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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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 |