Migrating a large WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment configuration with a large number of applications

If you have an existing WebSphere® Application Server Network Deployment configuration with a significant number of large applications and you must meet a specific maintenance window for migration, you might have some difficulty if you use the standard migration scenario. In this case, you might want to copy the resources in the configuration tree from a Version 6.1 or later deployment manager configuration to a Version 8.5 deployment-manager management profile but defer adding applications to the Version 8.5 profile so that you can continue managing the environment using the Version 6.1 or later deployment manager.

Before you begin

Supported configurations:

This topic is about configuration migration, such as migrating deployment managers and federated nodes in a network deployment environment. The Application Migration Toolkit for WebSphere Application Server provides support for migrating applications from previous versions of WebSphere Application Server to the latest product version. For information about migrating applications, read more about the Migration Toolkit.

Tip: To avoid possible connection-timeout problems, modify the connection-timeout value before running the WASPostUpgrade command to migrate the federated nodes in a cell containing many small applications, a few large applications, or one very large application. If you use a SOAP connector, for example, perform the following actions:

Go to the following location in the Version 8.5 directory for the profile to which you are migrating your federated node:
```
profile_root/properties 
```
Open the soap.client.props file in that directory and find the value for the com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout property. This is the timeout value in seconds. The default value is 180 seconds.
Change the value of com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout to make it large enough to migrate your configuration. For example, the following entry would give you a timeout value of a half of an hour:
```
com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout=1800
```
Note: Select the smallest timeout value that will meet your needs. Be prepared to wait for at least three times the timeout that you select—once to download files to the backup directory, once to upload the migrated files to the deployment manager, and once to synchronize the deployment manager with the migrated node agent.
Go to the following location in the backup directory that was created by the WASPreUpgrade command:
```
backupDirectory/profiles/profile_name/properties
```
Open the soap.client.props file in that directory and find the value for the com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout property:
Change the value of com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout to the same value that you used in the Version 8.5 file.

Read Overview of migration, coexistence, and interoperability and Premigration considerations. For resources to help you plan and perform your migration, visit Knowledge Collection: Migration planning for WebSphere Application Server.

About this task

You can use this strategy to satisfy your specific maintenance-window requirement by building the full WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5 WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment configuration in the background while the existing topology is still running and being managed.

For help in troubleshooting problems when migrating, read Troubleshooting migration.

Procedure

Make sure that the WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 or later deployment manager is running and managing the existing environment, and make sure that no Version 8.5 deployment manager is running.
This is important in order to prevent two different deployment managers from trying to manage the same environment.
Run the WASPreUpgrade command.
- Run the WASPreUpgrade command from the Version 8.5 app_server_root/bin directory.
- Specify the name of the Version 6.1 or later migration backup directory.
- Specify the name of the Version 6.1 or later WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment installation.
- Optional: Specify the name of a specific instance or profile to be migrated from a previous version of WebSphere Application Server.
- Optional: Specify the location of user preferences for the administrative console for one or more profiles.
For example:
```
WASPreUpgrade /WAS6.1_backup_directory /WAS6.1_install_directory
```
For a full explanation of the WASPreUpgrade command and its parameters, read WASPreUpgrade command.
Run the WASPostUpgrade command.
- Run the WASPostUpgrade command from the Version 8.5 app_server_root/bin directory.
- Specify the name of the Version 6.1 or later migration backup directory.
- Specify -includeApps script.
  This will not migrate your applications, but it will create some scripts that you can run later to install your applications
- Specify -keepDmgrEnabled true.
- Specify any other options that you want.
For example:
```
WASPostUpgrade /WAS6.1_backup_directory -profileName dmgr_profile_name 
  -includeApps script -keepDmgrEnabled true
```
For a full explanation of the WASPostUpgrade command and its parameters, read WASPostUpgrade command.

At this point, you can exit the maintenance window and still manage the environment using the WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 or later deployment manager.
Customize the administration files.
1. Go to the migration backup directory location that contains the generated administration files.
2. Combine and tailor the administration files as needed.
  This might include grouping applications together in some administration files or specifying the installedApplications directory using the installed.ear.destination parameter .
Run the wsadmin command to install the applications.
- Install the applications in the Version 8.5 configuration during either normal operations or in applicable maintenance windows.
- Specify -conntype NONE. For example:
```
wsadmin -f application_script -conntype NONE
```
After all applications have been installed, you are ready to start using the WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5 deployment manager.
Stop the WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1 or later deployment manager.
This is important in order to prevent two different deployment managers from trying to manage the same environment.

You can do this in a number of ways. One easy way is to rename the serverindex.xml file in the node directory of the Version 6.1 or later deployment manager to something else.
Start the WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5 deployment manager.
Start the deployment manager from its profile_root/bin directory. For example:
```
startManager   
```

Results

At this point, the WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5 deployment manager should be running and the normal application synchronization should occur.

You can follow either of the following procedures:

Migrate the entire cell before installing the applications.
Perform the following actions:
1. Install the applications and leave the cell in a mixed state.
2. When you are ready, modify the connection-timeout values (as described in the tip at the beginning of this article) before running the WASPostUpgrade command to migrate the federated nodes.