What is the default username and password for WebSphere Application Server Community Edition and how to add users to admin group

Answer

Steps to login to WebSphere Application Server Community Edition Administrative Console:

1. Launch a browser and navigate to the welcome page using the link, http://localhost:8080/console.
   
   
2. Enter the following username and password and click Login.
• Username: system
• Password: manager

• WebSphere Application Server Community Edition provides a default security realm by name geronimo-admin which is based on a PropertiesLoginModule.
  
  
• Deployer and Admin console authenticate against this geronimo-admin realm. The authenticating user should belong to admin group.
  
  
• The geronimo-admin realm uses users and groups properties file which are located in <wasce-home>/var/security. By default, users.properties file contain user system with password manager and groups.properties file contain system as admin group.
  
  
• All passwords used by PropertiesLoginModule in WebSphere Application Server Community Edition, are encrypted using a default encryption manager.
  
  
• Users and groups can be added in 2 ways:
• Using Console Realm portlet in Admin Console.
• Using properties file.

1. Launch browser and navigate to Admin console at http://localhost:8080/console. Logon with username system, password manager.
   
   
2. On the console navigation, under Security select Console Realm.
   Note : For version 2.1.x.x users, select Users and Groups on the console navigation, under Security
   
   
3. Select Create New User to add new user.
   
   
4. Specify UserID, Group and Password.
   
   
5. Click Add.

1. Browse to the location <wasce-home>/var/security and edit users.properties file.
   
   
2. Add a new line of username, password pair (for example: john=secret)
   
   where,
   john - username
   secret - password
   
   
3. Save changes to the file.
   
   
4. Edit groups.properties file and add username to the admin group (for example: admin=system, john).
   
   
5. Save changes to file. Now the new username/password can be used for authentication. Please note that the password of the new user added in users.properties in this scenario needs a server restart for password encryption in the file.