WA1579 Advanced WebSphere Application Server v6.x Administration Bootcamp Training and Courseware Course Outline

1. WebSphere Architecture Review

  • Network Deployment Cell
  • Deployment Manager and Node Agents
  • Federating Nodes
  • Configuration File Synchronization
  • Web Servers
  • Clusters
 

2. Installation Factory

  • Building Customized Installation Packages (CIP)
  • Benefits of a CIP
  • Including Fixes in the CIP
  • Adding Applications or Configuration Archives to a CIP
  • Installing from a CIP
  • Best Practices with CIP
  • Lab: Product Installation Using Custom Installation Package
  • Lab: Product Installation - IBM HTTP Server
 

3. Introduction to Scripting

  • wsadmin Overview
  • wsadmin Jython Syntax
  • Jython Editing with the AST
  • Running Scripts with the AST
  • Converting Jacl Scripts to Jython
  • Best Practices with Scripting
  • Lab: Install Application with Scripting
 

4. Advanced Troubleshooting Tools

  • IBM Support Assistant (ISA)
  • Needs Met by ISA
  • Searching for Information with ISA
  • IBM Guided Activity Assistant (IGAA)
  • 'Self Help' Problem Analysis with IGAA
  • Troubleshoot Memory Problems
  • Troubleshoot Connection Leak Problems
  • Troubleshoot Hung Thread Problems
  • Lab: Solve Problems with Advanced IBM Tools
 

5. Using an 'Enhanced EAR'

  • What is an 'Enhanced' EAR?
  • Resource Configuration in an Enhanced EAR
  • Using an Enhanced EAR to Simplify Testing Environments
  • Overriding Configuration in an Enhanced EAR
  • Removing Resource Configuration from an Enhanced EAR
  • Integrating Enhanced EARs with Application Rollout
  • Lab: Install an 'Enhanced EAR' Database Application
 

6. Advanced Scripting Syntax and Techniques

  • Jython Sequences
  • Declaring Jython Functions
  • Functional Programming with Jython
  • Regular Expressions
  • Modules, Packages, and Libraries
  • Best Practices for Complex Scripting
  • Lab: Update Database Application with Scripting
 

7. WebSphere Security and Federated User Repositories

  • User Repository Options
  • Default File Repository
  • Database User Repositories
  • Federated User Repository
  • Using Federation to Merge Multiple User Repositories
  • Searching Federated Repositories
  • Extending User Properties with Federated Repositories
  • Limitations of Federated User Repositories
  • Configuration of User Repositories
  • Lab: Enable Security with LDAP Server
  • Lab: Enable Single Sign-on (SSO)
 

8. SSL Connections

  • SSL Concepts
  • Certificates
  • New Key Management Tools with WAS 6.1
  • Web Server SSL Configuration
  • Application Server SSL Configuration
  • Best Practices for SSL
  • Lab: Enable SSL With LDAP Server
  • Lab: Enable SSL With HTTP Server
 

9. Workload Management With Clusters

  • Topology Choices
  • Profile Types
  • Memory Impact of Multiple Servers per Node
  • Maximizing Memory with Multiple Applications
  • Creating Clusters with Scripting
  • Applying Changes in Production with Scripting
  • Best Practices of Cluster Topology
  • Lab: Create Production Profiles and Server Cluster
  • Lab: Configure Security of Production Environment with Scripting
 

10. Web Server Failover with Edge Components

  • Need for Web Server Failover
  • Overview of Edge Components
  • Managing Multiple Web Servers
  • Configuring Load Balancing with Edge Components
  • Lab: Configure Edge Components and Web Server Failover
 

11. Stateful Application Considerations

  • Special Needs of Stateful Applications
  • Choices for Sharing State Information
  • Configuration of Distributed Sessions
  • Best Practices for Distributed Sessions
  • Lab: Configure Stateful Applications
 

12. Naming Service

  • Name Service Architecture
  • Name Space Bindings
  • Cell Persistent Names
  • Avoiding Naming Errors
  • Lab: Configure Cell Persistent Names
 

13. Moving Applications to Production with Scripting

  • Writing Generic Scripts
  • Substituting Environment Properties in Scripts
  • Removing Configuration from an Enhanced EAR
  • Automating the Installation Process
  • Lab: Install Database Application in Production with Scripting
 

14. Using Application Security Roles Effectively

  • Mapping to Large User Repositories
  • Updating Security Roles with Scripting
  • Elimnating 'Back Door' Security Vulnerabilties
  • Lab: Map Security Roles to LDAP Users
 

15. WebSphere High Availability Overview

  • Role of HAManager
  • Purpose of Core Groups
  • Network Considerations in Core Groups
  • Core Groups in Large Topologies
 

16. Configuring WebSphere Default Messaging in a Cluster

  • Default Messaging Behavior in a Cluster
  • Partitioning a Message Destination
  • Failover of Messaging Using Core Group Policies
  • Configuration of Messaging Failover
  • Lab: Install Messaging Application Using Messaging High Availability
 

17. WebSphere Classloaders

  • Classloader Hierarchy
  • Shared Libraries
  • Packaging Choices
  • Classloader Viewer
  • Troubleshoot Classloader Problems
  • Best Practices for Classloading
  • Lab: Configure Shared Code Library
 

18. Migration Strategy and Issues

  • Types of Migration
  • Migration Roadmap
  • Stages of Migration
  • Migrating the Runtime Environment
  • Migration Techniques
  • Major Changes Between WebSphere Versions
  • Deprecation in WebSphere
 

Appendix A. Summary of Best Practices
 
Notice: This course is still under development and the outline is subject to revisions.