Patching IBM® WebSphere® Application Server clusters on Microsoft® Windows®

You can use Server Automation to automate patching of WebSphere® Application Server v8.0 or 8.5 in a Microsoft® Windows® cluster. The patching process involves running an Automation Plan that contains a set of steps (Tasks or Fixlets) that automate the patching. The Automation Plan uses a global parameters Task that automatically inputs required parameters into the other steps in the plan. To get started, you can use a Server Automation out of the box sample Automation Plan that shows the automation flow. The sample plans to use are Server Automation sample plans 559 and 560.

Before you begin

  • This solution supports only a single instance of WebSphere® Application Server for each server.
  • This patching solution is supported only on Microsoft® Windows® 2008 Server Release 2 or newer.
  • Ensure that IBM Installation Manager is not running.
  • Ensure that no WebSphere® Application Server services, directories, or files are open.

About this task

You automate the patching process using an Automation Plan. Step 1 in the plan is a Task that supplies parameters to all other steps in the plan. Steps 2 to 5 handle the patching of the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager node. There are four more steps for each WebSphere® Application Server node in the cluster. You can use the following sample plans to get started:
The following constraints apply to patching WebSphere® Application Server in a cluster:
  • The Deployment Manager must be patched first.
  • To patch the Deployment Manager, ensure that no other stand-alone WebSphere® Application Server server processes are running other than the Deployment Manager and federated nodes/servers.
  • To patch nodes:
    • The Deployment Manager must be running.
    • At least one profile must be federated to the Deployment Manager for the targeted host.
    • Ensure that no other stand-alone WebSphere® Application Server server process is running.

To automate the patching process, use one of the sample plans listed above, or create an Automation Plan that contains the following steps.

Procedure

  1. Add Task 554 Set global parameters for patching WebSphere Application Server in a cluster to an Automation Plan. When you are running the plan, target all nodes in the cluster from the Take Action dialog. From the Parameters tab, enter the following values:
    • In the Deployment Manager user name field, enter the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager user name.
    • In the Deployment Manager Password field, enter password for the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager user.
    • In the Re-enter Deployment Manager Password field, re-enter WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager password.
    • In the Deployment Manager host name field, enter the host name for the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager.
    • In the Deployment Manager profile name field, enter profile name for the WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager
    • In the WebSphere Target cluster name field, enter WebSphere® Application Server Target cluster name.
    • From the Maintain High Availability menu, select an option depending on whether or not you want another node to be made available before re-booting.
  2. Add Task 557 Stop servers on host with Deployment Manager Node for Clustered WebSphere Application Server (8.0, 8.5 or 8.5.5) on Microsoft Windows. This step in the automation flow stops the cluster deployment manager node.
  3. Include the patch Fixlets or Baselines to patch WebSphere® Application Server Deployment Manager node as the next step in the plan.
  4. Use Task 160 Restart Endpoint on Pending Restart and Wait for Restart to Complete as the next step.
  5. Add Task 558 Resume Servers on host with Deployment Manager for Clustered WebSphere Application Server (8.0, 8.5 or 8.5.5) on Microsoft Windows to resume the Deployment Manager node.
  6. Add Task 555 Stop servers on host that contains only federated nodes for Clustered WebSphere Application Server (8.0, 8.5 or 8.5.5) on Microsoft Windows to stop a federated WebSphere® Application Server node.
  7. Include the patch Fixlets or Baselines to patch WebSphere® Application Server node as the next step in the plan.
  8. Use Task 160 Restart Endpoint on Pending Restart and Wait for Restart to Complete as the next step.
  9. Run Task 556 Resume IBM WebSphere Application Server (8.0 or 8.5) Cluster on Microsoft Windows to resume the WebSphere® Application Server node.
  10. Repeat steps 6 to 9 for other nodes in the cluster.