Hints and tips for WebSphere Application
Server Hypervisor Edition
When installing, configuring, updating, or using the WebSphere® Application Server
Hypervisor Edition, consider these points.
When performing the VMware tools update, the /etc/fstab file
is altered by the update process. The entries for the application
server, IBM® HTTP server and plug-ins
disks are deleted. Create a copy of the /etc/fstab directory and use
that directory to replace the altered directory after the VMware tools update,
for example:
You might want to compress the finished virtual image before delivery.
If you plan to compress the image files, be sure to exit VMware completely before
running your compression tool. Failure to close VMware might result
in the inclusion of unwanted .lck files in the compressed file. Also,
you might want to delete any vmware.log files before compressing your
image.
The .zip file utility included in most Linux® distributions fails to process an archive
that is larger than 4 GB. If the post-compression size of your virtual
image results in a .zip file larger than 4 GB, you must use a different
compression tool or compress your image in multiple pieces.
In order to support double byte character sets, the default virtual
image uses the fbiterm command during the initial
installation. Using the fbiterm command only occurs
during installation. Once the virtual image is installed and configured,
the normal term utility is used. The use of the fbiterm command
interferes with commands you might add to inittab. You cannot include
commands in inittab such as su -c <command> - <command_Userid> before
virtual image installation. If your image requires commands in that
format, add those lines to inittab via actions in post configuration
scripts.
Use caution when modifying system control files, such as inittab.
The default virtual image is installed with the firewall disabled.
Adjust the firewall settings for your virtual image.
The default virtual image allows the root user to log in directly.
You can disable root user's ability to log in and force users
to log in using non-root IDs only. To do so, edit /etc/opt/gnome/gdm/gdm.conf and
change AllowRoot=true to AllowRoot=false.
The default virtual image forces a login after the image is initially
installed. If you want to automatically log in a user upon installation,
edit /etc/opt/gnome/gdm/gdm.conf and change the following
values:
AutomaticLoginEnable=false to AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin= to AutomaticLogin=<user_name>
The WebSphere Application
Server administrative user ID, virtuser, and password are configured
into the soap.client.props file and the ipc.client.props file
(for version 7.x virtual images only) when the virtual image is configured.
The passwords are encrypted with the ProfFilePasswordEncoder script.
If you subsequently change the password for the virtuser user ID,
these files also needed to be updated.
If you get the following error message during activation: "Error
connecting: You need execute access in order to connect with the VMware
Console. Access denied for config file. Do you want to try again?"
You need to run chmod 744 on the WebSphere_ESX.vmx file.