Plug-ins configuration

The Plug-ins installation wizard installs a binary plug-in module and a plug-in configuration file for the Web server. The wizard then configures the supported Web server for the Application Server and creates a Web server definition in the configuration of the application server. This overview shows the different processing paths that the wizard uses.

This topic describes the two ways that the Plug-ins installation wizard configures a Web server to locate the plugin-cfg.xml file, which is the plug-in configuration file.

Configuration flows

The Plug-ins installation wizard resolves all configurations of the Web server and WebSphere Application Server to two scenarios: remote plug-in configuration or local plug-in configuration. The logic implemented in determining which scenario applies to a configuration is shown in the following diagram.


Plug-ins flow of design logic

Legend:
Default application server with Web server definition?
If the default profile has an existing Web server definition, then the installation is considered a remote plug-in configuration. You cannot have more than one Web server definition in a stand-alone application server.

Use the same name for the Web server to configure a new Web server to use the existing Web server definition.

Default profile?
If the product is installed but the default profile is accidentally deleted or otherwise missing, the scenario is considered to be a remote installation. Create a profile before running the script. When multiple profiles exist, the plug-ins installer configures only the default profile.
Installation type?
The installation type is either remote or local.

Scenario A. Remote plug-in configuration

The Plug-ins installation wizard does not automatically create a Web server definition within the default distributed profile on a remote machine. The wizard creates the configureweb_server_name script instead.

The Plug-ins installation wizard configures the Web server to use the plugin-cfg.xml file that is maintained on the Web server machine in the plugins_root/config/web_server_name directory. This file requires periodic propagation. Propagation is copying the current plugin-cfg.xml file from the application server machine to replace the plugins_root/config/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml file.

After installing the binary plug-in for the local Web server, you do not have to run the script before you can start the application server and the Web server. However, you do not have the benefits of a Web server definition in the application server node until you run the script.

Three configurations qualify for the remote application server scenario:
Profile type Creation of Web server definition? Web server already defined in Application Server configuration?
Any profile anywhere if you select a remote installation type in the Plug-ins installation wizard By script N/A
No default profile detected By script N/A
Default stand-alone application server profile with an existing Web server definition By script Yes

Testing the application server without a Web server definition: The following overview shows the procedure for verifying the temporary plugins_root/config/web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml file.

The Web server communicates with the remote application server using the temporary plugin-cfg.xml file.

If the application server has an HTTP Transport port assignment other than 9080, the test is not successful. Continue to the next section to create the Web server definition on the application server and to complete your test of the configuration.

  1. Start the Web server with the proper procedure for your Web server.
    For example, start the IBM HTTP Server from a command line:
    • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris] ./IHS_root/bin/apachectl start
    • [Windows] IHS_root\bin\apache
  2. Start the application server on the remote machine.
    Change directories to the profile_root/bin directory and run the startServer command:
  3. Point your browser to http://localhost:9080/snoop to test the internal HTTP transport provided by the application server. Point your browser to http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the Web server plug-in.
  4. Verify that both Web addresses display the Snoop Servlet - Request/Client Information page.
Completing the installation by configuring a Web server definition: The following overview shows the procedure for completing the configuration. The configuration is not complete until the Web server definition exists in the configuration of the application server node. The Web server definition is a central element in the regeneration of a valid plug-in configuration file, plugin-cfg.xml.
  1. Create the Web server definition in the application server.
    Run the script to manually create the Web server definition within the configuration of the application server node:
    1. Copy the script from the plugins_root/bin directory to the remote app_server_root/bin directory.
    2. Open a command window and run the script:
      • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris] ./configureweb_server_name.sh
      • [Windows] configureweb_server_name.bat
    The configureweb_server_name script can take three parameters: profile_name, Admin_Console_Username and Admin_Console_Password.
    • profile_name indicates the name of the profile used to create the Web server definition. If it is blank, the script will use the default profile.
    • Admin_Console_Username indicates the username of the admin console. The profile with the admin console deployed must have admin console security turned on. This parameter can not be used if profile_name is blank.
    • Admin_Console_Password indicates the password corresponding to the username. This parameter can not be used if both profile_name and Admin_Console_Username are blank.

    If you have enabled security or changed the default JMX connector type, edit the script and include the appropriate parameters.

  2. Copy the current plug-in configuration file, plugin-cfg.xml, in the profile_root/ config/ cells/ cell_name/ nodes/ web_server_name_node/ servers/ web_server_name directory. Paste the file on the Web server machine to replace the temporary plugins_root/ config/ web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml file. The IBM HTTP Server supports automatic propagation. Other Web servers require manual propagation.
  3. Start the Web server with the proper procedure for your Web server. Open the administrative console and save the changed configuration.
  4. Point your browser to http://localhost:9080/snoop to test the internal HTTP transport provided by the application server. Point your browser to http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the Web server plug-in.
  5. Verify that both Web addresses display the Snoop Servlet - Request/Client Information page.

Scenario B. Local stand-alone plug-in configuration

In this scenario, the Plug-ins installation wizard creates a Web server definition within the application server profile directly, without the use of a script.

The Plug-ins installation wizard configures the Web server to use the plugin-cfg.xml file that is within the application server profile. The application server regenerates the plugin-cfg.xml file in the profile_root/config/ cells/ cell_name/ nodes/ web_server_name_node/ servers/ web_server_name directory. Regeneration occurs whenever a change occurs in the application server configuration that affects deployed applications.

After installing the binary plug-in for the local Web server, you can start the application server and the Web server immediately upon completion of the installation.

Only one configuration qualifies for the local application server scenario:
Profile type Automatic creation of Web server definition? Web server already defined in application server configuration?
Application Server Yes No

Redirection to Scenario A

A default application server profile that has an existing Web server definition is processed as a remote plug-in configuration.

An existing Web server definition on an application server profile causes the Plug-ins installation wizard to follow the remote installation path. An application server can have just one Web server definition. Specify the same nick name for the Web server to configure a new Web server to use the existing Web server definition.

You can use the plugin-cfg.xml file that is within the Web server definition in the configuration of the application server. Simply click Browse on the appropriate panel in the Plug-ins installation wizard to select the file. This file must exist. Otherwise, the Plug-ins installation wizard displays a warning and prevents you from proceeding until you select an existing file. The Web server is configured to use this existing plugin-cfg.xml file.

See Scenario A for a description of this type of node.

Overview of the verification procedure

The following overview shows the procedure for verifying the Web server configuration after installing the binary plug-in module:

  1. Start the Web server with the proper procedure for your Web server.
    For example, start the IBM HTTP Server from a command line:
    • [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris] ./IHS_root/bin/apachectl start
    • [Windows] IHS_root\bin\apache
  2. Start the application server.
    Change directories to the profile_root/bin directory and run the startServer command: Open the administrative console and save the changed configuration.
  3. Point your browser to http://localhost:9080/snoop to test the internal HTTP transport provided by the Application Server. Point your browser to http://Host_name_of_Web_server_machine/snoop to test the Web server plug-in.
  4. Verify that both Web addresses display the Snoop Servlet - Request/Client Information page.

Summary

Two scenarios exist for Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server. Each scenario revolves around a unique location for the plug-in configuration file, plugin-cfg.xml.

The application server generates the plug-in configuration file. The purpose of the file is to publish the location of all of the application server objects that are relevant to a Web server and to control binary plug-in configuration options. The file identifies such objects as applications and virtual hosts for serving applications, for example.

If the Web server cannot access the file on the application server machine, you must copy the file to the Web server. That process is called propagation. Propagation is reserved for the remote plug-in configuration scenario, which is Scenario A in this topic.

In the local scenario, the Web server can access the plugin-cfg.xml file because the Web server is on the same machine as the file.

The configuration scheme for Version 6 of WebSphere Application Server puts the plug-in configuration file in a Web server definition that is within a Web server node. All Scenario B configurations have the Web server definition within its own Web server node.

Limited management options do not let you create or delete the one Web server definition in the administrative console of a stand-alone Application Server. The inability of a stand-alone application server to create a Web server definition is the basis for the configuration scripts created by the Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server. Without the scripts you could not easily create a Web server definition on a stand-alone application server node.

The location of the plugin-cfg.xml file for each configuration described in this topic is shown in the following table:
Table 1. Plug-in configuration file locations
Scenario Profile type Location of the plugin-cfg.xml file
Plug-ins_ install_ root profiles_ root: within the Web server node
A Any profile anywhere if you select a remote installation type in the Plug-ins installation wizard X  
No default profile detected X  
Default application server profile with an existing Web server definition X  
B Default application server profile   X
Legend:
plugins_root
plugins_root/config/
    web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml
profile_root: within the Web server node
profile_root
  /config/cells/cell_name/nodes/web_server_name_node/servers/
   web_server_name/plugin-cfg.xml



Related concepts
Web server configuration
Related tasks
Installing Web server plug-ins
Reference topic    

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Last updated: Aug 29, 2010 5:25:00 PM CDT
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