Modify the default web container configuration
A web container handles requests for servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP) files, and other types of files that include server-side code. The web container creates servlet instances, loads and unloads servlets, creates and manages request and response objects, and performs other servlet management tasks. The web server plug-ins, provided by the product, help supported web servers to pass servlet requests to web containers.
If the property to start servlets during application server startup is enabled, part of its startup process calls the Servlet.init method on its servlets when we start the web container. Therefore, when the web container starts and calls the init method, other components such as Naming and Work Load Management might not be fully started yet. As a result, application server related calls may not work because all of the application server components might not be ready yet. Once the application server is 'ready for e-business', it is completely ready. If application server related calls fail during Servlet.init method, we can either:
- Start the servlet manually when the server is ready for e-business instead of starting the servlet upon startup or
- We can choose not to make application server related calls in the servlet's init method.
The web container is created initially with default properties values suitable for simple web applications. However, these values might not be appropriate for more complex web applications.
Your application is considered complex if it requires any of the following features:
- Additional virtual host aliases
- Servlet caching
- Persistent HTTP session support
- Session tracking support with URL rewriting
- Special web container transport chain settings
- Asynchronous or remote dispatching
- No request or response pooling
Make the following configuration changes if we have a complex application:
Tasks
- In the administrative console, click...
Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server
Under Web container settings click on one of the following:
- Web container, if the web application requires a virtual host, other than the default_host, or requires servlet caching.
- Web container transport chains, if we need to reconfigure the HTTP connections.
- (iSeries) If the application handles special client request loads, in the administrative console, to modify the thread pool settings, click...
Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server > Additional Properties > Thread pools
- If the application requires global settings for internal servlets for web application archive (WAR) files packaged by third-party tools, in the administrative console, click...
Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server > Web Container Settings > Web container > Additional Properties > Custom properties > custom property
- If the application uses transaction class mappings to classify workload, in the administrative console, click...
Resources > Asynchronous Beans > Work managers > workmanager_name > Default transaction class field > transaction class mapping file
Subtopics
- Web container settings
- Programmatic session cookie configuration collection
- Web container custom properties
- Web module deployment settings
- Context root for web modules settings
- Environment entries for web modules settings
- Web container advanced settings
- Web container inbound transport channel settings
- Web container troubleshooting tips
- Disable servlet pooling: Best practices and considerations
- JavaServer Pages specific web container custom properties
Related:
Class loaders Web applications: Resources for learning (ZOS) Transaction class mapping file entries