WAS 4.0 with iplanet web server

[Veena Rani]

how to configure websphere to work with iPlanet web server installed on different machines ?
Thanks
Veena

[Balbir Singh]

Hi veena,
You have to do a thin installation of webSphere (for plugin) on the remote machine where the web server is installed, then manually copy the plugin-cfg.xl file to the <WAS_INSTALLATION_DIR)/config directory. The plugin-cfg.xml contains the settings that describe how to handle and pass on requests to the WAS. Please remember that whenever you change the configuration of your application server then you have to regenerate the plugin in and then manually copy it to the remote machine where the web server is installed.>
Thanks and Regards
Balbir Singh
[email protected]
SCJP
IBM Certified Administrator for WebSphere4.0

[Balbir Singh]

Hi veena,
Sorry only half of my answer is posted on the previous reply.
You have to do a thin installation of webSphere (for plugin) on the remote machine where the web server is installed, then manually copy the plugin-cfg.xl file to the <WAS_INSTALLATION_DIR>/config. The Web
server plug-in uses an XML configuration file (plugin-cfg.xml) containing settings
that describe how to handle and pass on requests to the WebSphere Application
Server(s) made accessible through the plug-in.
Please rememeber that whenever you change the configuration for you application server then you have to regenerate the plugin and then copy it manually to the remote machine where web server resides.
Thanks and Regards
Balbir Singh
[email protected]
SCJP
IBM Certified Administrator for WebSphere4.0

[Veena Rani]

Hi,
Thanks for ur prompt reply.
That means for the node having webserver I have to choose only webserver plugin while installing the application server then copy the plugin xml to the m/c where appserver is insatlled.
does the other machine with app server also requires web server ?
how the webserver identifies that the request is to be redirected to application server beacuse plug in file from the webserver node does not have any entries for the other app server nodes?
Thanks & Regards
Veena

[Balbir Singh]

Actually you have misunderstood it. You have to copy the plugin-cfg.xml from the machine where the Application Server resides to the machine where your webserver resides (where you have a thin installation of WAS). For eg if your Application Server is on Machine A and your WebServer is on Machine B then first of all you have to do a thin installation of WAS on machine B, and then manually copy the plugin-cfg.xml from Machine A to Machine B's <WAS_HOME>/config directory.
This plugin-cfg.xml generated from Machine A will have the necessary information (VirtualHostGroup, ServerGroup, UriGroup, Route) which the web server on Machine B will read (since you will manually copy plugin-cfg.xml on this machine) and then redirect requests to the application server's on Machine A.
Now about the machine with AppServer installed (Machine A), you dont need a web server installation on that, if u want u can use embedded http transport (default port 9080 for non secure communication and 9043 for https).
I hope it helps.

[pjoisha]

Hi Balbir,
I'm in a similar situation as the previous author
and since I'm still a WAS newbie thought I might
ask you -
I have installed WAS 4.0 AES along with IBM HTTP
Server on my NT box. How do I activate the
plug-in on my webserver so that HTTP calls to it
are forwarded to the appserver (both are on the
same box)
Could you along please point me the relevant
Redbook documentation that walks thru' this
process of generating the plugin-cfg.xl that
you talk about.
Thanks in advance,
PJ

[Balbir Singh]

Hi Prasanth,
You just have to right click the node and then select "Regen WebServer Plugin" and thats it. You can also enable automatic generation of plugin's xml file by setting the property to be "enabled" of the class com.ibm.websphere.plug-incfg.initializers.AEPluginCfgService
For detailed information please refer to 14th Chapter "Configuring the Web Server Interface" of WAS4.0 Redbook.

[Veena Rani]

Thanks Balbir.
Its working now
Veena

[pjoisha]

Thanks Balbir ....PJ

[Web Sphere]

I am installing Websphere 4.0.4 where the iPlanet 6.0 Webserver is on another server.
I installed the WAS plugin on the webserver. The problem I am running into is Websphere assumes the config files are the same as for iPlanet 4.1 and they are not.
I already moved the Init fn= lines from obj.conf to magnus.conf. Not sure what other changes I need to make to configure the Webserver to run the sample snoop app. I also plan to have 2 Webservers load-balancing between 2 instances of Websphere on 2 different servers.
I have been having difficulty finding info on this type of configuration online. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Thibaud Chevalier]

Hi,
I'm currently trying to use WebSphere 4.0.3 on a machine and iPlanet on a second one. I'm very interesting by yours answers.
But, what do you mean exactly by "thin installation of WAE?"
G upil

[Veena Rani]

Thin installation of WAS means , you have to choose only web server plug-in component when installing the WAS on the m/c where you have installed your web server.
Veena

[Thibaud Chevalier]

Thank you,
It Works!
G upil

[Pavani Amaravadi]

Hi, I too am using Websphere and iplanet for the first time. I am very confused at this stage. I have iPlanet with Websphere Thin installation (Websphere plugin for iPlanet ONLY and Admin server, no console) on Mac A.
I have my application server (WITHOUT IBM http server) installed on Mac B.
I have generated Plugin-cfg.xml file on Mac B and copied it into a folder on Mac A. I pointed to this xml file in magnus.conf of iPlanet. I added Service.... "as_handlet" in obj.conf.
My applications statc content is on iPlanet and all dynamic requests must be routed to my app server on Mac B. But, routing request does not happen.
Can you please let me know if I am missing out something.
I am using Websphere 5.0 FP2 and iPlanet 6.0
This is a critical task in my project now. Please help me ASAP.