerTrustFile.jks and DummyClientTrustFile.jks in the /etc directory of the back-level product version.

   If the previous release is not using the dummy certificate, the signer certificate(s) from the previous release must be extracted and added into the WAS V9.0 release to enable SSL connectivity in both directions.

   1. Open the key management utility, iKeyman, for that product version.

   2. Start ikeyman.bat or ikeyman.sh from the ${USER_INSTALL_ROOT}/bin directory.

   3. Select Key Database File > Open.

   4. Open ${USER_INSTALL_ROOT}/etc/DummyServerTrustFile.jks.

   5. Enter WebAS for the password.

   6. Select Add and enter one of the files extracted in step 2. Continue until we have added all of the signers.

   7. Repeat steps c through f for the DummyClientTrustFile.jks file.

5. Verify that the application uses the correct JNDI name and naming bootstrap port for performing a naming lookup.

6. Stop and restart all of the servers.

(ZOS) Import a signer certificate from a truststore to a z/OS keyring