This topic describes how to prepare an AIX system for the installation of IBM WebSphere Application Server, Version 6 products.
Before you begin
The installation uses a InstallShield for Multiplatforms (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.
Why and when to perform this task
Use the following procedure to prepare the operating system for the installation of WebSphere Application Server products.
Steps for this task
You cannot install the product correctly as a non-root user.
If you create a copy of the product CD-ROM, do so as root. Copies made from non-root users do not preserve the correct file attributes and do not work.
umask
umask 022
You must install the xlC.rte 6.0 run-time code before you install the Global Security Kit 7 (GSKit7). The GSKit is installed as part of the installation of the IBM HTTP Server and also as part of the installation of Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server. Download the 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.
NOTE: The following file systems will be expanded during the installation: /usr
The Express product requires the following disk space:
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.
The temporary directory is the working directory for the installation program.
This amount is the total space requirement when installing the product from the CD.
Manually verify that the required space
for creating a profile is available on AIX. A known problem in the underlying
InstallShield for Multiplatforms (ISMP) code prevents proper space checking
on AIX systems at the time that the product disc was created.
The following space is required for the IBM HTTP Server product:
The following space is the maximum amount that is required for the Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server:
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.
Unmount file systems with broken links before installing.
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) ...
> 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
> 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.
Although the Installation wizard checks for prerequisite operating system patches with the prereqChecker application, review the prerequisites on the IBM WebSphere Application Server supported hardware, software, and APIs 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.
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 install_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.
Perform the following step to verify that the Java 2 SDK is working correctly.
If you created your own product CD from an ISO image or by copying the actual CD, perform the following steps to verify that the Java 2 SDK on the product CD-ROM is working correctly.
cd /mnt/JDK/repository/prereq.jdk/java/bin
./java -version
The command completes successfully with no errors when the Java 2 SDK is intact.
rpm -Uvh glib-1.2.10-2.aix4.3.ppc.rpm gtkplus-1.2.10-4.aix5.1.ppc.rpm
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/download/search.jsp?go=y&rs=mozilla
Download the installp image and install it from 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.
Export the location of the supported browser using a command that identifies the actual location of the browser.
EXPORT BROWSER=/usr/bin/mozilla
A silent installation can hang in either case as ISMP calls Xwindows services.
EXPORT DISPLAY=null
What to do next
After preparing the operating system for installation, you can install the WebSphere Application Server product.
See Preparing to install the Express product on an AIX system for the next step in the overall procedure, which is selecting the type of installation to perform.