Configuring an instance of IBM HTTP Server on the z/OS system

You can configure an instance of IBM® HTTP Server on the z/OS® operating system. IBM HTTP Server Version 9 for WebSphere® Application Server for z/OS is a base element of z/OS V2R2 and later. You must configure an instance of IBM HTTP Server on the z/OS operating system after installing.

Before you begin

Attention: IBM HTTP Server version 9.0 now installs with the base operating system on z/OS V2R2 and later. No separate installation is required. IBM HTTP Server version 9 installs in the /usr/lpp/ihsa_zos directory. You can perform a separate installation of IBM HTTP Server version 9.0 installing the base operating system on z/OS V2R1 and earlier using the IBM Installation Manager. For details on a separate installation, refer to Installing IBM HTTP Server for WebSphere Application Server for z/OS. After the installation, you then run the install_ihs script to create an instance of IBM HTTP Server version 9.0.

Prior to using the installer program:

Create a System Authorization Facility (SAF) user ID and group for IBM HTTP Server. For more information, see Performing required z/OS system configuration.
The examples that follow in this topic assume a server user ID of WWWSERV and a server group of WWWGROUP.
If you are using IBM HTTP Server with WebSphere Application Server, create an installation directory for the configuration files for the server instance. For more information, see the topic about migrating and installing IBM HTTP Server on z/OS systems.
The examples that follow in this topic assume an installation directory of /etc/websrv1. Set the directory permissions to 770 and the directory ownership to the server user ID and group:
```
mkdir  /etc/websrv1 
chown  WWWSERV:WWWGROUP /etc/websrv1
chmod 770 /etc/websrv1
```
If you are installing the product for the first time, then enable the administrative console to modify the httpd.conf file by adding the WebSphere Application Server control region user ID to the IBM HTTP Server group using SAF. For example, to add a user ASCR1 to the group WWWGROUP, type the following command:
```
CONNECT ASCR1 GROUP (WWWGROUP) OWNER (WWWGROUP)
```

Attention: IBM HTTP Server on z/OS V2R2 installs with the base operating system and no separate installation is required. For older releases of z/OS, follow the IBM Installation Manager information in this topic.

About this task

Using the installer program, perform the following tasks to install a running instance of IBM HTTP Server for z/OS on your machine.

Procedure

Log in to the z/OS UNIX System Services shell with the user ID that runs the installer.
(See the Before you begin section for this topic.) Change the directory to the IBM HTTP Server product code directory:
```
cd /usr/lpp/IHSA/V8R5
```
Set the umask value to 022 by specifying umask 022.
To verify that the umask value is set to 022, run the umask command.
Run the installer program to install the product files into the installation directory, perform initial customization, and create symbolic links from the installation directory to the product directory.
Note: With the -31 parameter, bin/install_sh creates the same directory structure and files as they do without the parameter, but all links point to the .31bit path in the IHS installation path. All references to the executable, such as apachectl, stay the same.
Four parameters can be used to invoke the installer program.
- Optional: The -admin keyword, which allows you to use the administrative console to modify the httpd.conf file.
- The installation directory for the server instance. This must not be the same as the product directory.
- Optional: The non-SSL port for the web server. The default port is 80. You can also change the port on the Listen directive.
- If you are using IBM HTTP Server with WebSphere Application Server, if directed by a dependent product or component to create a 31-bit instance of IHS, pass the -31 parameter to bin/install_ihs. This results in an instance directory that is configured to point to 31-bit executables. Never directly reference the .31bit sub-directory of an read-only installation or (64-bit) instance directory.
You can invoke the command with or without support for modifying thehttpd.conf file from the WebSphere Application Server administration console (-admin). For both examples, /etc/websrv1 is the installation directory, and 80 is the non-SSL port for the Web server.
- This example invokes the command with support for modifying the httpd.conf file.
```
bin/install_ihs -admin /etc/websrv1 80
```
- This example invokes the command without support for modifying the httpd.conf file.
```
bin/install_ihs /etc/websrv1 80
```
Note: If your product directory path contains symbolic links, point the symbolic links to the following default product directory: /usr/lpp/IHSA/V8R5. If you do not use the default product directory, you must invoke the installation script using its absolute path, such as /WebSphere/8.5/SMPE/bin/install_ihs. If you do not use of the two options, IBM HTTP Server creates physical links, not logical links, when it creates the symbolic links for the installation directory.
Optional: You can start the IBM HTTP Server instance from the MVS™ console by creating a JCL cataloged procedure for the instance. For more information, see the topic about using JCL procedures to start IBM HTTP Server on z/OS. Ensure that the JCL procedure is assigned to the user and group you defined for IBM HTTP Server. For more information, see Performing required z/OS system configuration. This step is required if you are using the administrative console to start and stop IBM HTTP Server.

Warning: The PARM value on your JCL cataloged procedure is limited to 100 characters. Since the PARM value contains the installation directory (&DIR), the total length could exceed the 100 character limit if the directory path is too long. The path name length needs to be taken into consideration when choosing the installation directory. If the installation directory path name is too long, it is possible to use a shorter named path in the JCL that is symbolically linked to the original installation directory path name.
Optional: You can create multiple instances of IBM HTTP Server by running the IBM HTTP Server installer program more than once.
However, you must specify a different installation directory each time you run the installer program.

Results

Perform the following steps to confirm that you have successfully installed a running version of the product on your machine:

Log in to the OMVS shell using the server user ID. Verify that the server user ID has a non-zero UID value. Change the directory to the server instance's installation directory:
```
cd /etc/websrv1
```
Run the following commands to verify the installation of the program: apachectl -v and apachectl configtest
The following sample output is an example of a successful program installation:
```
# bin/apachectl -v
Server version: IBM_HTTP_Server/8.5.0.0 (Unix)
Server built:   Jan  9 2012 11:20:34
# bin/apachectl configtest
Syntax OK
```
The actual version string and build date varies.
Start IBM HTTP Server.
```
bin/apachectl start
```
Point a web browser to the IP name or address of your z/OS system, using either the non-SSL port number you specified when running the installer program, or the default port of 80. You should see the IBM HTTP Server default home page.
Stop IBM HTTP Server by running the following command:
```
bin/apachectl stop
```

What to do next

If you are using IBM HTTP Server with WebSphere Application Server, install and configure the WebSphere Application Server plug-in for IBM HTTP Server
For information about editing the IBM HTTP Server configuration file, httpd.conf, and information about supported Apache modules, see the topic about configuring IBM HTTP Server.
Typical changes that you can make to the configuration file are:
- Edit the DocumentRoot directive to point to the Web pages for your site.
- Enable the WebSphere Application Server plug-in for IBM HTTP Server by adding the following directives to the end of httpd.conf:
```
LoadModule was_ap22_module  <plugin_config_hfs>/bin/mod_was_ap22_http.so
WebSpherePluginConfig /path/to/existing/plugin-cfg.xml
```
  If the plug-in configuration file has been used with a WebSphere Application Server Version 5.0 or 5.1 plug-in, then the file is in EBCDIC. Before using the file with this WebSphere Application Server Version 6.0 or higher plug-in, you need to convert it to ASCII. The following example is for converting the plug-in configuration file from EBCDIC to ASCII:
```
$ iconv -f IBM1047 -t ISO8859-1 < /path/to/existing/plugin-cfg.xml \
> /path/to/ascii/plugin-cfg.xml
```
- Enable SSL support by adding the following directives to the end of httpd.conf:
```
LoadModule ibm_ssl_module modules/mod_ibm_ssl.so
Listen 443
<VirtualHost *:443>
SSLEnable
</VirtualHost>
SSLDisable
Keyfile /saf saf-keyring-name
```
  The Keyfile directive can instead specify an HFS file name using the syntax: Keyfile /path/to/keyfile.kdb. The .sth file must be in the same directory as the .kdb file. For more information, see tihs_setupssl.html and rihs_ssldirs.html.
- Enable mod_status by removing the comment delimiter in the default configuration file highlighted in the following example:
```
<IfModule mod_status.c>
ExtendedStatus On
</IfModule>
...
#<Location /server-status>
#    SetHandler server-status
#    Order deny,allow
#    Deny from all
#    Allow from .example.com
#</Location> 
```
  If you want to restrict access to specific networks, uncomment the sample mod_access configuration, but modify the Allow from directive to specify the proper domain or network.
- You can install the Web server to an HFS shared R/W by multiple hosts in a sysplex.
  There are special configuration requirements for components of the Web server which utilize AF_UNIX sockets. AF_UNIX sockets are not supported by an HFS which are shared R/W, so configuration directives are used to place the AF_UNIX sockets on a filesystem owned by the host on which the Web server runs.
  - If mod_ibm_ssl is loaded, use the SSLCachePortFilename directive to specify a file on a filesystem owned by the local host.
  - If mod_fastcgi is loaded, use the FastCGIIpcDir directive to specify a directory on a filesystem owned by the local host.
If you are using IBM HTTP Server with WebSphere Application Server, add support for the administrative console after the initial installation.
- Run the bin/enable_admin script to set the permissions needed to modify the httpd.conf file from the administrative console.
- To modify the httpd.conf file from the administrative console, you must add the control region user ID to the IBM HTTP Server group using SAF. For example, to add a user ASCR1 to the group WWWGROUP, type the following command:
```
CONNECT ASCR1 GROUP (WWWGROUP) OWNER (WWWGROUP)
```
- To use the administrative console to start and stop IBM HTTP Server, you must create a cataloged JCL procedure. For information, see the topic about using JCL procedures to start IBM HTTP Server on z/OS. Ensure that the JCL procedure is assigned to the user and group you defined for IBM HTTP Server. For more information, see Performing required z/OS system configuration.