WAS v8.0 > Install the application serving environment > Distributed operating systems > Prepare the operating system for product installation


Prepare AIX systems for installation

Overview

The installation uses Installation Manager. We can use the graphical interface or use a response file in silent mode.

WAS prevents users from installing to a non-empty directory. If WAS is installed to a directory with a lost+found subdirectory, you will be prompted to use an empty directory. If you still want to install to this directory, then you can delete the lost+found directory. However, the next time fsck is executed, the lost+found directory will be created. This should not have any effect on an existing installation; during uninstallation, however, this directory will not be removed.

There are known issues with using Cygwin/X to run Eclipse-based applications on remote AIX machines. This affects your use of the Profile Management Tool. With Cygwin/X on remote AIX, for example, a splash screen for the Profile Management Tool appears but the Profile Management Tool never actually comes up. See existing Bugzilla reports on these issues

If a different X server (such as Hummingbird Exceed) is used, these problems do not occur.

To run the Profile Management Tool or the Configuration Migration Tool after we have installed the 64-bit product on an AIX 64-bit system, have the GTK installed. If you do not have the GTK installed, you receive an error message similar to the following:

To install the GTK, perform one of the following actions:

Preparing the operating system involves such changes as...

IBM tests WAS products on each operating system platform. Such tests verify whether an operating system change is required for WAS products to run correctly. Without the required changes, WAS products do not run correctly.


Prepare AIX systems for installation

  1. Log on to the operating system.

    You can log on as root or as a nonroot installer.

    Select a umask that allows the owner to read/write to the files, and allows others to access them according to the prevailing system policy. For root, a umask of 022 is recommended. For nonroot users a umask of 002 or 022 can be used, depending on whether the users share the group.

    To verify the umask setting, issue the following command:

      umask

    To set the umask setting to 022, issue the following command:

      umask 022

  2. Stop all Java processes related to WAS on the machine where you are installing the product.

  3. Stop any web server process such as the IBM HTTP Server.

  4. The product contains IBM SDK Version 6.

    • We must run AIX v6.1 or v7.1 for SDK 6 to operate properly.

      To test whether this Java SDK is supported on a specific System p system, at the system prompt type:

        lscfg -p | fgrep Architecture

      You should receive the reply: Model Architecture: chrp. Only Common Hardware Reference Platform (chrp) systems are supported.

    • The environment variable LDR_CNTRL=MAXDATA is not supported for 64-bit processes. Only use LDR_CNTRL=MAXDATA on 32-bit processes.

      To show the value of this variable, use the following command:

        echo $LDR_CNTRL

    • If you are using one of the supported non-UTF8 CJK locales, you must install one of the following file sets. The installation images are available on the AIX base discs; updates are available from the Fix Central website.

      • X11.fnt.ucs.ttf (for ja_JP or Ja_JP)
      • X11.fnt.ucs.ttf_CN (for zh_CN or Zh_CN)
      • X11.fnt.ucs.ttf_KR (for ko_KR)
      • X11.fnt.ucs.ttf_TW (for zh_TW or Zh_TW)

  5. Use the System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to display packages that are installed to determine whether update packages described in the following steps.

  6. Download the most current version of the Info-ZIP product to avoid problems with zipped files.

    Although zipped files are primarily used in the service stream, prepare your AIX operating system by downloading a current version of the Info-ZIP package from the http://www.info-zip.org website.

  7. Provide adequate disk space.

    The amount of disk space required varies with the number of features or products installed. If you are installing the product using Installation Manager, the installation summary panel indicates the approximate amount of disk space required based on the features and products that we have selected. Installing all features and products requires approximately 2 GB of disk space. This estimate includes the following products, components, and features:

    With the JFS file system on AIX, you can allocate expansion space for directories. If Installation Manager does not have enough space, it issues a system call for more space that increases the space allocation dynamically.

    If you plan to migrate applications and the configuration from a previous version, verify that the application objects have enough disk space. As a rough guideline, plan for space equal to 110 percent of the size of the applications.

  8. Unmount file systems with broken links to avoid java.lang.NullPointerException errors.

    Unmount file systems with broken links before installing.

    Installation can fail when broken links exist to file systems.

    Use the df -k command to check for broken links to file systems. Look for file systems that list blank values in the 1024-blocks size column. Columns with a value of "-" (dash) are not a problem. The following example shows a problem with the /dev/lv00 file system: 

    >  df -k
Filesystem    1024-blocks
     Free %Used    Iused %Iused Mounted on /dev/hd4
    
    1048576    447924   58%
    2497
    1% /
/dev/hd3          4259840   2835816   34%      484     1% /tmp
/proc

 -
-    -
-     -  /proc
/dev/lv01         2097152    229276   90%     3982     1% /storage
/dev/lv00
/dev/hd2          2097152    458632   79%    42910     9% /usr
iw031864:/cdrom/db2_v72_eee_aix32_sbcs

    The /proc file system is not a problem. The iw031864:/cdrom/db2_v72_eee_aix32_sbcs file system is a definite problem. The /dev/lv00 file system is also a likely problem. Use one of the following commands to solve this problem:

      > umount /cdrom/db2_v72_eee_aix32_sbcs
      > umount /cdrom

    Start the installation again. If the problem continues, unmount any file systems that have blank values, such as the /dev/lv00 file system in the example. If you cannot solve the problem by unmounting file systems with broken links, reboot the machine and start the installation again.

  9. Verify that prerequisites and corequisites are at the required release levels.

    Although Installation Manager checks for prerequisite operating system patches, review the prerequisites on the Supported hardware and software website if we have not already done so.

    Refer to the documentation for non-IBM prerequisite and corequisite products to learn how to migrate to their supported versions.

  10. Verify the system cp command when using emacs or other freeware.

    If we have emacs or other freeware installed on your operating system, verify that the system cp command is used.

    1. Type the following command prompt before running the installation program for the WAS product.

        which cp

    2. Remove the freeware directory from your PATH if the resulting directory output includes freeware. For example, assume that the output is similar to the following message: .../freeware/bin/cp. If so, remove the directory from the PATH.

    3. Install the WAS product.

    4. Add the freeware directory back to the PATH.

    If you install with a cp command that is part of a freeware package, the installation might appear to complete successfully, but the Java 2 SDK that the product installs might have missing files in...

    WAS_HOME/java

    Missing files can destroy required symbolic links. If you remove the freeware cp command from the PATH, you can install the application server product successfully.

  11. Verify that the Java SDK on the installation image disk is functioning correctly if you created your own disk.

    For example, you might have downloaded an installation image from Passport Advantage, or you might have copied an installation image onto a backup disk. In either case, perform the following steps to verify that the disk contains a valid Java software development kit (SDK).

    1. Change directories to the /JDK/jre.pak/repository/package.java.jre/java/jre/bin directory on the product disk. For example:

        cd /JDK/jre.pak/repository/package.java.jre/java/jre/bin

    2. Verify the Java version. Type the following command:

        ./java -version

      The command completes successfully with no errors when the SDK is intact.

    Optional. Install the Mozilla Firefox browser if it is not already installed.

    Follow the instructions for installing Firefox v3.5.x or above on AIX.

    1. Download the latest supported version of Mozilla Firefox (3.5.x or later) for AIX.

      Download Mozilla for AIX from the following location: Web browsers for AIX.

      Download the installp imag,e and install it from the SMIT.

    Optional. Export the location of the supported browser.

    Export the location of the supported browser using a command that identifies the actual location of the browser.

    If the Mozilla Firefox package is in the bin/firefox directory, for example, use the following command to export BROWSER=/usr/bin/firefox:

      EXPORT BROWSER=/usr/bin/firefox

  12. Optional: Prepare a Workload Partition (WPAR).

    If you are going to install the product on a WPAR on AIX Version 6.1, make sure that the WPAR has private and writable versions of the /usr and /opt file systems. If you do not have this type of WPAR, create a new WPAR using the following steps:

    1. Choose a name for the WPAR that maps to an IP address for your network, or add an entry for the new WPAR in the /etc/hosts file. Make sure you know the subnet IP address as well.

    2. Use the following command to create the WPAR:

        mkwpar -n
        <wpar_name> -h
        <host_name> -N netmask=
        <A.B.C.D> address=
        <A.B.C.D> -r -l

      The -l parameter creates private and writable versions of the /usr and /opt file systems.


Results

This procedure results in preparing the operating system for installing the product.


What to do next

For optimal performance, tune the Java environment for your operating system. See the Java tuning information for your specific AIX operating system version. After verifying prerequisites, verifying the product disk, and setting your installation goals, you can start installing. Use one of the following installation procedures:


Prepare the operating system for product installation
AIX 7.1: Java tuning for AIX
AIX 6.1: Java tuning for AIX

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