IBM WebSphere v5.0 System Administration

From the Back Cover
Make the most of completely revamped administration tools in WebSphere Version 5

IBM WebSphere Version 5 offers a completely rewritten, radically improved infrastructure for administering servers and applications. Now, its creators have written the definitive WebSphere Version 5 administration reference and tutorial: everything you need to manage WebSphere to the highest levels of performance and efficiency.

The authors systematically cover all four WebSphere administration toolsets: command-line utilities, the new Administrative Console, scripting tools, and Java management APIs. You’ll find a complete library of code examples, plus powerful new insider’s tips for maximizing your productivity as a WebSphere administrator.

Whether you’re managing WebSphere Version 5 or incorporating administrative support into new WebSphere applications, this book provides you with the techniques, examples, and tips you need to do it right. Fundamentals of WebSphere administration: servers, nodes, node agents, cells, clusters, and the deployment manager Revamped package structure of WebSphere Version 5 and its implications Process internals, distributed administration features, administrative security, and XML configuration file structure Command-line tools: a complete reference with practical examples Web-based graphical management with the new Administrative Console Scripting the management features of WebSphere Version 5 with wsadmin Writing custom management programs Extending the native WebSphere administrative system with new managed options Using Java administrative APIs to manage WebSphere applications from other products Sum Includes extensive code examples, real-world scenarios, and best practices



About the Author

Leigh Williamson led the design and implementation of the WebSphere Version 5 new administrative architecture.

Lavena Chan’s areas of expertise include install, GUI, application management, and scripting.

Roger Cundiff was the first development team member for application server management at IBM in Austin, Texas, and continues to work on WebSphere systems management there.

Shawn Lauzon is working on the next release of WebSphere with Aspect-Oriented Software Design.

Christopher C. Mitchell, lead architect for WebSphere console and configuration, has led WebSphere development teams through several releases.



Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

This book is part of a series intended to extend your understanding of WebSphere Application Server Version 5. It was written by some of the same team that created the administrative functions of the WebSphere Version 5 product. A great deal of effort went into the WebSphere product, and we put the same effort into making this book. You will find many pieces of inside information about how the administrative tools work and how to get the most from the product on a day-to-day basis.Intended Audience for This Book

Administration of a product as sophisticated as WebSphere Application Server Version 5 can mean many things to different people. Some people just want to install their applications and run them. Others need to understand the details of the product architecture to plan deployment of their environment. Still others want to write custom Java code that controls one or more instances of WebSphere.

The primary target audience for this book is the administrator who wants to learn about all of the tools shipped with WebSphere Version 5 and how to make the most of those tools. As the title implies, this is a handbook for product administrators. We have tried to create a book that administrators will keep by their side, ready to consult at a moment’s notice to recall the details of any specific task.

Substantial information is included about the Java programming interfaces for administration, and those who are interested in writing their own custom administration programs in Java should be able to use the material in Chapter 6 to accomplish this. However, the primary focus of the book is to help the administrator use the tools available with the product out of the box.

The focus of this handbook is on the how, more than the why. We attempt to compile information about how to perform any of the administrative tasks available for the product, using any of the several tools that come with WebSphere. Another book in this series, IBM® WebSphere®: Deployment and Advanced Configuration (forthcoming Prentice Hall, 2005), discusses many of the best practices for product deployment strategies, particularly in large enterprise-scale environments. In this administrator’s handbook, we attempt to cover the details of how to accomplish each task involved in the various strategies described in that and other books.What You Need to Know Before Reading This Book

To get the most out of this book, you should have an understanding of basic J2EE concepts. This book does not go into the details of J2EE application components or their development. Another book in this series, Enterprise Java™ Programming with IBM® WebSphere™, Second Edition (Addison-Wesley, 2004), is an ideal book to read to learn about the J2EE architecture and development techniques.

To get the most from Chapter 6 of this book, you should know the Java language and how to create and run general-purpose programs (not necessarily J2EE applications) in Java. Because this chapter describes how to create a program that performs administrative functions for WebSphere Version 5, and because all Version 5 administrative tasks are based on Java Management Extensions (JMX), you will be able to get more from the chapter if you have some familiarity with JMX and the JMX programming style. Several books in print currently provide a good foundation in this subject, including Java™ and JMX: Building Manageable Systems (Addison-Wesley, 2003).Software Needed for the Examples

The only software needed to test the sample code in the book is the WebSphere Application Server Version 5 product itself. Most examples work in the Base Application Server edition, although some examples require the Network Deployment edition and these are indicated in the text. The required software (WebSphere Application Server Version 5) is available on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

IBM's WebSphere Version 5 offers a completely rewritten, radically improved infrastructure for administering servers and applications. Now, its creators have written the definitive WebSphere Version 5 administration reference and tutorial. IBM™ WebSphere™ System Administration, gives you everything you need to manage WebSphere to the highest levels of performance and efficiency.

The authors systematically cover all four WebSphere administration toolsets: command-line utilities, the new Administrative Console, scripting tools, and Java management APIs. You'll find a complete library of code examples, plus powerful new insider's tips for maximizing your productivity as a WebSphere administrator. Coverage includes:Fundamentals of WebSphere administration: servers, nodes, node agents, cells, clusters, and the deployment managerWebSphere Version 5's revamped package structure and its implicationsProcess internals, distributed administration features, administrative security, and XML configuration file structureCommand-line tools: a complete reference with practical examplesWeb-based graphical management with the new Administrative Console Scripting WebSphere Version 5's management feature set with wsadminWriting custom management programs Extending the native WebSphere administrative system with new managed optionsUsing Java administrative APIs to manage WebSphere applications from other productsIncludes extensive code examples, real-world scenarios, and best practices