Websphere Portal v6 Configuration program

Some configuration tasks are run during the initial installation and configuration of WebSphere Portal. Other configuration tasks are invoked through a scripting interface.

We can modify the configuration without being required to reinstall WebSphere Portal.

Use configuration tasks

Configuration tasks can be run automatically (for example, by the installation program) or manually by the user. Values can be obtained from properties files or using commandline parameters.

Configuration tasks are implemented using the Apache Ant build tool, which is bundled with IBM WAS.

...where task_name indicates the configuration task you want to run and the property flag specifies the value of a specific property that will be used by the task.

For example, to invoke the configuration task that creates the databases used by WebSphere Portal and indicate that tracing and logging messages generated by the task should be in English (using standard Java properties)...

...where profile_root is the name of the WAS profile where WebSphere Portal is installed; for example, wp_profile.

Avoid using the ./ relative path syntax on the i5/OS version of the script. Buggy behavior can result otherwise.

When specifying a property value for a configuration task with the -D flag, the value persists only while that particular task is running. Although the value temporarily supersedes the value for that property in the wpconfig.properties, wpconfig_dbdomain.properties, and wpconfig_dbtype.properties files, it does not overwrite the value stored in the property file.

If the same configuration task is invoked again, the value in the property file will be used unless it is overridden again with the -D flag.

Once a property is set during configuration, its value cannot be overridden by later attempts to set it. The precedence order for setting properties is as follows, from highest precedence to lowest precedence:

Each of these files serve as a template for their respective configuration properties, and are copied to the UserData directory when WebSphere Portal is added to a WAS profile. Do not modify these template files. Modifying these files will not affect any existing WebSphere Portal configurations.

Configuration templates

When performing configuration tasks, WebSphere Portal derives the values for these tasks from the files...

In addition to simplifying file management, the use of a single file for maintaining property values has the advantage of serving as a centralized reference for current configuration settings. However, depending on the task you want to perform, there might be many properties in the file that are unrelated to the task. In addition, the possible values for each property, which are often documented in the file, pertain to many different cases.

For example, database properties are described for a number of different database types, although you would be interested in only one at any given time.

...more convenient, WebSphere Portal includes configuration templates, which are condensed, special-purpose properties files. These templates provide only the properties needed for a given task and can also be tailored to a particular type of resource (for example, only for security).

Parent properties files

The basis for the configuration templates is WebSphere Portal 's support for the use of parent properties files. When you invoke a parent properties file during configuration, a property value from that file supersedes a value for the same property in the wpconfig.properties file. The use of a parent properties file is useful in situations where you want to perform the same configuration tasks on multiple machines, such that some of the properties in wpconfig.properties would be same for on all machines, while other properties might be different.

For example, the security settings might be the same on each machine, while the user IDs and passwords might be different.

In such a case, using a single main properties file to perform common tasks on each machine is not practical. By putting properties that are common across machines into a parent properties file, it is easier to ensure that each machine is configured in the same way.

To use a parent properties file when invoking a WebSphere Portal configuration task, specify the parentProperties property when launching the configuration program:

...where path_to_file is the path to the parent properties file parent.properties is the name of the file, and task_name indicates the configuration task you want to run.

When using a parent properties file, if all the specified tasks execute successfully, the properties from the parent properties file will automatically be saved to the main properties files. In this way, the...

...files should always reflect the property values that were used for configuration.

Windows and UNIX configuration templates

Configuration templates are essentially parent properties files that are provided with WebSphere Portal and are designed to support specific tasks or sets of tasks.

For example, one configuration template might be used to configure WebSphere Portal for security with DominoDirectory. Another configuration template might be used to configure WebSphere Portal for security with Tivoli Directory Server.

Where possible, properties in these files are set to the most common default values, and only those values appropriate to the specific type of resource are included. Comments within each configuration template summarize the tasks perform with the configuration template and also include additional details regarding the template's use. To use a configuration template, launch the configuration program and specify the configuration template as a parent properties file.

Do not remove the "config/" from the parentProperties setting; type the command as shown.

...files with the values from the configuration template. This enables you to set up templates specific to a particular task for the purpose of entering the properties and then have those properties saved to...

Configuration template	Description
security_active_directory.properties	Use WAS security with Microsoft Active Directory for the LDAP directory.
security_disable.properties	Disable security for WAS if you have previously configured WebSphere Portal to use security.
security_domino.properties	Use WAS security with IBM Lotus Domino for the LDAP directory.
security_ibm_dir_server.properties	Use WAS security with IBM Tivoli Directory Server for the LDAP directory.
security_novell.properties	Use WAS security with Novel for the LDAP directory.
security_sun_one.properties	Use WAS security with Sun Java System Directory Server for the LDAP directory.

i5/OS configuration templates

Configuration templates are essentially parent properties files that are provided with WebSphere Portal and are designed to support specific tasks or sets of tasks. For example, a configuration template might be used to configure WebSphere Portal for security with IBM Directory Server. Where possible, properties in these files are set to the most common default values, and only those values appropriate to the specific type of resource are included. Comments within each configuration template summarize the tasks perform with the configuration template and also include additional details regarding the template's use.

To use a configuration template, invoke the WPSconfig.sh script file and specify the configuration template as a parent properties file. For example, if you have edited config_http.properties for the environment, you would invoke the configuration template from...

portal_server_root/config

From the UserData directory:

WPSconfig.sh -profileName profile_root 
           -DparentProperties=config/helpers/config_http.properties 
           -DSaveParentProperties=true

...where profile_root is the name of the WAS profile where WebSphere Portal is installed; for example, wp_profile.

WebSphere Portal provides several example configuration templates in...

portal_server_root/config/helpers

Configuration Template Description
config_http.properties Use an external Web server, instead of the internal HTTP transport provided by WAS.
iseries_profile.properties Set just those properties that are specific to an iSeries basic configuration.
security_active_directory.properties Use WAS security with Active Directory for the LDAP directory.
security_disable.properties Disable security for WAS if you have previously configured WebSphere Portal to use security.
security_domino.properties Use WAS security with Domino for the LDAP directory.
security_ibm_dir_server.properties Use WAS security with IBM Directory Server for the LDAP directory.
security_sun_one.properties Use WAS security with Sun Java System Directory Server for the LDAP directory.

Configuration Template	Description
config_http.properties	Use an external Web server, instead of the internal HTTP transport provided by WAS.
iseries_profile.properties	Set just those properties that are specific to an iSeries basic configuration.
security_active_directory.properties	Use WAS security with Active Directory for the LDAP directory.
security_disable.properties	Disable security for WAS if you have previously configured WebSphere Portal to use security.
security_domino.properties	Use WAS security with Domino for the LDAP directory.
security_ibm_dir_server.properties	Use WAS security with IBM Directory Server for the LDAP directory.
security_sun_one.properties	Use WAS security with Sun Java System Directory Server for the LDAP directory.

Create your own configuration templates

In addition to using the configuration templates provided with WebSphere Portal, we can create your own configuration templates if you find it useful to do so. For example, if you found that you were commonly doing the same task across many WebSphere Portal nodes in the enterprise, you could create your own configuration template to make it easier to correctly perform this task on each node. Follow the conventions depicted in the example configuration template files for adding comments, specifying property values, and so on.

Related information

Parent topic:

Configuration tools