Planning to install WebSphere Application Server

Consider common installation scenarios for the product to determine how to install your application serving environment. This topic links to procedures for installing each scenario.

Before you begin

IBM® WebSphere® Application Server Network Deployment is an integrated platform that contains an application server, Web development tools, a Web server, and additional supporting software and documentation.

The installation of the application server product typically performs two actions. First the installation process installs a shared set of core product files. Second, the installation process optionally creates a profile, which is a separate data partition that includes the files that define a runtime environment for an application server process, such as a deployment manager or an application server.

A running application server process can create, read, update, or delete the configuration files, data files, and log files in its profile. The application server process can access the core product files, which include command files and other shared product binary files. However, most core product or system files are updated only by installing fix packs, interim fixes, or products that extend the product.

During installation, you can choose to create an application server profile, a management profile, a cell set of profiles which contains a deployment manager and a federated application server, or a custom profile. The installer also has an option not to create a profile during installation. However, at least one profile must exist to have a functioning application server environment. After installation, you can use the Profile Management Tool or the manageprofiles command to create profiles.

You must first prepare your operating system for installation before installing any of the below topologies. See Preparing the operating system for product installation for more information.

Avoid trouble: It is suggested that you configure WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment with a single subnet for network traffic. You can use one Network interface card (NIC) on a physical machine or logical partition (LPAR). You can also reference a single Domain name system (DNS) server in the network configuration for the physical machine or LPAR.gotcha

Scenarios for installation

The following information describes scenarios for installing the product in various topologies on one or more machines. Two types of application server topologies are possible using the Network Deployment product.

Topologies for a standalone application server
Each standalone application server runs independently of other application servers.
Topologies for a managed group of application servers in a cell
A cell consists of one deployment manager and one or more federated application servers that are managed nodes. The deployment manager is the single point of administration for all of the managed nodes in the cell. The deployment manager maintains the configuration files for nodes that it manages and deploys applications to those managed nodes.
An application server can become a managed node in several ways:
  • By creating the cell with a federated node during installation
  • By federating the node within an application server profile into the cell
  • By federating the node within a custom profile into the cell

Scenarios 6 - 10 assume that all nodes in a cell reside on a particular machine and operating system. However, this precise node assignment does not need to apply. The deployment manager node can exist on Machine A, other managed nodes (that have been federated into the deployment manager) can exist on differing machines and operating systems. Such a configured cell of differing machines or operating systems is called a heterogeneous cell and expands the possible topologies you can consider for your network deployment.

Topologies that include DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server
DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server delivers a high performance reverse proxy capability that can be used at the edge of the network to route, load balance and improve response times for requests to web resources. In comparison to the Web server plug-in, DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server provides increased flexibility, improved integration with WebSphere systems management, improved workload balancing, and other enhancements. DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server does not contain a web container and therefore does not have an administration console. Read the DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server documentation for more information.
The product can be administered in a number of secure ways depending on various possible topologies.
  • Administration with the wsadmin utility. This requires local access to the DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server.
  • Administration from an external web console. The product is configured through a profile on the deployment manager node, exported, and imported to the DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server node.
  • Flexible administration from a remote job manager. A secure proxy profile is deployed on the DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server node and registered to an administrative agent on that same machine. The administrative agent is then registered to and managed by a remote job manager.
The second administrative topology for the DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server is described in this topic.

Some scenarios are more typical in production environments. For example, Scenario 1 supports a lighter workload than Scenario 3 or Scenario 4. However, Scenario 1 is a fully functional environment. Scenarios 3 - 5 are typical production environments for a standalone application server. Scenarios 9 is a typical production scenario for a simple cell environment.

Solution Installation Diagrams

Each of the following scenarios includes a diagram and a list of detailed installation steps.

Procedure

Results

You have reviewed many of the most common installation scenarios to find a possible match for the topology that you intend to install.

What to do next

See the IBM HTTP Server, Web server plug-in, and DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WebSphere Application Server documentation for more information on installing those products.




In this information ...


IBM Redbooks, demos, education, and more

(Index)

Use IBM Suggests to retrieve related content from ibm.com and beyond, identified for your convenience.

This feature requires Internet access.

Task topic    

Terms of Use | Feedback

Last updated: Oct 22, 2010 2:23:46 AM CDT
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/wsbroker/redirect?version=compass&product=was-nd-dist&topic=tins_scenario3
File name: tins_scenario3.html