When you upgrade the application server to a newer version, be aware of the following settings that you might want to change.
The Use read/write timeout setting on the administrative console corresponds to the ServerIOTimeout attribute in the plugin-cfg.xml file. Beginning with Version 8.0, the default value for this setting is different from the default value in previous versions of the product.
In the WebSphere® Application Server Version 7 Feature Pack for OSGi Applications and Java Persistence API 2.0, bundle changes to the asset are applied by restarting the business-level application. In Version 8.x, these changes are applied by updating the composition unit. The new approach in Version 8.x means that many bundle changes can be applied in place, without restarting the running business-level application. To enable this new approach, the UpdateAppContentVersionsStep parameter has been replaced with the UpdateAppContentVersions parameter, and instead of restarting the business-level application you run the editCompUnit command with the CompUnitStatusStep parameter.
In previous versions, a "Discrimination failed" exception in the HTTP Channel responds with a 403 response code. In Version 8.5, the server responds with a 500 response code.
Most properties that are defined in a JSP property group apply to an entire translation unit, for example, the requested JSP file that is matched by its URL pattern and all the files it includes using the include directive. The exceptions are the page-encoding and is-xml properties, which apply separately to each JSP file that is matched by its URL pattern. To revert the behavior to a setting before WebSphere Application Server Version 8.x, set the custom property to true to apply the two property values to the entire translation unit.
Version 7.0 and previous versions use the optthruput
garbage collection algorithm. In Version 8.0 and later, the default
is set to the generational garbage collector. This garbage collection
algorithm can increase performance. The following JVM option is added
to the WebSphere Application Server startup
command: -Xgcpolicy:gencon. If you prefer to use the optthruput garbage
collection alogorithm, you can remove -Xgcpolicy:gencon and the optthruput garbage
collection algorithm is used.
Most properties that are defined in a JSP attribute group apply to an entire translation unit, for example, the requested JSP file that is matched by its URL pattern and all the files it includes using the include directive. The exceptions are the page-encoding and is-xml properties, which apply separately to each JSP file that is matched by its URL pattern. To revert the behavior to a setting prior to WebSphere Application Server Version 8.0, set the attribute to true to apply the two property values to the entire translation unit.
To ensure the most successful migration, the return type of the StoredResponse getHeaderNames method was changed to com.ibm.websphere.servlet.response.CollectionEnumerationHybrid<String>. This type implements both Collection<String> and Enumeration.
The default for the com.ibm.CORBA.ConnectTimeout property for Version 8 and later is 10. Earlier than Version 8, the default is 0.
The JSR 289 API requires that for any SIP URI that contains address parameters, you must enclose the SIP URI in angle brackets. The default behavior of the sip.jsr289.parse.address property is compliant with JSR 289 and correctly parses the address parameter as if it belongs to the SIP address. For example, when the property is set to false, the SIP address, sip:fred@acme.com;param1=1, is converted to <sip:fred@acme.com;param1=1>. When the property is set to true, the SIP address sip:fred@acme.com;param1=1, is converted to <sip:fred@acme.com;>param1=1.
The default value was changed in version 8.0 from 35000 milliseconds as documented in version 6.0 to the correct default of 60000 milliseconds.
Because the HTTPOnly attribute is now set using the Set session cookies to HTTPOnly to help prevent cross-site scripting attacks field in the administrative console, if you need to disable this function, in the administrative console, click Server Types > Application servers > Session management > Cookies, and unselect the Set session cookies to HTTPOnly to help prevent cross-site scripting attacks field.
In Version 8.5.5.0 and later, if the web server plug-in receives an HTTPS request but cannot create an HTTPS transport to the application server, no connection is made. If you want to enable the web server plug-in to create an HTTP connection if an HTTPS connection cannot be made, specify the UseInsecure custom property. Creating an HTTP connection if an HTTPS connection cannot be made is less secure than creating no connection because the user might be unaware that their connection is no longer secure. By default in previous versions of WebSphere Application Server, if the web server plug-in receives an HTTPS request but cannot create an HTTPS transport to the application server, it creates an HTTP transport if one is defined. If an HTTP transport is not defined, no connection is made.
The Accept content for all requests setting on the administrative console corresponds to the AcceptAllContent attribute in the plugin-cfg.xml file. Beginning with Version 8.0, the default for the setting is checked and for the attribute is true. Before Version 8, the default for the setting is not checked and for the attribute is false.
Beginning with version 8.5, the default value is 0.
For WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5, the %javaoption% in wsadmin.bat and $javaOption in wsadmin.sh are located at the end of JAVA_EXE arguments. This allows you to override Java system properties, such as CLIENTSOAP and CLIENTSAS properties.