Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Server Concepts for ... · Source: WebSphere Application Server V7: Concepts, Planning, and design In simpler terms, the node agent's purpose

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Overview of IBM WebSphereApplication Server Concepts for IBMLotus Connections AdministratorsAuthor: Jessica Piziak, IBM WPLC Support Education

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Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Terminology for IBMLotus Connections Administrators

In this document you will learn about IBM® WebSphere® Application Server terminology and how it isused in an IBM Lotus® Connections environment.

Time needed

It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete this content.

Prerequisites and system requirements

There are no prerequisites or system requirements for this content. No prior WebSphere ApplicationServer knowledge is required.

Learning topics

The following learning topics are addressed:v Define terminology related to WebSphere Application Server architecture.v Describe the function of a WebSphere Application Server Profile.v Define WebSphere Application Server terminology related to Lotus Connections topologies.v Describe the use of WebSphere Application Server profiles with Lotus Connections.

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IBM WebSphere Application Server Terminology

Learning topics

After reading this section, you should be able to:v Define terminology related to WebSphere Application Server architecture.v Describe the function of a WebSphere Application Server Profile.

The ABC's of IBM WebSphere Application ServerIn this section, you will learn about commonly used WebSphere Application Server architectural terms.

The following diagram shows one possible architecture of a WebSphere Application Server environment:

Below, you will find definitions for each of the terms shown in the graphic above.

Application Server

2 Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Server Concepts for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators

According to the WebSphere Application Server Glossary, an application server is "a server programin a distributed network that provides the execution environment for an application program."

More specifically:

The application server is the primary runtime component in all configurations and is wherean application actually executes. All WebSphere Application Server configurations can haveone or more application servers. ... With Network Deployment, you can build a distributedserver environment consisting of multiple application servers maintained from a centraladministration point. In a distributed server environment, you can cluster applicationservers for workload distribution.

Source: WebSphere Application Server V6 Technical Overview

Cell

The WebSphere Application Server Glossary defines a cell as: "A group of managed processes thatare federated to the same deployment manager and can include high-availability core groups."

The IBM Redbooks® publication WebSphere Application Server V7: Concepts, Planning, and designprovides the following, more detailed, explanation:

A cell is a grouping of nodes into a single administrative domain. ... In a NetworkDeployment environment, a cell can consist of multiple nodes (and node groups), which areall administered from a single point, the deployment manager. If your cell configurationcontains nodes running on the same platform, it is called a homogeneous cell. It is alsopossible to have a cell made up of nodes on mixed platforms. This is referred to as aheterogeneous cell.

Cluster

A cluster is defined as "a group of application servers that collaborate for the purposes ofworkload balancing and failover" in the WebSphere Application Server Glossary.

In other words:

... A cluster is a logical collection of application server processes that provides workloadbalancing and high availability. Application servers that belong to a cluster are members ofthat cluster and must all have identical application components deployed on them. Otherthan the applications configured to run on them, cluster members do not have to share anyother configuration data. For example, one cluster member might be running on a largemulti-processor server while another member of that same cluster might be running on asmall mobile computer. The server configuration settings for each of these two clustermembers is very different, except in the area of the application components that areassigned to them. In that area of configuration, they are identical. The members of a clustercan be located on a single node (vertical cluster), across multiple nodes (horizontal cluster),or on a combination of the two. When you install, update, or delete an application, theupdates are automatically distributed to all members in the cluster.

Source: WebSphere Application Server V6 Technical Overview

Deployment Manager

A Deployment Manager is "a server that manages operations for a logical group or cell of otherservers," as stated in the WebSphere Application Server Glossary.

A more detailed explanation is that the deployment manager is:

... the central administration point of a cell that consists of multiple nodes and node groupsin a distributed server configuration. ... The deployment manager uses the node agent tomanage the application servers within one node. A deployment manager provides

Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Terminology for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators 3

management capability for multiple federated nodes and can manage nodes that spanmultiple systems and platforms. A node can only be managed by a single deploymentmanager and must be federated to the cell of that deployment manager. The configurationand application files for all nodes in the cell are centralized into a master configurationrepository. This centralized repository is managed by the deployment manager andsynchronized with local copies that are held on each of the nodes.

Source: WebSphere Application Server V7: Concepts, Planning, and design

Node

As defined in the WebSphere Application Server Glossary, a node is "a logical grouping ofmanaged servers."

In particular:

A node is an administrative grouping of application servers for configuration andoperational management within one operating system instance (virtualization allowsmultiple operating systems on one machine). It is possible to create multiple nodes insideone operating system instance, but a node cannot leave the operating system boundaries. Ina stand-alone application server configuration, there is only one node. With NetworkDeployment, you can configure a distributed server environment consisting of multiplenodes, which are managed from one central administration server.

Source: WebSphere Application Server V7: Concepts, Planning, and design

Node Agent

A Node Agent is "an administrative agent that manages all application servers on a node andrepresents the node in the management cell" according to the WebSphere Application ServerGlossary

In addition:

In distributed server configurations, each node has a node agent that works with thedeployment manager to manage administration processes... A node agent is createdautomatically when you add (federate) a stand-alone node to a cell. It is not included in theBase and Express® configurations.

Source: WebSphere Application Server V7: Concepts, Planning, and design

In simpler terms, the node agent's purpose is to pass information between the deploymentmanager and the application server.

Profile

A profile is "an instance of a WebSphere Application Server configuration."

More specifically:

Profiles are collections of user files. They share core product files. A profile contains its own set ofscripts, its own environment, and its own repository. Each profile is stored in a unique directorypath selected by the user at profile creation time. Profiles are stored in a subdirectory of theinstallation directory by default, but they can be located anywhere.

WebSphere Profiles were introduced in WebSphere Application Server v6.0. One main advantageof profiles is that they allow an administrator to have multiple application servers on a singlemachine that all use the same binaries from one install of WebSphere Application Server.

Administration is greatly enhanced when using profiles instead of multiple product installations.Not only is disk space saved, but updating the product is simplified when you maintain a single

4 Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Server Concepts for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators

set of product core files. Also, creating new profiles is more efficient and less prone to error thanfull product installations, allowing a developer to create separate profiles of the product fordevelopment and testing.

Templates for several types of profiles are provided with WebSphere Application Server NetworkDeployment:v Cell

– This environment creates two profiles:- A management profile with a deployment manager- An application server profile added (federated) to the management profile

v Management– A management profile provides components for managing multiple application server

environments. Possible profiles are as follows:- Deployment manager- Administrative agent- Job manager

v Application server– An application server profile runs your enterprise applications and makes them available to

the internet or to an intranet. It contains a stand-alone application server.v Custom

– A custom profile contains an empty node with no servers. However, a server can be addedafter the profile is created.

v Secure proxy (configuration-only)– A secure proxy (configuration-only) profile is for use with a DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ)

secure proxy server. This configuration-only profile is intended only to be used to configurethe profile using the Integrated Solutions Console. After you configure the profile, you canexport the profile configuration and then import it into the secure proxy profile in yourDMZ. Secure proxy (configuration-only) profile is only an administrative component.

Source: WebSphere Application Server V7: Concepts, Planning, and design

For more information on profiles, watch the IBM Education Assistant module WebSphere Profiles

The following screen capture shows where profiles, cells, nodes, and servers are found in asimple WebSphere Application Server deployment with no Lotus products installed:

Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Terminology for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators 5

Note: The colors of the boxes correspond to the color scheme of the first graphic.

The following screen capture shows where profiles, cells, nodes, and servers are found in aWebSphere Application Server deployment, with no Lotus products installed, that uses aDeployment Manager:

6 Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Server Concepts for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators

Note: The colors of the boxes correspond to the color scheme of the first graphic.

WebSphere Application Server terminology in the context of LotusConnectionsIn this section you will learn how the WebSphere Application Server components that you learned aboutin the previous part come into play with Lotus Connections.

Learning topics

v Define WebSphere Application Server terminology related to Lotus Connections topologies.v Describe the use of WebSphere Application Server profiles with Lotus Connections.

You will explore the following configurations of Lotus Connections:v Stand-alonev Network Deployment

Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Terminology for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators 7

The following graphics show how profiles, cells, nodes, and servers are used in a WebSphere ApplicationServer configuration with Lotus Connections installed:

In the first graphic, Lotus Connections is installed in an advanced stand-alone configuration with allLotus Connections features installed on one machine, but across multiple server instances:

Note that there is a single Cell, Node and Profile, but two application servers running on that profilewith each server running two applications.

In the second graphic, Lotus Connections is installed using the Network Deployment option. In theconfiguration shown, subsets of application servers and applications are installed into separate clusters.

8 Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Server Concepts for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators

Note the following:v There is a single cell for this configuration, even though it is spread across several machines.v The deployment manager is installed on a separate machine from the nodes that it manages.v Each WebSphere Application Server installation has a single node and profile, but the servers running

Lotus Connections applications each have two application servers and two applications configured.

The following graphic shows where the WebSphere Application Server components are found at theOperating System level when Lotus Connections is installed using the Network Deployment option:

Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Terminology for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators 9

Note: The colors of the boxes correspond to the color scheme of the architecture graphics.

10 Overview of IBM WebSphere Application Server Concepts for IBM Lotus Connections Administrators

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