Product file system
WebSphere® Application Server for z/OS® product code resides in UNIX System Services file systems.
WebSphere Application Server product directory
All WebSphere Application Server for z/OS product files reside in the product directory and its subdirectories. Throughout the product and documentation, install_root is used to represent the path at which the WebSphere Application Server for z/OS product file system is mounted as read-only after installation. In the examples in the documentation, the path /usr/lpp/WebSphere/AppServer/V9R0 normally is used as the location of the product file system.
Locate the product directory and all of its subdirectories in the same hierarchical file system (HFS) or zSeries file system (ZFS) data set. This data set can be the same as the z/OS root or version data set, which is not recommended, or a separate data set that is used just for WebSphere Application Server for z/OS . The installation jobs and program directory assume that such a separate data set is allocated. This data set is referred to as was_hlq.SBBOHFS, where was_hlq represents the product data set name high-level qualifiers. This directory gets created during the installation process.
Refer to the Program Directory on the WebSphere Application Server library web page for more details.
Web Server Plug-ins product directory
The Web Server Plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server files reside in the Web Server Plug-ins product directory and its subdirectories. In the examples in this documentation, the path /usr/lpp/WebSphere/Plugins/V9R0 is used as the location of the Web Server Plug-ins product file system.
On z/OS, plug-ins are provided for the IBM® HTTP Server (IHS/390) that is provided with the z/OS V2R1 and earlier operating system and for the IBM HTTP Server (based on Apache) that is provided with WebSphere Application Server for z/OS , the IBM Ported Tools for z/OS, or the z/OS V2R2 or later operating system.
Product directory and configuration directory
Each WebSphere Application Server for z/OS application-serving environment (stand-alone application server node or Network Deployment cell) has configuration files in one or more WebSphere configuration directories. These configuration directories are created through the configuration process and contain symbolic links to files in the WebSphere Application Server product directory.
Using indirection to isolate product directories
Instead of pointing directly to these product directories, application-serving environments can point to an intermediate symbolic link, which in turn points to a particular product directory. By using this level of indirection, you can switch to a new server level of WebSphere Application Server for z/OS by stopping the servers that use that intermediate symbolic link, changing the link to point to the new product directory, and restarting the affected servers.
The customization process allows for automatic creation of these intermediate symbolic links.