Web server definition

To administer or manage a Web server using the administrative console, create a Web server definition or object in the WebSphere Application Server repository.

The creation of this object is exclusive of the actual installation of a Web server. The Web server object in the WebSphere Application Server repository represents the Web server for administering and managing the Web server from the administrative console. The Web server object contains the following Web server properties:

• installation root

• port

• configuration file paths

• log file paths

In addition to Web server properties, the Web server contains a plug-in object. The plug-in object contains properties that define the plugin-cfg.xml file.

The definitions of the Web server object are made using the wsadmin command or the administrative console. You can also define a Web server object in the WebSphere Application Server repository using the profile create script during installation, a .jacl script, and by using the administrative console wizard. There are three types of WebSphere Application Server nodes upon which you can create a Web server. The type depends on the version of WebSphere Application Server, as follows:

• Managed node. A node that contains a node agent. This node can exist only in a deployment manager environment. The importance of defining a Web server on a managed node is that the administration and configuration of the Web server is handled through the node agent from the administrative console. Support for administration and configuration through the administrative console is limited to IBM HTTP Server only. Non-IBM HTTP Server Web servers must be on a managed node to handle plug-in administrative functions and the generation and propagation of the plugin-cfg.xml file. For IBM HTTP Server for WebSphere Application Server (powered by Apache) on z/OS and for the V5.3 HTTP Server for z/OS, the administration functions on managed nodes are:

  • Web server status in the Web server collection panel or the serverStatus.sh

  • Generation of the plugin-cfg.xml

  • Propagation of the plugin-cfg.xml

  • Start and Stop of the Web server for z/OS

  • View and edit of the configuration file view of the logs

• Stand-alone node. A node that does not contain a node agent. This node usually exists in an base or Express WebSphere Application Server environment. A stand-alone node can become a managed node in a deployment manager environment after the node is federated . A stand-alone node does not contain a node agent, so to administer and manage IBM HTTP Server, there must be an IBM HTTP Server administration server installed and running on the stand-alone machine that the node represents. IBM HTTP Server ships with the IBM HTTP Server administration server and is installed by default. Support for administration and configuration through the administrative console is limited to IBM HTTP Server only.

• Unmanaged node. A node that is not associated with a WebSphere Application Server node agent. This node cannot be federated. Typically, the unmanaged node represents a remote machine that does not have WebSphere Application Server installed. However, you can define an unmanaged node on a machine where WebSphere Application Server is installed. This node can exist in a WebSphere Application Server – Express, base, or deployment manager environment. An unmanaged node does not contain a node agent, so to administer and manage IBM HTTP Server, an IBM HTTP Server administration server must be installed and running on the stand-alone machine that the node represents. Support for administration and configuration through the administrative console is limited to IBM HTTP Server only.

Web servers, which are not IBM HTTP Servers for WebSphere Application Server, are not fully administered from the WebSphere Application Server administrative console. The administration functions for Web servers, which are not IBM HTTP Servers for WebSphere Application Server, are:

• On managed nodes:

  • Web server status in the Web server collection panel or serverStatus.sh

  • Generation of the plugin-cfg.xml

  • Propagation of the plugin-cfg.xml

• On unmanaged nodes:

  • Web server status in the Web server collection panel or serverStatus.sh

  • Generation of the plugin-cfg.xml

Special consideration for IBM HTTP Server for z/OS, powered by Apache: IBM HTTP Server for z/OS is provided with a PTF for V6.1 WebSphere Application Server. To support remote administration and configuration of IBM HTTP Server for z/OS, a Web server type IHSZOS must be defined in the WebSphere Application Server repository. After applying the V6.1 PTF, some template files need to be updated in the customer profiles. The following files must be copied from installroot/profileTemplates/:

• serverindex.xml

• template-metadata.xml

• IHSZOS/server.xml

If you install V6.1 and then subsequently apply the V6.1 service level (which provides support of IBM HTTP Server for z/OS) before creating the customer profile, then the manual copy of these template files is not necessary.

During profile creation (using the z/OS PMT), if you select Advanced profile create and checkbox Create a Web server definition, then you will not be permitted to select the combination of Web server type "IBM HTTP Server" and Web server operating system of "z/OS." However, you can create the Web server type for IBM HTTP Server on z/OS through the administrative console wizard, createWebServerDefintion.jacl, or the wsadmin command after the profile create, using the z/OS PMT. For information about the available service level that provides IBM HTTP Server for z/OS powered by Apache, consult the Support site.