This blog contains experience gained over the years of implementing (and de-implementing) large scale IT applications/software.

Tag: WebSphere

IBM WebSphere IHS Plugin Hostname Cookies Conundrum

Whilst attempting to set up IBM WebSphere with a remote IBM HTTP Server (IHS) using the WAS Plugin, I was hitting an issue whereby cookies would only be served to the client browser when accessing the IHS server using the real host name and not the DNS alias I had created.

After 2 days of trying different combinations of configuration, I finally found this article here:
The host name DNS alias I had created used underscores.
Whilst this is permitted in the system, it is not a valid host name accord to the IETF RFCs, and therefore no cookies are served/retrievable by the WebSphere application server.
In short, always use hyphens instead of underscores in your WAS or IHS DNS aliases.

IBM WebSphere 6.1.0 GUI Install on RHEL 4.5

If you have been given the opportunity to install IBM WebSphere 6.1.0 on RedHat Enterprise Linux 4.5, then you may be wondering why you can’t get the GUI installer to launch using the X-Windows terminal you’ve painstakingly enabled.

Well, the answer is simple; unless you are on the console, then you can’t.  That is, you must be on DISPLAY “:0.0”.
If your sys admin is denying you access, or it’s a VM and you’re not allowed console access, then you’re also stuck.

The only other solution is to use the response files provided in the install directory of the installation media.
Customise the response file and then run the install.sh in silent mode.
There is a very helpful IBM help page on how to do all of this here: https://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v6r1/topic/com.ibm.websphere.base.doc/info/aes/ae/tins_runSilent.html

Good luck.

ps. It presents a more systematic, repeatable approach to installing an environment if you use response files.  No mistakes, same every time.
What’s more, you can also silently install the “UpdateInstaller” and also the FixPacks.