The WebSphere Application Server works with a Web server to route requests for dynamic content, such as servlets, from Web applications. The Web servers are necessary for directing traffic from browsers to the applications that run in WebSphere Application Server. The Web server plug-in uses the XML configuration file to determine whether a request is from the Web server or the Application Server.
Before you begin
If you want to use an IBM HTTP Server, see Installing IBM HTTP Server. Otherwise, see the installation information provided with your Web server.
HTTP method POST is not supported by this URL.
If you are using a distributed platform Web server, use the Plug-in Installation wizard to install the appropriate plug-in file to your Web server. Then run the configureWeb_server_name script created by the wizard to create and configure the Web server definition in the WebSphere configuration repository.
Why and when to perform this task
The Web server plug-ins for distributed platform Web servers are provided on a separate CD from the WebSphere Application Server products. A Web Server Plug-in Installation Wizard is also provided on that CD. Installing Web server plug-ins describes how to install a Web server plug-in and create a Web server definition.
An unmanaged node is created when the Web server is on a different computer from the Application Server. An unmanaged node is a node that does not have a WebSphere node agent running on it. Using unmanaged nodes, WebSphere Application Server can represent servers that are not application servers within its configuration topology. This representation enables connection information between those servers and application servers to be maintained. Managing nodes describes how to create a node.
If an application that you want to use with this Web server is already installed, the application is automatically mapped to the Web server. If the application is not installed, select this Web server during the Map modules to servers step of the application installation process.
When you install a plug-in, the configuration file for that plug-in is automatically created. You can change or fine tune the default settings for the properties in this configuration file. If change any of the settings, you must regenerate the file before your changes take affect.
Generating or regenerating the configuration file might take a while to complete. After it finishes, all objects in the administrative cell use their newest settings, which the Web server can access. If the Application Server is on the same physical machine as the Web server, the regeneration usually takes about 30 to 60 seconds to complete. The regeneration takes longer if they are not both on the same machine.
Steps for this task
You can either use the administrative console, or issue the GenPluginCfg command to regenerate your plugin-cfg.xml file. To use the administrative console:
> iconv -f ISO8859-1 -t IBM-1047 plugin-cfg.xml.ASCII > plugin-cfg.xml.EBCDICEdit the file, and then issue the following command to convert it back to ASCII format:
> iconv -f IBM-1047 -t ISO8859-1 plugin-cfg.xml.EBCDIC > plugin-cfg.xml.ASCII
Remember that any manual changes you make to the file will be overwritten the next time the file is regenerated.
After you enable the use of private headers, the transport chain's SSL inbound channel trusts all private headers it receives. Therefore, you must ensure that all paths to the transport chain's SSL inbound channel are trusted.
If neither of these conditions is true, the plugin-cfg.xml file must be manually copied to the remote Web server's installation location.
The remote Web server installation location is the location you specified when you created the node for this Web server.
Result
The configuration is complete. To activate the configuration, stop and restart the Web server. If you encounter problems restarting your Web server, check the http_plugin.log file for information on what portion of the plugin-cfg.xml file contains an error. The log file states the line number on which the error occurred along with other details that might help you diagnose why the Web server did not start. You can then use the administrative console to update the plugin-cfg.xml file.If applications are infrequently installed or uninstalled, which is usually the situation in a production environment, or if you can tolerate the performance impact of generating and distributing the plug-in configuration file each time any of the previously listed actions occur, you should consider enabling this service.
If you are making a series of simultaneous changes, like installing numerous applications, you might want the configuration service disabled until after you make the last change. The Web server plug-in configuration service is enabled by default. To disable this service, in the administrative console click elect Servers > Application Servers > server_name > Administration Services >Web server plug-in configuration service and then unselect the Enable automated Web server configuration processing option.
Related concepts
Transport chains
Related tasks
Configuring transport chains
Changing the HTTP plug-in configuration
Tuning Web servers