This tip is an excerpt of the article "Deliver better value with WebSphere Express" published in the March/April 2003 edition (volume 6, number 2) of the iSeries 400 Experts Journal. Provided courtesy of iSeries 400 Experts.
The WebSphere Express server can be very easy to install if this is the first HTTP server installed on your iSeries server. You can use the defaults for IP address and port when creating a new Express server instance, and be assured that you won't have any TCP application conflicts.
If this is not your situation, you may want to check with someone who knows TCP on the iSeries to see what an appropriate IP address and port should be for your Express server. Given either of the scenarios above, the basic steps to set up a new Express server and test it are summarized briefly below:
- Plan the Express install, including the IP address and port you want to use for the server.
- Ensure that the hardware and software requirements, including current PTFs, are installed.
- Install the Express product.
- Start the HTTP admin server and connect a Web browser to the admin server.
- Configure a new Express server, update or create an HTTP server, and take the option to install the sample applications (included Snoop servlet).
- Start the Express server and the HTTP server.
- Run the Snoop servlet to test the Express server setup.
The early beta version of the software I used had some bugs that had relatively minor impacts. The form to view logs allowed only selection of the System error log, for example. I used Qshell to view the logs. They were under the /qibm/userdata/webase /ase5//logs directory.
Another lesson learned was to not install Express on a Dedicated Server for Domino (DSD). I installed Express on the server and it really couldn't run reasonably. The DSD (in my case, an older 170 model) is not designed for e-business workloads; it is optimized for Domino mail. These older Domino servers can't usually do Java or DB2 workloads as well as a normal iSeries server.
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About the author: Jim Mason, president of ebt-now, is an iSeries WebSphere engineer. ebt-now provides iSeries WebSphere, WebFacing project management, engineering, development and training services. This tip is an excerpt of the article "Deliver better value with WebSphere Express" published in the March/April 2003 edition (volume 6, number 2) of the iSeries 400 Experts Journal. Provided courtesy of iSeries 400 Experts.
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