Installing the product on distributed operating systems using the command line

You can install WebSphere® Application Server Version 8.5 using the Installation Manager command line.

Before you begin

Important: Before installing the product, you must read the license agreement that you can find with the product files. Signify your acceptance of the license agreement by specifying -acceptLicense in the command as described in the procedure.

Attention: Starting in version 8.5.5.11, the default versions of Java are Java SE 6 or Java SE 8. As such, you can accept the default and install either Java SE 6 or Java SE 8 as the version of Java SE contained in the /java and /java64 directories in WebSphere Application Server and used by default during server and node configuration. Java 8 is the recommended Java SDK because it provides the latest features and security updates. You can continue to use Java SE 6, but no service can be provided after the end of support in April 2018, which might expose your environment to security risks.

Java SE 7 and Java SE 7.1 (not available for Solaris and HP) are also viable options for installing on WebSphere Application Server version 8.5.5.11.

• The bit level of Java SE 7.0 is based on the bit level selected during the initial installation of WebSphere Application Server. If a 32-bit WebSphere Application Server is installed, then only the 32-bit Java SE 7.0 can be installed. If a 64-bit WebSphere Application Server is installed, then only the 64-bit Java SE 7.0 can be installed.
• Installing the optional Java SE 7.0 or Java SE 7.1 does not imply that profiles can take advantage of this new version of Java. The managesdk command can be used to switch Java or the WebSphere Application Server administrative console (wsadmin) can be used to make the switch.

Starting in version 8.5.5.14, Java SE 8 is the default Java. When updating to 8.5.5.14, any existing profile that uses Java SDK 6 is replaced by Java SDK 8. You can continue to use Java SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7.0 and Version 7.1, but no service can be provided after the end of support in July 2022, which could expose your environment to security risks.

For more information on Java SE 6, 7, and 7.1 end of service, see Java SE 6, 7, and 7.1 end of service in WebSphere Application Server V8.5.

The com.ibm.websphere.IBMJAVA.v80 offering will be deprecated, and no fix packs or interim fixes will be provided for this offering after March 2020. If this offering is installed with WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5.5 after March 2020, uninstall it and switch to the default Java SE 8 SDK provided by the WebSphere Application Server package in the same package group. With the default Java SE 8 SDK, you continue receiving Java SE 8 SDK support, including security updates.

Starting in version 8.5.5.18 for Linux on POWER8 Little Endian (LE), the default versions of Java are Java SE 7.1 or Java SE 8. As such, you can accept the default and install either Java SE 7.1 or Java SE 8 as the version of Java SE contained in the /java directory in WebSphere Application Server and used by default during server and node configuration. Java 8 is the recommended Java SDK because it provides the latest features and security updates. You can continue to use Java SE 7.1, but no service can be provided after the end of support in July 2022, which might expose your environment to security risks.

You can use the user.wasjava=java8 property only with new installations of the product for Linux on POWER8 LE. The user.wasjava=java8 property does not work for product upgrades through fix packs for Linux on POWER8 LE.

Starting in version 8.5.5.19 for Linux on POWER8 Little Endian (LE), the default version of Java is Java SE 8. As such, you can accept the default and install Java SE 8 as the version of Java SE contained in the /java directory in WebSphere Application Server and used by default during server and node configuration. You can continue to use Java SE 7.1 by installing IBM WebSphere Java SDK Version 7.1, but no service can be provided after the end of support in July 2022, which might expose your environment to security risks.

The user.wasjava=java8 property is not required for installing and updating to version 8.5.5.19 for Linux on POWER8 LE.

Prepare the system onto which you want to install the product as described in Installing Installation Manager and preparing to install the product.

Important: Support for the Inspur K-UX 2.1 platform was removed in Version 8.5.5.14.

Supported configurations: Installation on the Inspur K-UX operating system is supported in silent mode only. You must have IBM Installation Manager Version 1.7.3.1 to install the product on the Inspur K-UX operating system.

Supported configurations: To install the product on Linux on POWER® Little Endian (LE) systems, you must have IBM® Installation Manager Version 1.8.0 or later.

1. Optional: If the repository requires a username and password, create a keyring file to access this repository.

   For more information on creating a keyring file for Installation Manager, read the IBM Installation Manager documentation.

   Tip: When creating a keyring file, append /repository.config at the end of the repository URL location if the imutilsc command is unable to find the URL that is specified.

   Supported configurations:

   Starting in Installation Manager Version 1.6.2, the -keyring and -password options that were used to access credentials in a key ring file are deprecated. For Installation Manager Version 1.6.2 and later, use the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options to store credentials in a credential storage file.

   In Version 1.7, the format of the secure storage file is revised, and is no longer compatible with versions of Installation Manager before version 1.7. Update Installation Manager to version 1.7 or higher and then re-create and replace any secure storage files that you created with earlier versions.

   There is no migration path from key ring files to storage files because of the differences in the file structures. You must create a storage file to replace a key ring file. For more information about using the -secureStorageFile and -masterPasswordFile options to store credentials in a credential storage file, see the IBM Installation Manager documentation.

2. Log on to your system.
3. Change to the eclipse/tools subdirectory in the directory where you installed Installation Manager.
4. Verify that the product repository is available.
   

   imcl.exe listAvailablePackages -repositories source_repository

   

   ./imcl listAvailablePackages -repositories source_repository

   You should see one or more levels of the offering.
5. Use the imcl command to install the product.

   For the Express product, replace BASE in the command with EXPRESS.

   

   imcl.exe install com.ibm.websphere.BASE.v85_offering_version,optional_feature_ID
     -repositories source_repository 
     -installationDirectory installation_directory 
     -sharedResourcesDirectory shared_directory
     -accessRights access_mode
     -preferences preference_key=value
     -properties property_key=value
     -keyring keyring_file -password password
     -acceptLicense

   

   ./imcl install com.ibm.websphere.BASE.v85_offering_version,optional_feature_ID
     -repositories source_repository 
     -installationDirectory installation_directory 
     -sharedResourcesDirectory shared_directory
     -accessRights access_mode
     -preferences preference_key=value
     -properties property_key=value
     -keyring keyring_file -password password
     -acceptLicense

   The following example illustrates how to install the product using the imcl command:

   imcl install com.ibm.websphere.ND.v85,core.feature,ejbdeploy,thinclient,embeddablecontainer,com.ibm.sdk.6_32bit
    -repositories C:\IBM\REP\WSAS8ENT 
    -installationDirectory C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer 
    -sharedResourcesDirectory C:\IM\im-shared   
    -preferences com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.keepFetchedFiles=false,com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.preserveDownloadedArtifacts=false
    -properties user.wasjava=java8 
    -acceptLicense 

   This command will install the latest version. If you need a specific version, you must specify it. You can find it by using

   /.imcl listAvailablePackages 
   -repositories <path to repository>

   Tips:

   • As of version 8.5.5.11 and higher, you must specify the default Java SDK version by using the user.wasjava property.
     • To install the Java 8 SDK, specify -properties user.wasjava=java8.
     • To install the Java 6 SDK, specify -properties user.wasjava=java6.
     Note: Java 8 is the recommended Java SDK because it provides the latest features and security updates. You can continue to use Java SE 6, but no service can be provided after the end of support in April 2018, which could expose your environment to security risks.
   • The relevant terms and conditions, notices, and other information are provided in the license-agreement files in the lafiles or product_name/lafiles subdirectory of the installation image or repository for this product.
   • The offering_version, which optionally can be attached to the offering ID with an underscore, is a specific version of the offering to install (8.5.0.20110503_0200 for example).
     • If offering_version is not specified, the latest version of the offering and all interim fixes for that version are installed.
     • If offering_version is specified, the specified version of the offering and no interim fixes for that version are installed.
     The offering version can be found attached to the end of the offering ID with an underscore when you run the following command against the repository:

     imcl listAvailablePackages -repositories source_repository

   • You can also specify none, recommended or all with the -installFixes argument to indicate which interim fixes you want installed with the offering.
     • If the offering version is not specified, the -installFixes option defaults to all.
     • If the offering version is specified, the -installFixes option defaults to none.
   • You can add a list of features that are separated by commas:
     • core.feature indicates the full WebSphere Application Server profile
       • samples indicates the sample applications feature
       • thinclient indicates the standalone thin clients and resource adapters
       • embeddablecontainer indicates the embeddable EJB container
       • ejbdeploy indicates the EJBDeploy tool for pre-EJB 3.0 modules
     • liberty indicates the Liberty profile
     • com.ibm.sdk.6_32bit allows you to choose a 32-bit Software Development Kit if you are installing on a 64-bit system
       Note: If there is no 32-bit version of Java available for your platform, an error message will display.
     • com.ibm.sdk.6_64bit allows you to choose a 64-bit Software Development Kit if you are installing on a 64-bit system
     Notes:

     • The features samples, thinclient, embeddablecontainer, and ejbdeploy are subfeatures of core.feature.
     • If no features are specified, the default features (core.feature, ejbdeploy, thinclient, and embeddablecontainer) are installed. To install only the features that you want, specify the list of features explicitly.
     • You must install core.feature.
   • The -accessRights parameter is not required if you previously specified the mode in which to install Installation Manager.
   • Installation Manager can save earlier versions of a package to roll back to if you experience issues later. When Installation Manager rolls back a package to a previous version, the current version of the files are uninstalled and the earlier versions are reinstalled. If you choose not to save the files for rollback, you can prevent the files from being saved by using the following preference in your command specification:

     -preference com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.preserveDownloadedArtifacts=False

     For more information on setting your Installation Manager preferences, see the IBM Installation Manager Version 1.8 documentation.

     Tip: Even if you choose not to preserve files locally for rollback, you can still roll back to any previously installed level by accessing the appropriate product repository.
   • The program might write important post-installation instructions to standard output.

   For more information on using the imcl command to install the product, see the IBM Installation Manager Version 1.8 documentation.