Non-administrators (non-root users) can install WebSphere® Application Server Network Deployment in both silent and
interactive nonAdmin mode for full product installations and removals, incremental feature
installations, and edition upgrades.
For existing installations, the user who owns the currently installed files is the only user who
can perform subsequent installation, maintenance, or removal operations on that installation except
under one of the following conditions:
- Installation Manager and the product were installed in group mode.
- The owner reassigns ownership of the appropriate directories and files to another user.
The set of post-installation operations that are subject to this rule includes installing a
feature, installing maintenance, and uninstalling the product.
Installation considerations
There are various considerations that you must examine if you want to install in nonAdmin
mode.
- Non-administrator installations can apply to all of the WebSphere software components in the product
package
Non-administrators can install all of the product software components.
- Non-administrator installations install an operational product
If some portion of an
installation requires administrator privileges, Installation Manager provides an option so that the
non-administrator can install an operational product without enabling the privileged option whenever
possible.
- Installation Manager identifies root-only options
Installation Manager clearly
identifies privileged options by disabling such options in the interface of the
non-administrator.
- Default installation locations are within the non-administrator’s home
directory
Default installation locations are within the home directory of the
non-administrator to verify a writable disk space. Installation Manager verifies that specified disk
locations are writable.
Private GSKit installation
Note: Installing IBM® HTTP Server and the Web Server Plug-ins
installs a private copy of IBM Global Security Kit (GSKit),
which allows both administrators and non-administrators to enable SSL support.
The GSKit package is installed to the gsk8 directory within the installing
product's root directory.
The private copy of GSKit is maintained through GSKit update packages delivered in IBM HTTP Server and web server plug-in fix packs.
Non-administrator limitations
There are some limitations and differences when installing as a non-administrator as opposed to
an administrator.
- Local web server plug-in installation
When the web server plug-in and the application
server are installed on the same machine (local installation scenario), non-administrator
installation for the plug-in component is only supported if the application server was also
installed by the same user. Otherwise, the web server configuration scripts fail to run against the
application server installation.
- Port value assignment
Profile creation avoids port-value conflicts by examining port
values in use by other WebSphere Application Server
installations. Multiple non-administrative installers diminish the ability to detect and avoid port
value conflicts. WebSphere Application Server
installations are visible to the installer ID only, because the non-administrator installations do
not register globally. If an administrator performs all WebSphere Application Server installations, the problem is avoided.
- Edge Components
Edge requires administrator (root) privileges because of its native
installation mechanisms.