Customizing context roots for the components in a deployment environment

After you create a deployment environment, you can customize the context root for all components in the environment by using the BPMConfig script to add a prefix. You can also customize the Heritage Process Portal context root by adding a prefix that is specific to this component only.

Before you create a deployment environment, you can also customize the context roots by setting the context root properties in the BPMConfig properties file that defines the configuration for that deployment environment.

About this task

To customize your IBM® Business Automation Workflow context roots, run the BPMConfig script with the -update parameter.
Important: If you have customized your context roots and you intend to connect the Workflow Server to a Workflow Center repository to deploy applications, the Workflow Center must at least be at the V8.5.0.1 level.

Procedure

To customize the context roots in an existing deployment environment, complete the following steps:

  1. Stop all running servers in the deployment environment.
  2. In a command-line environment, change to the directory where the BPMConfig script is located on the deployment manager node.
    For example:

    cd install_root/bin

  3. Run the script by using the following syntax:

    BPMConfig -update -profile profile_name [-de DE_name] [-component component_name] -contextRootPrefix prefix

    where:
    -profile
    Specifies the deployment manager profile name.
    -de
    Specifies the name of the deployment environment to which the context root changes apply. All the components in the deployment environment will be configured with the changes.

    If there is only one deployment environment in the WebSphere cell, you can omit the -de option.

    -component
    Specifies a component for which a context root prefix can be set. The valid values are ProcessPortal, IBM Business Automation Workflow V 18.0.0.2CaseManager, and IBM Business Automation Workflow V 18.0.0.2ContentNavigator. If you omit the -component option, the context root is updated for all components in the deployment environment.
    -contextRootPrefix
    Specifies the context root prefix that you want to set. This value requires a leading forward slash (/). The specified prefix is added to the beginning of the default context root. If you specify a leading forward slash (/) by itself, the -contextRootPrefix option will revert any customized context root back to the Business Automation Workflow default context root.
    Important: If you update the value of -contextRootPrefix, you must change any hard-coded URLs in your existing applications.
    Examples:
    • To add a prefix of de_prefix to the default context root values for all components that are configured in the P1SR01 deployment environment, enter the following command:

      ./BPMConfig -update -profile DmgrProfile -de P1SR01 -contextRootPrefix /de_prefix

    • To add a prefix of myportal to the default value of the context root for the Heritage Process Portal component in the P1SR01 deployment environment, enter the following command:

      ./BPMConfig -update -profile DmgrProfile -de P1SR01 -component ProcessPortal -contextRootPrefix /myportal

    • To set a Heritage Process Portal context root prefix (myportal), which is different from the prefix (de_prefix) that is used by the other components in the P1SR01 deployment environment, run the following commands in sequence:

      ./BPMConfig -update -profile DmgrProfile -de P1SR01 -contextRootPrefix /de_prefix
      ./BPMConfig -update -profile DmgrProfile -de P1SR01 -component ProcessPortal -contextRootPrefix /myportal

  4. Review the install_root/logs/config/BPMConfig_timestamp.log file on the deployment manager node to confirm there were no errors.
  5. Run the syncNode command on each node to obtain the latest configuration file changes.

Results

The URLs that are used to access the IBM Business Automation Workflow web applications are configured to include the context root prefix. As a result, this change will affect the client applications that are using the default context root as an endpoint. In URLs, the specified context root prefix, including the leading forward slash (/), is added in front of the default context root. For example, the default Business Process Choreographer Explorer URL takes the form https://application_server_host:port_number/bpc, where bpc is the default context root (or root directory for the Business Process Choreographer Explorer application on the application server). If you set the context root prefix to myprefix, the Business Process Choreographer Explorer URL becomes https://application_server_host:port_number/myprefix/bpc.

What to do next

Update the web server plug-in. The web modules are updated in the product applications when you run the BPMConfig -update -contextRootPrefix command. If the product applications are mapped to a web server, the plugin-cfg.xml file for the web server must be updated with the new context roots. Any web server plug-ins might need to be propagated (or generated and propagated). For more information, see Plug-ins configuration in the WebSphere Application Server product information.

Clear your browser cache before you start IBM Business Automation Workflow user interfaces.

Update your client applications to use the new custom context root.

Any previously installed Process Designer must be downloaded from Workflow Center and installed again because Process Designer must use the new context root configuration.

Note: In an environment with a customized context root, you might be prompted to log in to the Workflow Center again after initial access. If you are using Lightweight Third Party Authentication (LTPA) security, a log in is requested if you have multiple cells sharing the same IBM HTTP Server (IHS) without sharing the LTPA keys. If this is the case, share the LTPA keys. Additionally, if you want to access more than one cell on the same IHS, use a separate browser for each cell.