Migrating Web server configurations

You can migrate a Web server from supporting an earlier version of WebSphere Application Server to support the current version.

Procedure

1. Configure an HTTP server instance.

   See Configuring an HTTP server instance. There are two options from which to choose:

   • Create a new HTTP server instance to be used by the WebSphere Application Server V6.1 profile.

     This method allows WebSphere Application Server V5.x or 6.0.x and V6.1 profiles to continue operating correctly.

   • Update the HTTP server instance configuration for the WebSphere Application Server V5.x or 6.0.x profile that is being migrated.

     This method changes the HTTP instance configuration to work with the WebSphere Application Server V6.1 profile and makes the WebSphere Application Server Version 5.x or 6.0.x profile no longer usable.

2. Configure the virtual host for the WebSphere Application Server V6.1 profile.

   See Configuring virtual hosts.

   This step ensures that both the host and HTTP transport port number exist in the virtual host list.

   If you created a new HTTP server in the previous step or if you used the -portBlock parameter when performing the migration, the virtual host will not contain the correct port for communication with your HTTP server. You need to add a host alias for the port used by your HTTP server.

3. Configure communication with Web servers.

   See Communicating with Web servers.

   This step regenerates the plug-in configuration file, plugin-cfg.xml. It needs to be done after any configuration changes have been made.

   Additional configuration is required if Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is enabled on a plug-in transport. In addition to copying the .kdb file to the V6.1 profile, edit the plug-in to specify the .kdb file required for the plug-in to use the transport.

   For more information on copying the .kbd files to the V6.1 profile, see the section on J2EE security in Configuration mapping during product-configuration migration.

What to do next

• The plug-in configuration file (plugin-cfg.xml) generated after successful migration from V5.x to V6.1 is topology centric—that is, it includes all the applications within a cell. You can manage this cell-wide plug-in configuration file from the V6.1 administrative console, by using the GenPluginCfg command, or by using the Plug-in Config Generator MBean.

  Be aware that regenerating the plug-in configuration can overwrite manual configuration changes that you might want to preserve.

• The application-centric generation of the plugin-cfg.xml file is supported using the V6.x administrative console. Being application centric means that the plugin-cfg.xml file generated in the administration console has a granularity that allows each application to be mapped to its specific Web or application server.

• To set up the administrative console so used to it to manage the Web server plug-in configuration, first create a default Web server configuration and then use the administrative console to add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file to this Web server configuration.

  • To create a default Web server configuration and then add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file in a Network Deployment configuration, use the V6.x administrative console to perform the following tasks:

    1. Create a default Web server configuration.

       See Selecting a Web server topology diagram and roadmap or Setting up a remote Web server.

    2. Add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file to this Web server configuration.

       See Communicating with Web servers and Web server plug-in configuration properties.

  • To create a default Web server configuration and then add the plug-in properties from your migrated plugin-cfg.xml file in a standalone application server configuration, perform the following tasks:

    1. Create a default Web server configuration.

       See Selecting a Web server topology diagram and roadmap or Setting up a remote Web server.

    2. Use the V6.x administrative console to edit the configuration and define the plug-in properties.

       See Communicating with Web servers and Web server plug-in configuration properties.

Migrating from WebSphere Application Server V6.0.x: This information is only applicable if you migrated from WebSphere Application Server V6.0.x; it is not applicable if you migrated from V5.x.

• If you are migrating a Web server and plug-ins from WebSphere Application Server V6.0.x to V6.1, the configureWebserverDefintion.jacl script does not update all of the information related to the Web server. You must recreate the V6.0.x Web server definition for V6.1.

  The configureWebserverDefintion.jacl script updates all of the information related to the Web server plug-in such as the locations of the plug-in installation root, log file, configuration file, and key store on the Web-server machine. However, the script does not update other properties related to the Web server if the Web server definition already exists.

• To recreate the Web server definition, perform the following actions:

  1. Delete the existing V6.1 Web server definition by performing one of the following actions:

     • Use the following wsadmin commands:

       $AdminTask deleteServer { -serverName webserver1 -nodeName WebserverHostName-node_node } 
       $AdminTask removeUnmanagedNode { -nodeName WebserverHostName-node_node } 
       $AdminConfig save

     • Use the administrative console to perform the following actions:

       1. From the administrative console, click Servers > Web servers.

       2. Select the Web server that you want to delete, and click Delete.

  2. Create a new V6.1 Web server definition using the configureweb_server_name script generated by the plug-in installer.

Related tasks