The launchpad console is the starting point for installing IBM®
WebSphere® Application Server Network
Deployment.
About this task
The launchpad identifies components on the product disk
or image that you can install (launch).
WebSphere Application Server is an integrated
platform that contains an application server, a set of web development
tools, a web server, and additional supporting software and documentation.
The launchpad is a single point of reference for installing the entire
application server environment. If you click a link that points to
a product repository on another disk or image, you are prompted to
insert that disk or browse to that image. For example, IBM HTTP Server, Web Server Plug-ins for IBM WebSphere Application Server, Application
Client for IBM WebSphere Application Server, and the WebSphere Customization Toolbox
are on the supplements disk. If you click a link to launch those products,
you must insert the supplements disk in the disk drive or point the
installer to the product repositories to install the product from
the launchpad.
Procedure
- Start the launchpad.
The launchpad program is available in the root directory of the product disk. You can start
the launchpad manually using a fully qualified command instead of changing directories to the disk
and running the command locally from the root directory:
Avoid trouble: Some Windows operating systems have implemented a more restrictive security policy that denies
access to trusted files by non-trusted files or applications. When the launchpad application is run
as a non-trusted program, you will receive JavaScript
"Access is denied" errors that subsequently cause the application to hang. Because downloaded
images are automatically blocked, unblock the files so that the launchpad can successfully access
the files. Before you extract the image, right-click the image file and select
Properties to open the Properties panel and locate the security section and
click
Unblock. You can now extract the image and run the launchpad
application.
gotcha
The launchpad opens in the language of the locale setting of the machine.
- Use the launchpad to perform the following tasks.
- View the Welcome page, and access links to the IBM
WebSphere Application Server documentation and the IBM Education Assistant.
- Launch IBM Installation Manager installation, and access
the IBM Installation Manager documentation.
- Launch IBM Packaging Utility installation, and access the
Packaging Utility section of the IBM Installation Manager
documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install WebSphere
Application Server Network Deployment, and access the installation
instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM
WebSphere Application Server, and access the
installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install IBM HTTP Server,
and access the installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install Web Server Plug-ins for IBM
WebSphere Application Server, and access the
installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install the WebSphere
Customization Toolbox, and access the installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install the Application Client for IBM
WebSphere Application Server, and access the
installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install IBM
WebSphere Edge Components: Load Balancer for IPv4 and
IPv6 and access the installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Launch Installation Manager to install IBM
WebSphere Edge Components: Caching Proxy and access the
installation instructions in the product documentation.
- Access the latest version of IBM Support
Assistant.
- Launch Installation Manager to install IBM WebSphere Adapters.
Results
This procedure results in using the launchpad to start the
installation and to access information through a browser.
Troubleshooting
If
you can start the launchpad but clicking a link does not resolve to
a page in the launchpad, you might have the wrong media in the disk
drive. Check the validity of the media.
If the launchpad links still do not work after following
this procedure, launch Installation Manager and point it at the appropriate
repositories to install the offerings.