Mapping virtual hosts for Web modules

A virtual host must be mapped to each Web module of a deployed application. Web modules can be installed on the same virtual host or dispersed among several virtual hosts. You can map a virtual host to a Web module during or after application installation using the console. This article assumes that the Web module is already installed on a server and that you want to change the mappings.

Before you change a mapping, check the virtual hosts definitions. You can install a Web module on any defined virtual host. To view information on previously defined virtual hosts, click Environment > Virtual Hosts in the administrative console. Virtual hosts enable you to associate a unique port with a module or application. The aliases of a virtual host identify the port numbers defined for that virtual host. A port number specified in a virtual host alias is used in the URL that is used to access artifacts such as servlets and JavaServer Pages files in a Web module. For example, the alias myhost:8080 is the host_name:port_number portion of the URL http://myhost:8080/servlet/snoop.

Overview

The default virtual host setting usually is default_host, which provides several port numbers through its aliases:

80

An internal, insecure port used when no port number is specified

9080

An internal port

9443

An external, secure port

Unless you want to isolate your Web module from other modules or resources on the same node (physical machine), default_host is a suitable virtual host for your Web module.

In addition to default_host, WebSphere Application Server provides admin_host, which is the virtual host for the administrative console system application. admin_host is on port 9060. Its secure port is 9043. Do not select admin_host unless the Web module relates to system administration.

Use the Virtual hosts page of the administrative console to view and change mappings. This page is displayed during application installation using the console and, after the application is installed, can be accessed from the settings page for an enterprise application.

On the Virtual hosts page, specify a virtual host for each Web module. Web modules of an application can be installed on the same virtual host or on different virtual hosts.

Procedure

1. Click Applications > Enterprise Applications >application_name > Virtual hosts in the console navigation tree. The Virtual hosts page is displayed.

2. Examine the list of mappings. Ensure that each Web module entry has the desired virtual host mapped to it, identified under Virtual host.

3. Change the mappings as needed.

   1. Select each Web module that you want mapped to a particular virtual host. In the list of mappings, place a check mark in the Select check boxes beside the Web modules.

   2. From the Virtual host drop-down list, select the desired virtual host. If you selected more than one virtual host in step 1:

      1. Expand Apply Multiple Mappings.

      2. Select the desired virtual host from the Virtual host drop-down list.

      3. Click Apply.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until a desired virtual host is mapped to each Web module.

5. Click OK.

Results

What to do next

1. If the application or module is deployed on a cluster and you have no more configuration changes to make, click Rollout Update on the Enterprise Applications page to propagate the changed configuration on all cluster members of the cluster on which the application or module is deployed. Rollout Update sequentially updates the configuration on the nodes that contain cluster members.

2. Regenerate the plug-in configuration file.

   1. Click Servers > Web servers.

   2. Select the Web server for which you want to generate a plug-in.

   3. Click Generate Plug-in.

3. Save changes to your administrative configuration.

   In the Network Deployment product, the application binaries are transferred to nodes when the configuration changes on the deployment manager synchronize with configurations for individual nodes on which the application will run.

Related concepts

Related tasks