Troubleshooting
Problem
Installation of the UpdateInstaller utility for WebSphere Application Server V6.1 or V7.0 does not complete successfully. Collect the diagnostic information described in this article to send to IBM Support.
Resolving The Problem
If you have already contacted support, continue on to the component-specific MustGather information. Otherwise, click: MustGather: Read first for all WebSphere Application Server products.
This MustGather is for the installation of UpdateInstaller |
This MustGather is for the installation of the UpdateInstaller utility for WebSphere Application Server V6.0, V6.1 and V7.0.
This MustGather is not for the actual installation of the WebSphere Application Server product itself. If you are installing the WebSphere Application Server product itself, please refer to the MustGather for Installing WebSphere Application Server.
This MustGather also does not cover the installation of maintenance packs (such as interim fixes, Refresh Packs, or Fix Packs). If you have successfully installed the UpdateInstaller and you are encountering problems selecting or installing a maintenance pack, please refer to the MustGather for UpdateInstaller Maintenance Pack update issues.
Minimum data needed for MustGather |
If an issue requires immediate assistance, IBM Support can start problem diagnosis with a minimal set of data. However, whenever possible, IBM Support prefers the full MustGather data, which is sufficient to address nearly all profile-related issues.
These two minimum MustGather items will help IBM Support triage the issue. If you cannot perform the full MustGather when requested, then compress these files into an archive and send them to IBM Support:
- All files from the following directory:
updateinstaller_root/logs - For UpdateInstaller installer issues where the installer doesn't even start up, collect all files from the following two directories:
user_home/updilogs
tmp/niflogs
This is in the target UpdateInstaller directory; if this does not exist, then tell us. |
The first directory listed represents the current user's home directory. The second directory listed represents the system's temporary directory. If neither of the directories listed exist, then please refer to the full MustGather data, which explains specifically where to find those. Hint: If you need more information to help locate the system temporary directory or the user's home directory, refer to the hints section below in this same document. |
Install specific MustGather information |
Note: References below to UpdateInstaller_root are used to indicate the directory to which the UpdateInstaller will be installed. For example, these are the default directories for installation on supported operating systems:
- AIX:
/usr/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller - HP-UX, Linux, or Solaris:
/opt/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller - Windows:
c:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\UpdateInstaller
Logs and other information to collect and send to IBM support |
- If the installer is able to create the UpdateInstaller_root directory, then gather all files and directories which exist in the following directory:
UpdateInstaller_root/logs - Installation logs for problems where installer fails to start, or crashes:
- If the installer seems to instantly abort, or if it does not get far enough to create the UpdateInstaller_root/logs directory, then check the current user's home directory for a subdirectory named updilogs. Also, for the V6.1 UpdateInstaller only, check the system temporary directory for a subdirectory named niflogs. Gather all the files from those subdirectories.
Hint: If you need more information to help locate the system temporary directory or the user's home directory, refer to the hints section below in this same document.
- If the installer fails to start up and you cannot find any logs at all, then try invoking the installer with this option. Use this parameter in front of all the other options on the command-line:
-is:javaconsole - The .nifregistry file:
Gather the .nifregistry file, if it exists. For details, refer to the section below which explains how to locate the .nifregistry file.
Hint: The .nifregistry file is useful for situations where the installer claims that the UpdateInstaller cannot be installed to a specific directory because it already exists in that directory.
- The response file:
If you are using silent install mode, provide a copy of the response file you are using. If you are using the graphical installation wizard, then skip this step.
- A description of the error:
In cases where the installer visibly displays an error, copy and paste the error text, or try to describe the error. If the error is difficult to describe, then provide a screen capture of the error.
Hint for Windows-based systems: For best results when sending a screen capture from a Windows-based system, paste the captured image into Microsoft Paint and save the image as a JPG file. When possible, avoid sending BMP images or Microsoft Word documents with images in them.
- Additional questions:
If you have time, answer the questions in the section below. The questions should only take a few minutes to answer. Those questions are especially helpful in situations where the installer won't even start up, or if you are unsure that you are following the correct installation instructions.
- How to send the data:
When possible, compress the data into a single archive, such as a .zip or .tar.gz file. For more details, follow instructions to send diagnostic information to IBM support.
This might produce additional messages to help determine the cause of the failure. For additional hints using this parameter, see the hints section below. |
Questions for installation issues |
Help IBM Support understand your application server environment by answering the questions below.
- What operating system is the UpdateInstaller being installed on, and what version of the operating system is it? Is this operating system using a 32-bit or 64-bit kernel? What processor architecture, e.g. Intel, PowerPC, SPARC?
Hint: For UNIX systems, you can provide the output of the uname -a command to answer this question.
- What version of the UpdateInstaller are you trying to install? Is it 32-bit or 64-bit edition?
- What version of WebSphere (or IBM HTTP Server) product are you attempting to update? Is that product 32-bit or 64-bit? (Note that a 32-bit UpdateInstaller can update a 64-bit product, and vice-versa. So, it is okay if the UpdateInstaller does not "match" the product you want to update.)
- How was the installation image obtained? Are you installing the one from the WebSphere Application Server Supplemental image, or have you downloaded it from ibm.com?
- Was the file extracted directly onto this system, or onto a networked (NFS or mapped network drive) filesystem?
- Are you trying to install using the graphical wizard ("GUI") mode or the silent installer mode? What command are you using to invoke the installer?
- For AIX, HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris operating systems, are you installing as a root user or non-root user? Also, indicate if the installation is performed using "sudo". For Windows operating systems, are you installing using a user with administrative authority?
- What appears to go wrong when the installer fails?
- Does the installer not even start up?
- Are you able to make selections to initiate the installation process, and then it fails or hangs?
- Do you receive an error during the process?
Additional information |
Hints for using the -is:javaconsole parameter
If the installer fails to start up and does not seem to produce a log, then an additional trace parameter may help produce more data. Add the following parameter in front of all the other parameters used to invoke the installer:
-is:javaconsole
- AIX, HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris:
Starting the installer in graphical mode:
./install -is:javaconsole >was.install.log.txt - Windows:
Starting the installer in graphical mode:
install -is:javaconsole >was.install.log.txt
Starting the installer silently with your response file (note that this command is meant to show up on a single line): |
./install -is:javaconsole -silent -options myresponsefile.txt >was.install.log.txt |
On some operating systems, the "install" command may be represented by "install.sh" instead. |
Starting the installer silently with your response file (note that this command is meant to show up on a single line): |
install -is:javaconsole -silent -options myresponsefile.txt >was.install.log.txt |
The .nifregistry file helps WebSphere utilities locate the WebSphere Application Server V6.1 and V7.0 installations present on a system. The file is located outside the directory to which the product is installed, and the location can vary depending on whether the product was installed as a root user or a non-root user.
If the product is being installed as the root user (or an administrative user on Windows), then the .nifregistry file is located in a specific place. (If you are installing as non-root (non-administrator), then skip to the next item.)
- AIX:
/usr/.ibm/.nif/.nifregistry - HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris:
/opt/.ibm/.nif/.nifregistry - Windows:
In the main Windows directory; typically:
C:\Windows\.nifregistry
Look for a subdirectory named .nif under the user's home directory. The .nifregistry file is located in that directory.
Hints for locating the system temporary directory
If the installation fails to start up, or if it crashes, logs for V6.1 may be written to a directory called niflogs and under the system temp directory. Here are some hints for locating the system temporary directory:
- For AIX, Linux, HP-UX, and Solaris:
The system temporary directory is typically /tmp or /var/tmp.
- For Windows:
The system temporary directory is typically the following:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Local Settings\temp
You might be able to locate the system temporary directory by entering %temp% into the address bar of a File Explorer window. |
If the installation fails to start up, logs for V6.1 and V7.0 may be written to a directory called waslogs under the system temp directory. Also, when the product is installed as a non-root user, the .nifregistry file can be placed in a subdirectory in the user's home directory. Here are some hints for locating the user's home directory:
- For AIX, Linux, HP-UX, and Solaris:
The user home directory can usually be accessed by changing to a directory named " ~ " (tilde character) on those operating systems. For example, cd ~
- For Windows:
The user home directory is typically the following:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name
Where user_name represents the name of the account logged on to the system. You can sometimes access the current user's home directory directly by entering %userroot% into a File Explorer address bar. |
Related Information
[{"Product":{"code":"SSEQTP","label":"WebSphere Application Server"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Component":"Install","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"},{"code":"PF010","label":"HP-UX"},{"code":"PF016","label":"Linux"},{"code":"PF027","label":"Solaris"},{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"7.0;6.1","Edition":"Base;Express;Network Deployment","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}}]
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Document Information
Modified date:
15 June 2018
UID
swg21397416