Installing WebSphere Application Server -- Custom Installation option

To install WebSphere Application Server along with the IBM Developer Kit and IBM HTTP Server, do the following:

  1. Ensure that you will be installing WebSphere Application Server under a local Windows user ID that is in the Administrative group and has the advanced user rights "Act as part of the operating system" and "Log on as a service."
  2. If IBM HTTP Server or another Web server on your system is running, stop the Web server.
  3. Run the downloaded executable if you obtained Version 3.5 from the product Web site. Or, run \nt\setup.exe if you have the product CD.

    You will need 100 MB free in your temp directory (usually on the C drive), even if you are installing on another drive, because the installation shield package unpacks to the temp directory. This will kick off an installation shield package.

  4. Select a language and click OK.
  5. Click Next to pass the introductory page.
  6. If WebSphere Application Server is already installed on your system, a dialog giving you the option to backup and uninstall WebSphere Application Server displays. You now have two options:

    If WebSphere Application Server is not already installed on your system, proceed to step 6.

  7. In the Install Options dialog, select Custom Installation; then click Next.
  8. In the Choose Application Server Components dialog, select those components you want and deselect those components you do not want. You will likely want to include the default options.

    Clicking Other JDK displays the Select Java Development Kit dialog. If you have a Java development kit installed specify that you want the Java Development Kit 1.2 (IBM Developer Kit 1.2.2.) and its destination directory; then click Next. Otherwise, click Back to exit the dialog.

  9. Click Next. If necessary, shut down all Web servers you plan to run with WebSphere Application Server and proceed.
  10. On the Choose Webserver Plugins page, select IBM HTTP Server V1.3.12. Only IBM HTTP Server 1.3.12 is provided with WebSphere Application Server. You must separately purchase and install the other supported Web servers.
    Choose Webserver Plugins page
  11. On the Security Options dialog, fill in the user ID, security password, and confirming password to use for the application server. Do not use the characters < or > for the user ID or password.

    If you do not need special key ring files, click Next to take the default key ring files and to move to the Product Directory dialog. Note that if you are using WebSphere Application Server in a production environment, you should generate your own unique key ring file after installation. The default key ring file is available to all customers and thus is insecure.

    If you do need special key ring files, click Advanced Key Ring Settings, select Specify your own key ring files, designate client and server files and passwords, and then click Next. After the Security Options page displays again, click Next to move to the Product Directory dialog.

  12. Specify the destination directories and click Next.
  13. On the Database Options dialog, do the following:
    1. For Type, select DB2.
    2. For Database Name, give the name of the database to use. The default is was.
    3. For Path, specify the path for the database program. This is the SQLLIB directory.
    4. For URL, specify the URL for accessing the database. You will likely want to take the default, which has the form jdbc:db2:was.
    5. For User, specify your user name. Note that if you use an invalid user ID to install WebSphere, it will not successfully register the WebSphere Administrative Server to the NT services database. If you have already installed DB2 UDB, ensure that you specify the Username that installed DB2 UDB.
    6. For Password and Confirm, enter your password. If you have already installed DB2 UDB, ensure that you specify the Password specified when installing DB2 UDB. Note that DB2 requires a password of 8 or fewer characters.
    7. Click Next.
  14. Click Next again to begin the installation.
  15. Click OK, and it will finish updating the files and installing.
  16. The next page points you to the README and, if you are installing the samples, states where the samples have been installed. For the most recent version of the README or release notes, go to the Library section of the product Web site at http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/.

    Click Finish, and choose to restart.

Finishing prerequisite configuration

When installing WebSphere Application Server, the installation program should have created a DB2 UDB database to store the administrative configuration used when your system starts up after rebooting. Further, the installation program should have created the WAS database with its DB2 application heap size set to 256.

To ensure that the WAS database exists, do the following:

  1. Go to the Control Center dialog. If it did not open automatically after rebooting, open it as follows: from the Start menu, select Programs -> DB2 for Windows NT -> Administrative Tools -> Control Center.
  2. In the DB2 Control Center, expand the tree under Systems. Your DB2 databases are listed under Databases. Examine the list to see if WAS is in it.

If you see WAS in the list, proceed to "Testing the installation".

If you do not see WAS listed, run the file createdb2.bat in the \AppServer\bin directory. Or, do the following:

  1. Go to the Services dialog accessible from a Control Panel and set the startup for the DB2-DB2 service to Automatic. Also, ensure that the hardware profile for the DB2-DB2 service is enabled. Then, complete Step 2. Optionally, for information about why the installation program did not create the WAS database, look at the wasdb2.log file.
  2. If the DB2 database WAS has not yet been created, do the following:
    1. From the Start menu, select Programs -> DB2 for Windows NT -> Command Line Processor.
    2. Enter CREATE DATABASE WAS
    3. Wait a minute to allow time for DB2 to create the database.
    4. Enter UPDATE DB CFG FOR WAS USING APPLHEAPSZ 256
    5. Type quit to leave the CLP, and then exit to finish the command prompt.
    6. Restart the machine.

    If an application heap size of 256 doesn't work for your system, return to the DB2 Command Line Processor and change the application heap size to, for example, 512 using the command:

    UPDATE DB CFG FOR WAS USING APPLHEAPSZ 512