Configuring a custom profile (managed node)

A custom profile is an empty node that you must federate into a deployment manager cell to make operational. Federating the custom profile changes it into a managed node. After federation, a custom profile has a nodeagent process but does not have a server process. You must use the administrative console of the deployment manager to customize the empty node for production or other uses. After you start the nodeagent, it responds to commands from the deployment manager.

Before you begin

Before performing this procedure, ensure that you review the general prerequisites associated with creating and augmenting profiles in Prerequisites for creating or augmenting profiles if you haven't already.

Why and when to perform this task

If you have decided that your solution requires network deployment, you require one or more managed nodes. This procedure assumes you are Creating profiles using the Profile wizard or Augmenting profiles using the Profile wizard, and have followed the instructions in the relevant procedure. As a result, you have started the Profile wizard and have selected to create or augment a custom profile. You must now configure it and possibly turn it into a managed node.

Using the Profile wizard, complete the following steps to configure a new custom profile.

Steps for this task

  1. Do one of the following depending on whether you are creating or augmenting a custom profile.
    • If you are augmenting a profile, much of the profile configuration will be inherited from the WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment profile. The Database configuration panel is displayed. Proceed to step 7.
    • If you are creating a profile, you must configure it with unique values. The Federation panel is displayed. Proceed to step 2.
  2. In the Federation panel, choose when to federate the custom node into the deployment manager.
    • If you choose to federate the node as part of the profile creation, specify the host name or IP address and SOAP port of the deployment manager and select Next. The Profile name panel is displayed.

      Attention:
      Federate the custom node at this time only if all of the following are true:
      • No other node is being federated. (Node federation must be serialized.)
      • The deployment manager is running.
      • The deployment manager is a WebSphere Process Server deployment manager.
      • Security is not enabled on the deployment manager node.
      • The deployment manager uses the default SOAP JMX connector type and the connector is enabled.
      Do not federate the custom node at this time if any one of the following is true:
      • Another profile is being federated. (Node federation must be serialized.)
      • The deployment manager is not running or you are not sure if it is running.
      • The deployment manager has not yet been augmented into a WebSphere Process Server deployment manager.
      • Security is enabled on the deployment manager node.
      • The SOAP connector is disabled.
      • The deployment manager is reconfigured to use the non-default remote method invocation (RMI) as the preferred Java Management Extensions (JMX) connector. (Select System administration > Deployment manager > Administration services in the administrative console of the deployment manager to verify the preferred connector type.)

      If you attempt to federate a custom node when the deployment manager is not running or is not available for other reasons, a warning panel prevents you from continuing. If this warning panel appears, select OK to exit from it, and then make different selections on the Federation panel.

    • If you choose to federate the node at a later time and apart from profile creation, select the Federate this node later using the addNode command check box and select Next to continue. The Profile name panel is displayed. See Federating custom nodes to a deployment manager for more information on how to federate a node by using the addNode command. Read more about this command in the addNode command topic in the WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment, version 6.0, information center.

  3. Specify a name for the profile that is unique among the profiles on the machine or accept the default name. If other profiles exist, you can make this profile the default profile by selecting the Make this profile the default check box. Then select Next.

    Each profile that you create must have a name. When you have more than one profile, you can distinguish them at their highest level by this name. See Naming considerations for profiles, nodes, hosts, and cells for information on issues you must consider when naming the profile, such as restrictions on the length of the directory name.

  4. In the Profile directory panel, either accept the default directory location for the profile or select Browse to specify another location, then select Next.
    This directory will contain the files that define the runtime environment, such as commands, configuration files, and log files. By default, this directory location is:
    • Icon indicating Linux platforms Icon indicating UNIX platforms On Linux and UNIX platforms: install_root/profiles/profile_name
    • Icon indicating Windows platforms On Windows platforms: install_root\profiles\profile_name
    where profile_name is the name that was specified in step 3. If the directory already exists, it must be empty or an error will be displayed.

    If you select Back and change the name of the profile, you might have to manually change the name on this panel when it is displayed again.

  5. In the Node and host names panel, specify the node and host names for the custom profile, or accept the defaults, then select Next.

    Specify a node name that is unique to the cell. See Naming considerations for profiles, nodes, hosts, and cells for information on reserved terms and other issues you must consider when naming the node and host.

    One of the following panels is displayed, depending on whether you elected to federate the node on the Federation panel in step 2:
    • If you elected to federate the node later, the Database configuration panel is displayed. Proceed to step 7.
    • If you chose to federate the node now, the Port value assignment panel is displayed. Proceed to step 6.
  6. In the Port value assignment panel, verify that the ports for the custom node are not assigned to another purpose on the server, then select Next.

    The Profile wizard will detect ports currently used by other WebSphere products, but not those of other applications which might use specified ports. When federating a custom profile, the addNode command uses non-conflicting ports. This means that you can take the default port assignments as you create the profile, and let the addNode command specify non-conflicting ports as you federate the node. Port assignments must be unique on a machine. Server processes on different machines can use the same port assignments without conflict.

  7. In the Database configuration panel, choose the database that matches the database used on the deployment manager to which this custom profile will be federated and select Next. Select the database from the list, or accept the default value of DB2 Universal. You can select the following databases from this panel (each entry that can be selected from the list is shown, followed by the database it represents):
    • DB2 Universal (DB2 Universal Database)
    • DB2 UDB for z/OS and OS/390 V7 (DB2 UDB for z/OS and OS/390 V7)
    • DB2 UDB for z/OS V8 (DB2 UDB for z/OS V8)
    • DB2 CLI (DB2 Call Level Interface)
    • Informix (Informix Dynamic Server)
    • MSSQL Server Embedded (Microsoft SQL Server Embedded)
    • MSSQL Server Data Direct (Microsoft SQL Server DataDirect)
    • Oracle OCI (Oracle OCI client)
    • Oracle Thin (Oracle Thin)

    If your selection is other than MSSQL Server Embedded, you must also provide the location of the JDBC driver class path files for the database. If your selection is DB2 Universal, you can accept the default value of install_root/universalDriver_wbi/lib on Linux and UNIX platforms or install_root\universalDriver_wbi\lib on Windows platforms. The Profile summary panel is displayed.

  8. In the Profile summary panel, review the profile characteristics and select Next to create the profile or select Back to change the characteristics of the profile.

    The Profile wizard shows a progress panel to indicate that the profile is being created or augmented. If no errors are detected, the Profile creation is complete or Profile augmentation is complete panel is displayed at the end of the process.

    Attention: If errors are detected, other panels might be displayed in place of this panel. Examples include the following:
    • Profile creation is complete with warnings panel, which indicates that a profile was created but warnings were generated.
    • Profile creation is incomplete panel, which indicates that a profile was created but exists in an unusable state.
    • Profile creation failed panel, which indicates that a profile was unable to be created.
    • Profile augmentation is complete with warnings panel, which indicates that a profile was augmented but warnings were generated.
    • Profile augmentation is incomplete panel, which indicates that a profile was augmented but exists in an unusable state.
    • Profile augmentation failed panel, which indicates that a profile was unable to be augmented.
    Each of these panels identifies the log file to reference in order to troubleshoot the problems. Also refer to Recovering from profile creation or augmentation failure for troubleshooting tips.
  9. Ensure the check box to launch the First Steps console is selected and select Finish to close the Profile wizard and start the First steps console.

Result

A new WebSphere Process Server custom profile exists. The node within the profile is empty until you federate the node (if you have not done so during profile creation or augmentation) and use the deployment manager to customize the node.

What to do next

Federate the node into the deployment manager cell if you have not already done so. See Federating custom nodes to a deployment manager for details.

Last updated: Wed 01 Nov 2006 07:47:12

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