Managing webserver from websphere administration console

Here is the answer to one of the questions that i’ve been asked more times over the last 2months on the blog or through email.

Note: Keep these short names,in mind while reading.
IHS – IBM http server
WAS – Websphere application server
ISC – Integrated solutions console aka websphere administration console

Administrating a Web server from Websphere console

Before diving into this topic you need to know two concepts namely managed and unmanaged nodes. A managed node will have a node agent which manages all the servers on that node and unmanaged doesn’t have any node agents. So if you define the webserver on an unmanaged node and wants to use Websphere admin console for administration of it, you must have IHS administration server.

To add the webserver to websphere admin console (ISC), first you need to create a webserver definition. how to create this definition?

There are 3 ways to create a webserver definition
1. Using Admin console of Websphere
– Using ISC, goto Servers -> Webservers -> Create New (the wizard will assist you creating the new definition)
2. WSAdmin
– Using wsadmin commands
$AdminTask createWebServer -interactive (interactive mode will ask you question for required inputs)
3. Plug-in install scripts
– Plug-in installation will create a script using which you can generate the webserver definition. (configurewebserver1.sh/bat). This script will have the arguments captured during the plugin installation

Setting IBM Administration Server (IHS admin server)

On Unix/Linux and windows machines, it requires authentication on Administration requests. This task was handled while you install the IHS itself. (if remember the installation if IHS, it asks you for admin port, user and password)
check these in admin.conf under IHS_Install/conf
# Port used to access the Administration Server
Listen 8888
# Default user and group settings for the server
User ihsadmin
Group ihsadmin

Node agent for IHS on managed node

-Node Agent must have sufficient file permission to write

•plugin-cfg.xml
•httpd.conf

Node Agent must be started as root if the IHS web server is to be started as root

Administration functions from ISC

• Generate the Plug-in configuration file

You can generate the plugin for selected web servers or all webservers.
Typically this is done after mapping Web server to an application.
Generated Plugin-cfg.xml is located at Profile_root/config/cells/<cellName>/nodes/<nodeName>/servers/<WebserverName>

• Propagate the Plug-in configuration file

Propagate the Plug-in configuration file of selected Web server
All Web servers on Managed Node
Only IBM HTTP Server (IHS) Unmanaged node
Where to propagate the plug-in file is based on the plug-in install root, webserver definition and plug-in config directory

• Web server status

Status (start/stop/unavailable) is determined by a direct socket connection to the target Web server. Web server status is not dependent on IBM Administration Server or the Node Agent

• Start /Stop IBM HTTP Server (IHS)

On managed node, to perform these actions node agents must be running
on unmanaged node IBM administration server must be running

• View and Edit of httpd.conf

• View of logfiles