The goal of migration is to reconstruct your earlier version of WebSphere Application Server in a nearly identical Version 6.1 environment. One goal of coexistence is to create a mixed-version environment that is not in conflict and allows the nodes of all versions to start and run at the same time; another goal is to create an environment that facilitates rollback and allows one or the other version to run at one time. Interoperating is exchanging data between two coexisting product installations or between products on different systems.
WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 can coexist with Version 5.x and Version 6.0.x. Depending on the previous version of WebSphere Application Server, there might be port conflicts that need to be resolved. See Coexistence support and Configuring ports for more information.
WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 migration leverages the existing configuration and applications and changes them to be compatible with the WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 environment. Existing application components and configuration settings are applied to the Version 6.1 environment during the migration process.
If you use an earlier version of WebSphere Application Server, the system administrator might have fine-tuned various application and server settings for your environment. It is important to have a strategy for migrating these settings with maximum efficiency and minimal loss.
You can perform incremental migration of your WebSphere Application Server Version 5.x or 6.0.x configuration by calling the migration tools multiple times, each time specifying a different set of instances or profiles.
The migration tools migrate applications and configuration information to the new version as described in Migrating product configurations. See Using the migration tools to migrate product configurations.
The Migration
wizard provides a graphical user interface to the migration tools. The Migration
wizard can call the migration tools, or you can run them directly. See Using the Migration wizard to migrate product configurations.
If you neither migrate nor coexist with an earlier version of WebSphere Application Server, you are choosing to ignore the previous installation and you can run only one version at a time because of conflicting default port assignments. It is possible for both versions to run at the same time without conflict if you use non-default ports in the earlier version. To set up coexistence with WebSphere Application Server Version 5.x or 6.0.x, ensure that unique ports are selected during profile creation for the Version 6.1 installation. To set up coexistence with an existing installation of Version 6.1, select the radio button that states "Install a new copy of the V61 Application Server product" during installation.
You can resolve conflicting port assignments by specifying port assignments for coexistence during profile creation, by wsadmin scripting or by using the Servers > Application Servers > server1 > Ports administrative console page to ensure that WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 can run with an earlier version.
See Wsadmin tool.
See Port number settings in WebSphere Application Server versions for more information.
Can I simply point to the new WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 6.1 datasets and restart my servers?
No. WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 6.1 requires that you migrate your Version 5.x or 6.0.x configuration up to the Version 6.1 level.
Is migration a node-by-node activity?
Yes. The process of migrating the configuration involves running the supplied utilities against each node in your configuration.
With a standalone application server you have only one node, but that node needs to be migrated. The steps are essentially the same as you would perform for any other node, except you do not have to have a deployment manager up and running. See Migrating a standalone application server: Checklist for a checklist of activities for migrating a standalone application server node.
What do the migration utilities do?
The migration utilities serve the following purposes:
Utility | Purpose |
BBOWMG1B (standalone application
server migrations) BBOWMG1F (federated node migrations) |
Enables all servers on the node
being migrated to be configured to start in PRR processing mode. After this
job completes, you must start all servers on the node being migrated and wait
for them to terminate. PRR processing mode resolves any outstanding transactions,
clears the transaction logs, and terminates the server. This job is not needed
for a deployment manager migration, and it is optional for configurations
that do not use XA connectors. This job is required only if you are using XA adapters and you need to migrate the XA logs. Check your resource providers in the Version 5.x or 6.0.x administrative console by going to Resources > JDBC providers and checking to see if you have chosen any XA providers such as DB2, Cloudscape, and so on. |
BBOWMG2B (standalone
application server migrations) BBOWMG2F (federated node migrations) |
Disables PRR mode
and returns all servers to normal operating state. There is no need to start
all servers after this job completes. This job is not needed for a deployment
manager migration, and it is optional for configurations that do not use XA
connectors. This job is required only if you are using XA adapters and you need to migrate the XA logs. Check your resource providers in the Version 5.x or 6.0.x administrative console by going to Resources > JDBC providers and checking to see if you have chosen any XA providers such as DB2, Cloudscape, and so on. |
BBOMBHFS or BBOMBZFS
(standalone application server migrations) BBOMDHFS or BBOMDZFS (deployment manager migrations) BBOMMHFS or BBOMMZFS (federated node migrations) |
Optional: Creates a file system and mount point for the Version 6.1 configuration root, and mounts the file system. If you want to use an existing file system to contain the Version 6.1 configuration, you must manually create the mount point specified in the Customization Dialog and make sure that the file system is mounted rather than run this job. In either case, the configuration file system and mount point must be created and the file system must be mounted before proceeding with the migration. |
BBOWMG3B (standalone
application server migrations) BBOWMG3D (deployment manager migrations) BBOWMG3F (federated node migrations) |
Performs the migration of the node from Version 5.x or 6.0.x to Version 6.1. |
BBOMBCP (standalone application
server migrations) BBOMDCP (deployment manager migrations) BBOMMCP (federated node migrations) |
Copies the generated JCL procedures to start the servers to the specified procedure library. If you choose to have your Version 6.1 configuration make use of different JCL start procedure names, this utility will update the new Version 6.1 configuration, substituting your new JCL names in place of the names that existed in your original Version 5.x or 6.0.x configuration. |
Where should the migration jobs be run?
Run the jobs on the same system on which the node being migrated resides.
What happens when a node is migrated?
The migration utilities transform the contents of your present WebSphere Application Server Version 5.x or 6.0.x configuration file system and merge them into a new, separate Version 6.1 configuration file system.
Will my existing configuration be lost during migration?
During the migration, the original WebSphere Application Server Version 5.x or 6.0.x configuration tree is unaffected. If for some reason the migration fails before completing, your previous configuration still exists.
If my node has multiple application servers, will all of them be migrated?
Yes. The utility will detect all servers and migrate all, including the node agent. One invocation of the migration utilities against the node will take care of all the servers in the node.
Do the servers in a node have to be stopped to perform the migration?
Is it possible to have a cell operating with only some of the nodes migrated and others not?
Yes, that is possible. WebSphere Application Server Version 5.1 can coexist with Version 6.1 in the same cell and on the same LPAR. When migrating from Version 5.0.x, however, you need to migrate the deployment manager node and other application server nodes on that same MVS image one right after the other — or essentially at the same time. Version 5.0.x and Version 6.1 nodes cannot exist in the same cell on the same LPAR.
Can my newly-migrated WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 6.1 deployment manager still "talk" to Version 5.x or 6.0.x nodes?
Is there a sequence to performing a multinode migration?
Is it possible to have cells at WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 6.1 coexist with other cells at Version 5.x or 6.0.x?