DB2 UDB V8 and WebSphere V5. Performance Tuning and Operations Guide2004

2.4 WebSphere Application Server V5 tools

A number of tools in graphical and non-graphical user interfaces are provided by IBM WebSphere Application Server. In the following sections, we introduce you to some very useful product GUI tools as well as some key scripting and command-line tools. For a complete list of available commands and their detailed information please refer to the WebSphere Application Server V5 InfoCenter at:

http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/infocenter.html

2.4.1 Tools for installing, upgrading, and migrating

This subsection provides information about the tools available in WebSphere Application Server V5 for installation, upgrade and migration purpose.

First Steps

First Steps is a post-installation ease-of-use tool for directing WebSphere Application Server elements from one place. Options dynamically appear on the First Steps panel, depending on the features you install. With all options present, you can use First Steps to start or stop the application server, verify the installation, access the InfoCenter, run the Application Assembly Tool, access the administrative console, access the Samples Gallery, or launch the product registration.

First Steps starts automatically at the end of the installation. If it is not running, start First Steps from the IBM WebSphere menu, select Application Server v5.0 -> First Steps, or you could invoke it from the command line:

• On Windows platforms: install_root\bin\firststeps.bat

• On UNIX-based server platforms: install_root/bin/firststeps.sh

Launch Pad

This is a graphical interface for launching the product installation. It also provides links to information that you might need for installation.

Installation wizard

This is a graphical interface that leads you through the process of installing the product.

Migration tools

Command-line tools, such as WASPreUpgrade and WASPostUpgrade, are available to help you migrate from a previous product version.

2.4.2 Tools for assembling applications

Assembling is a necessary packaging and configuration step prior to deploying an application onto the server. IBM WebSphere Application Server also provides a couple of tools to assist you in these types of works.

Application Assembly Tool

The Application Assembly Tool (AAT) assembles enterprise applications for deployment. For more information, see Applications -> Assembly tools -> Assembling applications in IBM WebSphere Application Server V5 InfoCenter.

Deployment tool

The AAT calls this command-line tool to generate code for deployment. You can generate code for deployment by either using the Application Assembly Tool (AAT) or by using the Deployment Tool for Enterprise Java Beans (ejbdeploy) from a command prompt.

Application Client Resource Configuration Tool

Use this tool to configure deployment descriptors that define the resources needed by application clients.

clientUpgrade

Use this tool to migrate client Java archive (JAR) files from the J2EE 1.2 specification to the J2EE 1.3 specification.

2.4.3 Tools for deploying and administering

Deployment is the activity in which applications are placed onto application servers. In a WebSphere Application Server V5 environment, there are a few tools available to help you to deploy applications without needing to customize the application code for each server environment.

Systems administration tools

A couple of available systems administration tools exist, including the graphical WebSphere Administrative Console, the WSAdmin scripting client, and other command-line tools to speed up your deployment of applications and facilitate the administration of the system. For more details, please refer to the System Administration topic in the WebSphere Application Server V5 InfoCenter.

LaunchClient command

This command-line tool starts application clients. It could be invoked from a command line via launchClient.

XML-SOAP administrative tool

This graphical interface helps you manage deployed Web services. See Administering deployed Apache SOAP Web services (XML-SOAP administrative tool) in the WebSphere Application Server V5 InfoCenter for more details.

NameSpaceDump tool

You can use the dumpNameSpace tool to dump the contents of a name space accessed through a name server. It is very useful for debugging purposes. When you invoke the dumpNameSpace tool, make sure the naming service is active.

2.4.4 Tools for monitoring and tuning

This subsection provides information about the available tools in WebSphere Application Server V5 for monitoring and tuning purposes.

PMI request metrics in WebSphere Administrative Console

This tool collects data by timing requests as the requests travel through components of the product. The PMI request metrics are configurable through the administrative console. The PMI request metrics log time spent in major components, such as the Web container of the Application Server. These data points are recorded in logs and can be written to Application Response Time (ARM) agents used by Tivoli monitoring tools.

Tivoli Performance Viewer

The Tivoli Performance Viewer (TPV) is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) performance monitor for WebSphere Application Server. It is built on the Performance Monitoring Infrastructure (PMI) client API, which also is exposed to third-party development tools. Furthermore, the Performance Advisor in TPV provides advice to help tune systems for optimal performance and gives recommendations on inefficient settings by using collected PMI data. We have more introductions for TPV for specific scenarios in Chapter 6, "WebSphere Application Server V5 performance tuning" on page 169, and Chapter 9, "Integrated troubleshooting" on page 337.

2.4.5 Tools for troubleshooting

This subsection provides information regarding tools available in WebSphere Application Server V5 for troubleshooting purpose.

Log Analyzer

The Log Analyzer takes one or more service or activity logs, merges all of the data, and displays the entries. Based on its symptom database, it analyzes and interprets the error conditions in the log entries to help you diagnose problems. Log Analyzer has a special feature enabling it to download the latest symptom database from the IBM Web site.

The Log Analyzer tool cannot view remote files. If the operating system on which you are running WebSphere Application Server does not support the use of a graphical interface, transfer the file in binary mode to the system on which you are running the Java administrative console. Use the Log Analyzer tool there.

In cases where transferring the file is impractical or inconvenient, use the alternate viewing tool, showlog, to view the service or activity log file:

1. Change the directory to bin directory of the install_root.

2. Run the showlog tool with no parameters to display usage instructions:

   • On Windows systems, run showlog.bat.

   • On UNIX systems, run showlog.sh.

3. To direct the service or activity log (activity.log) contents to stdout, use the showlog activity.log command.

4. To dump the service or activity log to a text file for viewing with a text editor, use the showlog activity.log textFileName command.

Collector tool

The Collector tool gathers information about your WebSphere Application Server installation and packages it in a JAR file that can be sent to IBM Customer Support to assist in problem determination and analysis. For more information about the Collector tool, see the Monitoring and Troubleshooting topic in InfoCenter.

Application Server Toolkit

The Application Server Toolkit is included with IBM WebSphere Application Server, but on a separately installable CD. This kit includes debugging functionality that is built on the Eclipse workbench. See Debugging with the Application Server Toolkit in WebSphere Application Server V5 InfoCenter for more details.