Creating application servers

During the installation process, the product creates a default application server, named server1. Most installations require several application servers to handle the application serving needs of their production environment. You can use the command-line tool or the administrative console to create additional application servers.

About this task

To create a new application server that is not part of a cluster, you can either use the createApplicationServer, createWebServer, or createGenericServer wsadmin command, or you can use the administrative console.

To create a new application server that is not part of a cluster, you can either use the Profile Management tool, the createApplicationServer, createWebServer, or createGenericServer wsadmin command, or you can use the administrative console.

If you are migrating from a previous version of the product, you can upgrade a portion of the nodes in a cell, while leaving others at the previous product level. This means that, for a period of time, you might be managing servers that are running at two different release levels in the same cell. However, when you create a new server definition, you must use a server configuration template, and that template must be created from a server instance that matches the version of the node for which you are creating the server.

There are no restrictions on what you can do with the servers running on the more current release level.

Avoid trouble: If you are using a global resource serialization (GRS) ring to attach one or more monoplexes to a sysplex environment, the cell name of any servers running in any of the monoplexes must be unique within the entire GRS environment. This requirement means that the cell name of a server running in any of the monoplexes:

• Must be different than the cell name of any servers running in the sysplex
• Must be different than the cell name of any servers running in another monoplex that is attached to the sysplex

If you have servers with duplicate cell names within the GRS environment, WebSphere Application Server cannot differentiate between the sysplex cell and the monoplex cell, and treats both servers as part of the same cell, This inaccurate cell association typically causes unpredictable processing results.

Avoid trouble: If you use additional servers with unique ports, WebSphere® Application Server does not automatically configure the virtual host for the server. Specifically, WebSphere Application Server does not automatically add the host alias ports to a virtual host. However, you can use the administrative console to add a new host alias for each of the ports that are used by the new server. For more information, see the documentation about configuring virtual hosts.

Complete the following steps if you want to use the administrative console to create a new application server that is not part of a cluster.

1. In the administrative console, click Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > New.

   The Create a new application server wizard starts.

2. Select a node for the application server.
3. Enter a name for the application server. The name must be unique within the node.
4. Click Next.
5. Select a server template for the new server.

   You can use a default application server template for your new server, or you can use the template that is optimized for development uses. The new application server inherits all of the configuration settings of the template server.

6. Click Next.

   By default, this option is enabled. If you select this option, then you might need to update the alias list for the virtual host that you plan to use with this server to contain these new port values. If you deselect this option, then ensure that the default port values do not conflict with other servers on the same physical machine.

7. Select Generate unique HTTP ports if you want the wizard to generate unique ports for the application server.
8. Optional: Click Next and specify a short name for the server.

   The short name is also used as the JOBNAME for the server. If you do not specify a value for the short name field, the short name defaults to BBOSnnn, where nnn is the first free number in the cell that can be used to create a unique short name. For example, if default short names are already assigned to two other servers in the cell, the short name BBOS003 will be assigned to this server if you do not specify a short name when you create this server

   Avoid trouble: Make sure that you set up a RACF® SERVER class profile that includes this short name.
9. Optional: Specify a generic short name for the server.

   The generic short name for the server becomes the cluster transition name. If you do not specify a value for the generic short name field, the generic short name defaults to BBOCnnn, where nnn is the first free number in the cell that can be used to create a unique generic short name. For example, if default generic short names are already assigned to three other servers in the cell, the generic short name BBOC004 is assigned to this server if you do not specify a generic short name when you create this server.

   Avoid trouble: Make sure that you set up a RACF SERVER class profile that includes this generic short name.
10. Click Next. Review the settings for the new server.
11. If you want to change any of the settings, click Previous until you return to a page where you can change that setting.
12. Click Finish when you do not want to make any additional changes.
13. Click Review, select Synchronize changes with nodes, and then click Save to save your changes.
14. Optional: Run the updateZOSStartArgs script to enable an application server to use the z/OS reusable ASID function, if it is not already enabled for the node that is associated with this application server.

    This function enables an application server to reuse all ASIDs, including those that are associated with cross-process services.

    Avoid trouble: Before running this script, verify that you are running on z/OS Version 1.9 or higher, and that the reuse ASID function is enabled during the z/OS startup process. If the function is not enabled on z/OS, running this script has no affect on how ASIDs are handled.