WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment, Version 6.1
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Creating profiles using the graphical user interface

You can create profiles, which define runtime environments, using the Profile Management tool. Using profiles instead of multiple product installations saves disk space and simplifies updating the product because a single set of core product files is maintained.

Before you begin

Before you use the Profile Management tool, install the core product files.

The Profile Management tool is the graphical user interface to the manageprofiles command. See the description of the manageprofiles command for more information.

You must provide enough system temporary space to create a profile. For information, read about the file system requirements for profiles.

[AIX HP-UX Linux Solaris Windows] You cannot use the Profile Management tool to create profiles on the following platforms:
  • 64-bit platforms
  • [Linux] The Linux for zSeries platform
[This information only applies to Version 6.1.0.9 and later running on the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.] Running the Profile Management tool on Microsoft Windows Vista™ and Windows 2008 operating systems: After installing WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1, install a service pack containing Version 6.1.0.9 or later on your Microsoft Windows Vista operating system before you attempt to create any profiles using the Profile Management tool. If you are running Windows 2008, install a service pack containing Version 6.1.0.17 or later before you attempt to create any profiles using the Profile Management tool.
[This information only applies to Version 6.1.0.9 and later running on the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.] Restriction for a non-root user with multiple instances: If you install multiple instances of WebSphere Application Server as the root user and give a non-root user access to only a subset of those instances, the Profile Management Tool does not function correctly for the non-root user. In addition, a com.ibm.wsspi.profile.WSProfileException or Access is denied message occurs in the app_server_root/logs/manageprofiles/pmt.log file. By default, non-root users do not have access to the program file directories, which is the default installation location for the product. To resolve this issue, the non-root user can install the product or be given permission to access the other product instances.

About this task

The installation procedure for the Network Deployment product does not create a runtime environment by default because multiple possibilities exist. After installing the core product files for the Network Deployment product, use the Profile Management tool to create any combination of the following profiles to have an operational runtime environment:
  • Cell profile

    See Creating a cell profile. With a cell profile, you can create a deployment manager profile and a profile for a federated application server node in a single pass through the Profile Management tool. Use the cell profile creation option to create the deployment manager profile and the federated application server node profile, unless you have a specific reason to create them separately.

  • Deployment manager profile

    See Creating a deployment manager profile. With a deployment manager profile you can create the administrative node for a multinode, multi-machine group of application server nodes that you create later. This logical group of application server processes is known as a cell.

  • Application server profile

    See Creating an application server profile.

    When you create the application server profile, a default server1 process is created. If you select Typical profile creation, then the process has the default application and its own administrative console. If you choose the Advanced profile creation option, then you can choose which applications to deploy. You can federate the server1 node into the deployment manager cell with the addNode command or from the administrative console of the deployment manager. The server1 process must be running to begin the federation from the deployment manager.

    If you include all of the applications from the application server, then the act of federation installs the applications on the deployment manager where they can be redeployed.

    Optionally, you can create stand-alone application servers by creating an application server profile and not federating the node. If you remove a federated application server node from a deployment manager, then the application server returns to its original configuration, which is a stand-alone application server.

  • Custom profile

    See Creating a custom profile. A custom profile is an empty node that you can customize through the deployment manager to include application servers, clusters, or other Java processes, such as a messaging server. Create a custom profile on a distributed machine and add the node into the deployment manager cell to get started customizing the node.

Procedure

  1. Install the product to create the core product files.
  2. Start the Profile Management tool to create a new runtime environment.

    Select the Profile Management tool from the First steps console:

    1. Open a command prompt.
    2. Change directories to the firststeps directory in the profile root directory.
      The profile root varies by the following platforms:
    3. Issue one of the following firststeps command to start the console:
      • [Linux] [HP-UX] [Solaris] [AIX] ./firststeps.sh
      • [Windows] firststeps.bat
    4. Select the Profile Management tool option from the console.

    See the description of the firststeps command for more information.

    Ways to start the wizard

    Several ways exist to start the wizard:
    • At the end of installation, select the check box to launch the Profile Management tool.
    • Issue the command directly from a command prompt.

      The command is in the following directory: The name of the command varies per platform:
      • [Linux] [HP-UX] [Solaris] [AIX] pmt.sh
      • [Windows] pmt.bat
    • Select the Profile Management tool from the First steps console.
    • [Windows] Use the Start menu to access the Profile Management tool. For example, click Start > Programs or All Programs > IBM WebSphere > your_product > Profile Management tool.
      [This information only applies to Version 6.1.0.9 and later running on the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.] Running the Profile Management tool on the Microsoft Windows Vista™ operating system:
      • If the product is installed in the Users directory on the Windows Vista operating system, as recommended, then you can use the standard user privileges of the administrator account to create new profiles without requiring administrator elevation.
      • If the product is installed in the Program Files directory, then launch the Profile Management tool by performing the following actions:
        1. Perform one of the following actions:
          • Right-click a Profile Management tool shortcut.
          • In Windows Explorer, right-click the pmt.bat file that is located in the app_server_root/bin/ProfileManagement directory.
        2. Click Run As Administrator.
    • [Linux] Use the Linux operating system menus that you use to start programs to start the Profile Management tool. For example, click the_operating_system_menus_to_access_programs > IBM WebSphere > your_product > Profile Management tool.
  3. Create a profile.

    You can create profiles in any order. However, to create a functioning cell in the least amount of time, use the cell profile template.

    A custom profile requires more customization. When you create a custom profile, federate the custom profile into the deployment manager cell on the Federation panel in the Profile Management tool or through the addNode command. In contrast to an application server profile, a custom profile does not have a default application server on its node. The server1 application server does not exist by default on the custom node, and no default applications exist on the custom node. Use the administrative console of the deployment manager to customize the empty node for production or other uses. You can create application servers or clusters on the node, for example.

    Create any of the following profiles:
    • Create a cell profile.
      See Creating a cell profile. When you create a cell profile, the Profile Management tool creates a deployment manager profile and a federated application server node profile. After initial creation of a cell profile you can federate the following profiles:
      • Additional application server node profiles into this deployment manager profile
      • Custom profiles into this deployment manager profile
    • Create a deployment manager.

      See Creating a deployment manager profile.

      Create a deployment manager to establish a cell. Although you can create an application server profile and use it as a stand-alone application server, you must have a deployment manager to use a custom profile. Create a custom profile only after you create a deployment manager.

    • Create an application server profile, as described in Creating an application server profile.

      Federate the application server into the deployment manager cell to create a federated server1 application server. A stand-alone application server can include applications if you chose to include them during profile creation. As you federate the application server, you can include the applications so that the applications are installed on the deployment manager.

      Two methods exist for federating application servers into a deployment manager cell:
      • Start the deployment manager and the application server and use the administrative console of the deployment manager to federate the node. Click System administration > Nodes > Add node > Managed node > Next, and identify the host name and the SOAP port of the machine where you created the application server.
      • Start the deployment manager. Locate the app_server_root/profiles/profile_name/bin directory of the application server and issue the addNode command. See addNode command for more information.
    • Create a custom profile, as described in Creating a custom profile.

      The first part of the process is to install the Network Deployment product to create the core product files. Then, you can use the Profile Management tool to create a managed profile.

      The next part of the process is to federate the managed profile into the deployment manager cell. This part of the process changes the custom profile into a managed node.

      After federation, a custom profile has a node agent process but does not have an application server process. Contrast this situation to an application server profile that has a server1 process, but does not have a node agent process until you federate the node.

      Adding the node to the cell starts the node agent process. If the process stops for some reason, such as a machine restart, start the node agent process. The node agent process must be running so that the administrative console of the deployment manager can create server processes on the managed node.

      Two methods exist for federating a custom node into a deployment manager cell:
      • Federate the custom node during custom profile creation, either with the wizard or as the wizard runs in silent mode.

        The deployment manager must be running and accessible at the host address you supply. The deployment manager must also use the default Java Management Extensions (JMX) connector type, which is SOAP. If any of these conditions are not met, then do not federate the custom profile as you create it, but federate it later with the addNode command. Otherwise, you create a defective profile that you must move or delete from the profiles repository directory before creating another profile.

      • Use the addNode command to federate the custom node after you create the custom profile.
        1. Start the deployment manager.
        2. Go to the app_server_root/profiles/profile_name/bin directory of the custom profile and issue the addNode command.

          The addNode command starts the node agent process.

        3. If the node agent is stopped for some reason, issue the app_server_root/profiles/profile_name/bin/startNode.sh command.

          On Windows platforms, the command is startNode.bat. See the startNode command for more information.

          The administrative console of the deployment manager shows the status of each federated node agent process.

      After federation, go to the administrative console of the deployment manager to customize the empty node.

What to do next

See the description of the manageprofiles command to learn more about the command-line alternative method of creating a profile and to see examples of using the command.

Read about planning for installation for examples of configurations that you can create by creating profiles.




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Last updated: Feb 25, 2009 9:32:38 AM CST
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