WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition overview

IBM® WebSphere® Application Server Hypervisor Edition is a self-contained virtual machine image that contains a guest operating system and WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment Version 8.5. You can run the virtual image on VMware ESX or ESXi hypervisors.

Virtualization concepts

A virtual machine or virtual image is a complete system platform that contains an operating system on which you can install any number of customized applications to create a complete virtual image. A virtual image requires less time and labor to set up because the operating system and applications are already installed and partially or completely configured.

Virtual images run on a hypervisor, which is the virtualization technology that manages the state of virtual images. A hypervisor product can run on top of a host operating system, or the hypervisor can run as the operating system itself, such as VMware ESX. Some hypervisors also handle load balancing and failover.

By deploying virtual images on VMware and other virtualization technologies, you can consolidate servers and streamline your environments.

WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 can function either as stand-alone or with IBM Workload Deployer. Workload Deployer is a hardware appliance that provides access to software virtual images and patterns.

Using IBM Workload Deployer, you can instantiate patterns that use the WebSphere Hypervisor Edition images and offer self-service deployments of those patterns.

Using IBM Workload Deployer or IBM PureApplication Systems, you can create cluster topologies using WebSphere Hypervisor Edition images.

The virtual image can be used as a demonstration, a development system, or a simple quality assurance system. A single virtual image can also be a single production system for a small department.

WebSphere Hypervisor Edition provides support for multi-hypervisor environments. You can deploy Hypervisor Edition to:
  • VMware ESX, ESXi-- as a stand-alone installation, with IBM Workload Deployer, or as part of the IBM PureApplication Systems.
  • PowerVM-- with IBM Workload Deployer.
  • zVM-- with IBM Workload Deployer.

Virtual image contents

You must extract the product packages and start up the virtual image. You are prompted to complete a series of panels to configure the operating system and the application server on that single virtual machine. For more information, see the installation topics in the information center.
The WebSphere virtual image contains the following preinstalled software:
  • A guest operating system
  • WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5
  • IBM HTTP Server for WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition
  • Web server plug-ins
  • IBM Installation Manager
  • WebSphere eXtreme Scale Version 8.5 Client
  • IBM WebSphere Application Server Web 2.0 and Mobile Toolkit Version 1.1
  • IBM WebSphere SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7.0

Available virtual images

You can choose from the following available virtual images. All images contain WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment.
Table 1. Available virtual images
Image name Requirements
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 for Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 32bit Requires IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher and IBM Workload Deployer VMware Requirements. Stand-alone requires VMware ESX and ESXi 4.1 or higher.
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 for Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 64bit IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher, IBM Workload Deployer VMware requirements and VMware ESX and ESXi 4.1 or higher
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 32bit IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher and IBM Workload Deployer VMware requirements. Stand-alone requires VMware ESX and ESXi 4.1 or higher.
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 (32bit or 64bit) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 64bit IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher, IBM Workload Deployer VMware requirements and VMware ESX and ESXi 4.1 or higher.
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 for IBM AIX® Requires IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher and IBM Workload Deployer PowerVM™ requirements.
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 for Novell SLES on System z® Requires IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher and IBM Workload Deployer zVM requirements.
WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition Version 8.5 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM System z Requires IBM Workload Deployer 3.1.0.2 or higher and IBM Workload Deployer zVM requirements.

IBM HTTP Server and Web Server Plug-ins configuration

The image also contains IBM HTTP Server and the Web Server Plug-ins, which are installed and configured using the user virtuser. Because most of the environment is pre-configured, additional configuration actions are not required for basic operation. The IBM HTTP Server administrative server password matches the virtuser passwords for the operating system and WebSphere administration. You can stop and start IBM HTTP Server using the administrative console. The products are installed at the following locations:

WebSphere profile types

The following table contains WebSphere profile types and descriptions.
Profile Type Description Applicable to Version 6.1 Applicable to Version 7.0, 8.0, and 8.5
Application server Create a stand-alone application server profile. Yes Yes
Custom profile Create a custom profile that belongs to a deployment manager cell. This profile can make applications available to the Internet or to an intranet under the management of the deployment manager. You must federate this node. Yes Yes
Deployment manager Create a deployment manager that provides management capability for multiple federated nodes. The nodes and the deployment manager make up a cell. Yes Yes
Job manager Create a job manager that provides a single console to administer multiple base servers, multiple deployment managers, and do asynchronous job submission. No Yes
Administrative agent + n application server profiles Create an administrative agent that provides a single interface to administer multiple unfederated application servers. No Yes
Liberty profile server Create a Liberty profile server that is located on the panel between the deployment manager and the job manager. No 8.5 only
IBM HTTP Server Create an IBM HTTP Server profile. When the IBM HTTP Server profile is selected on the blue screens, SLES init.d services is created and started by default for the IBM HTTP Server and adminserver. Yes Yes

Maintenance and service

You can apply maintenance and service using either of the following methods:
  • Using the IBM Workload Deployer or IBM Pure Application Systems console. For more information, see Installing virtual images for VMware ESX with IBM Workload Deployer.
  • Using the IBM Installation Manager. The Installation Manager applies maintenance to the application server inside the virtual image in the same way that it applies maintenance in a native application server environment. Apply maintenance to the application server using the IBM Installation Manager or through updated virtual images from IBM. Apply operating system maintenance to the virtual image through downloadable packages or through updated virtual images from IBM.
Concept topic    

Terms and conditions for product documentation | Feedback

Last updated: January 29, 2018 07:35 AM GMT-06:00
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/wsbroker/redirect?version=v850hyperv&product=was-nd-mp&topic=cins_virt
File name: cins_virt.html