The installer program for any WebSphere Application Server product uses the Install Shield for Multiplatforms (ISMP) program to install code. ISMP uses the vpd.properties file to track WebSphere products that it installs on all platforms but Solaris and HP-UX. The vpd.properties file lists program components that are currently installed. The file helps ISMP and the installer programs of WebSphere Application Server products to recognize previous installations of WebSphere Application Server products and to control options for new installations.
Situations that require you to edit the vpd.properties file
Certain situations require you to edit the vpd.properties file before reinstalling a WebSphere Application Server product. The uninstaller programs for WebSphere Application Server products edit the vpd.properties while uninstalling a product, to remove entries for the product and any of its features that might have entries in the file.
If the vpd.properties file has entries for a product that you uninstalled, you must edit the file and remove the entries. If you do not edit the vpd.properties file to remove entries for a product or features of a product, you cannot reinstall the product into the same directory structure. If product entries in the vpd.properties file are present, the installer program reads the vpd.properties file, determines that the product is already installed, and displays the panel that prompts you to install additional features into the existing product or to install the binaries a second time. Unfortunately, the existing binaries might not be valid at that point. The installer program does not verify the products that it finds listed in the vpd.properties file.
Location of the vpd.properties file
Example of the vpd.properties file
The following example shows all of the entries for the vpd.properties file for Version 6.0.0 of the Network Deployment product on a Windows platform. The example shows entire lines but breaks each line for formatting purposes. The identifier for the first component is highlighted. The installation location of the first component is also highlighted.
WSBAA60|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=WebSphere Application Server| IBM WebSphere Application Server| |IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer|0|0|1| WSBAA60|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| "_uninst" "uninstall.jar" "uninstall.dat" ""|true|3| WSBAA60|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60NDOnlyComponent| | | | | |1=NDOnly.ismp.component| ND Only| |IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\properties\version\install\ 6.0.0.0\componentmaps|0|0|1| WSBAA60NDOnly|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60NDOnlyComponent| | | | | |1 WSBAA60JavadocsComponent|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=Javadocs.ismp.component| Javadocs| |IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\properties\version\install\ 6.0.0.0\componentmaps|0|0|1| WSBAA60Javadocs|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60JavadocsComponent|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60Javadocs|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=Javadocs| Javadocs|$L(com.ibm.ws.install.resourcebundle.WSResourceBundle, Features.javadoc.description)|IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer|0|0|1| WSBAA60CoreRuntime|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60Javadocs|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60LicensingComponent| | | | | |1=LAP Component| LAP Component|This bean will work with the licensing files| | | | C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer|0|0|1| WSBAA60|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60LicensingComponent| | | | | |1 WSBAA60CoreRuntime|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=CoreRuntime| Core Runtime|$L(com.ibm.ws.install.resourcebundle.WSResourceBundle, Features.coreruntime.description)|IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer|0|0|1| WSBAA60|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60CoreRuntime|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60SamplesComponent|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=Samples.ismp.component| Samples| |IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\properties\version\install\ 6.0.0.0\componentmaps|0|0|1| WSBAA60Samples|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60SamplesComponent|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60CoreRuntimeComponent|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=CoreRuntime.ismp.component| Core Runtime| |IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\properties\version\install\ 6.0.0.0\componentmaps|0|0|1| WSBAA60CoreRuntime|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60CoreRuntimeComponent|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60NDOnly|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=NDOnly| Invisible ND Only Feature| |IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer|0|0|1| WSBAA60CoreRuntime|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60NDOnly|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1 WSBAA60Samples|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1=Samples| Samples|$L(com.ibm.ws.install.resourcebundle.WSResourceBundle, Features.samples.description)|IBM| |6.0.0.0| C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer|0|0|1| WSBAA60CoreRuntime|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1|0|false| |true|3| WSBAA60Samples|6|0|0|0|6.0.0.0|1
Identifying entries in the vpd.properties file
Identifier | Product |
---|---|
WSB...60 | All Version 6 products use this identifier to identify
the core product files:
|
WSP...60 | Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server, Version 6 |
WSC... | WebSphere Application Server Clients, Version 6 |
Operating system | Registry keys |
---|---|
AIX, Linux, and Windows |
|
Related tasks
Uninstalling the product