Installing and configuring a swinging profile environment

To be able to swing profiles, you must install and configure a master application server installation and a set of common profiles.

1. Create directories for the common profiles and product installations.
   Profile directories:

   • Main common profile directory: /opt/SPCommonArea, referred to as common_profile_dir
   • Common profile subdirectories:
     • common_profile_dir/logs
     • common_profile_dir/logs/manageprofiles
     • common_profile_dir/properties
     • common_profile_dir/profiles

   Product installation directories:

   • Main product installation directory: /opt/SPInstalls, referred to as sp_install_dir
   • Master product installation subdirectory: sp_install_dir/MASTER/AppServer
2. Create a symbolic link for the master installation directory under the common profile directory.
   The following example creates the /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink symbolic link.

   ln -s /opt/SPInstalls/MASTER/AppServer /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink

3. Install the master WebSphere® Application Server installation, specifying the symbolic link as the installation directory.

   For information about installing the product, see Installing and uninstalling the product on distributed operating systems.

   As a result of the symbolic link, the product is installed to the master installation directory, sp_install_dir/MASTER/AppServer. All fix packs and interim fixes will be applied to this installation, but it will not be used to create profiles.

4. Modify the following properties in the master installation wasprofile.properties file to point to common profile directories.

   WS_CMT_LOG_HOME=/opt/SPCommonArea/logs/manageprofiles
   WS_PROFILE_REGISTRY=/opt/SPCommonArea/properties/profileRegistry.xml
   WS_WSPROFILE_DEFAULT_PROFILE_HOME=/opt/SPCommonArea/profiles

   Note: If you have multiple master installations, update the wasprofile.properties in each installation.
5. Copy the contents of the master installation AppServer directory to a new product installation directory, such as sp_install_dir/V8559/AppServer.

   cp -R /opt/SPInstalls/MASTER/AppServer/* /opt/SPInstalls/V8559/AppServer/

   Note: Only application servers that are on the same host as the master installation have functional installation shortcuts. If you created an application server copy on a different host, no shortcuts are created.
6. Update the symbolic link to point to the AppServer directory of the copied application server.
   The following example removes the existing symbolic link and creates a new one for the copied application server.

   rm /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink
   ln -s /opt/SPInstalls/V8559/AppServer /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink

7. Using the symbolic link, create an application server profile by using the Profile Management Tool or the manageprofiles command.
   The following example uses the manageprofiles command to create the AppSrv01 profile.

   /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink/bin/manageprofiles.sh -create -profileName AppSrv01

   Note: If you create a profile from a template, you must specify the template path using the symbolic link.

   All profile artifacts, such as the updated profile registry, logs, and the profile itself, are created in the common profile directories.

8. Using the symbolic link, start the application server by running the server start command.

   /opt/SPCommonArea/SPLink/bin/startServer -profileName AppSrv01 server1

   The application server runs at the service level of the installation that is referenced by the symbolic link.

   Note: You must use the symbolic link when you run all $WAS_HOME/bin commands.