Configuring transaction tracking for the WebLogic agent

The transaction tracking capability of the WebLogic agent requires changes to the agent instance environment settings file and the WebLogic server startup file. A script is provided to help you make the changes.

Before you begin

Ensure that the resource limit for open files is greater than 5,000 for the transaction tracking toolkit to work properly.

• Display the current open file limit setting. ulimit -n
• Example setting the open file limit to 5,056. ulimit -n 5056

Perform Configuring WebLogic monitoring step 1 or step 2 before you follow this procedure.

Note: Transaction tracking capability is available for the WebLogic agent in the Cloud APM, Advanced offering. For the WebLogic agent with basic resource monitoring capability, which is in the Cloud APM, Base offering, skip this step.

The WebLogic agent must be installed locally to the WebLogic server that is monitored with the transaction tracking capability.

The user account that runs this script must have write permission to the following directories and files:

1. The WEBLOGIC_HOME directory.
2. The WEBLOGIC_HOME/bin directory and files.
3. The install_dir/config directory.
4. The install_dir/config/hostname_wb_instance_name.cfg file.

where

WEBLOGIC_HOME

WebLogic server installation directory.

install_dir

Path where the agent is installed. The default paths to these logs are as follows.

• /opt/ibm/apm/agent
• C:\IBM\APM\TMAITM6_x64

hostname

Name of the host computer where the agent is installed.

instance_name

Name of the agent instance that is assigned in the agent configuration method topic:

• Configuring the agent on Windows systems, step 3
• Configuring the agent by responding to prompts, step 1
• Configuring the agent by using the silent response file, step 2

Run the simpleConfig script.

1. Log in to the WebLogic server with the WebLogic agent installed.
2. Change directory to the agent installation directory.
   • install_dir
   • install_dir\TMAITM6_x64

   where install_dir is the path where the agent is installed.

   The default install_dir paths are listed here:

   • /opt/ibm/apm/agent
   • C:\IBM\APM\TMAITM6_x64
3. Change directory to wbdchome/8.1.4.0.0/bin.
4. Run the setup script.
   • ./simpleConfig.sh
   • simpleConfig.bat
5. Follow the prompts to enter parameters for your environment:
   1. Choose the WebLogic agent instance_name and subnode to configure from the list of detected agent instance and subnode combinations where instance_name is the name of the agent instance.
   2. Type the number of the WebLogic server startup method.
   3. Type the WebLogic domain root search path.
      This path is used as the base from which to search for WebLogic domains. If the WEBLOGIC_HOME environment variable is set, its value is offered as the default value.
   4. Type the number of the WebLogic domain for the WebLogic server to configure.
   5. Type the number of the WebLogic server name to configure.
   Example configuration with a WebLogic startup method of WebLogic startup script.

   ./simpleconfig.sh
   
   The following agents and subnodes are not yet configured for transaction tracking:
   
   1) wlinst1 Server1
   2) wlinst1 Server2
   
   Type the number that corresponds to the agent instance and subnode that you want to configure.
   
   Type your selection here (For example: 1): 1
   
   The following WebLogic startup methods are supported:
   
   1) WebLogic startup script
   2) WebLogic Node Manager
   
   Type your selection here (default is 1): 1
   
   The path to begin looking for WebLogic domains.
   WebLogic domain search root (default is: ): /home/wlsadmin
   
   The found WebLogic domain paths are:
   
   1) /home/wlsadmin/oracle/user_projects/domains/ttdd
   
   Type the number that corresponds to the WebLogic domain containing the WebLogic server that 
   you want to configure.
   
   Type your selection here (For examble: 1): 1
   
   The following WebLogic servers are available for configuration:
   
   1) AdminServer
   2) Server1
   
   Select a WebLogic server name (default is: 2): 2
   INFO: [2000] Automatic configuration of agent environment file succeeded.
   INFO: [3000] Automatic configuration of WebLogic start script succeeded.
   INFO: [9000] Restart the WebLogic agent and WebLogic server for configuration to take effect.
   

6. Follow these steps if WebLogic Node Manager is selected as the WebLogic server startup method in step 5.b. Otherwise, proceed to step 7.
   1. Open the weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts file that is listed in information message number 3011 of the output text from step 5.
      Example configuration output with a WebLogic startup method of WebLogic Node Manager.

      INFO: [2000] Automatic configuration of agent environment file succeeded.
      INFO: [3010] Automatic configuration of WebLogic start script skipped.
      INFO: [3011] Please review C:\IBM\APM\TMAITM6_x64\wbdchome\8.1.4.0.0\runtime\ttdd_win\win_Server1\
      staging\weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts.win for required WebLogic JVM start options.
      INFO: [9000] Restart the WebLogic agent and WebLogic server for configuration to take effect.

   2. Log in to the WebLogic console and select Environment > Servers.
   3. Select the server to configure.
   4. Select the Configuration > Server Start tab.
   5. Copy the server start arguments from the weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts file to the server’s Start Server Arguments in the WebLogic console and save the changes.
      The server start arguments are all the lines that follow the comment line # Add the following lines to the server start arguments in the weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts file.
   6. Ensure that the transaction tracking toolkit is in the shared library path at run time.
      Choose a method.

      • Update the Node Manager start script.
        Note: All WebLogic servers started by the Node Manager have this library path set with the transaction tracking toolkit object file libraries included.
        1. Open the weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts file that is listed in information message number 3011 of the output text from step 5.
        2. Set the transaction tracking toolkit path in the Node Manager start script. The command to set the path is the line that follows the comment line # Make sure that the executable path available to the WebLogic server includes the toolkit lib directory in the weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts file.
           • Copy the LD_LIBRARY_PATH line from the generated weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts.linux file and paste it below the export JAVA_OPTIONS line in the Node Manager start script. Example, WEBLOGIC_HOME/user_projects/domains/domain_name/bin/startNodeManager.sh.
           • Copy the PATH from the generated weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts.win file and paste it below the export JAVA_OPTIONS line in the Node Manager start script. Example, WEBLOGIC_HOME\user_projects\domains\domain_name\bin\startNodeManager.bat.

           where WEBLOGIC_HOME is the WebLogic server installation directory and domain_name is the name of the WebLogic domain.

      • Update the environment for the user account that starts the Node Manager.
        Note: All applications started by the user account have this library path set with the Toolkit object file libraries included.
        1. Edit environment settings for the user that starts the Node Manager.
           • Edit the shell resource file or shell profile file. For example, in the bash shell, .bashrc or .bash_profile.
           • Edit Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced system settings > Environment Variables... > User variables for user_name > Path where user_name is the name of the user account that is used to start the WebLogic server.
        2. Set the transaction tracking toolkit path in the user account environment. The command to set the path is the line that follows the comment line # Make sure that the executable path available to the WebLogic server includes the toolkit lib directory in the weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts file.
           • Copy the export LD_LIBRARY_PATH line from the generated weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts.linux file. If an export LD_LIBRARY_PATH line does not exist, add it. If it does exist, edit it to add only the path from the right of the equals sign to the existing path with the correct path delimiter.
           • Copy the set PATH line from the generated weblogic_nodemanager_dc_opts.win file. If a Path variable does not exist in the User variables for user_name section where user_name is the name of the user account that is used to start the WebLogic server, add it by entering Path as the variable name and the path from the right of the equals sign as the value. If it does exist, edit the value to add only the path from the right of the equals sign to the existing path with the correct path delimiter.
        3. Reload the environment.
   Warning: The startNodeManager scripts are generated by the WebLogic configuration utility. So you might lose your changes when the WebLogic configuration is run again.
7. If the WebLogic server and the agent are running, restart them.