(Optional) Adding a stand-alone WebSphere proxy server

Install a stand-alone IBM® WebSphere® proxy server for use with a cluster of IBM Sametime® servers.

Before you begin

This topic explains how to install a stand-alone WebSphere proxy server by installing an extra node into the Sametime cluster, disabling the Sametime application server, and then configuring the WebSphere proxy server that remains. If you just want to configure the WebSphere proxy server that was automatically installed with WebSphere Application Server on one of existing nodes in your Sametime cluster, skip this task and proceed directly to Configuring a WebSphere proxy server.

About this task

A cluster of Sametime servers requires at least one WebSphere proxy server to handle routing and caching tasks. When you install Sametime on a node in the cluster, WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere proxy server are also installed. The WebSphere proxy server merely needs to be configured for use.

To reduce the resource load on product nodes and avoid port conflicts, you may choose to install a stand-alone WebSphere proxy server on a separate computer instead of using the instance that was installed on a Sametime node. Or, you may configure the instance on the Sametime node and then install an additional instance on a separate computer, and use a load balancer to share the load between them.

Note: If you previously installed a WebSphere proxy server on one of the Sametime nodes in the cluster and are now seeing excessive CPU usage on that node, you should install and configure an additional proxy server now.

To install a stand-alone WebSphere proxy server, you will install an extra Sametime node using the "Secondary Node" option, and then federate the new node into the cluster. You will then disable the Sametime application from the new node while leaving WebSphere proxy server intact. Finally, you will configure the WebSphere proxy server for use with the cluster.