Installing WebSphere Application Server -- Custom Installation option

To install WebSphere Application Server along with the IBM Developer Kit, do the following:

  1. Ensure that you will be installing WebSphere Application Server under a local Windows user ID that is in the Administrative group and has the advanced user rights "Act as part of the operating system" and "Log on as a service."
  2. If Apache HTTP Server or another Web server on your system is running, stop the Web server.
  3. If you obtained Version 4.0 from the product Web site, run or unpack the downloaded executable.
  4. If you plan to use a Web server or database at a level that exceeds the current version required by WebSphere Application Server, you must do one of the following:

    • Download the most current prereq.properties file from the Web site http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/tools.html to a directory such as c:\tmp on the machine onto which you will install WebSphere Application Server.
    • Disable the WebSphere Prerequisite Checker before installing WebSphere Application Server.
      1. Copy the prereq.properties file from the \nt directory to the c:\tmp directory on the machine on which you will install WebSphere Application Server.
      2. Edit this file by finding the line prereq_checker=1 and changing it to prereq_checker=0.

  5. If you have not downloaded a new prereq.properties file or disabled the Prerequisite Checker (Step 3), run setup.exe or, if you have the product CD, run \nt\setup.exe.

    If you have downloaded a new prereq.properties file or disabled the Prerequisite Checker, enter the following command:

    setup.exe -prereqfile c:\tmp\prereq.properties

    You will need 135 MB free in your temp directory (usually on the C drive), even if you are installing on another drive, because the installation shield package unpacks to the temp directory. This will kick off an installation shield package.

  6. If the Choose Setup Language dialog is displayed, select a language and click OK.
  7. Click Next to pass the introductory page.
  8. If WebSphere Application Server is already installed on your system, a dialog giving you the option to backup and uninstall WebSphere Application Server displays. You now have three options:
    • To backup your files and uninstall WebSphere Application Server, click Backup and Uninstall and then Next to continue with the installation.
    • To install to a different directory, simply click Next and continue with the installation.
    • To migrate your files from a previous release, click Perform Migration. Complete the migration, then run the WebSphere installation program again.

    If WebSphere Application Server is not already installed on your system, proceed to step 9.

  9. In the Installation Options dialog, select Custom Installation; then click Next.
  10. In the Choose Application Server Components dialog, select those components you want and deselect those components you do not want.

    If you want to install Application Server or Application and Development Tools, you must also install the IBM JDK or specify a valid JDK in the Select Java Development Kit dialog.

    Clicking Other JDK displays the Select Java Development Kit dialog. If you have a non-IBM Java development kit installed, we recommend that you specify that you want the Java Development Kit (IBM Developer Kit 1.3.0.). Also specify the destination directory for the IBM Developer Kit. Further, to use the IBM Developer Kit, you must remove your other JDKs from the jre\lib\ext directory. If you use a JDK other than IBM Developer Kit to run WebSphere Application Server, it must be at the XML4j/Xerces 3.1.1 level. Click Next to confirm your selections. Otherwise, click Back to exit the dialog.

  11. If you want to install Samples, you must also install Application Server or have the Application Server product already installed on your system.

    As to Web Server Plugins, no plugins are required to bring up the Application Server or the administrative console. However, for production applications, you generally will not be able to serve servlets without a Web server plugin and a valid Web server. For non-production applications, you can use the internal HTTP transport system to serve servlets without an HTTP plugin by simply using the internal HTTP transport port (9080). For example, to serve the sample snoop servlet without an HTTP Web server, you use the URL http://your_server_name:9080/servlet/snoop, with 9080 being the internal transport port number and your_server_name being localhost if the Application Server is on the local machine. The internal transport mechanism lacks the performance for production applications available with a plugin.

    As to IBM HTTP Server, you install this Web server if you intend to select the IBM HTTP Server plugin and do not have IBM HTTP Server installed.

    These installation instructions assume that you will install all of the components except IBM HTTP Server, which you should deselect.

  12. Click Next. If necessary, shut down all Web servers you plan to run with WebSphere Application Server and proceed.
  13. On the Choose Web Server Plugins page, deselect IBM HTTP Server, select Apache, and click Next. Only IBM HTTP Server 1.3.19 is provided with WebSphere Application Server. You must separately purchase and install the other supported Web servers.
    Choose Web Server Plugins page
  14. Specify the destination directory and click Next.
  15. Click Next on the next two dialogs and begin the installation.
  16. In the Configure Apache Webserver panel, verify that the path points to the location of the directory containing the httpd.conf file, then click OK.
  17. After the installation completes, check the box to view the README file.

    For the most recent version of the README or release notes, go to Library section of the product Web site at http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/.

  18. Click Finish and, to complete the installation, restart your computer.