Manual complete cleanup scripts for WebSphere Application Server V5.0, V5.1, V6.0, and V6.1 on AIX and IBM HTTP Server V1.3, V2.0, V6.0, and V6.1 on AIX
 Technote (troubleshooting)
 
Problem(Abstract)
Under some circumstances, the information associated with WebSphere® Application Server product installation stored in the AIX® ODM VPD can become corrupt or partially deleted. This will prevent the WebSphere Application Server product installer from working properly. This script cleans all WebSphere Application Server entries out of AIX ODM VPD to resolve issues installing new instances of the product.
 
Cause
The AIX Object Data Manager Vital Product Data tables (AIX ODM VPD) are used to track data associated with WebSphere Application Server V5.0, V5.1, V6.0, and V6.1 and IBM® HTTP Server V1.3, V2.0, V6.0, and V6.1 product installations. For various reasons, these tables need to be cleaned to repair failed installations or uninstalls of WebSphere Application Server or IBM HTTP Server products. For more information concerning the use of the ODM VPD by WebSphere Application Server and descriptions of common problem scenarios, refer to the Explanation of AIX ODM VPD and its relationship with WebSphere Application Server products.

This article provides information about a specific method of cleaning the AIX ODM VPD using a "wipe script". This script cleans out all entries associated with WebSphere Application Server V5.0, V5.1, V6.0, and V6.1 and IBM HTTP Server V1.3, V2.0, V6.0, and V6.1 from the AIX ODM VPD, thereby allowing a new release of WebSphere Application Server or IBM HTTP Server installation to take place.

WebSphere Application Server V5 Embedded Messaging is not affected
These scripts do not affect entries related to Embedded Messaging or WebSphere MQ. The mqm and wemps entries associated with Embedded Messaging and WebSphere MQ remain intact in case an independent installation of WebSphere MQ is present, or another installation of an application server is utilizing Embedded Messaging on the system. It is safe to use these wipe scripts even when Embedded Messaging or WebSphere MQ is present on the system.

If it is necessary to clean up entries related to Embedded Messaging, then refer to the Information Center for your release for more details. Search for the article named "Manually uninstalling on AIX platforms" applicable to the appropriate version and edition of WebSphere Application Server which needs to be wiped from the system.
 
Resolving the problem
The following instructs you on how to use the wipe scripts:
  1. Download one or both of the scripts attached below. Note that one of the scripts is intended for cleaning WebSphere Application Server product entries, and the other script is intended for cleaning IBM HTTP Server product entries.

  2. Log in as the actual root user.

  3. Create a temporary directory, and place the script in that directory.

  4. Add execute permission to the script. For example:

    chmod +x manual_WebSphere_ODM_wipe.sh

  5. Execute the script. For example:

    ./manual_WebSphere_ODM_wipe.sh

  6. Once the script has run, preserve all the clean.*.txt files and the backup copy of the vpd.properties file produced in the current directory. If IBM Support needs to provide further assistance, this information will be useful for problem determination.

  7. For V6.1 products only, refer to the section below, Additional cleanup step for V6.1 products only for special cleanup steps.

  8. Attempt to install the WebSphere Application Server or IBM HTTP Server product again.


Additional cleanup step for V6.1 products only
It is necessary to clean up the CIE registry, which is separate from the ODM VPD. If the CIE Registry is not cleaned, then the installer might still claim that a copy of WebSphere Application Server V6.1 (or another related V6.1 product) is present in the specified directory, even when the ODM VPD is clean.

Locate a copy of the installRegistryUtils tool, which is provided on the product installation image. (For example, it is located within the WAS/installRegistryUtils subdirectory of the WebSphere Application Server V6.1 product installation image.) The installRegistryUtils tool is also installed with the application server itself, with a script file in the product's bin directory.

Follow these steps to completely clean the CIE Registry:
  1. Using the root user (or sudo root) is recommended. If it is not possible to gain root access, then make sure to log in as the same user which was responsible for originally installing the version 6.1 product.

  2. After locating the installRegistryUtils tool, run the following command:

    ./installRegistryUtils.sh -listProducts

  3. If the only products listed are related to WebSphere Application Server V6.1 (or IBM HTTP Server V6.1), then run the command below to remove all the product references. If certain products are listed which need to be preserved, then skip this step and proceed to the next step. If no products were listed, then stop now, because the CIE Registry is already clean.

    ./installRegistryUtils.sh -cleanAll

  4. If certain products need to be preserved and it is not desirable to completely wipe out the CIE Registry, then take note of the Offering ID and Install Location of the product installed in the location of each product which is targeted for cleaning.

  5. Clean a product from the CIE Registry by issuing a command following this template:

    ./installRegistryUtils.sh -cleanProduct -offering OfferingID -installLocation InstallLocation

    Replace OfferingID and InstallLocation with the appropriate information listed noted in the previous step.

  6. Repeat step 2 to verify that the product has been cleaned from the CIE Registry. Repeat step 5 to clean other products from the CIE registry. Once the targeted products are no longer listed, the process is complete.



Information about vpd.properties
As part of the complete cleanup process, the vpd.properties file is removed from /usr/lib/objrepos. In most cases, WebSphere Application Server and IBM HTTP Server are the only products which use the vpd.properties file. Concerned administrators can check this file to determine whether this is the case by examining the content of the text file. If the text file only contains "WS" and "IHS" entries, then it is safe to assume that it only contains WebSphere Application Server and IBM HTTP Server product data, and therefore it should be completely removed.

In case the vpd.properties file is needed, a backup of the file is created as part of the cleanup process. It is placed in the same directory as the cleanup script.

If the vpd.properties file contains entries pertinent to other products, the administrator can restore the file from that backup, then filter out all WS* and IHS* entries from that file. The manually cleaned file can then be placed into the /usr/lib/objrepos directory.



Download this script in order to clean WebSphere Application Server V5.0, V5.1, V6.0, or V6.1 product entries from the AIX ODM VPD.

manual_websphere_ODM_wipe.sh - version 1.3

manual_WebSphere_ODM_wipe.sh



Download this script in order to clean IBM HTTP Server V1.3, V2.0, V6.0, or V6.1 product entries from the AIX ODM VPD.


manual_websphere_ODM_wipe.sh - version 1.3

manual_IHS_ODM_wipe.sh

 
 
Cross Reference information
Segment Product Component Platform Version Edition
Application Servers IBM HTTP Server Install AIX 6.1, 6.0, 2.0.47, 2.0.42, 1.3.28, 1.3.26
Application Servers Runtimes for Java Technology Java SDK
 
 


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > Install
Operating system(s): AIX
Software version: 6.1
Software edition:
Reference #: 1198862
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Sep 6, 2007