[AIX HP-UX Linux Solaris Windows]

Installing silently

Installing WebSphere Application Server or a feature pack using silent installation refers to using a file to supply installation options without user interaction. To configure the installation, change the options in the response file before you issue the installation command.

Before you begin

This topic describes installing silently on any supported operating system.

Before starting this installation, see the following topics:

[This information only applies to Version 6.1.0.9 and later running on the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.] [Fix Pack 9 or later] Note on silently installing WebSphere Application Server on Microsoft® Windows Vista™ and Windows 2008 operating systems: Performing a silent installation of Websphere Application Server Version 6.1 on a machine running these operating systems requires Administrator privileges. If you launch the silent installation using standard user privileges, you are presented with an elevation prompt for Administrator privileges before you are allowed to continue. You can avoid this prompt by running the silent installation from a Command Prompt window that is opened by performing the following actions:
  • Right-click a Command Prompt shortcut.
  • Click Run As Administrator.

About this task

A silent installation uses the installation wizard to install the product in silent mode, without the graphical user interface. Instead of displaying a wizard interface, the silent installation causes the installation program to read all of your responses from a file that you provide. To specify non-default options during a silent installation, you must use the response file. To install silently, you must accept the license agreement in the agreement option.

Procedure

  1. Log on to the operating system.
    [AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris] In addition, select a umask that would allow the owner to read/write to the files, and allow others to access them according to the prevailing system policy. For root, a umask of 022 is recommended. For non-root users a umask of 002 or 022 could be used, depending on whether or not the users share the group. To verify the umask setting, issue the following command:
    umask
    To set the umask setting to 022, issue the following command:
    umask 022
    [Windows] When installing on a Windows® system, a Windows service is automatically created to autostart the application server if your installer user account has the following advanced user rights:
    • Act as part of the operating system
    • Log on as a service
    For example, on some Windows systems, click Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > User Rights Assignments to set the advanced options. See your Windows documentation for more information.

    [Windows] If you plan to run the application server as a Windows service, do not install from a user ID that contains spaces. A user ID with spaces cannot be validated. Such a user ID is not allowed to continue the installation. To work around this problem, install with a user ID that does not contain spaces.

  2. Copy the response file as myoptionsfile to your disk drive and customize it.

    See Customizing the response file.

    The name of the original file is responsefile.nd.txt.

    Do not add an options line to any of the profile creation response files that includes the following parameter:
    -silent

    The -silent parameter is not required. If it exists in any of the files, the file cannot create a profile during a silent product installation.

  3. Issue the proper command to use your custom response file. For example, issue a command such as the following:
    • [AIX] [HP-UX] [iSeries] [Linux] [Solaris] mnt_cdrom/WAS/install -options /tmp/WAS/myoptionsfile.txt -silent
    • [Windows] "disc_drive_D:\WAS\install" -options "C:\temp\WAS\myoptionsfile.txt" -silent
    Although the installation process verifies that the minimum required version of the operating system is available, the installation process might not correctly flag a maintenance upgrade of that operating system version as being a supported configuration. If you have upgraded your supported operating system version to a higher maintenance level and you receive an error message indicating that the prerequisites have not been met, then you can uncomment the -OPT disableOSPrereqChecking="true" option in the response file to bypass operating system prerequisite checking. See the response file for more information.
    Avoid trouble Avoid trouble: Although maintenance upgrades of the same major release are supported, subsequent major releases of the operating system might not be supported. Review the prerequisites on the WebSphere® Application Server detailed system requirements web site if you have not already done so. gotcha

Results

The installation wizard and the Profile Management tool record installation events in the following log files:

Table 1. Installation and profile creation logs for WebSphere Application Server
Log Content Indicators
app_server_root /logs/install/log.txt Logs all installation events
Return code
Meaning
0
Success
1
Failure
2
Partial Success
app_server_root/logs/manageprofiles/profile_name_create.log
  • Traces all events that occur during the creation of the named profile
  • Created when using the Profile Management tool or the manageprofiles command
INSTCONFFAIL
Total profile creation failure.
INSTCONFSUCCESS
Successful profile creation.
INSTCONFPARTIALSUCCESS
Profile creation errors occurred but the profile is still functional. Additional information identifies the errors.
user_data_root/profileRegistry/logs/manageprofiles/create.log
  • Traces all events that occur during the creation of the named profile
  • Created when using the Profile Management tool or the manageprofiles command
INSTCONFFAIL
Total profile creation failure.
INSTCONFSUCCESS
Successful profile creation.
INSTCONFPARTIALSUCCESS
Profile creation errors occurred but the profile is still functional. Additional information identifies the errors.
app_server_root/logs/manageprofiles/profile_name_delete.log
  • Traces all events that occur during the deletion of the named profile
  • Created when using the Profile Management tool or the manageprofiles command
INSTCONFFAIL
Total profile deletion failure.
INSTCONFSUCCESS
Successful profile deletion.
INSTCONFPARTIALSUCCESS
Profile deletion errors occurred but the profile is still deleted. Additional information identifies the errors.
app_server_root/logs/install/ installconfig.log.gz
  • Logs the activities of ANT configuration scripts that run at the end of the installation procedure
  • Gzip file
Configuration action failed:
Unsuccessful ANT script configuration.
Configuration action succeeded:
Successful ANT script configuration.
app_server_root/logs/install/ installconfig.log
  • Logs the activities of ANT configuration scripts that run at the end of the installation procedure
Configuration action failed:
Unsuccessful ANT script configuration.
Configuration action succeeded:
Successful ANT script configuration.

Log more information when InstallShield MultiPlatform (ISMP) cannot start the installation wizard.

Verify or troubleshoot the installation if the app_server_root/logs/install/log.txt file or the app_server_root/logs/manageprofiles/pmt.log file does not contain a record of a problem, but problems exist. If the error happens early in the installation, look for the logs in the system temporary area. The installation program copies the logs from the system temporary area to the logs directory at the end of the installation.

If the profile_root directory does not exist, the pmt.log file is in the USER_HOME directory. Issue the env command to display the USER_HOME directory on operating systems such as AIX or Linux. See the environment variable settings on Windows system to display the value of the variable.

Certain events can prevent ISMP from starting the installation wizard. Such an event is not enough disk space to launch the installation wizard for example. If your installation fails and there is no information in the installation logs, use the -is:javaconsole parameter to record entries for events that cause the ISMP program to fail to start the installation wizard. The syntax of the install command for observing such events is:

[AIX] [HP-UX] [Linux] [Solaris]
./install -is:javaconsole
[Windows]
install.exe -is:javaconsole
Avoid trouble Avoid trouble: Although the usage of -is:javaconsole is supported, the usage of -console, for example install -console, is not supported.gotcha

Ensure that you have at least 250 MB free in your temporary directory before attempting to install WebSphere Application Server.

What to do next

Go to Installing the product and additional software to continue the installation and configuration of your system.




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Last updatedLast updated: Aug 31, 2013 2:56:59 AM CDT
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