Section - Websphere Detailed Installation (2.6)

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Last updated: Jun 10, 2010 by Former user (Deleted)Version comment
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Overview

IBM Websphere Application Server 6.1 is a J2EE 1.4 compliant application server. It supports Java Standard Edition 1.5 (a Sakai requirement), and provides an enterprise-level platform for hosting the Sakai CLE in a secure, scalable, and highly available application server environment.

The Sakai CLE requires IBM Websphere Application Server 6.1.0.17. The installation process starts with the base WAS 6.1 installation, followed by an update to bring the version to 6.1.0.17. The installation instructions and screenshots refer to a Linux environment, although the general steps can be followed for a Windows environment as well.

Requirements

This installation requires the IBM Websphere Application Server 6.1 install package, the 6.1.0.17 fix package, and the IBM Update Installer install package. For additional Websphere Application Server requirements please see the release notes available with each package.

In addition to the recommended settings to run IBM Websphere Application Server 6.1, if on Linux, an increased ulimit size should be set to reduce the possibility of running out of filehandles when deploying and running Sakai on Websphere. Deployment of Sakai on Websphere using DB2 has been known to have particularly high file usage. A ulimit of 4096 is an adequate amount. Please note that if you set the ulimit by running 

ulimit -n <size>

it only affects the current shell.

Installation

Installing WebSphere Application Server





In your terminal, change directory to the WAS installation package directory, and type './WAS/install' to start the installation. The above screen should display. Click the next button.





Accept the License and click Next.





Read and understand the prequisites check. Note any warnings that are displayed and fix them if required. Once ready, click Next.





For a production environment, it's not recommended to install the sample applications. Leave unchecked and click Next.





Enter the path where Websphere should be installed. For eg. '/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer'. Click Next.





Click on the checkbox to enable administrative security (recommended for a production environment). Enter a user name and password to be used whenever accessing the Admin Console. Click Next.





Installation will begin.





Confirm that the installation was a success, then click Finish.


This completes the installation of Websphere Application Server 6.1. The next section details how to upgrade it to the required 6.1.0.17 version.

Updating WebSphere

Although WAS 6.1 is installed, the Sakai CLE requires WAS 6.1.0.17.

To upgrade WAS, the Update Installer must first be installed before the 6.1.0.17 can be applied.

Installing the Update Installer


The Update Installer is a tool that applies updates and fixes to an existing installation. It is required to apply the 6.1.0.17 fix to the WAS 6.1 installation. This section can be skipped if the Update Installer has already been installed.





In your terminal, change directory to the Update Installer installation package directory, and type './install' to start the upgrade process. The above screen should display. Click on Next.





Accept License Agreement and click Next.





Read and understand the prequisites check. Note any warnings that are displayed and fix them if required. Once ready, click Next.





Enter the path where the Update Installer should be installed. For example, '/opt/IBM/Websphere/UpdateInstaller'. Click Next.





Review the summary and if correct, click Next.





The Update Installer will now install.





Confirm that the Update Installer was successfully installed. Then click the Checkbox to launch the IBM Update Installer on exit and click Finish.

Installing the WAS Upgrade






On exit of the Update Installer installation wizard, the IBM Update Installer tool starts. Click Next.





Enter the path of the WAS 6.1 installation you would like to update. This is the same path you entered in Step 5. Click Next.





Click the radio button beside 'Install maintenance package' and click the Next button.





Enter the path to the location of the 6.1.0.17 maintenance fix package. Click the Next button.





Review the summary and if correct, click the Next button.





The WAS 6.1 installation will be updated with the 6.1.0.17 maintenance package.





Confirm the successful update of WAS 6.1 to WAS 6.1.0.17, and click Finish to exit.

Creating a WAS Profile

Websphere places files into one of two separate environments. It installs the core product files (the "system" files) in one location, and in a separate location it creates profiles, which is a run time execution environment that includes configuration files, the default location for deployed applications, logs, and other data. All profiles on a machine can share the same core product files, which they cannot modify.

To create a profile that is to be later used as the run time execution environment for Sakai, navigate to the bin directory of WebSphere's AppServer. For e.g. '/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/bin'.

In this directory, run the manageprofiles.sh script with the following parameters to create a new profile.

./manageprofiles.sh -create -templatePath /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profileTemplates/default 
   -profileName <the name of the profile> -profilePath <the path where the profile should be installed>



For e.g.,

./manageprofiles.sh -create -templatePath /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profileTemplates/default 
   -profileName sakaiTest -profilePath /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/sakaiTest