Testing the installation

You can use the First Steps dialog to test the WebSphere installation. Your Web server must be running to use the First Steps dialog. Access the dialog by selecting Start -> Programs -> IBM Websphere -> Application Server V4.0 -> First Steps.

Alternatively, you can do the following to test the installation:

  1. Start the server by entering the following in a command window:
    startServer

    To stop the server at a later time, run the stopServer.bat file.

    Alternatively, you can start the server by selecting Start -> Programs -> IBM Websphere -> Application Server V4.0 -> Start Application Server.

  2. After the message "Open for e-business" is shown, open a Web browser and go to the following URL to start the administrative console:
    http://your_server_name:9090/admin

    where your_server_name is localhost if the Application Server is on the local machine.

    If the server is on a remote machine, enter the short or fully qualified host name for the machine containing the administrative server.

    Alternatively, you can go to the console by selecting Start -> Programs -> IBM Websphere -> Application Server V4.0 -> Administrator's Console.

  3. On the Login panel, enter a user ID to which your configuration changes made while working with Application Server will be saved and click Submit. Or, if you do not care to save your work, simply click Submit; the changes will be saved to the default username User, unless User is already in use.

    If the user ID is already in use (and in session), you are prompted to do one of the following:

    • Force the existing user ID out of session. The configuration file that was being used by the existing user ID will be saved in the temp area and you will be prompted next to load that if desired. Choosing not to load it will delete it from the temp area.
    • Wait for the existing user ID to log out or time out of the session.
    • Select another user ID.

  4. From the console Welcome page displayed, click on an HTML link to open an existing configuration file, create a new configuration file, save a file in progress, or to perform some other task.
    WebSphere Console browser

    To later stop the console, close the browser. Ensure that you save any changes that you want to keep. Unless you save the changes, they will be lost when you close the browser.

  5. Test the server. Ensure that the Apache HTTP Server is running. (The status for Apache httpd Server in a Services dialog, which is accessible from a Control Panel, shows Started.) If the Apache HTTP Server is not running, use the Start option in a Services dialog to start the server, or select Start -> Programs -> Apache httpd Server -> Control Apache Server -> Start. Then, open a browser and go to http://localhost/servlet/snoop, which is a standard sample servlet installed by default. You should see information on /servlet/snoop.
    Snoops Servlet browser