Patching IBM® WebSphere® Application Server clusters on Microsoft® Windows®
You can use Server Automation to automate patching of WebSphere® Application Server v8.0 or 8.5 in a Microsoft® Windows® cluster. The patching process involves running an Automation Plan that contains a set of steps (Tasks or Fixlets) that automate the patching. The Automation Plan uses a global parameters Task that automatically inputs required parameters into the other steps in the plan. To get started, you can use a Server Automation out of the box sample Automation Plan that shows the automation flow. The sample plans to use are Server Automation sample plans 559 and 560.
Before you begin
- This solution supports only a single instance of WebSphere® Application Server for each server.
- This patching solution is supported only on Microsoft® Windows® 2008 Server Release 2 or newer.
- Ensure that IBM Installation Manager is not running.
- Ensure that no WebSphere® Application Server services, directories, or files are open.
About this task
You automate the patching process using an Automation Plan. Step 1 in the plan is a Task that supplies
parameters to all other steps in the plan. Steps 2 to 5 handle the patching of the WebSphere® Application
Server Deployment Manager node. There are
four more steps for each WebSphere® Application
Server
node in the cluster. You can use the following sample plans to get started:
The following constraints apply to patching WebSphere® Application
Server in a cluster:
- The Deployment Manager must be patched first.
- To patch the Deployment Manager, ensure that no other stand-alone WebSphere® Application Server server processes are running other than the Deployment Manager and federated nodes/servers.
- To patch nodes:
- The Deployment Manager must be running.
- At least one profile must be federated to the Deployment Manager for the targeted host.
- Ensure that no other stand-alone WebSphere® Application Server server process is running.
To automate the patching process, use one of the sample plans listed above, or create an Automation Plan that contains the following steps.
Procedure
-
Add Task 554
Set global parameters for patching WebSphere Application Server in a cluster
to an Automation Plan. When you are running the plan, target all nodes in the cluster from the Take Action dialog. From the Parameters tab, enter the following values:- In the Deployment Manager user name field, enter the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager user name.
- In the Deployment Manager Password field, enter password for the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager user.
- In the Re-enter Deployment Manager Password field, re-enter WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager password.
- In the Deployment Manager host name field, enter the host name for the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager.
- In the Deployment Manager profile name field, enter profile name for the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager
- In the WebSphere Target cluster name field, enter WebSphere® Application Server Target cluster name.
- From the Maintain High Availability menu, select an option depending on whether or not you want another node to be made available before re-booting.
-
Add Task 557
Stop servers on host with Deployment Manager Node for Clustered WebSphere Application Server (8.0, 8.5 or 8.5.5) on Microsoft Windows
. This step in the automation flow stops the cluster deployment manager node. - Include the patch Fixlets or Baselines to patch WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager node as the next step in the plan.
-
Use Task 160
Restart Endpoint on Pending Restart and Wait for Restart to Complete
as the next step. -
Add Task 558
Resume Servers on host with Deployment Manager for Clustered WebSphere Application Server (8.0, 8.5 or 8.5.5) on Microsoft Windows
to resume the Deployment Manager node. -
Add Task 555
Stop servers on host that contains only federated nodes for Clustered WebSphere Application Server (8.0, 8.5 or 8.5.5) on Microsoft Windows
to stop a federated WebSphere® Application Server node. - Include the patch Fixlets or Baselines to patch WebSphere® Application Server node as the next step in the plan.
-
Use Task 160
Restart Endpoint on Pending Restart and Wait for Restart to Complete
as the next step. -
Run Task 556
Resume IBM WebSphere Application Server (8.0 or 8.5) Cluster on Microsoft Windows
to resume the WebSphere® Application Server node. - Repeat steps 6 to 9 for other nodes in the cluster.