Red Hat Linux for S/390 IBM WebSphere Application Server Version 3 Release 5 (includes IBM Java2, IBM HTTP Server, IBM DB2)

Introduction:

There exist two different releases of the IBM WebSphere Advanced edition package - the "full release", and the "trial release". Both releases work with Red Hat Linux for S/390, and the installation process is similar.

"Full Release" - adv-linux-s390.tar

The "full release" of WebSphere Application Server includes a number of key software components, including:

• IBM WebSphere Application Server v3.5 Advanced (IBMWebAS-3.5ADV-1)
• IBM DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Edition 7.1
• IBM Java2 SDK 1.2.2
• IBM HTTP Server 1.3.12.2 (based on Apache)

"Trial Release" - adv_trial_was3.5_s390.tar

The "trial release" of IBM WebSphere 3.5 is available from:
http://www-4.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/download_linux_s390.html
(It is labelled as "WebSphere Application Server Advanced Edition, V3.5 for SuSE Linux 7.0 for S/390".)

Included is:

• IBM WebSphere Application Server v3.5 Advanced Trial (IBMWebAS-3.5ADV_TRIAL-1)
• IBM Java2 SDK 1.2.2
• IBM HTTP Server 1.3.12.2 (based on Apache)

Procedure For Installation:

• Ensure that the RPM packages that provide compatibility libraries are installed prior to beginning WebSphere installation. The three packages are compat-glibc, compat-libs, compat-libstdc++.  They can be installed as follows:
      cd  /RedHat/RPMS 
      rpm -Uvh compat-*.rpm
• Download the IBM WebSphere 3.5 package, or mount the media so that the IBM WebSphere archive is available.
• Extract the IBM WebSphere archive. 
  (You will see the script "install.sh". Do NOT install using this script. Although installation may be successful, a patch needs to be applied to Java.)
• In the "docu" directory of this release of Red Hat Linux for S/390, is a script "install-rh-adv-linux-s390-3.5.sh". Copy this to the same directory where the "install.sh" script is present. (There is also a second script "quickinstall-rh-adv-linux-s390-3.5.sh" which replaces the standard "quickinstall.sh" script.)
• From the directory where the install scripts are present, you can now install WebSphere normally: 
      ./install-rh-adv-linux-s390-3.5.sh 
  (Ensure that the script is executable - chmod a+x .)
• Read the information provided by IBM.
• After installlation of Java, DB2 and WebSphere itself has been successful, the Application Server service is started with: 
      /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/startupServer.sh 
  (The file /opt/IBMWebAS/logs/tracefile can be useful for checking for successful server startup, and for troubleshooting.)

Installing Latest FixPack:

• Currently, the latest FixPack available for WebSphere Application Server is FixPack 5, available from: http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/download/postconfig.jsp?id=4000902&pf=Linux&v=3.5.5&e=All+Editions&cat=&s=p or more directory from: ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/software/websphere/appserv/support/fixpacks/was35/fixpack5/LINUX/ (IBM recommends installing this FixPack for improved performance; installation procedure is similar to above.)
• Extract the FixPack Archive.
• In the "docu" directory of this release of Red Hat Linux for S/390, is a script "install-rh-adv-linux-s390-ptf5.sh". Copy this to the same directory where the "install.sh" script is present.
• From the directory where the install scripts are present, you can now update WebSphere (and Java2) with: 
      ./install-rh-adv-linux-s390-ptf5.sh 
  (Ensure that the script is executable. Its also advisable to carefully read the installation notes that come with the FixPack. These mention stopping IBM WebSphere and your Web (IBM HTTPD or Apache) services prior to applying the FixPack.)

IMPORTANT Notes:

• The changes to each installation script are minor. A diff can reveal the exact differences. The changes ensure that the version of Java provided with WebSphere will use the compatability libraries (provided via the "compat" packages above).
• IBM DB2 cannot be installed when NIS is running (local accounts are not created). Therefore it is mandatory to temporarily stop NIS while installing WebSphere: 
      /sbin/service ypbind stop 
  After successful installation, you can restart NIS again with: 
      /sbin/service ypbind start
• Even if you change the location for the db2as, db2inst1 and db2fenc1 home directories when installing DB2, you will want to check both /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/startupServer.sh and /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/admin.config for correct DB2 directory specification after installation.
• There appears to be a problem with the /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/startupServer.sh script which means that it does not work successfully unless it is started with the current working directory being /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/ .
• When installing the trial package, the install.sh script is not appropriate since DB2 is not included in the package, and when asked what database to use, there is no obvious way to select InstantDB. If however at the question:
  

  Select the database you wish to use and press .
  1.) DB2 Quick Install [default]
  2.) Custom
  

  you select "3", the InstantDB will be selected - even though this is not obvious.
• If installing DB2, you must have ksh, the Korn Shell, installed. This is provided by the "pdksh" RPM in the distribution.
• Even if you change the location for the db2as, db2inst1 and db2fenc1 home directories when installing DB2, you will want to check both /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/startupServer.sh and /opt/IBMWebAS/bin/admin.config for correct DB2 directory specification after installation.