bea weblogic. installing the application...

Proven Practice

Application Servers - BEA WebLogic. Installing the

Application Server

Product(s): IBM Cognos 8.4, BEA WebLogic Server

Area of Interest: Infrastructure

DOC ID: AS01 Version 8.4.0.0

Application Servers - BEA WebLogic. Installing the Application Server

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Application Servers - BEA WebLogic. Installing the Application Server

TABLE OF CONTENT 1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................1

1.1 Purpose.........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Scope............................................................................................................................................1 1.3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations ..................................................................................1 1.4 Assumptions.................................................................................................................................3

2 Base Product Installation......................................................................................................................4 2.1 WebLogic 8.1.x ............................................................................................................................4

2.1.1 Steps to Install WebLogic........................................................................................................4 2.1.2 Domain Configuration Wizard ................................................................................................8 2.1.3 Additional Steps for HPUX/Itanium .....................................................................................17

2.2 WebLogic 9.0.0 ..........................................................................................................................18 2.2.1 Steps to Install WebLogic......................................................................................................18 2.2.2 Domain Configuration Wizard ..............................................................................................23 2.2.3 Additional Steps for HPUX/Itanium .....................................................................................33

2.3 Adding Server Instances in the Administration Console............................................................33 3 Product Update Installation ...............................................................................................................36

3.1 Service Pack Upgrade Installers.................................................................................................36 4 Starting and Stopping WebLogic Server...........................................................................................40

4.1 Starting the Server......................................................................................................................40 4.1.1 Start the Administration Server .............................................................................................40 4.1.2 Start the Managed Server ......................................................................................................40

4.1.2.1 Start the Managed Server Using a Script ..........................................................................40 4.1.2.2 Configure Managed Server to Start via Node Manager....................................................41 4.1.2.3 Start the Managed Server Using the Administration Console ..........................................44

4.2 Stopping the Server ....................................................................................................................45 5 Advanced Topics..................................................................................................................................47

5.1 Clustering ...................................................................................................................................47 5.2 Web Server plug-ins...................................................................................................................47

6 Application Server References / Resources.......................................................................................48 6.1 Troubleshooting (Application Server Logs)...............................................................................48 6.2 Web Sites ...................................................................................................................................48 6.3 Documentation ...........................................................................................................................48

BEA WebLogic. Installing the Application Server 1

1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose This document is for those who have limited experience with WebLogic and who wish to set up a WebLogic Server environment. The document consists of detailed instructions that explain the steps required. The goal is to set up a basic environment for testing purposes and not necessarily a high performance production environment.

1.2 Scope The instructions in this document will work cross platform however the examples shown will be based on a Windows install. UNIX installations require slight modifications to syntax but should otherwise be identical. For example, regarding the syntax for variables, use ${VARIABLE} for UNIX and %VARIABLE% for Windows. Consult your UNIX documentation for more information regarding commands, syntax and scripting. For the purposes of this example, we will document the installation and setup of an Administration Server and a Managed Server. WebLogic is designed so that only one WebLogic Server instance in a domain can run the Administration Service. This server is called the Administration Server. All other servers in the domain are managed by the Administration Server and obtain their runtime configuration from it. These servers are called Managed Servers. IBM Cognos 8 is an application that will be deployed to a Managed Server. The Administration Server is the single point of control for the entire domain, and it must be running for you to make changes to the configuration of any of the Managed Servers running beneath it. This document will take you through the steps to install WebLogic Server and setup a domain, with an Administration Server and Managed Server configuration for IBM Cognos 8.

1.3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations

Term Definition JVM Java Virtual Machine

A software "execution engine" that safely and compatibly executes the byte codes in Java class files on a microprocessor (whether in a computer or in another electronic device). The JVM is responsible for the hardware and operating system independence of the J2SE platform, the small size of compiled code (bytecodes), and platform security.

J2SE Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition There are two principal products in the J2SE platform family: J2SE Runtime Environment (JRE) and J2SE Development Kit (JDK).

JRE Java Runtime Environment The JRE provides the Java APIs, Java virtual machine, and other components necessary to run applets and applications written in the Java programming language. It is also the foundation for the technologies in the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) for


enterprise software development and deployment. The JRE does not contain tools and utilities such as compilers or debuggers for developing applets and applications

JDK Java Development Kit The JDK is a superset of the JRE, and contains everything that is in the JRE, plus tools such as the compilers and debuggers necessary for developing applets and applications.

J2EE Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition Combines a number of technologies in one architecture with a comprehensive Application Programming Model and Compatibility Test Suite for building enterprise-class server-side applications. The Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) defines the standard for developing multitier enterprise applications. The J2EE platform simplifies enterprise applications by basing them on standardized, modular components, by providing a complete set of services to those components, and by handling many details of application behavior automatically, without complex programming.

WL BEA WebLogic Server WL_HOME Path to the directory where WebLogic Server is installed

(example C:\bea) WLS BEA WebLogic Server WebLogic Domain A domain is a collection of resources, such as servers, clusters,

database connections, security services, and J2EE applications, that you manage as a unit. A domain must contain at least a definition for an Administration Server and an administrative user. You can define additional resources as part of the domain-creation process or at any time after creating the domain.

Administration Server The Administration Server is the WebLogic Server used to configure and manage all the WebLogic Servers in its domain. A domain may include multiple WebLogic Server clusters and independent WebLogic Server instances. If a domain contains only one WebLogic Server, then that server is the Administration Server. In a domain with multiple instances of WebLogic Server, the first instance to start must be the Administration Server. For a typical production system, BEA recommends that you deploy your applications only on Managed Servers. This practice allows you to dedicate the Administration Server to configuration and monitoring of the domain, while one or more Managed Servers service your applications.

Managed Server The Managed Server is a WebLogic Server instance that retrieves its configuration data from the domain’s Administration Server. There can be many Managed Servers in a domain, but only one Administration Server. Usually, you create and start server instances as Managed Servers to run your business applications in a production environment. In this standard scenario, the server instance that you start as the Administration Server does not run business applications. Instead, it only manages resources in the domain.

Administration Console The WebLogic Server Administration Console runs in a Web browser. It displays the components of the domain it administers, including clusters and independent WebLogic Servers, in a graphical tree in the left pane. The right pane displays details about the object selected in the left pane.


Node Manager Node Manager is a Java utility that runs as separate process from WebLogic Server and allows you to perform common operations tasks for a Managed Server, regardless of its location with respect to its Administration Server. Use of Node Manager is optional.

1.4 Assumptions

Before continuing, make sure the following prerequisites have been met.

• That you have the necessary licenses and files (appropriate for your environment) to perform the

installation and any applicable updates.

• That you have the necessary access rights to perform the installation. It is best if the user used to install WebLogic Server is the same user used to setup and run IBM Cognos 8. Root access is not a requirement for the installation on UNIX. On Windows, the user should be a member of the Administrators group.

• That you have the necessary system resources to perform the installation. There is considerably

more memory, hard disk space and CPU power required to run any full Application Server than running Tomcat. The minimal requirements for WebLogic should be compared to available resources. Running with less than 768MB of RAM for the Max Heap Memory is not suggested (although it may be possible for testing purposes only), 1GB should be considered a minimum to ensure performance and reliability.

For WebLogic 8.1.x and 9.0.0, you should allot 1 GB of disk space for the application server installation. More space will be required for added Managed Servers and application files, logging and additional domains.

• The JVM used is the one shipped with WebLogic or one that is supported by WebLogic and

Cognos 8. If you are using version 8.1.x, then you can use the JVM shipped with WebLogic or an existing JDK 1.4.2 on the system. If you are using version 9.x.x, then you can use the JVM shipped with WebLogic or an existing JDK 1.5.0 on the system. It is recommended that you use the JDK shipped with WebLogic, though. The WebLogic Server install for AIX and HP/Itanium does not provide a JVM. You must install this before installing WebLogic. Note: IBM Cognos 8 does not currently support JRockit.

• That you have the customer documentation available as a resource. You should have both the

IBM Cognos 8 documentation as well as the BEA WebLogic documentation.

• That you are familiar with the operating system (OS) with which you are using. This document assumes you are familiar with the OS. This includes user commands at the command line, syntax and scripting.

• That you are familiar with IBM Cognos 8. You should already know how to setup and run the

product using Tomcat.


2 Base Product Installation

The WebLogic Server install comes in the form of one file for all versions. The file type varies depending on the platform. The manner in which the install is invoked also varies. Refer to the table below for guidance.

Platform File Type Start Command

AIX JAR $JAVA_HOME/bin/java –jar filename

HPUX BIN ./filename

Linux/Intel BIN ./filename

Solaris BIN ./filename

Windows EXE Double-click the executable

2.1 WebLogic 8.1.x

Before installing WebLogic Server, you should make sure the prerequisites listed in section 1 have been met.

2.1.1 Steps to Install WebLogic

Note that most (if not all) versions of WebLogic are provided as a Base version or as a Base version that has the service pack applied.

In an environment that already has WebLogic installed and running, you may skip to the WebLogic Domain Configuration Wizard step found later in this document.

1. Select and run the appropriate setup program for your environment and the version you wish to install.

2. Select “Next” to proceed past the Welcome screen.


3. Read and accept (if appropriate) the BEA License Agreement.

4. Enter or browse to a directory, which will become the BEA root directory into which WebLogic will be installed. Multiple versions may be installed into the same path. Subdirectories will be selected at a later step.


If BEA products have been previously installed, the installer will default to that directory. This is typically used if you are adding additional components that were not previously installed during a custom installation.

Click Next.

5. Choose your install type. Choosing a custom install will allow you to individually select or unselect the components that will be installed. To save on space and other system resources, this is the preferred option since you can unselect the sample applications.

6. Unselect the Server Examples from the listed components, if you do not want them installed.


7. Accept the default Product Directory (unless you need to change it for a specific reason) which will be located under the BEA root directory. This will become the main WebLogic location into which all the subdirectories will be created and populated. Click Next.

At this point the WebLogic software will be installed. This process will take approximately 5-15 minutes depending on available system resources.


8. Once the installation completes, a dialog will be displayed confirming that it has been successfully installed. Click “Done” to exit the program. If you leave the Install XML Spy and Run Quickstart checkboxes checked, these will be initiated.

The XML Spy install is not documented, here. Please refer to your BEA WebLogic Documentation. Uncheck the Install XML Spy checkbox if you do want to install it. Click Done.

2.1.2 Domain Configuration Wizard

Once the installation has completed, you may run the domain configuration wizard by checking the Run Quickstart checkbox in the UI and then selecting “Create a new domain configuration, or extend an existing one”. You may choose to do this at a later time. On Windows, you can also start it from the Program menu. On UNIX, you can start it from $WL_HOME/weblogic81/common/bin by running config.sh.


It is also important to note that should you have an existing WebLogic environment, it is possible to start at this step and create a WLS Domain that will be used by IBM Cognos 8. In this case, start the Domain Configuration Wizard using an appropriate method for your environment. For Windows, this typically means selecting the Domain Configuration Wizard from the Start menu.

1. When the QuickStart dialog opens, click on the Create a new domain configuration, or extend an existing one link.

2. When the Domain Configuration Wizard is displayed, select the Create a new WebLogic configuration option and click Next.

3. Create a WebLogic Server (WLS) domain by highlighting the Basic WebLogic Server Domain option on the left-hand pane and click Next.


You can click on the browse button to locate additional templates.

4. Select a Custom configuration and click Next.

5. Configure the Administration Server. You can modify the name and port number. Make sure the port number is not already in use by another application. Unless you have a specific requirement, you should not modify the Listen address value. The default is All Local Addresses. Click Next to continue.


6. You will be prompted with configuration options regarding managed servers, clusters and machine options.

A domain can comprise of one server instance or several server instances. Before creating the domain, you should consider the number of Managed Servers that will be required. For example, you are creating a domain specifically for IBM Cognos 8. You have a single server install and you plan to deploy IBM Cognos 8 to one Managed Server instance. You do not want to install a web server and you wish to use the Servlet Gateway, which will be deployed to a separate Managed Server instance. You choose to create a domain with an Administration Server and two Managed Server instances – one for the IBM Cognos 8 application and one for the IBM Cognos 8 Servlet Gateway.

Select Yes and click Next.


7. To set up a Managed Server click the “Add” button. Provide the Server Name and port that will be used by the Managed Server. The server name and port number can be one of your choosing. Be sure to make note of the port number, as it will be entered into IBM Cognos Configuration for the Dispatcher URI’s and Content Manager URI’s.

Note: Unless you have a specific requirement, leave the Listen Address set to All Local Addresses so that any requests hitting the specified port will be processed. Select ports that are not in use by any other application including the WebLogic Administration Server (its default is 7001). That is, make sure the Managed Server port is not the same as the Administration Server port. They must be unique.

The following screen capture shows a domain with on Managed Server instance.

The following example demonstrates a domain that will use three Managed Server instances, one for each IBM Cognos 8 component.

8. Once the Managed Server(s) has been configured, select Next to continue.

9. Do not configure a cluster. Select Next to continue.


9. Do not configure machine options. Click Next to continue.

10. Do not configure Database options. Click Next to continue.


11. Do not configure Messaging options. Click Next to continue.

12. You will be prompted to create an administrative user account and password. The password must be a minimum of 8 characters in length. Make note of this information. You will need this to login to the Administration Console. Click Next to continue.


13. On a Windows system, you may automatically add additional menu entries on the Start menu. For the purposes of this example, they are not required. Select the radio button that indicates you do not with them to be added to the menu. Also, do not install the Administration Server as a Windows service. Click Next to continue.

14. You will be prompted to select the JVM. Select the Sun JVM. Do not select JRockit. The WebLogic JRockit JVM is a JVM modified by BEA and optimized for Intel architectures for running WebLogic software. Currently, JRockit is not supported by IBM Cognos 8. Note: The WebLogic Server install for AIX does not provide a JVM. You must install this before installing WebLogic. You will also be prompted for the startup mode. For now, select Development Mode. Click Next.


15. A summary of the configuration will be displayed. Enter a name for the domain name. You also have the option to change the default location for the startup scripts. Unless you have a specific need to use a specific directory, use the default location. Click Create to continue.


16. The final dialog shows the progress and status of the domain creation.

The WebLogic Domain has been added to the configuration. Should you wish to create other domains you may do so now or at a later time. Exit from the configuration wizard.

2.1.3 Additional Steps for HPUX/Itanium

BEA does not provide a JDK with the installs on this platform. You must ensure JDK 1.4.2_xx is installed before proceeding.

For supported releases installed on HPUX/Itanium, extra steps must be completed before starting WebLogic Server. WebLogic will not function properly without these changes.

1. In the startWLS.sh and commEnv.sh shell scripts, modify the SHLIB_PATH environment variable so it points to the IPF32 directory under lib/hpux11. Specifically, replace all occurrences of ${WL_HOME}/server/lib/hpux11 with ${WL_HOME}/server/lib/hpux11/IPF32. The scripts can be found in the following locations.

• ${WL_HOME}/server/bin/startWLS.sh.

• ${WL_HOME}/common/bin/commEnv.sh

2. In the startWLS.sh shell script, modify the PATH environment variable so it points to the IPF32 directory under lib/hpux11. Specifically, replace all occurrences of ${WL_HOME}/server/lib/hpux11 with ${WL_HOME}/server/lib/hpux11/IPF32 in the definition of the PATH variable.

3. Set the correct execution modes on the contents of the weblogic81/server/bin and weblogic81/server/lib directories:

$ chmod +x $WL_HOME/server/bin/* $ chmod -R +x $WL_HOME/server/lib/hpux11/*

Once these steps have been completed, WebLogic Server will function properly.


2.2 WebLogic 9.0.0

Before installing WebLogic Server, you should make sure the prerequisites listed in section 1 have been met.

2.2.1 Steps to Install WebLogic

In an environment that already has WebLogic installed and running, you may skip to the WebLogic Domain Configuration Wizard step found later in this document.

1. Select and run the appropriate setup program for your environment and the version you wish to install.

2. Select “Next” to proceed past the Welcome screen.

3. Read and accept (if appropriate) the BEA License Agreement.


4. Enter or browse to a directory, which will become the BEA home directory into which WebLogic will be installed. Multiple versions may be installed into the same path. Subdirectories will be selected at a later step.

If BEA products have been previously installed, the installer will default to that directory. This is typically used if you are adding additional components that were not previously installed during a custom installation.

Click Next.

5. Choose your install type. Choosing a custom install will allow you to individually select or unselect the components that will be installed. To save on space and other system resources, this is the preferred option since you can unselect the sample applications.


6. If you do not want to install the samples, deselect the Server Examples from the listed components. Also, you have the option to select Web Server Plug-ins, if you wish. Click Next.


7. Accept the default Product Directory (unless you need to change it for a specific reason) which will be located under the BEA home directory. This will be the location into which the WebLogic software will be installed. Click Next.

8. For Windows only, you will be prompted to install Node Manager. Node Manager enables administrators to start and stop Managed Server instances via the Administration Console. It will be installed as a Service on Windows. On UNIX, it is installed automatically and can be configured as a daemon after the install completes, or simply started manually. Select Yes. Click Next.


9. For Windows only, the installer will be prompted to select the Shortcut Location. Click Next.

10. The next dialog prompts the installer to install JRockit. JRockit is a JVM that has been modified by BEA to enhance the performance of BEA software. It is proprietary to BEA. IBM Cognos 8 currently does not support JRockit. Only standard Java kits conforming to the J2SE specifications are supported. If you do not need JRockit for other applications, select No and click Next.


At this point the WebLogic software will be installed. This process will take approximately 5-15 minutes depending on available system resources.

11. Once the installation completes, a dialog will be displayed confirming that it has been successfully installed. Click “Done” to exit the program. If you leave the Run Quickstart checkbox checked, the QuickStart menu will be initiated. Click Done.

2.2.2 Domain Configuration Wizard

Once the installation has completed, you need to run the domain configuration wizard to create a new domain for IBM Cognos 8. On Windows, you can start it from the Program menu under BEA Products, Tools, Configuration Wizard. On UNIX, you can start it from $WL_HOME/weblogic90/common/bin or $WL_HOME/weblogic91/common/bin by running config.sh.


It is also important to note that should you have an existing WebLogic environment, it is possible to start at this step and create a WLS Domain that will be used by IBM Cognos 8. In this case, start the Domain Configuration Wizard using an appropriate method for your environment.

1. When the Domain Configuration Wizard is displayed, select the Create a new WebLogic domain option.

2. The next dialog prompts the installer for the template to use when creating the WebLogic domain. Unless you have a specific need, you can accept the default.

Otherwise, you can select the second option and click on the browse button to locate additional templates.


3. You will be prompted to create an administrative user account and password. The password must be a minimum of 8 characters in length. Make note of this information. You will need this to login to the Administration Console.

4. You will be prompted to select the JVM. Select the Sun JVM. Do not select JRockit. The BEA JRockit JVM is a JVM modified by BEA and optimized for Intel architectures for running BEA software. Currently, JRockit is not supported by IBM Cognos 8. Note: The WebLogic Server install for AIX does not provide a JVM. You must install this before installing WebLogic. You will also be prompted for the startup mode. For now, you can select Development Mode.


5. You will be prompted with configuration options regarding managed servers, clusters and machine options.

A domain can comprise of one server instance or several server instances. Before creating the domain, you should consider the number of Managed Servers that will be required. For example, you are creating a domain specifically for IBM Cognos 8. You have a single server install and you plan to deploy IBM Cognos 8 to one Managed Server instance. You do not want to install a web server and you wish to use the Servlet Gateway, which will be deployed to a separate Managed Server instance. You choose to create a domain with an Administration Server and two Managed Server instances – one for the IBM Cognos 8 application and one for the IBM Cognos 8 Servlet Gateway.

Select Yes and click Next.


6. Configure the Administration Server. You can modify the name and port number. Make sure the port number is not already in use by another application. Unless you have a specific requirement, you should not modify the Listen address value. The default is All Local Addresses.

7. To set up a Managed Server click the “Add” button. Provide the Server Name and Port that will be used by the Managed Server. The server name and port number can be one of your choosing. Be sure to make note of the port number, as it will be entered into Cognos Configuration for the Dispatcher URI’s and Content Manager URI’s.

Note: Unless you have a specific requirement, leave the Listen Address set to All Local Addresses so that any requests hitting the specified port will be processed. Select ports that are not in use by any other application including the WebLogic Administration Server (its default is 7001). That is, make sure the Managed Server port is not the same as the Administration Server port. They must be unique.

The following screen capture shows a domain with one Managed Server instance.


The following example demonstrates a domain that will use three Managed Server instances, one for each IBM Cognos 8 component. Notice that the port numbers are unique.

8. Do not configure a cluster.

9. Do not configure machine options, unless you have already installed and configured Node Manager. Machines can be configured later in the Administration Console.


If you wish to configure a Machine, click the Add button and add a Machine resource. Specify a name, the Node Manager host and the Node Manager port number. The default port is 5556. There is one Node Manager per Machine. The following example shows the configuration of the localhost.

10. If a Machine resource was created, the installer will be prompted to assign Managed Server instances to the Machine resource. If you did not specify a Machine resource, go to the next step. To assign Managed Servers to the Machine resource, highlight the Managed Server in the left pane and click on the Add arrow button, as indicated below.


The following example shows a Machine resource with three Managed Servers assigned to it. The Administrator will be able to start and stop these Managed Servers via the Administration Console. Note: The Administration Server cannot be started via the Administration Console. The Administration Server must be running in order to access the Administration Console.


11. A summary of the configuration will be displayed.

12. Enter a name for the domain name. You also have the option to change the default location for the domain. Unless you need to use a specific directory, use the default location.


The final dialog shows the progress and status of the domain creation.

The WebLogic Domain has been added to the configuration. Click Done to exit the configuration wizard.


2.2.3 Additional Steps for HPUX/Itanium

BEA does not provide a JDK with the installs on this platform. You must ensure JDK 1.5.0_xx is installed before proceeding.

For supported releases installed on HPUX/Itanium, extra steps must be completed before starting WebLogic Server. WebLogic will not function properly without these changes.

1. In the startWLS.sh shell script, modify the SHLIB_PATH environment variable so it points to the IPF32 directory under server/native/hpux11. Specifically, replace all occurrences of ${WL_HOME}/server/lib/hpux11 with ${WL_HOME}/server/native/hpux11/IPF32. The script can be found in ${WL_HOME}/server/bin/startWLS.sh.

2. In the startWLS.sh shell script, modify the PATH environment variable so it points to the IPF32 directory under native/hpux11. Specifically, replace all occurrences of ${WL_HOME}/server/lib/hpux11 with ${WL_HOME}/server/native/hpux11/IPF32 in the definition of the PATH variable.

3. In the commEnv.sh shell script, modify the SHLIB_PATH environment variable so it points to the IPF32 directory under lib/hpux11. Specifically, replace all occurrences of ${WL_HOME}/server/native/hpux11/PA-RISC with ${WL_HOME}/server/native/hpux11/IPF32. The script can be found in ${WL_HOME}/common/bin/commEnv.sh.

4. Set the correct execution modes on the contents of the weblogic90/server/bin and weblogic90/server/lib directories:

$ chmod +x $WL_HOME/server/bin/* $ chmod -R +x $WL_HOME/server/native/hpux11/* $ chmod -R +x $WL_HOME/server/lib/*

2.3 Adding Server Instances in the Administration Console

If your domain has already been created, you can add additional Managed Server instances. If you need to add another Managed Server instance to your domain, you can create it via the Administration Console. You do not need to create a new domain.

1. Open the Administration Console and login. Navigate to <domain_name> -> Servers. Click on the Configure a new Server… link.


2. Replace MyServer with a unique name for the Managed Server identifier.

Unless you have a specific requirement, leave the Listen Address blank.

Replace 7001 with a Listen port. Use a port number that is not in use by any other application on the machine.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Create button.


You will see the new Managed Server added to the domain configuration in the Administration Console. For example, a new Managed Server called ‘gateway’ with the port number of 7080 was created. Its status is listed as ‘unknown’, since it has not yet been activated in the domain.

Once a Managed Server has been activated, its status will be ‘running’, if it is running, or ‘shutdown’, if it has been stopped. You can see in the figure above that the adminserver is active and running. The crn managed server is currently shutdown, because it has been stopped. The new managed server has a status of unknown, since it has not yet been activated.

3. If you intend to use the script method of starting and stopping server instances, you will need to create a new startup script for the newly created Managed Server. Follow the steps in the “Steps to Modify the WebLogic x.x.x Environment” section in ASCG11 to create a script for the new Managed Server instance and modify a copy of an existing startManagedWeblogic script.

If you intend to use the Node Manager to start and stop server instances via the Administration Console, you will need to modify the Remote Start options to set the environment settings required for running the Managed Server. This is described later in this document.


3 Product Update Installation

If you have an existing WebLogic Server installation and would prefer to upgrade it instead of installing a new setup, then you would use the Service Pack Upgrade Installer for the specific Service Pack you wish to upgrade to. You should consult the Service Pack Release Notes for information regarding changes and any functionality that has been deprecated.

Once the upgrade completes, you will need to update the startup scripts and your JAVA_HOME environment variable to use the new JVM installed by the upgrade. Here are links to some useful information regarding modifying your startup scripts and WebLogic upgrade in general.

WebLogic Server 8.1 Upgrade Guide: http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs81/upgrade/index.html

Modifying Start Scripts: http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs81/upgrade/upgrade70to81.html#1080031

Upgrading WebLogic Server 8.1 Service Pack 2 to Version 8.1 Service Pack 3: http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs81/upgrade/upgrade_sp2_sp3.html#1060150

Note: WebLogic Server 8.1.3 and above is supported for Cognos 8. If you are running version 8.1.2, you will have to update your install.

Before running the upgrade, you may wish to backup your domain directory and any keystores that you may be using for security.

3.1 Service Pack Upgrade Installers

The upgrade installer for version 8.1.x is similar to the installer for version 7.0.x. In our example, we will install the update for Windows 7.0.5 version.

1. Select and run the appropriate setup program for your environment.

Important: If you are running several WebLogic Server installations for IBM Cognos 8, you must run the Service Pack Upgrade Installer on each installation.

The installer will load.

http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs81/upgrade/index.html

http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs81/upgrade/upgrade70to81.html#1080031

http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs81/upgrade/upgrade_sp2_sp3.html#1060150


Since this is an update of an existing installation, there is no license agreement dialog. You have already agreed to the original license agreement and it is carried forward with the upgrade.

2. Select the BEA home directory for the WebLogic Server install you wish to update. In the version 8.1.x upgrade installers, you have the option to type in the location. It is best to select it from the list of existing BEA home locations. If you have more than one version installed, make sure you select the correct installation to upgrade. Once the installation has been upgraded, it cannot be rolled back.


3. You will be prompted to confirm the directory where you wish to install the update. This is your last opportunity to make changes before the upgrade occurs.

4. At this point the WebLogic software update will start installing.

5. Upon completion of the installation, a final message will be displayed indicating that the installation process has completed.


At this point, you will need to update the startup scripts and your JAVA_HOME environment variable to use the new JVM installed by the upgrade.

Note: You cannot apply the Service Pack Upgrade Installer form an older version and/or service pack to a newer version and/or service pack. For example, if you try to apply the WebLogic Server 7.0.4 Service Pack Upgrade Installer to a WebLogic Server 7.0.6 installation, you will get the following error.


4 Starting and Stopping WebLogic Server

The WebLogic startup scripts are located in a directory that represents the domain you created. You can have more than one domain per installation. There are two ways to start Managed Servers – using a startup script or using the Administration Console.

4.1 Starting the Server

The startup scripts can be found in the following location.

%WL_HOME%\user_projects\<domain_name>

For example, if my %WL_HOME% is D:\bea and I created a domain called cognos8, then my startup scripts would be found in D:\bea\user_projects\domains\cognos8.

4.1.1 Start the Administration Server

Start the Administration Server by running startWebLogic.cmd (Windows) or startWebLogic.sh (UNIX). If you did not use the default settings to create the domain for Cognos 8, you must run the start scripts from the location you specified.

Run startWebLogic.cmd to start the Administration Server.

When the Administration Server is started the following will be displayed in the command window.

4.1.2 Start the Managed Server

There are two ways to start Managed Servers – using a startup script or using the Administration Console.

4.1.2.1 Start the Managed Server Using a Script

For an Administration Server and Managed Server setup, you must always start the Administration Server first (startWebLogic.cmd). Then start the Managed Server (startManagedWebLogic.cmd). The Managed Server gets it configuration information from the Administration Server.


Run startManagedWebLogic.cmd (Windows) or startManagedWebLogic.sh (UNIX) to start the Managed Server.

When the Managed Server is started the following will be displayed in the command window.

Note: this may take 5 to 10 minutes.

4.1.2.2 Configure Managed Server to Start via Node Manager

Node Manager must be installed and running in order to start a server instance via the AdministConsole.

• In WebLogic Server 8.1.x, the

ration

Administration Server must be running in order to start the on

anager.

ged Servers.

1. In the Administration Console, navigate to <Domain_name>\Servers\<Managed_Server_name> and Under Configuration, select the Remote Start tab.

Administrative Service and to access the Administration Console. You cannot start the AdministratiServer using Node M

• In WebLogic Server 9.0.0 and 9.1.0, you can use Node Manager to start Administration Severs and Mana

The following steps demonstrate the WebLogic Server 8.1 user interface. The steps are similar for all versions.


2. Enter the path to WebLogic’s JDK in the Java Home box.

3. This step is optional. Enter the path to the BEA root directory in the BEA Home box. For example, if WebLogic 8.1.3 was installed in D:\bea\8.1.3, this would be the value in the BEA Home box.

4. Enter the Java startup parameters in the Arguments box. These parameters would include memory settings, JVM server setting and the org.xml.sax.driver setting. For example,

-Xms768m -Xmx768m –XX:MaxPermSize=128m -server -Dorg.xml.sax.driver=org.apache.xerces.parsers.SAXParser

5. You can change the Username and Password values if you wish to use a different WebLogic user to start the Managed Server. The Username is referring to users specified in WebLogic Server and not the OS. Apply the changes.


4.1.2.3 Start the Managed Server Using the Administration Console

Node Manager must be installed and running in order to start a Managed Server via the Administration Console. Also, the Administration Server must be running in order to start the Administrative Service and to access the Administration Console.

You cannot start the Administration Server using Node Manager.

1. Access the Administration Console and login.

2. Navigate to <Domain_name>\Servers\<Managed_Server> and click on the Control tab.

You will be prompted to confirm that you want to start the server. Click Yes to confirm. Once this action has been started, you cannot cancel it.

Wait for the action to complete. You will see an icon in the upper right corner, indicating that the action is in progress.


Once the action has been completed, you will see the page refresh, and the icon will no longer appear. Also, the shutdown links will be enabled and the status of the task at the bottom of the page will be “Task completed”.

4.2 Stopping the Server

To stop the servers, you can right click the server name and select “Start/Stop this server …” in the Administration console. Or, navigate to <Domain_name>\Servers\<Managed_Server> and select the Control tab. You can shut the server down gracefully by selecting Shutdown this server or force immediate shutdown by selecting Force shutdown of this server.


You will be prompted to confirm that you want to shutdown the server. Click on Yes to continue with the shutdown. Once this action has been started, you cannot cancel it.


5 Advanced Topics

5.1 Clustering

A WebLogic Server cluster consists of multiple WebLogic Server server instances running simultaneously and working together to provide increased scalability and reliability. A cluster appears to clients to be a single WebLogic Server instance. The server instances that constitute a cluster can run on the same machine, or be located on different machines.

Currently, WebLogic clustering is not officially supported in Cognos 8.

5.2 Web Server plug-ins

WebLogic Server plug-ins are modules that you add to your third-party Web server installation and configure to enable interactions between WebLogic Server and applications running on Apache HTTP Server, Netscape Enterprise Server, or Microsoft Internet Information Server.

With the exception of WebLogic Server 9.0, WebLogic plug-ins are installed along with the WebLogic Server software. For version 9.0, plug-ins are an install option in the custom install which you must check in order to install them.


6 Application Server References / Resources

6.1 Troubleshooting (Application Server Logs)

Log files for Managed Servers can be found in the domain directory structure under user_projects. The log files are named after the Managed Server instance.

• WebLogic 8.1.x: %WL_HOME%\user_projects\domains\<domain_name>\<managed_server_name>

• WebLogic 9.x: %WL_HOME%\user_projects\domains\<domain_name>\servers\<managed_server_name>\logs

6.2 Web Sites

BEA’s main website: http://www.bea.com

Main page for WebLogic Server: http://www.bea.com/framework.jsp?CNT=index.htm&FP=/content/products/weblogic/server/

BEA’s Developer’s Resource site: http://dev2dev.bea.com

Main dev2dev page for WebLogic Server: http://dev2dev.bea.com/wlserver/

List of All Supported Configurations: http://e-docs.bea.com/platform/suppconfigs/index.html

6.3 Documentation

Online documentation can be found at the BEA website listed below. The documentation for all supported versions is available.

http://edocs.bea.com

http://www.bea.com/

http://www.bea.com/framework.jsp?CNT=index.htm&FP=/content/products/weblogic/server/

http://dev2dev.bea.com/

http://dev2dev.bea.com/wlserver/

http://e-docs.bea.com/platform/suppconfigs/index.html

http://edocs.bea.com/

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