Migrating to WebSphere Application Server V5.0 across machines
 Technote (troubleshooting)
 
Problem(Abstract)
You are using the migration tools to migrate your IBM® WebSphere® Application Server V3.5 or V4.0 configuration on one machine, to WebSphere Application Server V5.0 on a different physical machine.
 
Cause
The WebSphere Application Server V5.0 migration tools are typically used to upgrade the WebSphere Application Server version from either WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 to WebSphere Application Server V5.0 on the same machine. The commands are WASPreUpgrade and WASPostUpgrade.

However, there are some scenarios where you might want to migrate your WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 configuration on one machine, to WebSphere Application Server V5.0 on a different machine. One of the scenarios where this occurs is when you install new machines for their latest WebSphere Application Server V5.0 environment, but want to migrate their existing WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 configuration to their WebSphere Application Server V5.0 configuration.

 
Resolving the problem
The following steps describe how to use the WebSphere Application Server V5.0 migration tools to perform the preceding migration task for:
  • WebSphere Application Server V3.5 Standard Edition
  • WebSphere Application Server V3.5 Advanced Edition
  • WebSphere Application Server V4.0 Advanced Edition
  • WebSphere Application Server V4.0 Advanced Single Server Edition (the steps will vary slightly)

Use the WASPreUpgrade command to save the existing WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 configuration into a migration-specific backup directory. This directory is then used by the WASPostUpgrade command to add the old configuration settings to the new WebSphere Application Server V5.0 environment.

The steps that are involved for performing this migration are:

  1. Obtain the WebSphere Application Server V5.0 Installation CD. On this CD is a directory called /migration. This directory contains a special environment used to execute the WASPreUpgrade command without installing WebSphere Application Server V5.0. The WASPreUpgrade command is located in the migration/bin directory on the WebSphere Application Server V5.0 Installation CD.

  2. Use the WASPreUpgrade command in the migration/bin directory to create the migration-specific backup directory on the machine that has the WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 installed.

    For example:
    WASPreUpgrade backupDirectoryName install_root  install_root 

    where:
    backupDirectoryName is the migration-specific backup directory.
    install_root is the current WebSphere Application Server directory.

    Note: For all scenarios except WebSphere Application Server V4.0 AEs, ensure that the administration server is running for this step to complete successfully.

  3. The migration-specific backup directory must be copied (using FTP, shared storage, or some other mechanism) to the new machine where WebSphere Application Server V5.0 will be installed; perform the remainder of the steps on the machine where WebSphere Application Server V5.0 will be installed.

  4. Note: This step is not required for WebSphere Application Server V4.0 AEs.

    The WASPreUpgrade command calls XMLConfig to export the WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 repository to a file called websphere_backup.xml in the migration-specific backup directory. Make a copy of this file in the migration-specific backup directory. The original websphere_backup.xml file is modified in the next step.


  5. Note: This step is not required for WebSphere Application Server V4.0 AEs.

    Modify the websphere_backup.xml file with the following changes.

    1. Node name: The node name of the original machine can be propagated in many XML stanzas throughout the file. If the node name used for the WebSphere Application Server V5.0 configuration is different than the node name used on the original WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 configuration, all entries where the node name is referenced must be updated to the node name used for the WebSphere Application Server V5.0 configuration. Failure to do this results in an incomplete migration of data.

    2. Path names: The configuration file contains references to path names in many XML stanzas throughout the file. If any reference is made to files outside of the WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 directory, either the paths must be updated to use the equivalent directory on the new machine, or the directory must be re-created on the new machine. This might require either copying the directory or installing appropriate software.

    3. Operating System path differences: If the operating system on the machine running WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server 4.0 is different than the machine running WebSphere Application Server V5.0 (for example: Windows® instead of UNIX®), any path in the configuration file must be updated to use the appropriate path style

      For example:
      For Windows: c:\mystuff\somepath

      For UNIX: /usr/mystuff/somepath

    4. Install WebSphere Application Server V5.0 on the new machine without using the migration selection.

    5. Use the WASPostUpgrade command from the V5.0 install_root/bin directory to add the WebSphere Application Server V3.5 or WebSphere Application Server V4.0 configuration to the WebSphere Application Server V5.0 configuration.

      For example:
      WASPostUpgrade backupDirectoryName
 
 
Cross Reference information
Segment Product Component Platform Version Edition
Application Servers Runtimes for Java Technology Java SDK
 
 


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > Migration
Operating system(s): Windows
Software version: 5.1.1
Software edition:
Reference #: 1141261
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Sep 15, 2004