Configuration archive files

A configuration archive (CAR) file captures the configuration of a stand-alone application server profile for later restoration. The CAR can help clone the original profile to another machine or system.

Configuration archive import support is provided in CIPs that achieve a WAS maintenance level of 6.0.2.5 or higher.

The Installation Factory allows for a previously exported configuration archive of an existing stand-alone application server profile to be bundled with an installation image, maintenance packages, user files, and scripts. The resulting bundle is a customized installation package, or CIP.

A CIP constructed in this manner can be used to install an exact replica of a model application serving environment with installed maintenance packages, configured profiles, and deployed applications. Configuration archive allow one to restore a pre-configured, working, and tested stand-alone application server configuration from a source machine to one or more target machines. For this reason, the configuration archive support is one of the key customizations that make CIPs so powerful when creating large scale topologies.

Configuration archives are available for use in a CIP only when WAS is at a maintenance level of Version 6.0.2.5 or higher. As you might expect, the configuration archive file must export from a system that is also at a maintenance level of V6.0.2.5 or higher.

The series of configuration events for using a configuration archive and other CIP customizations is shown in the following V6.x. example:

An expert installs V6.x.
The expert installs Refresh Pack 2 (or higher) for V6.x to raise the model system to the Version 6.x.2 maintenance level.
The expert installs Fix Pack 5 or a later fix pack for V6.x.2 to raise the model system to the required V6.x.2.5 or later maintenance level.
The expert creates a default (stand-alone application server) profile, deploys applications, and makes other configuration changes.
The expert creates a configuration archive of the default profile using the AdminTask exportWasprofile command.
Note: The first steps above are optional and are only required if a configuration archive needs to be exported for inclusion in a CIP. If configuration archive customization is not required, then the steps above can be omitted.
The expert uses the Installation Factory to create a CIP that includes the 6.x product image.
The CIP optionally includes a refresh pack as well as a fix pack
1. The expert optionally includes scripts to run during install time or uninstall time.
2. The expert optionally includes the configuration archive in the CIP when configuration profile customization for the Stand Alone Application Server config.
3. The expert optionally includes EARs for any of the three types of profile customization (stand-alone, deployment manager, managed).
4. The expert optionally includes scripts for any of the three types of profile customization (stand-alone, deployment manager, managed) to run either at profile creation time or profile deletion time.
5. The expert optionally includes additional files to be installed on the system.
The expert distributes the CIP to installers who require the pre-configured system for their users.
The installers install the CIP.
The installers use the specialized Profile creation wizard in the CIP to create any of the profile types: cell, stand-alone application server, deployment manager, managed. If a the stand-alone profile is chosen and a configuration archive is present, it will be automatically restored.

See Creating customized CIP profiles from the command line for more information about restoring a configuration archive while creating a stand-alone application server profile.