Building practice WebSphere Application Server for z/OS cells

Use this task to practice configuring WebSphere® Application Server for z/OS®. If you are installing the product for the first time without migration from an earlier version, it is helpful to install a practice application serving environment in order to learn the customization process.

Before you begin

Note the following when you install your practice runtime:
  • Be careful when typing and following the instructions in the customization.
  • Note the user ID requirements in the generated instructions. If your user IDs are not configured correctly, the jobs might not run successfully.
  • Keep track of each step so that you do not skip or repeat any steps.
  • Examine each job's output (not only the return code) to confirm that everything is configured correctly. Sometimes, the return code indicates no problems but the job output contains errors. For a proper configuration, you should have no errors in your job output unless the instructions specifically describe errors in the job output.

About this task

You should install a practice runtime when you install WebSphere Application Server on z/OS for the first time and want to learn the steps for installing and customizing it.

Install using either the Profile Management Tool or the zpmt command.

Procedure

  1. Print a copy of the z/OS customization worksheet: Standalone application servers for Version 7.0 and fill it out using z/OS customization variables: Standalone application servers as a guide.
    Note: Make sure that the user ID names, group names, UID/GID values, and TCP/IP port numbers that you specify are not already being used on your z/OS system.
  2. Read the topic in Using the Profile Management Tool.
  3. Follow the steps in Creating standalone application server cells on z/OS using the Profile Management Tool. View and follow the generated instructions, which tell you how to:
    • Perform the manual configuration updates in the generated standalone application server instructions. These steps affect parts of your system that are usually controlled. These are changes that the systems programmer responsible for your z/OS system should review.
    • Update your server-specific security definitions.

      The next job (BBOCBRAK) issues the RACF® commands necessary for defining the users, groups, profiles, and permissions for the WebSphere Application Server for z/OS runtime servers. Submit the BBOCBRAK job, or take it to your security administrator for approval. Your security administrator should issue those commands or submit the supplied jobstreams. If your installation has a different profile structure, you might have to modify the RACF commands generated by this exec to suit your particular needs.

      Note: Your installation must have "list of groups" on for these commands to work because the servers must be connected to the WebSphere Application Server for z/OS administrator group.
    • Create the configuration file system and WebSphere Application Server for z/OS home directory for your server. Jobs BBOWCFS and BBOWHFSA (run at this point) and job BBOWWPFA (see below) run BPXBATCH shell scripts to define, customize, and load data into the configuration HFS and manipulate the ownership and permission attributes. For this reason, you must run these jobs under a user ID with UID=0.
    • Create cataloged procedures for the server.
    • Set up the runtime (configuration) file system for the new application server. The BBOWWPFA job might run for some time. The BBOWHFSB job cleans up the configuration file system and makes sure that all file ownerships are correct.
    • Start the new standalone application server, and run the Install Verification Test (IVT).
    Notes:
    • If the BBOWWPFA (profile creation) job fails with the following error:
      Cannot use the directory: The /WebSphere/V7R0M0/AppServer/profiles/default directory exists and is not empty.
      INSTCONFFAILED: Cannot create profile: The profile does not exist.
      delete the was_home/profiles/default directory and all its contents before rerunning BBOWWPFA.
    • If you have some other security product such as Top Secret or ACF2 instead of RACF, contact your security system vendor for the appropriate security system commands needed to configure WebSphere Application Server for z/OS. You might need to contact the vendor for the latest maintenance and guidance on WebSphere Application Server for z/OS customization.
  4. Troubleshoot any problems you encounter while customizing your application server.

    If you encounter problems while customizing your application server, review the steps that you have performed--especially regarding such things as specific user IDs under which jobs must be run. Check all job output for any error messages that you might have missed. See Troubleshooting installation and configuration on z/OS for additional advice.

    Watch out for these common mistakes:
    • Navigating the configuration file system with a UID of "0" can alter files or their ownership and permission attributes, making them inaccessible to the WebSphere Application Server for z/OS runtime servers and administrators. To avoid this problem, use the WebSphere Application Server for z/OS administrator user ID.
    • If you decide to change any of the customized variables after you submit any of these jobs, do not make manual modifications to the generated jobstreams or data. Cancel the installation, and start over by regenerating all the jobstreams and start over from the BBOWHFSA job.

Results

After you have successfully followed the instructions, you will have set up a WebSphere Application Server for z/OS standalone application server.

What to do next

Read the concept articles under Planning for product configuration on z/OS and plan one or more application serving environments that fit your system environment and business needs.

You might want to delete the practice application server that you just set up in order to save space on your system, to clean up your datasets, or for other reasons. Follow these steps to delete it from your system:
  1. Stop the server.
  2. Unmount and delete the configuration file system.
  3. Delete the cataloged procedures.
  4. Remove any TCP/IP port reservations for the practice application server.
  5. Delete the RACF user IDs, groups, and profiles that you have created unless you use the same users and groups for a different WebSphere Application Server for z/OS cell.



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Last updated: Oct 21, 2010 12:24:53 PM CDT
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