1. What is WebSphere?
The moment you ask this question, the first question that comes to mind is the WebSphere application server. In reality, WebSphere is the name of a product family. IBM has many more products under the brand name WebSphere. WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere MQ, WebSphere Message broker, WebSphere business modeler, WebSphere Process Server, WebSphere business monitor, WebSphere integration developer, WebSphere partner gateway are some of the products under this brand name.
2. Whats is a profile in the WebSphere Application Server?
When you install the WebSphere application server, executable files and configurations files are separated. This allows you install the product once and create multiple sets of configurations which uses the same underlying core executables of the WebSphere application server installation. These are the profiles in the WebSphere application server. As you know, there are many types of profiles and you can create multiple profiles.
3. What does node agent do in Websphere Application Server?
We will have one node agent per one node. The node agent acts as a mediator between the Deployment manager and the node.
4. What is Sync in WebSphere Application Server?
WebSphere application server stores all the configuration data in one central location known as 'Master repository'. And every node/server will have the local configuration repository. The sync process makes sure that the configuration in both local and master repositories are same and in-sync. The sync is a one-dimensional process means, it will sync the configurations only from Master repository ==> local repository.
5. What is the WebSphere plug-in for the web server and where do i need to install the plug-in?
It is common practise to have web and app servers on different machines. WebSphere provides a plug-in which enables web server to talk to application server, this is known as web server plug-in. Web server plug-in will have a configuration file named plugin-config.xml which will have references to all the servers, clusters, applications, virtual hosts of the WebSphere application server. You can generate this configuration file from the administration console, servers -->web servers. Select a web server and click generate plugin configuration file and then propagate the plugin. This plug-in needs to be installed on the web server machine
6. I don't have WebSphere installed on my web server how do i add to the WebSphere administration console?
If you like to add your web server to that WebSphere administration console, you can do that by creating an unmanaged node and then adding from servers-->web servers
7. Do i need a web server if i have a websphere application server?
Web Server and WebSphere application server provide two different functionalities. WebSphere application server do has an inbuilt web server functionality but it is recomended to use a seperate web server for many reasons. Some of them are: 1. By seperating web and application server activities, your application serving environment is more secure. 2. Using the webserver you can loadbalance the requests between multiple application servers.
8. How do edit/modify the property/configuration files?
It is recomended to modify all the configurations using the administration console. When you need to make any configuration changes, you need do the apply changes and sync them. Any changes you do at local repository level are discarded upon the next restart of that server because the sync is always from DMGR to local repository and changes are not saved to master repository. For example, if you edit a configuration file of server1 and restart it... the changes are lost. When the server starts it syncs the configuration from master repository.
9. What happens if my DMGR is not running?
DMGR is the single point of failure in WebSphere network deployment model. Even if DMGR is down, rest of the server will contine to run and serve the applications. However, anychanges you make in this situation are not saved to master configuration repository.
10. I installed a new application, what do i need to do before i can access it from the web server URL?
When you install a new application or update an application, your web server need to be aware of the changes. Which means you need to update the web server plug-in configuration file. So after a successful installation of an application with mapping to web server, you need to regenerate the plug-in configuration file and propagate it to web server.
11. what is a connecting pool ?
a connection pool is a cache of database connections maintained so that the connections can be reused when future requests to the database are required. Connection pools are used to enhance the performance of executing commands on a database. In connection pooling, after a connection is created, it is placed in the pool and it is used over again so that a new connection does not have to be established. If all the connections are being used, a new connection is made and is added to the pool. Connection pooling also cuts down on the amount of time a user must wait to establish a connection to the database.
12. What is virtual host in websphere application server?
Virutal host is a configuration not a physical one. A configuration that lets a single machine resemble multiple host machines. Each virtual host has a logical name and a list of one or more DNS host aliases by which it is known. By deafult, we wull have a default_house and admin_host virtual hosts defined in websphere application server.
13. how do i connect my application to talk to a database?
To achive this , you need to create a JDBC provider and datasource. The JDBC provider object encapsulates the specific JDBC driver implementation class for access to the specific vendor database of your environment. The data source object supplies your application with connections for accessing the database. The best way to learn more about this task is, login to administration console -->guided activities --> connecting to a database.
14. How can i make sure that my servers are available while restarting a cluster?
Use the option ripplestart ... It first stops and then restarts each member of the cluster.
15. I've made some changes to my applicaiton's web.xml , how and where should i update this file?
You can do this from the administration console. Go to enterprise applications -->select your application and click update. on the next panel, you'll have option to update the entire application, a single module or even a single file or multiple files.
Select the single file option and specify the file's path you like to update . Specify a relative path to the file that starts from the root of the war/ear file. So it looks something like this : app1.war/WEB-INF/web.xml
16. How do i minimize the downtime while i'm updating the applications ?
Use rollout update option. This option sequentially updates an application on multiple cluster members across a cluster. After you update an application's files or configuration, click Rollout Update to install the application's updated files or configuration on all cluster members of a cluster on which the application is installed.
Rollout update will save the application configurations then stops the cluster members on a node then syncs the configuration and stat the clusters members on that node. Then it proceeds to the next node and does the same steps.
17. We are getting a 'class not found' and developers like to know, if that class is being loaded or not. how can i assist them troubleshoot the issue?
WebSphere administration console has an utility using which you can see what classes are loaded at what scope for an application. Go to Troubleshooting -->class loader viewer and select the module.
18. We have some issue with our application server and we tried killing it using kill-9 command, the process disappeared for few seconds but it is back again. We did not start the server but it started. What would be the reason?
Servers > Application Servers > server_name. Then, under Server Infrastructure, click Java and Process Management > Process Definition > process > Monitoring Policy. Here we have an option Automatic Restart, this Specifies whether the process should restart automatically if it fails. On distributed systems, the default is to restart the process automatically.
19. Is there a way i can start my server along with nodeagent ?
Servers > Application Servers > server_name. Then, under Server Infrastructure, click Java and Process Management > Process Definition > process > Monitoring Policy. Here we have an option Node Restart State which specifies the desired behavior of the servers after the node completely shuts down and restarts.
STOPPED - node agent does not start the server.
RUNNING - the node agent always starts the server.
PREVIOUS - the node agent starts the server only if the server was running when the node agent .
20. Are there any differences between Weblogic and Websphere?
Webpshere tends to focus more on integration, connectivity and web services. it has rich implementation of J2EE, better performance, more extensive integration and transaction management. In terms of trnsaction weblogic is having default transaction attribute as ’supports’, but websphere does not have any default transaction attribute.
21. How to choose websphere over other application servers?
Selecting application server is part of architechtural process when infrastructure is defined.
It depends on several facots:
1. External systems your application will be interacting
2. Type of application you have
3. Target availability of system.
4. Corporate standards
5. Budget.
22. What are deployment descriptors? How many types of Deployment descriptors are available? What are they?
Deployment descriptor is an XML file that describes how to deploy a module or application by specifying configuration and container options. For example, an EJB deployment descriptor passes information to an EJB container about how to manage and control an enterprise bean. There are two types of deployment descriptor in websphere: Web application deployment descriptor and portlet deployemnt descriptor Portlets are packaged as WAR files with a web application deployment descriptor (web.xml). This defines each portlet as a servlet within the web application, including unique identifiers for each portlet, the portlet class, and initialization parameters.
23. How many ways can you deploy applications in websphere?
1. Directly copy files to deployedapplication folder in websphere- hot deployment.
2. use websphere specific ant tasks and building automated scripts for deploying application.
3. through administration console.
24. What is the difference between web server and application server?
ApplicationServer: takes care of Security, Transaction, Multithreading, Resource pooling, load balancing, clustering, performence, highly availability, scalability, etc. Exposes business logic to client applications through various protocols, possibly including HTTP. Supports deployment of .war and .ear filesApplication server = webserver + EJB container.
Webserver: handles HTTP protocol. Receives HTTP request, it responds with an HTTP response.
25. How to import jaxp package in IBM WSAD?
1. open WSAD
2. go to project
3. click properties
4. select javaBuildPath
5. add any jar file like jaxp select add external jars.
26. How to implement JDBC-ODBC bridge driver (Type 1) in Websphere?
If you use JDBC type (I) driver you dont need to add any driver in websphere. you simply created DSN and use it locally, same we use java class, if you use Type(2) and Type(4) so first go to admin console then go to connection, then add driver there fill other info like conn. size, uname pass, max conn. and connect it to you applications.
27. Is there any difference between weblogic and websphere?
Webpshere tends to focus more on integration, connectivity and web services. it has rich implementation of J2EE, better performance, more extensive integration and transaction management. In terms of trnsaction weblogic is having default transaction attribute as ’supports’, but websphere does not have any default transaction attribute.
28. What are the different application servers and Web Servers supporting J2EE technologys?
JBoss Is an Application Server that supports J2EE
IBM Websphere and BEA WebLogic servers are a combination of Application Server, Web Server & container
Jakarta Tomcat is a Servlet container and a Web server.
Apache Sever is a Web server
29. What Development Environment(s) are available to develop applications for WebSphere?
IBM provides several industrial strength development environments based on Eclipse development framework the current IDE is Rational Developer for Websphere. Applications can also be developed with the Websphere Application Server Toolkit and third party tools like Jbuilder, and Eclipse/ANT etc.
30. What type of files are required to deploy an application into Websphere. How can they be installed?
WAR or EAR files.
Can be installed using Administration Console or scripts.
31. How would use ensure WebSphere server logs are created on a different drive than the installation root?
Change the WebSphere server's server variables using the Administrative Console or use scripts.
32. What is virtual host in websphere application server?
Virtual host is a configuration not a physical one. A configuration that lets a single machine resemble multiple host machines. Each virtual host has a logical name and a list of one or more DNS host aliases by which it is known. By default, we wull have a default_house and admin_host virtual hosts defined in websphere application server.
33. how do i connect my application to talk to a database?
To achive this , you need to create a JDBC provider and datasource. The JDBC provider object encapsulates the specific JDBC driver implementation class for access to the specific vendor database of your environment. The data source object supplies your application with connections for accessing the database. The best way to learn more about this task is login to administration console –> guided activities –> connecting to a database.
34. How can i make sure that my servers are available while restarting a cluster?
Use the option ripplestart … It first stops and then restarts each member of the cluster.
35. I’ve made some changes to my applicaiton’s web.xml , how and where should i update this file?
You can do this from the administration console. Go to enterprise applications –>select your application and click update. on the next panel, you’ll have option to update the entire application, a single module or even a single file or multiple files.
Select the single file option and specify the file’s path you like to update. Specify a relative path to the file that starts from the root of the war/ear file. So it looks something like this: app1.war/WEB-INF/web.xml
36. How do i minimize the downtime while i’m updating the applications?
Use rollout update option. This option sequentially updates an application on multiple cluster members across a cluster. After you update an application’s files or configuration, click Rollout Update to install the application’s updated files or configuration on all cluster members of a cluster on which the application is installed.
Rollout update will save the application configurations then stops the cluster members on a node then syncs the configuration and stat the clusters members on that node. Then it proceeds to the next node and does the same steps.
37. We are getting a ‘class not found’ and developers like to know, if that class is being loaded or not. how can i assist them troubleshoot the issue?
WebSphere administration console has a utility using which you can see what classes are loaded at what scope for an application. Go to Troubleshooting –>class loader viewer and select the module.
38. We have some issue with our application server and we tried killing it using kill-9 command, the process disappeared for few seconds but it is back again. We did not start the server but it started. What would be the reason?
Servers > Application Servers > server_name. Then, under Server Infrastructure, click Java and Process Management > Process Definition > process > Monitoring Policy. Here we have an option Automatic Restart, this Specifies whether the process should restart automatically if it fails. On distributed systems, the default is to restart the process automatically.
39. Is there a way i can start my server along with nodeagent ?
Servers > Application Servers > server_name. Then, under Server Infrastructure, click Java and Process Management > Process Definition > process > Monitoring Policy. Here we have an option Node Restart State which specifies the desired behavior of the servers after the node completely shuts down and restarts.
STOPPED – node agent does not start the server.
RUNNING – the node agent always starts the server.
PREVIOUS – the node agent starts the server only if the server was running when the node agent stopped.
40. What is a profile in websphere Application Server?
When you install WebSphere application server, executable files and configurations files are separated. This allows you install the product once and create multiple sets of configurations which use the same underlying core executables of the websphere application server installation. These are the profiles in websphere application server. As you know, there are many types of profiles and you can create multiple profiles.
41. Do i need a web server if i have a websphere application server?
Web Server and WebSphere application server provide two different functionalities. WebSphere application server do has an inbuilt web server functionality but it is recommended to use a separate web server for many reasons. Some of them are: 1. By seperating web and application server activities, your application serving environment is more secure. 2. Using the webserver you can load balance the requests between multiple application servers.
42. How do edit/modify the property/configuration files?
It is recommended to modify all the configurations using the administration console. When you need to make any configuration changes, you need do the apply changes and sync them. Any changes you do at local repository level are discarded upon the next restart of that server because the sync is always from DMGR to local repository and changes are not saved to master repository. For example, if you edit a configuration file of server1 and restart it… the changes are lost. When the server starts it syncs the configuration from master repository.
