0.3.2: What are application server configuration files?

Application server configuration files define the administrative configuration of your WebSphere Application Server product installation. That is, application configuration files describe the available application servers, their configurations, and their contents.

WebSphere Application Server Advanced Edition Version 3.5 stored administrative data in a database. Version 4.0 (non-Single Server Edition) also stores administrative data in a database.

Version 4.0 (Single Server Edition) does not use a database. Instead, it uses application server configuration files, which are flattened, XML versions of the administrative database. When you start the product, the XML is parsed to determine the contents of the application server being started.

Location of the application server configuration files

One or more configuration files are provided for you to copy and modify. The following file contains a configuration for a default application server and several other applications and resources that you can use as examples or defaults:

product_installation_root/config/server-cfg.xml

It also contains the administrative application, thin-admin.

A second file contains a very basic configuration on which you can build:

product_installation_root/config/template-server-cfg.xml

A third file contains a stripped down version of the default server-cfg.xml file. It contains just the configuration for the administration application. The admin-server-cfg.xml is provided in case you want to run the administrative console application in a separate application server instance.

product_installation_root/config/admin-server-cfg.xml

Use the console to edit files

Use the administrative console to modify configuration files, rather than modifying them directly.

How can I tell which one I am editing?

To determine which configuration file that you are currently using the administrative console to edit, start the administrative console. Look for the server configuration file name, under the banner, towards the top left corner of the screen.

Note, a different configuration file could be in use by the running application server.