WebSphere installation methods include GUI, silent, and response file installations.

• WebSphere can be installed using a graphical user interface (GUI).

• Silent installation allows for installation withou...read more

Planning tasks for WebSphere Application Server involve:

• Determining the optimal topology for your implementation

• Understanding the product package and what to install where

• Preparing your operating system for installation

• Understanding the different ways to install your software

The main preparation for your operating system is verifying that there is enough disk space for the installation. However, each operating system has its own requirements. The information about operating system preparation is for all of the installable components on the product disc or installation image.

Installing is an activity in which you put software onto machines. The WebSphere Application Server products use an installer program that is an InstallShield for MultiPlatforms (ISMP) wizard. You can use the graphical interface of the wizard or you can use the wizard in silent mode. Silent mode does not display a graphical interface but instead, reads all of the options and field values from a response file that you must edit. WebSphere Application Server products do not support the ISMP console method of installation.

Version 6 has separate installation procedures for these installable components on the product disc:

• Application Client for WebSphere Application Server

• Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server

• IBM HTTP Server

The installation program for installing WebSphere Application Server does not install the other components.

New for Version 6 is the Profile creation wizard. Use the Profile creation wizard after the installation to create more Application Server run-tine environments.

Also new for Version 6 is the Migration wizard. Use the Migration wizard after the installation to migrate the configuration and applications from a previous version to Version 6.

Troubleshooting lets you determine what happened when a problem occurs and how you can fix it. WebSphere Application Server products write a record of installation events in one main file called log.txt. The Profile creation wizard uses several different log files, including files named after the profile being created or deleted. However, the main file is the pctLog.txt file. The Migration wizard uses several log files to record migration events.

Most of the log files are verbose, to better aid in determining problems.

All of the log files are described in the troubleshooting information.

This information unit is compiled from information center articles that are available at Web address: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/ws60help/index.jsp.

The information center has many intertopic links that this document is not able to replicate in its subset of information. Although some effort was made to remove such links and replace them with links to external information center articles, it is possible that some links were missed.

Intertopic links to articles that are not in this information and that we did not change to point to the external information center do not function properly. Such links were overlooked during the production of this document. We apologize for any inconvenience that a broken link causes and ask you to look for the information in the information center.

Link to external articles on the Web and in the external information center work correctly.

Links to articles that are within this document work correctly.

To view an article in the information center, go to the Web address and search for the title of the document.

This document is superseded by the PDF version of this document in the online information center. Download the current Getting Started PDF at the http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/infocenter.html Web site.

Of course, the online information in the information center is always the most current, and the only official documentation for IBM WebSphere Application Server products.

This topic describes how to install WebSphere Application Server - Express as the root user on a Linux platform or on a UNIX platform, or from a user ID that belongs to the administrator group on a Windows platform. This topic also describes installing IBM HTTP Server and the application clients.

Read through this topic and its related topics to prepare for installation and to make yourself familiar with installation options, before you start to use the installation tools. Review the hardware and software requirements on the IBM WebSphere Application Server supported hardware and software Web site to get started.

The launchpad is the preferred method of starting the installation. Use the Launchpad to access the product overview, the installation guide, and the readme file. Of course, the main purpose of the launchpad is to launch the installation procedure.

See Using the launchpad to start the installation for more information.

If you encounter a problem such as needing more disk space or temporary space or missing prerequisite packages on your Linux or UNIX system, cancel the installation, make the required changes, and restart the installation.

Log on as a member of the administrator group to successfully install the product. You cannot install the product correctly from a user ID that does not belong to the administrator group. Some steps of the installation procedure require the administrator group ID to have the following advanced user rights, Act as part of the operating system and Log on as a service.

This topic provides an overview of installation procedures. Use the information in this topic to learn about the types of installation available. This topic has links to more detailed installation topics.

The Installation wizard performs the following actions:

• Automatically checks prerequisites

• Looks for a previous WebSphere Application Server V6 installation, to determine whether to let you add features to the product binaries or to install a new set of product binaries

• Looks for a previous V6 installation, to determine whether to let you upgrade from a trial installation to the real product

• Creates a stand-alone application server node

Perform the following procedure to start your installation.

1. Plan your installation, as described in Planning to install WebSphere Application Server - Express.

2. Prepare your operating platform for installation, as described in Preparing the operating system for product installation.

3. Review the roadmap for installing the Express product, as described in Roadmap for installing the Express product.

4. Install the Express product.

   Choose an installation scenario to continue the installation:

   • Perform a typical installation with the wizard, as described in Installing the Express product with full installation options.

     The typical installation of the Express product installs all of the features.

   • Perform a custom installation with the wizard, as described in Installing the Express product with custom options.

     The custom installation lets you select features to install.

   • Perform a silent installation, as described in Installing silently.

     A silent installation requires you to edit the response file that contains all of your installation choices. After creating a valid response file, you issue the install command with the silent parameter from a command window.

   • Install additional features to an existing installation, as described in Installing additional features on an existing Express product.

     After installing Express, you can install it again to update the system files by installing previously uninstalled features.

   • Upgrade a trial version to a product version.

   The installer program does not support the ISMP -console installation method at this time.

5. Optional: Install IBM HTTP Server.

   After installing a WebSphere Application Server product, you can use the application server to serve applications over the Internet. It is not necessary to install the IBM HTTP Server or another Web server. It is also necessary to install Web server plug-ins. You also do not need the application clients unless the application you are deploying was designed to run as a client application. You also do not have to install an integrated development environment. The development environment is for developers of Web applications.

   The installation solution diagrams in Planning to install WebSphere Application Server - Express show the components that are present in different types of environments.

   See Installing IBM HTTP Server for more information about installing IBM HTTP Server.

6. Optional: Install Web server plug-ins for IBM HTTP Server or another supported Web server.

   If you install the IBM HTTP Server or another Web server, you must install a binary module for the Web server to enable it to communicate with WebSphere Application Server products. Before you can install a Web server plug-in, you must install the Web server.

   After installing a Web server plug-in, the Plug-ins installation wizard configures a new element in the application server configuration called a Web server definition. You can then manage applications for the Web server using the administrative console.

   See Installing Web server plug-ins for more information.

7. Optional: Install the application clients.

   See Installing Application Client for WebSphere Application Server for more information.

8. Optional: Install the Rational Web Developer.

   See Roadmap for installing Rational Web Developer for more information.

This procedure results in installing IBM WebSphere Application Server - Express, Version 6.

You can also install IBM HTTP Server, the Web server plug-ins for WebSphere Application Server, and the application clients for WebSphere Application Server.