Configuring IBM HTTP Server V9

You can use IBM HTTP Server (IHS) V9 web server to support load balancing and failover across multiple IBM® Cognos® Analytics with Watson application servers.

To do that, you must install IHS V9 and the Web Server Plug-ins for IBM WebSphere Application Server V9, and then configure IHS V9 to use the cognos.conf file.

For more information about installing the Web Server Plug-ins for IBM WebSphere Application Server V9, see this article (www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSAW57_9.0.0/com.ibm.websphere.installation.nd.doc/ae/rins_plugins_info.html).

Before you begin

The following prerequisites are required:

  • IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, version 8 for Windows (CND15ML)
  • IBM WebSphere Application Server V9.0 supplements - Web Server Plug-ins (CND1EML)
  • IBM WebSphere Application Server V9.0 supplements - IBM HTTP Server (CND1DML)

About this task

The directories and aliases for Windows-based IBM HTTP Server (IHS) setups must be properly specified. For example, the alias ibmcognos needs to be set to /ibmcognos "c:/cognos_analytics_location/cognos/webcontent". Ensure that the forward slash (/) character is used in the path, and the location is enclosed in double quotation marks (" ").

Procedure

  1. Install IBM Installation Manager (IIM), preferably version 1.8.5 or later, if you do not already have it installed.

    You can download IIM from this location (www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24041188).

  2. Using IIM, install IBM HTTP Server (IHS) V9 and the Web Server Plug-ins for IBM WebSphere Application Server V9 from Online product repositories for Liberty offerings (www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEQTP_liberty/com.ibm.websphere.wlp.nd.multiplatform.doc/ae/cwlp_ins_repositories.html).

    Ensure that you use the following installation paths:

    • /opt/IHS90 as the IHS V9 install root
    • /opt/IHS90Plugin as the Web Server Plug-ins for IBM WebSphere Application Server install root

      You cannot install the Plug-ins within the IHS V9 install root.

  3. Associate the WAS Web Server Plug-ins V9 and IHS V9 by running the following commands: 
    cd /opt/IHS90
bin/simplepct.sh /opt/IHS90Plugin

    The simplepct.sh file was introduced in IHS V9 fix pack 5, and is not available in earlier versions of IHS V9. For more information, see this article (www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24044965).

    Tip: On UNIX, check the httpd.conf file in your IHS V9 installation after running this command. If you see $PLG_ROOT, replace it with WAS Web Server Plug-ins V9 install root folder, such as /opt/IHS90Plugin.
  4. Generate the plugin-cfg.xml file for WAS Web Server Plug-ins. For more information, see Generating the plugin-cfg.xml for Cognos Analytics servers.
  5. Copy the plugin-cfg.xml file that was generated in step 4 to the WAS_Web_Server_Plugins_install_root/config/webserver1 directory, such as /opt/IHS90Plugin/config/webserver1.
    Tip: On UNIX, ensure that the plugin-cfg.xml file has read and execute permissions after copying the file.
  6. Configure the IHS V9 using the following steps:
    1. Access the template file cognos_IHS9_SSO.conf or cognos_IHS9.conf in the Cognos Analytics gateway_install_location/cgi-bin/templates directory.
    2. Copy the template file to IHS9_install_root/conf directory, such as /opt/IHS90/conf, and rename it to cognos.conf. Modify the cognos.conf file to point to the proper installation location.
    3. Configure httpd.conf, as documented in the article Configuring Cognos Analytics with either Apache HTTP Server or IBM HTTP Server.
    4. Restart the IHS V9 web server.