Updating Existing Applications via WebSphere Administrative Console (Simple Update)

The purpose of this entry is to provide fellow developers where I work a quick review of how you can deploy an application using the WebSphere Administrative Console. The first step is to bring up the WebSphere Administrative Console using SSL, which can be accessed by going to https://{serverName}:9043/ibm/console, where you replace {serverName} with a dns entry or the IP address of the websphere server. When security is enabled for the console, you will be prompted to enter your user name and password.

Once the home page is displayed you will need to click on "Applications" on the left hand menu and then "Enterprise Applications" which will be displayed after you click on "Applications."

A new screen will be displayed which lists all of the current applications installed on that server, which may actually include applications that are deployed websphere instances on that server (NOTE: A single physical websphere instance can have more than one logical websphere server instances installed on it). To see all of the logical server instances on the box you will click on "Servers" on the left hand navigation pane and then click on "Application Servers."

On the "Enterprise Application" screen you will click on the Checkbox next to the project name you are updating then click on the "Stop" button at the top of the datagrid.

Once the application is stopped you will click on the check mark next to its name again and then click on the "Update" button.

On the "Preparing for the application installation" page you will

• "Replace the Entire Application" and upload the new EAR file."
• Select "Prompt me only when additional information is required"
• Click "Next"

On the next screen you do not need to change any of the settings, just accept the default and click "Next"

Click "Finish" so that the installation actually begins

The screen will then present console output until the installation is complete and then you'll be able to "Save Master Configuration" which will end up taking you back to the "Enterprise Applications" screen.  (NOTE:  If you are working in a clustered environment, then you will want to click on "Rollout Update")

You will need to click on the check mark next to the application you just installed and then click on the "Start" button.

If the application starts successfully you will be presented with a message stating so.  If it does not then you will want to look at the websphere log files which will be in a location like:

\\{physical server name}\e$\WebSphere\AppServer\Profiles\AppSrv\logs\{logical websphere server name}\

If trace is enabled then you will be able to check out the trace.log file to see the error.  If not then the SystemErr.log file will have the error message.