How To Install an IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) v9.0 Fix Pack Using the IBM Web Administration for i Console

Answer

Overview

The IBM Web Administration for i (Web Admin) console is a web-based tool, which provides a full-function GUI for configuring and managing many different web technologies including IBM WebSphere Application Server on the IBM i.

Starting with IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.0, the product's installation factory changed to use the IBM Installation Manager. The IBM Installation Manager does not provide a GUI interface for the IBM i. Because of this, it can be a bit complex to install and manage the IBM WebSphere Application Server product on the IBM i. To help reduce this complexity, the IBM Web Admin console provides an easy-to-use GUI to manage your IBM i WebSphere Application Server installations and fixes.

Part of this document is taken from the following IBM Developer article written by the IBM Web Administration for i GUI development staff. This document expands on the information provided in the URL below to provide the necessary detailed information to successfully update your IBM i WebSphere Application Server installation(s).

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/ibmi/library/i-webSphere_spplication_server_installation/index.html

Prerequisites

WebSphere Application Server v9.0 Support:
The following PTFs must be installed in order to support the IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0 product.

Here is a list of the minimum group ptf levels required to enable the IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0 installation and fix pack management support in the IBM Web Admin console. Please ensure these group ptf levels are met before attempting to use the IBM Web Admin console to manage your IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0 installations and fixes.

These group PTFs can be obtained through the IBM Support Fix Central application.

IBM i 7.1 Group PTF requirements

IBM i 7.2 Group PTF requirements

IBM i 7.3 Group PTF requirements

IBM i 7.4 Group PTF requirements - Ensure SF99740, SF99704, SF99662, and SF99665 are in an installed status.

NOTE!!!: Beginning with IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0, an IBM i WebSphere Application Server Group PTF will no longer be provided. Users will be required to manually download and restore the latest IBM Installation Manager and WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack repositories to the IBM i IFS as part of the WebSphere Application Server fix pack installation process. If the client has IBM ID credentials and their IBM i server can access the "www.ibm.com" host, the WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack can be installed using a Live Repository URL instead of the manual download and restore process.

Steps to install the IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0 fix pack using the IBM Web Administration for i console

1) ***IMPORTANT*** Before updating your IBM WebSphere Application Server installation, it is HIGHLY recommended to export/backup your IBM Installation Manager and WebSphere Application Server installation data so that it can be restored if it gets corrupted during the fix pack installation process. Please refer to the IBM Software Technical Document:"How and When To Export/Backup Your IBM Installation Manager and WebSphere Application Server Installation Data on the IBM i?" for more information on this.

2) Download and install the latest level of the IBM i HTTP Group PTF for your IBM i OS VRM from IBM Support Fix Central.   IBM i OS VRM IBM i HTTP Group PTF 7.1 SF99368 7.2 SF99713 7.3 SF99722 7.4 SF99662

3) Update the IBM Installation Manager product to the latest available version using the instructions listed in either of the IBM Documents: How to install/update the IBM Installation Manager product on IBM i OS using the IBM Web Administration for i GUI IBM Software Technical Document:"How to Download and Install/Upgrade the IBM Installation Manager (IM) for the IBM i NOTE: IBM Installation Manager v1.8.5 or later is required for WebSphere Application Server v9.0 Fix Pack installations. Steps to check your Installation Manager version 1) STRQSH 2) /QIBM/ProdData/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/imcl -version

4) Download the WebSphere Application Server v9.0 fix pack from IBM Support Fix Central and restore it to the IBM i IFS using the instructions listed in the IBM Software Technical Document: "Process To Download and Restore IBM WebSphere Application Server Full Profile Fix Pack Repositories To the IBM i IFS". NOTE: If you have an IBM ID and password AND your IBM i server can successfully communicate with the "www.ibm.com" host, you can install the latest WebSphere Application Server v9.0 fix pack using the Live Repository URL, http://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere.<edition>.v90/repository.config, on Step 12 for the Fix Pack Location instead of downloading the WebSphere Application Server v9.0 fix pack manually. After specifying the URL in Step 12, you will need to checkmark the "Specify authentication to access the install location" box and then enter your IBM Passport Advantage user ID and password. where <edition> = WEBENAB, BASE, or ND

5) Open a 5250 Green Screen session to your IBM i Server and sign on using a user profile that has *ALLOBJ and *SECADM explicit special authorities.

6) Once the prerequisites listed above have been met and the IBM i HTTP Group PTF has been installed, end all IBM WebSphere Application Server processes for the installation version and edition being updated. This is most easily done by ending all of the application server JVM jobs and the subsystem for the installation version and edition of WebSphere Application Server you are updating. There are 2 primary methods for ending your WebSphere Application Server application servers. IBM Web Administration console (http://<server>:2001/HTTPAdmin) under Manage -> Application Servers. Then, select your application server from the drop-down list and click the red stop button, , to stop the application server. Executing the <appsvr_root>/bin/stopServer command to stop your application server profile(s). You can use the <appsvr_root>/bin/manageprofiles -listProfiles command to view the profiles created in your WebSphere Application Server installation. <appsvr_root> = /QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/AppServer/<version>/<edition> For example, if I am updating my WebSphere Application Server v9.0 Base installation; I would end all of the WebSphere Application Server v9.0 Base jobs in the QWAS9 subsystem first using the following Qshell command for each profile job currently active in the subsystem: /QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/AppServer/V9/Base/bin/stopServer <server> -profileName <profile> and then end the QWAS9 subsystem using the CL command: ENDSBS QWAS9 *IMMED.

6) Display the current value of QALWOBJRST and then change it to *ALL if needed. Execute the following CL command to display the current value of QALWOBJRST: DSPSYSVAL SYSVAL(QALWOBJRST) If the current value is NOT *ALL, record the current value (so that you remember what to change it back to) and then change the value to *ALL using the following CL command: CHGSYSVAL SYSVAL(QALWOBJRST) VALUE(*ALL)

7) Execute the STRHOSTSVR *ALL CL command to ensure all of the IBM i Host Servers are started.

8) Open a web browser and go to the URL, http://<server>:2001/HTTPAdmin, to display the IBM Web Administration for i console web application. If you are not prompted for a user ID and password, execute the following CL command to ensure the ADMIN server is started: STRTCPSVR *HTTP HTTPSVR(*ADMIN) If you continue to experience issues accessing the IBM Web Administration for i console, please open a Service Request (PMR) with IBM here or call 1-800-IBM-SERV.

9) When prompted, sign in with a user profile containing *SECADM and *ALLOBJ explicit special authorities.

10) Click Manage -> Installations on the main IBM Web Administration for i console page.

11) Select the radio button next to the IBM WebSphere Application Server installation you would like to update and click the "Update" button to start the IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack installation process.

12) Check the "Fix Pack" box, specify the IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack repository directory path or Live Repository URL for the fix pack version you want to install, and then click the "Next" button. NOTE: If you have an IBM ID and password AND you IBM i server can successfully communicate with the "www.ibm.com" host, you can install the latest WebSphere Application Server v9.0 fix pack using the Live Repository URL, http://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere..v90/repository.config, for the Fix Pack Location instead of downloading the WebSphere Application Server v9.0 fix pack manually. After specifying the URL, you will need to checkmark the "Specify authentication to access the install location" box and then enter your IBM ID and password. where <edition> = WEBENAB, BASE, or ND Manual Fix Pack Installation Process The fix pack installation repository directory path can be located by clicking on the "Browse" button next to the "Location:" field after clicking on the "Fix Pack" check box. Location: /WASFixpack NOTE: The /WASFixpack directory is used here as an example since this was the directory used in the IBM Software Technical Document: "Process To Download and Restore IBM WebSphere Application Server Full Profile Fix Pack Repositories To the IBM i IFS". Live Repository Fix Pack Installation Process NOTE: IBM ID credentials are required to access this installation repository. Example URL: http://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere.WEBENAB.v90/repository.config

13) After clicking on the "Next" button, you will be presented with a Fixes box similar to the one below once the fix pack installation repository has been validated for installation. Click OK to proceed. If you don't see the Fixes window above, please ensure you are not blocking pop-ups in your browser or through an installed toolbar. If the installation repository cannot be validated, an error message will be thrown at the bottom of the screen. If an error is received at the bottom of the screen and you are unable to resolve your issue, please open a Service Request (PMR) with IBM here or call 1-800-IBM-SERV.

14) Verify the Product Installation Path and Fix Pack version, then click the "Finish" button at the bottom of the screen to begin the fix pack installation process.

15) The fix pack installation process will now be begin. The "Manage Installations" screen will appear and designate the product install path being updated with a status of "Updating". A rotating circle will be displayed while the fix pack installation is in progress. You can click the "Refresh" button if you want to refresh the status of the update operation. NOTE: This process may take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the CPU and memory resources of the IBM i partition running the process. The IBM Web Admin console submits the fix pack installation process to several batch immediate (BCI) jobs in the QHTTPSVR subsystem. Because of this, the Internet web browser may be closed without affecting the IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack installation process. Here is an example of the jobs submitted in the QHTTPSVR subsystem by the IBM Web Admin console to complete the IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack installation. QJVAEXEC  <currentUser>    BCI      .0  PGM-system       EVTW QP0ZSPWT  <currentUser>    BCI      .0  PGM-imcl         THDW QP0ZSPWT  <currentUser>    BCI      .0  PGM-jFromPASE    EVTW QP0ZSPWT  <currentUser>    BCI     2.1  JVM-/QIBM/Prod   RUN

16) The status column for the product install path will change to "Available" and the version will be updated with the newly installed fix pack version if the fix pack installation process was successful. If an error is received at the bottom of the screen and you are unable to resolve your issue, please open a Service Request (PMR) with IBM here or call 1-800-IBM-SERV.

**17) Verify the IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack was installed successfully. The IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack installation process can be verified by executing the "historyInfo" command out of the IBM WebSphere Application Server appsvr_root/bin directory using a Qshell interpreter session. where appsvr_root is the "Product Install Path" value listed for the installation recently updated through the IBM Web Admin console. a) STRQSH b) cd appsvr_root/bin c) ./historyInfo The example below shows a successful update of the IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0 Base installation to 9.0.0.4. a) STRQSH b) cd /QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/AppServer/V9/Base/bin c) ./historyInfo d) Here is an example of the output you would see from the ./historyInfo command. Installation Event ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Install Manager Offering ID        com.ibm.websphere.WEBENAB.v90 Action                             update Version                            9.0.0.4 Package                            com.ibm.websphere.WEBENAB.v90_9.0.4.20170523_1327 Log File Name                      /QIBM/UserData/InstallationManager/logs/20171109_2040.xml Timestamp                          2017-11-09 20:41:00-0600 *********************************************************** Result                             success *********************************************************** Installed Features                 EJBDeploy tool for pre-EJB 3.0 modules                                    Embeddable EJB container                                    Stand-alone thin clients and resource adapters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- End History Report -----------------------------------------------------------------------------            $

18) Once the IBM WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack installation has been verified as successful, you are free to start your IBM WebSphere Application Server profiles back up using the following Qshell command. /QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/AppServer/<version>/<edition>/bin/startServer <server> -profileName <profile> In addition, you also may want to change your QALWOBJRST IBM i system value back to its original value using the following CL command: CHGSYSVAL SYSVAL(QALWOBJRST) VALUE(<previousValue>)

If for some reason you need to uninstall the current fix pack for an IBM WebSphere Application Server v9.0 installation, follow the steps outlined in the IBM Software Technical Document: How To Rollback/UnInstall a Fix Pack at IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) v8.0 and later.