This topic describes how to prepare an AIX system for the
installation of IBM WebSphere Application Server products.
Before you begin
The installation uses an InstallShield MultiPlatform
(ISMP) wizard. You can use the graphical interface of the wizard.
You can also use the wizard in silent mode.
Silent
mode is a command line invocation with a parameter that identifies
an options response file. Edit the options response file before installing.
If you encounter a problem such as needing more temporary
space or missing prerequisite packages on your operating system, cancel
the installation, make the required changes, and restart the installation.
Note: WebSphere
Application Server prevents users from installing to a non-empty directory.
If WebSphere Application Server is installed to a directory with
a lost+found sub-directory, you will be prompted to use an
empty directory. If you still want to install to this directory, then
you can delete the lost+found directory. However, the next
time fsck is executed, the lost+found directory will
be created. This should not have any effect on an existing install,
however during uninstall this directory will not be removed.
About this task
Preparing the operating
system involves such changes as allocating disk space and installing
patches to the operating system. IBM® tests WebSphere® Application Server
products on each operating system platform. Such tests verify whether
an operating system change is required for WebSphere Application Server products to
run correctly. Without the required changes, WebSphere Application Server products do
not run correctly.
- Log on to the operating system.
Log on as root. You cannot install the product
correctly as a non-root user.
If
you create a copy of the product CD-ROM or DVD, do so as root. Copies
made from non-root users do not preserve the correct file attributes
and do not work.
Select a umask that allows the owner to read/write
to the files, and allows others to access them according to the prevailing
system policy. For root, a umask of 022 is recommended. For non-root
users a umask of 002 or 022 can be used, depending on whether the
users share the group. To verify the umask setting, issue the following
command:
umask
To set the umask setting
to 022, issue the following command:
umask 022
- Stop all WebSphere Application
Server-related Java™ processes
on the machine where you are installing the product.
- Stop any Web server process such as the IBM HTTP Server.
- Use the System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to display
packages that are installed to determine whether you must update packages
that are described in the following steps.
- Download the most current version of the INFOZIP
product to avoid problems with zipped files. Although zipped
files are primarily used in the service stream, prepare your AIX operating
system by downloading a current version of the INFOZIP package from
the http://www.info-zip.org Web
site.
- Install the prerequisite xlC.rte 6.0
run-time code on AIX 5.2 maintenance level 07.
You must
install the xlC.rte 6.0 run-time code before
you install the Global Security Kit (GSKit). The GSKit is installed
as part of the installation of the IBM HTTP Server or as part of the
installation of Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server.
Download
the xlC.rte run-time code as a fix from the AIX Support site.
If you have AIX 5.2,
you can install the xlC.rte 6.0 run-time code
from the AIX 5.2 CD.
- Provide adequate disk space.
With the JFS
file system on AIX, you can allocate expansion space for directories.
If the Installation wizard does not have enough space, ISMP issues
a system call for more space that increases the space allocation dynamically.
The message you might see when this occurs for the
/usr directory
is similar to the following example:
NOTE: The following file systems will be expanded during the installation:
/usr
Attention:
The base WebSphere Application Server product requires
the following disk space:
- 930 MB for the /usr/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer directory
The installation root directory includes the
core product files. This size includes the Sample applications. This
size includes space for the default application server profile for
the server1 process. The requirement does not include space for applications
that you might install.
Each application server
profile requires approximately 200 MB plus 40 MB of temp space, and
space for any applications that you develop and deploy.
- 100 MB for the /tmp directory
The temporary directory is the working directory
for the installation program.
- 1030 MB total requirement
This amount is the total space requirement
when installing the product from the disc.
The total amount of disk space required is approximately
1 GB. The prerequisite checker of the installation program calculates
the amount of disk space required.
Manually verify that the required space for creating
a profile is available on AIX®.
A known problem in the underlying InstallShield MultiPlatform (ISMP)
code prevents proper space checking on AIX systems
at the time that the product disc was created.
The IBM
HTTP Server product requires the following space:
The following space is required for the WebSphere
Application Server Clients:
- 150 MB for the /usr/IBM/WebSphere/AppClient directory
The amount of space required to install the
application clients is actually less than 150 MB. The amount of space
depends on the clients that you install as features.
The following space is required for the Update
Installer:
- 200 MB for the /usr/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller directory
-
The installation wizard for each
component displays required space on the confirmation panel before
you install the product files and selected features. The installation
wizard also warns you if you do not have enough space to install the
product.
If you plan to migrate applications
and the configuration from a previous version, verify that the application
objects have enough disk space. As a rough guideline, plan for space
equal to 110 percent of the size of the application objects:
- For Version 4.0.x: The size of enterprise archive (EAR)
files
- For Version 5.0.x: The size of EAR files
- Unmount file systems with broken links to avoid java.lang.NullPointerException
errors.
Unmount file systems with broken links before
installing.
Installation can fail with the following error
when broken links exist to file systems:
An error occurred during wizard bean change notification:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.ibm.wizard.platform.aix.AixFileUtils.
getFileSystemData(AixFileUtils.java:388)
at com.ibm.wizard.platform.aix.AixFileUtils.
getPartitionDataWithExecs(AixFileUtils.java:172)
at com.ibm.wizard.platform.aix.AixFileUtils.
getPartitionData(AixFileUtils.java:104)
at com.ibm.wizard.platform.aix.AixFileServiceImpl.
getPartitionNames(AixFileServiceImpl.java:397)
...
Use the
df -k command to check
for broken links to file systems. Look for file systems that list
blank values in the
1024-blocks size column. Columns
with a value of "-" (dash) are not a problem. The following example
shows a problem with the
/dev/lv00 file system:
> df -k
Filesystem 1024-blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on
/dev/hd4 1048576 447924 58% 2497 1% /
/dev/hd3 4259840 2835816 34% 484 1% /tmp
/proc - - - - - /proc
/dev/lv01 2097152 229276 90% 3982 1% /storage
/dev/lv00
/dev/hd2 2097152 458632 79% 42910 9% /usr
iw031864:/cdrom/db2_v72_eee_aix32_sbcs
The
/proc file system is not
a problem. The
iw031864:/cdrom/db2_v72_eee_aix32_sbcs file
system is a definite problem. The
/dev/lv00 file
system is also a likely problem. Use one of the following commands
to solve this problem:
> umount /cdrom/db2_v72_eee_aix32_sbcs
> umount /cdrom
Start the installation again.
If the problem continues, unmount any file systems that have blank
values, such as the /dev/lv00 file system in
the example. If you cannot solve the problem by unmounting file systems
with broken links, reboot the machine and start the installation again.
- Verify that prerequisites and corequisites are at the required
release levels.
Although the Installation wizard checks
for prerequisite operating system patches with the prereqChecker application,
review the prerequisites on the Supported hardware and software Web site if
you have not already done so.
Refer to the documentation for
non-IBM prerequisite and corequisite products to learn how to migrate
to their supported versions.
-
64-bit Version 6.0.2 only: Apply the proper service level
required for 64-bit exploitation support.
Beginning
with Version 6.0.2, WebSphere Application Server offers 64-bit exploitation
support for 64-bit AIX 5L kernels. Order the Version 6.0.2 package
to obtain the product media, or download the installation image from
the Passport Advantage site.
Before installing the 64-bit Version
6.0.2 WebSphere Application Server, upgrade AIX 5L 5.2 to maintenance
level 6 (5200-06) or upgrade AIX 5L 5.3 to maintenance level 2 (5300-02).
Otherwise, the installation can fail.
- AIX 5L 5.3 maintenance level 5300-02
- AIX 5L 5.2 maintenance level 5200-06
See the AIX Fix Central Web site for more information.
- Verify the system cp command
when using emacs or other freeware.
If you have emacs
or other freeware installed on your operating system, verify that
the system
cp command is used.
- Type which cp at the command prompt before
running the installation program for the WebSphere Application Server product.
- Remove the freeware directory from your PATH
if the resulting directory output includes freeware.
For example, assume that the output is similar to the following message: .../freeware/bin/cp.
If so, remove the directory from the PATH.
- Install the WebSphere Application
Server product.
- Add the freeware directory back to the PATH.
If you install with a cp command that
is part of a freeware package, the installation might appear to complete
successfully, but the Java 2
SDK that the product installs might have missing files in the app_server_root/java directory.
Missing
files can destroy required symbolic links. If you remove the freeware cp command
from the PATH, you can install the Application Server product successfully.
- Verify that the Java 2 SDK on the installation image disc is
functioning correctly, if you created your own disc.
For
example, you might have downloaded an installation image from Passport Advantage®,
or you might have copied an installation image onto a backup disc.
In either case, perform the following steps to verify that the disc
contains a valid Java 2 software
development kit (SDK).
- Change directories to the /mnt/JDK/repository/prereq.jdk/java/bin directory
on the product CD-ROM or DVD. For example:
cd /mnt/JDK/repository/prereq.jdk/java/bin
- Verify the Java 2
SDK version. Type the following command:
./java -version
The
command completes successfully with no errors when the Java 2 SDK is intact.
- 64-bit Version 6.0.2
only: Verify that the Java 2 SDK on the installation image can
run.
A known SDK conflict occurs when you have the following
setting in your profile:
LDR_CNTRL=MAXDATA
The
SDK does not run. The following command or any command fails:
./java -version
Delete
the LDR_CNTRL setting from your
user_root/.profile file.
Then log off and back on to pick up the new environment. Or export
a null setting to flush the old setting:
EXPORT LDR_CNTRL=
Verify
that the ./java -version command works. The command
completes successfully with no errors when the Java 2 SDK is running.
- Optional: Install the Mozilla browser if it
is not already installed. The Mozilla browser supports the launchpad
console.
- Use smit to see if the Mozilla 1.4 or 1.7.8 or later
package is already installed.
- Download two prerequisites from the AIX Toolbox for
Linux Applications (glib & gtk+). Download the packages
from the following locations:
- Install the packages after downloading them: Use
the following command:
rpm -Uvh glib-1.2.10-2.aix4.3.ppc.rpm gtkplus-1.2.10-4.aix5.1.ppc.rpm
- Download the latest supported version of Mozilla (1.7.8
or later) for AIX. Download Mozilla for AIX from the following
location:
http://www.ibm.com/servers/aix/browsers/index.html
Download
the installp image and install it from the SMIT.
The Mozilla
images distributed on the http://www.mozilla.org Web
site are not provided by IBM. IBM has not tested and does not support
the download from the non-IBM Web site. Download the Mozilla images
from the IBM Web site to verify that the version that you download
is tested and supported.
Using Mozilla
1.7.5 or earlier can result in ISMP failing to initialize during installation.
The launchpad link might seem to fail, for example. See V6.0.2: The WebSphere Application Server launchpad
fails with Mozilla 1.7.5 (and earlier) on 64-bit AIX 5.2 or 5.3 for
more information.
- Optional: Export the location of the supported
browser.
Export the location of the supported browser
using a command that identifies the actual location of the browser.
For
example, if the Mozilla package is in the
bin /mozilla directory,
use the following command:
EXPORT BROWSER=/usr/bin/mozilla
- Silent installation only: Make an
allowance for a known ISMP problem that causes a call to the Xwindows
service during a silent installation.
The DISPLAY environment
variable on your AIX machine might point to an X server that is not
logged in. Two common scenarios can cause this to occur:
- Your AIX machine has an X server running, but the X server is
stuck at the graphical login screen because you have not yet logged
in.
- Your AIX machine is configured to display X Windows applications
on a remote X server that is not logged in.
A silent installation can hang in either case as ISMP
calls Xwindows services.
Two solutions exist:
- Login to the local X server through the graphical user interface
before beginning the silent installation.
- Export the DISPLAY environment variable to point to null or blank.
EXPORT DISPLAY=null
What to do next
For optimal performance, tune the Java environment
for your operating system. For more information, see the Java tuning
information for your specific AIX operating system version. ![[may2010]](../../deltaend.gif)
may2010
After
preparing the operating system for installation, you can install the WebSphere Application Server
product.
See Preparing to install the base product on an AIX system for the next step in the
overall procedure, which is selecting the type of installation to
perform.