WPS 7 - install an ifix silently with IBM Installation Manager

From WebSphere  7, IBM recommend to install all fixes with IBM Installation Manager for WebSphere. However, IBM, for now, still keeps UpdateInstaller for installing the ifixes for WAS7. Although UpdateInstaller can install ifixes for WPS7 through specifing the pak file location, you will not see the installed ifixes in IBM Installation Manager, which is not easy to managment the ifixes.

so I recommend to install WPS7 ifixes (JRXXXXX) using IBM Installation Manager. But, it is slower if you use Installation Manager UI which was installed UNIX platform (must using Xterm) to install an ifix.

Here is the way to install and ifix silently for WPS 7

(1) copy WPS7 ifix to the temp directory, and unzip it. In general, an ifix for WPS7 is a ZIP format file. for example, 7.0.0.3-WS-WBI-MultiOS-IFJR38536.zip

(2)  go to the directory /IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse

(3) create a installation response xml file, for example, JR38536_repsonsefile.xml, the content should be like this and change the necessary fields. see the bold type character

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!--
#######################################
# If you have read and agree to the license agreement, change acceptLicense to true.
#######################################
-->

<agent-input acceptLicense='true'>
<!--
################ REPOSITORY LOCATION  #######
# Provide the location where the repositories can be found.
# This can either be a folder on your local system or a URL location within your
# intranet
# The location should be enclosed in single quotes.
#############################################
-->
<server>
<repository location='/IBM/fixpack/7.0.0.3-WS-WBI-MultiOS-IFJR38536'/>
</server>

<!--
##############  INTERIM FIXES TO INSTALL  #########
# profile: Provide the ID of the package where WebSphere Application Server ND
# v7.0.0.7 or later was installed.
#    This ID can be obtained from the installed.xml file found in
#      Linux/Unix: /var/ibm/InstallationManager (root user)
#      or /home/<user>/var/ibm/InstallationManager (non-root user)
#      Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\IBM\Installation
#      Manager
#    from the following element:
#    <location id='IBM WebSphere Application Server - ND' kind='product'
#    path='/export/home/wps/wpsv7/ProcServer'>
#
#    Select the ID of the WebSphere Process Server location that you want to install
#    this fix onto.
#    e.g. id='IBM WebSphere Application Server - ND_20091213_1600' if you used the
#    Launchpad to install and import your WebSphere Application Server
#    If you manually installed and imported WebSphere Application Server, the ID is
#    likely IBM WebSphere Application Server - ND (ND_1, ND_2, etc...)
#
# id: ID of the Fix being installed.
# version: version of the Fix being installed.
#    This can be obtained from the repository.xml under the unzipped fix location.
#     <fix id='JR35042_WBI;ESB' version='7.0.0.20091210_1320' .... >
#####################################################
-->

<install modify='false'>
<offering profile='IBM WebSphere Application Server - ND' id='7.0.0.3-WS-WBI-MultiOS-IFJR38536' version='0.0.0.20110117_1514' />
</install>

<preference value='30' name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.connectTimeout'/>
<preference value='30' name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.readTimeout'/>
<preference value='0'
name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.downloadAutoRetryCount'/>

<!--
#####################################################
# If you have internet access then set the value of
# 'offering.service.repositories.areUsed' to true, otherwise leave it as false
#####################################################
-->
<preference value='false' name='offering.service.repositories.areUsed'/>
<preference value='false'
name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.ssl.nonsecureMode'/>
<preference value='false'
name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.http.disablePreemptiveAuthentication'/>
<preference value='true'
name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.preserveDownloadedArtifacts'/>
<preference value='false' name='PassportAdvantageIsEnabled'/>

<!--
#####################################################
# If you have internet access then set the value of
# 'com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.searchForUpdates' to true, otherwise leave it
# as false
#####################################################
-->
<preference value='false'
name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.searchForUpdates'/>
<preference value='true' name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.import.enabled'/>
</agent-input>

(4) run the following command to install an ifix silently

./IBMIM "--launcher.ini" silent-install.ini -input JR38536_repsonsefile.xml -log JR38536IfixInstall.log

(5) check JR38536IfixInstall.log to see if the error happen, if no error happen, the log file should be like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<result>
</result>

Note: you can also find the information from the following IBM links:

https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21417656

For now, all WAS7 ifixes can be installed with UpdateInstaller.

WebSphere - Check MQ Activation Spec Status

In WAS 7, IBM replaced the old MQ Listener port with MQ Activation Spec, and it is not easy to check the status of MQ Activation Spec from administrative console.

However, we can use jython script to get the MQ Activation Spec. Here is the jython script:

Assume the MQ Activation Spec JNDI is mq/TestMQ_AS

asId=AdminControl.queryNames('type=J2CMessageEndpoint,ActivationSpec=mq/TestMQ_AS,process=server1,*)

as_status=AdminControl.invoke(asId,'getStatus')

as_status will equals the following 3 value

1-->Active

2-->Inactive

3-->Stopped

I never get the as_status =3.  If the module which is using the MQ Activation Spec is stopped. you will not get asId.

so I think in general, you will only get status as 1 or 2.