WebSphere® Application Server provides web
server plug-ins that you can configure to communicate with a particular brand of web server. Learn
how to install the web server, its web server plug-in for WebSphere Application Server, and the application server on the same machine.
Before you begin
When multiple profiles exist, you can select the profile that
the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool configures. See Plug-ins configuration for a description of the flow of logic that determines how to select
the profile to configure.
If the WebSphere Application Server
product family supports a particular brand of web server, such as IBM® HTTP Server or Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS), your WebSphere Application Server
product provides a binary plug-in for the web server that you must install.
If the WebSphere Application Server
product family does not provide a binary plug-in for a particular brand of web server, then the web
server is not supported. The purpose of the binary plug-in is to provide the communication protocol
between the web server and the application server.
Suppose that you create a new profile and you also want to use a
web server. You must install a new web server for the new profile, install the Web Server Plug-ins,
and use the Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool to configure both the web server and the
application server.
If the web server is not already installed, you can still install the Web Server
Plug-ins for future use.
This procedure configures the application server profile that is the default profile on the
machine. A one-to-one relationship exists between a web server and the application server.
However, a standalone application server profile and a managed profile
can each have multiple web servers defined, each in a separate web server definition.
This topic describes how to create the following topology:
Note: Nonroot installation for the plug-in component is only supported if the application server was
also installed by the same nonroot user. Otherwise, the web server configuration scripts will fail
to run against the application server installation.
About this task
Note: This topic references one or more of the application server log files. As a
recommended alternative, you can configure the server to use the High Performance Extensible Logging
(HPEL) log and trace infrastructure instead of using
SystemOut.log ,
SystemErr.log,
trace.log, and
activity.log files on distributed and IBM
i systems. You can also use HPEL in conjunction with your native z/OS® logging facilities. If you are using HPEL, you can access all of your log and trace
information using the LogViewer command-line tool from your server profile bin directory. See the
information about using HPEL to troubleshoot applications for more
information on using HPEL.
The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool edits the configuration file or files for a
web server by creating directives that point to the location of the binary plug-in module and the
plug-in configuration file.
The name of the binary plug-in module varies per web server type.
The plug-in configuration file is always the plugin-cfg.xml file.
The Web
Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool creates a web server definition in the configuration of the
application server unless one already exists. You can use the administrative console to manage
the web server configuration. For example, when you install an application on the application
server, you can also choose to install it on the web server definition. If so, the updated
plugin-cfg.xml file shows that the new application is available. When the web
server reads the updated plug-in configuration file, the web server becomes aware of the new
application that it can serve to web clients.
If you choose not to install the new application
on the web server definition, the application is not added to the plug-in configuration file. The
web server is not aware of the application and cannot serve it to web clients.
Use this procedure to install the web
server plug-in, configure the web server, and create a web server definition in the default
application server profile.
Procedure
Configure a standalone application server.
- Log on to the operating system.
If you are installing as a nonroot or non-administrative user, then there are certain
limitations.
When installing as an administrative user on a Windows operating system, a Windows service is automatically created to autostart the application server. The installer
user account must have the following advanced user rights:
- Act as part of the operating system
- Log on as a service
For example, on some Windows operating systems,
click
Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies >
User Rights Assignments to set the advanced options. See your Windows operating system documentation for more information.
If you plan to run the application server as a Windows service, do not install from a user ID that contains spaces. A user
ID with spaces cannot be validated. Such a user ID is not allowed to continue the installation. To
work around this restriction, install with a user ID that does not contain spaces.
- Install Installation Manager.
- Use Installation Manager to install the following:
- WebSphere Application Server or WebSphere Application Server - Express®
- Web Server Plug-ins for WebSphere Application
Server
- WebSphere Customization Toolbox
- Use Installation Manager to install the IBM HTTP
Server, or install another supported web server.
- Open the WebSphere Customization Toolbox, and launch the Web Server Plug-ins
Configuration Tool.
- Select a Web Server Plug-ins runtime location.
If the location of a previously installed web server plug-in that you want to use is not in the
list, perform the following actions to add the location to your working set:
- Click Add.
- Enter a name for the web server plug-in location.
- Perform one of the following actions:
- Enter the location.
- Click Browse, find the location, and click OK.
- Click Create.
- Select the type of web server that you are configuring, and click
Next.
- Select the architecture of your installed target web server (64 bit or 32 bit) and
click Next if you are asked.
- Click Browse to select the configuration file or files for your
web server, verify that the web server port is correct, and then click Next
when you are finished.
Select the file and not just the directory of the file. Some web servers have two configuration
files and require you to browse for each file.
The following list shows configuration files for supported web servers:
- Apache HTTP Server
- apache_root/config/httpd.conf
- Domino® Web Server
- names.nsf and Notes.jar
The wizard prompts for the
notes.jar file. The actual name is Notes.jar.
The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool verifies that the files exist but the tool
does not validate either file.
- IBM HTTP Server
- IHS_root/conf/httpd.conf
- Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
- The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool can determine the correct files to edit.
- Sun Java™ System Web Server (formerly Sun ONE Web Server
and iPlanet Web Server) Version 6.0 and later
- obj.conf and magnus.conf
- If you are configuring an IBM HTTP web server
plug-in, perform the following actions.
- Specify a unique name for the web server definition, and click
Next.
- Select the configuration scenario.
- Choose the local scenario.
- Perform one of the following actions:
- Enter the installation location of WebSphere
Application Server (app_server_root).
- Click Browse, find the installation location of WebSphere Application Server (app_server_root), and click OK.
- Click Next.
- Select the profile to configure with the current web server plug-in, and click
Next.
- Review the summary information, and click Configure to begin configuring the
web server, web server plug-in, and application server profile.
- Verify the success of the installation on the summary panel, and click
Finish.
If a problem occurs and the installation is unsuccessful, examine the logs in the
plugins_root/logs directory. Correct any problems and
re-configure.
- Domino Web Server only: Set the
WAS_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILE environment variable.
On platforms such as AIX® or Linux®, sourcing a script to the parent shell allows child processes to
inherit the exported variables. On Windows systems, run
the script as you would run any other command. Sourcing is automatic on Windows systems.
- Open a command window.
- Change directories to the plug-ins installation root directory.
- Issue the appropriate command for the
plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh script:
.
plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh
(Notice the space between the period
and the installation root directory.)
source
plugins_root/bin/setupPluginCfg.sh
The script is also in the lotus_root/notesdata directory
on operating systems such as AIX or Linux.
Issue the appropriate command for the script before starting the Domino Web Server.
- Start the Snoop servlet to verify the ability of the web server to
retrieve an application from the application server.
Test your environment by starting your application server, your web server, and using the Snoop
servlet with an IP address.
- Start the application server.
- Start the IBM HTTP Server or the web server that you are
using.
Use a command window to change the directory to the IBM HTTP Server installed image, or to the installed image of your
web server. Issue the appropriate command to start the web server, such as these commands for IBM HTTP Server:
To start the IBM HTTP Server from the command line:
Access the
apache and
apachectl
commands in the
IBMHttpServer/bin directory.
- Point your browser to http://localhost:9080/snoop to test the internal HTTP
transport provided by the application server. Point your browser to
http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the web
server plug-in.
The HTTP Transport port is 9080 by default and must be unique for every profile.
The port is associated with a virtual host named default_host, which is configured to host the
installed DefaultApplication. The Snoop servlet is part of the DefaultApplication. Change the port
to match your actual HTTP Transport port.
- Verify that Snoop is running.
Either web address should display the Snoop Servlet -
Request/Client Information page.
Tip: In the event of a verification failure where an
HTTP error code of 500 appears, go to IIS Manager > Default Web Site > sePlugins.
Right-click, and choose to edit permissions. Click on the sharing tab, and choose to share with
everyone (permissions level: read/write).
- Remote IBM HTTP Server only:
Verify that the automatic propagation function can work on a remote IBM HTTP Server by using the following steps. This procedure is
not necessary for local web servers.
- Create a user=adminUser, password=adminPassword in the IHS_root
/conf/admin.passwd file. For example: c:\ws\ihs80\bin\htpasswd -cb
c:\ws\ihs80\conf\admin.passwd adminUser adminPassword
- Use the administrative console of the application server to enter the User ID and password information that you created for the
administrative user of IBM HTTP Server. Go to
Servers > Web server > web_server_definition > Remote web server
administration. Set the following values: admin Port=8008, User Id=adminUser,
Password=adminPassword.
- Set the correct read/write permissions for the httpd.conf file and the
plugin-cfg.xml file. See the IHS_root /logs/admin_ERROR. LOG
file for more information.
Automatic propagation of the plug-in configuration file requires the IBM HTTP administrative server to be up and running. If you are managing an IBM HTTP Server using the WebSphere Application Server administrative console, the following error might
display:
Could not connect to IHS Administration server error
Perform the
following procedure to correct the error:
- Verify that the IBM HTTP Server administration server is
running.
- Verify that the web server host name and the port that is defined in the WebSphere Application Server administrative console matches the IBM HTTP Server administration host name and port.
- Verify that the fire wall is not preventing you from accessing the IBM HTTP Server administration server from the WebSphere Application Server administrative console.
- Verify that the user ID and password that is specified in the WebSphere Application Server administrative console under remote managed,
is created in the admin.passwd file, using the htpasswd
command.
- If you are trying to connect securely, verify that you export the IBM HTTP Server administration server keydb personal certificate into the WebSphere Application Server key database as a signer
certificate. This key database is specified by the com.ibm.ssl.trustStore directive in the
sas.client.props file in the profile where your administrative console is
running. This consideration is primarily for self-signed certificates.
- If you still have problems, check the IBM HTTP Server
admin_ERROR. LOG file and the WebSphere Application Server logs (trace.log file) to determine the cause
of the problem.
Results
The installation of the Web Server Plug-ins results in the creation of the
Plugins directory and several subdirectories. The following directories are
among those created on a Linux system, for example:
- plugins_root/bin contains the binary plug-ins for all
supported web servers
- plugins_root/logs contains log files
- plugins_root/properties contains version
information
The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool creates a web server definition within the application
server profile unless one already exists.
The Web Server Plug-ins Configuration Tool configures the web server to use the
profile_root/plugin-cfg.xml file.
The application server regenerates the web server plug-in configuration file,
plugin-cfg.xml whenever an event occurs that affects the file. Such events
include the addition or removal of an application, server, or virtual host. The standalone
application server regenerates the file in the following
location:
profile_root
/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/
web_server_name_node/servers/
web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml
What to do next
You can start a standalone application server and the web server immediately after configuring
the plug-in for the local web server. Open the administrative console of the application server
after you start the server and save the changed configuration.
See Selecting a web server topology diagram and roadmap for an overview of the installation procedure.
See Plug-ins configuration for information about the
location of the plug-in configuration file.
See Web server configuration for information about the files involved in configuring a
web server.
See Editing web server configuration files for information about how the Web Server Plug-ins
Configuration Tool configures supported web servers.
See Installing and configuring web server plug-ins for information about other installation scenarios for
installing web server plug-ins.