Installing WebLogic Server Using Silent-Mode Installation

The following sections describe how to install WebLogic Server using the installation program in silent mode on both Windows and UNIX systems:

• What Is Silent-Mode Installation?
• Before You Start
• Using Silent-Mode Installation: Main Steps
• Creating a Silent-Mode Installation Template File
• Sample Silent-Mode Installation Template File
• Starting the Silent-Mode Installation Process on a Windows System
• Starting the Silent-Mode Installation Process on a UNIX System

 

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What Is Silent-Mode Installation?

Silent-mode installation is a way of setting installation configurations only once and then using those configurations to duplicate the installation on many machines. During installation in silent mode, the installation program reads the settings for your configuration from an XML file that you create prior to beginning the installation. The installation program does not display any configuration options during the installation process. Silent-mode installation works on both Windows and UNIX systems.

Note: Using silent-mode installation implies your consent to the BEA License Agreement. You neither see a copy of the BEA Software License Agreement nor have any means to accept the terms of the agreement.

The instructions in this section assume that you have already acquired the installation program, either on CD or from the Web. For more information, see WebLogic Server Distribution Methods.

Note: Silent-mode installation is not supported with the net installer. Filenames for the net installer version of the installation program are preceded by net_, for example net_platformXXX_solaris.bin. Do not attempt to use installation programs with filenames beginning with net_ for silent-mode installation.

 

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Before You Start

Before you start the WebLogic Server installation, ensure you are installing the product on a supported platform. A complete list of supported platforms can be found at http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/certifications/certifications/index.html. You should also read all of Preparing to Install WebLogic Server.

Note: You cannot re-install WebLogic Server in the same location as a previously installed version. You must first uninstall the WebLogic Server installation, as described in Uninstalling WebLogic Server, or install in another location.

 

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Using Silent-Mode Installation: Main Steps

The silent-mode installation process has two primary steps:

1. Create a template file that contains the configuration settings, such as BEA Home directory, product directory, and options for the Configuration Wizard.

   For the detailed procedure, see Creating a Silent-Mode Installation Template File. For a sample template file, see Sample Silent-Mode Installation Template File.

2. Start the silent-mode installation process and use the values specified in the template file.

   For the detailed procedure, see Starting the Silent-Mode Installation Process on a Windows System and Starting the Silent-Mode Installation Process on a UNIX System.

 

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Creating a Silent-Mode Installation Template File

When you install WebLogic Server in silent mode, the installation program uses an XML file (silent.xml) to determine the installation options. Before you run the installation program in silent mode, you must create the silent.xml file with your installation options.

Note: During silent-mode installation, the installation program does not validate entries in the silent.xml file. If there are errors in the silent.xml file, the installation will fail.

To create a template file for use in the silent-mode installation process, follow these steps:

1. Display the sample silent-mode installation template file in a supported browser. The sample template is available at the following location:

   ../install/instsil.html#template

   The sample template is also available later in this chapter. See Sample Silent-Mode Installation Template File.

2. Copy the contents of the template file and save it as a text file named silent.xml in the directory containing the WebLogic Server installer.
3. In the silent.xml file, modify the values for the keywords shown in the following table to create your desired configuration.

Note: You must follow XML guidelines for characters when modifying values. That is, you cannot use characters reserved for use in XML, such as <, >, [, and ].

Table 4-1 Silent-mode Installation Template Values

For this data-value name. . .	Enter the following value . . .
BEAHOME	The full pathname for the BEA Home directory of your choice. For details about the BEA Home directory, see BEA Home Directory.
USER_INSTALL_DIR	The full pathname for the directory where you want to install the WebLogic Platform software. For details, see Product Installation Directory.
INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE	yes to install the WebLogic Node Manager as a Windows Service, no to skip it. See Installing the Node Manager as a Windows Service.
JVM_TYPE	The JVM to install or use: other—install the Sun SDK bundled in the installer. jrockit—install WebLogic JRockit. See Choosing a JVM. Note: If you set STATIC_JAVA_HOME, JVM_TYPE is ignored.
STATIC_JAVA_HOME	The full path to the root directory (JAVA_HOME) of the JVM you want to use to run WebLogic Server.
RUN_DOMAIN_WIZARD	true to run the Configuration Wizard, false to skip it. If you choose to run the Configuration Wizard, you must specify values for the appropriate data-values as listed in the following rows in this table. For more information about the Configuration Wizard, see Creating Domains and Servers in the Administration Console Online Help.
The remaining values apply to options for the Configuration Wizard.
domain.directory	The full path to the domain directory. The domain directory should be named the same name as the domain. Note: On UNIX systems, do not include spaces in the path to the domain directory.
C_domainName	Name of the domain to create. The name must match the directory name specified for domain.directory. Note: On UNIX systems, do not include spaces in the domain name.
C_serverName	Name of the server to configure, used as the server name for stand-alone servers and as the Administration Server for domains with Managed Servers and clustered servers. Note: Do not include spaces in the server name.
C_username	An administrative user name to start the server and access the Administration Console. Do not use spaces or XML reserved characters.
C_password	A password for the administrative user that contains at least eight characters but no more than 20 characters. Do not use spaces or XML reserved characters.
C_serverListenAddress	The system IP address or DNS name for the server. You can leave this blank if you want to use localhost and the server IP address to access the server and the Administration Console.
C_serverListenPort=	A dedicated TCP/IP port number for the Administration Server. This number specifies the port at which the server listens for connections. Typically, 7001. The port number can be any integer from 1 to 65535.
C_serverSSLListenPort=	A dedicated secure listen port number for the Administration Server. The secure listen port number is used for secure Web connections based on the secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol. Typically, 7002. The port number can be any integer from 1 to 65535 and cannot be the same port as the C_serverListenPort.
ClusterName	Name of the cluster to create, if applicable. Note: Do not include spaces in the cluster name.
ClusterPort	The MultiCast port that the Administration Server uses to communicate with clustered servers. Typically, 7777.
ClusterMCAddr	The cluster MultiCast IP address that the Administration Server uses to communicate with clustered servers. Typically, 237.0.0.1. Valid MultiCast addresses begin with 237, 238, or 239.
ADMIN_HOST_NAME_OR_IP	The Administration Server name or IP address. Used when configuring a Managed Server.
ADMIN_LISTEN_PORT	The port at which the Administration Server listens. Used when configuring a Managed Server.
MANAGED_SERVER_REGISTERED_NAME_IN_ADMIN	The machine or server name as registered with the Administration Server. Used when configuring a Managed Server.
SERVER-RUN-AS	Determines the server configuration that the Configuration Wizard creates: Single Server (Standalone Server), Admin Server with Managed Server(s), Admin Server with Clustered Managed Server(s), or Managed Server (with owning Admin Server configuration).
selectedJar	The full path to the template JAR file that the Configuration Wizard uses to create the domain and configure servers.
INSTALL_NT_SERVICE (Windows systems only)	yes to install the configured server as a Windows service; no to skip installing the configured server as a Windows service. Note: This data-value pair is only used if the selected template supports installing the server as a Windows service. If not, the value is ignored. This value is ignored on UNIX systems.
INSTALL_WINDOWS_STARTUP_MENU	yes to add an option to the Windows Start menu to start the server; no (the default value) to skip the Start menu option. Note: This data-value pair is only used if the selected template supports installing Start menu options. If not, the value is ignored. This value is ignored on UNIX systems.
managedServers data group	Determines the configuration of the group of Managed Servers in the domain. This data group applies only when you select "Admin Server with Managed Server(s)" as the value for SERVER-RUN-AS. For each Managed Server in your configuration, specify the following: managedServerRegName—name of the server as registered with the Administration Server. Alphanumeric characters only; no spaces. managedServerHostIP—IP address or DNS name of the machine on which the server is installed. managedServerListenPort—server listen port. managedServerSSLListenPort—secure listen port for the server.
clusterServers data group	Determines the configuration of the group of clustered Managed Servers in the domain. This data group applies only when you select "Admin Server with Clustered Managed Server(s)" as the value for SERVER-RUN-AS. For each server in the cluster, specify the following: clusterServerRegName—name of the server as registered with the Administration Server. Alphanumeric characters only; no spaces. clusterServerHostIP—IP address or DNS name of the machine on which the server is installed. clusterServerListenPort—server listen port. clusterServerSSLListenPort—secure listen port for the server.

 

See Creating Domains and Servers in the Administration Console Online Help for more information about how the Configuration Wizard works and the options you can select.

 

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Sample Silent-Mode Installation Template File

Modify the following template text according to Table 4-1 and save it as a file named silent.xml. You can then use the file as a template file when installing WebLogic Server in silent mode.

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

<domain-template-descriptor>

<input-fields>
   <data-value name="BEAHOME"                   value="C:\bea" />
   <data-value name="USER_INSTALL_DIR"          value="C:\bea\weblogicXXX" />
   <data-value name="INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE"   value="no" /> 

<!--*** Set JVM_TYPE==other or leave it unset to install the other(Sun) JVM *** -->
<!--  <data-value name="JVM_TYPE"                       value="other" /> --> 

<!--  *** Set JVM_TYPE==jrockit to install the jrockit JVM *** --> 
<!--  <data-value name="JVM_TYPE"                       value="jrockit" /> --> 

<!--  *** To use an existing JDK set STATIC_JAVA_HOME to its location. (note: JVM_TYPE will be ignored) *** --> 
<!--  <data-value name="STATIC_JAVA_HOME"               value="C:\j2sdk1.4.1" /> --> 

   <data-value name="RUN_DOMAIN_WIZARD"           value="false" />

<!--The following values are used by the Configuration Wizard to create and
 configure a domain.-->

<data-value name="domain.directory"     value="C:\bea\user_domains\mydomain" />
   <data-value name="C_domainName"               value="mydomain" />
   <data-value name="C_serverName"               value="myserver" />
   <data-value name="C_username"                 value="system" />
   <data-value name="C_password"                 value="weblogic" />
   <data-value name="C_serverListenAddress"      value="" />
   <data-value name="C_serverListenPort"         value="7001" />
   <data-value name="C_serverSSLListenPort"      value="7002" />
   <data-value name="ClusterName"                value="mycluster" />
   <data-value name="ClusterPort"                value="7777" />

<!--The following value, ClusterMCAddr, must be a class D IP address-->
   <data-value name="ClusterMCAddr"              value="237.0.0.1" />
   <data-value name="ADMIN_HOST_NAME_OR_IP"      value="adminserver" />
   <data-value name="ADMIN_LISTEN_PORT"          value="7001" />
   <data-value name="MANAGED_SERVER_REGISTERED_NAME_IN_ADMIN"    value="ms1" />

<!--The SERVER-RUN-AS value determines the server configuration that the
 Configuration Wizard creates. There are four options as indicated by the
 following lines. Comment out the three options you do not want to use.-->

   <data-value name="SERVER-RUN-AS" value="Single Server (Standalone Server)" />
<!--    <data-value name="SERVER-RUN-AS"         value="Admin Server with Managed Server(s)" /> -->
<!--    <data-value name="SERVER-RUN-AS"          value="Admin Server with Clustered Managed Server(s)" /> -->
<!--    <data-value name="SERVER-RUN-AS"        value="Managed Server (with owning Admin Server configuration)" /> -->

<!--The selectedJar value determines the template that the Configuration Wizard
 uses to create a domain and configure servers.-->

   <data-value name="selectedJar"              value="C:\bea\weblogicXXX\common\templates\domains\wls.jar" />

<!--The following four data-values depend on options enabled in the
Configuration Wizard template specified above. If the related options are not
enabled in the template, the values for the following four data-values are 
ignored.-->

   <data-value name="INSTALL_NT_SERVICE"            value="no" />
   <data-value name="INSTALL_WINDOWS_STARTUP_MENU"  value="no" />    
   <data-value name="DB_EMAIL_HOST"                 value="myserver"   /> 
   <data-value name="DB_EMAIL_ADDRESS"                value="[e-mail]"  />

<!--The managedServers data group determines the configuration of the group of
 managed servers in the domain. This data group applies only when you select "Admin
 Server with Managed Server(s)" as the value for SERVER-RUN-AS. To use this data
 group, uncomment all applicable lines.-->

<!--    <data-group name="managedServers"> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerRegName"       value="managed1" /> -->
<!--The following value can be an IP address or a DNS name-->
<!--         <data-value name="managedServerHostIP"        value="host1"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerListenPort"    value="1001"     /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerSSLListenPort" value="1002"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerRegName"       value="managed2" /> -->
<!--         <data-value name="managedServerHostIP"        value="host2"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerListenPort"    value="2001"     /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerSSLListenPort" value="2002"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerRegName"       value="managed3" /> -->
<!--         <data-value name="managedServerHostIP"        value="host3"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerListenPort"    value="3001"     /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerSSLListenPort" value="3002"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerRegName"       value="managed4" /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerHostIP"        value="host4"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerListenPort"    value="4001"     /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="managedServerSSLListenPort" value="4002"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       </data-group> -->

<!--The clusterServers data group determines the configuration of the group of
 managed clustered servers in the domain. This data group applies only when you
 select "Admin Server with Clustered Managed Server(s)" as the value for
 SERVER-RUN-AS. To use this data group, uncomment all applicable lines.-->

<!--    <data-group name="clusterServers"> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerRegName"       value="cluster1" /> -->
<!--The following value can be an IP address or a DNS name-->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerHostIP"        value="host1"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerListenPort"    value="1001"      /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerSSLListenPort" value="1002"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerRegName"       value="cluster2" /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerHostIP"        value="host2"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerListenPort"    value="2002"      /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerSSLListenPort" value="2003"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerRegName"       value="cluster3" /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerHostIP"        value="host3"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerListenPort"    value="3003"      /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerSSLListenPort" value="3004"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--       <data-element> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerRegName"       value="cluster4" /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerHostIP"        value="host4"  /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerListenPort"    value="4004"      /> -->
<!--          <data-value name="clusterServerSSLListenPort" value="4005"     /> -->
<!--       </data-element> -->
<!--    </data-group> -->

    </input-fields>

</domain-template-descriptor>

 

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Starting the Silent-Mode Installation Process on a Windows System

Installing the software using silent-mode installation takes the same amount of time as a standard installation. During silent-mode installation, an initial installation program window appears briefly, indicating that the installation has started. No other messages are displayed indicating the installation is in progress or has completed successfully, even if errors are encountered.

Note: During silent-mode installation, the installation program does not validate entries in the silent.xml file. If there are errors in the silent.xml file, the installation will fail.

To start the silent-mode installation process on a Windows system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Windows system.

   If you want to install WebLogic Server as a Windows service, you must have Administrator privileges. For information about installing WebLogic Server as a Windows service, see "Setting Up a WebLogic Server as a Windows Service" in the BEA WebLogic Server Administration Guide.

2. Open a command-line shell.
3. Go to the directory that contains the installation file and start the installation procedure by entering the following command, making sure to specify the full pathname of the silent.xml template file:

   filename.exe -mode=silent -silent_xml=path_to_silent.xml

   where filename is the name of the WebLogic Server installation file, and path_to_silent.xml is the full path to the silent.xml template file.

Note: To create a verbose log file during installation, include the -log=/full_path_to_log_file option in the command line. For example:

serverXXX_win32.exe -mode=silent -silent_xml=D:\silent.xml -log=D:\logs\wls_install.log

The path can be to a file or folder. All folders in the path must exist before you execute the command or the installation program will not create the log file.

 

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Starting the Silent-Mode Installation Process on a UNIX System

The WebLogic Server installation program for some UNIX platforms includes JVM options bundled in the installation program (filenames ending in .bin). The WebLogic Server installation program uses the bundled JVM to install WebLogic Server and then installs the JVM for use with WebLogic Server. For other UNIX platforms, the WebLogic Server installation program does not include a JVM in the installation program (filenames ending in .jar). To run these installation programs, you must first include the bin directory of a supported JVM installed on your system at the beginning of your PATH variable definition.

Installing the software using silent-mode installation takes the same amount of time as a standard installation. During silent-mode installation, an "Extracting . . ." message appears, indicating that the installation has started. No other messages are displayed indicating the installation is in progress or has completed successfully, even if errors are encountered.

Starting Silent-Mode Installation for .bin Installation Files

Note: During silent-mode installation, the installation program does not validate entries in the silent.xml file. If there are errors in the silent.xml file, the installation will fail.

To start the silent-mode installation process using installation files ending in .bin, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the target UNIX system.
2. Open a command-line shell.
3. Go to the directory that contains the installation file and start the installation procedure by entering the following command, making sure to specify the full pathname of the silent.xml template file:

   chmod a+x filename

   ./filename -mode=silent -silent_xml=/path_to_silent.xml

   where filename is the name of the WebLogic Server installation file, and path_to_silent.xml is the full path to the silent.xml template file.

Note: To create a verbose log file during installation, include the -log=/full_path_to_log_file option in the command line. For example:

serverXXX_solaris.bin -mode=silent -silent_xml=/home/silent.xml -log=/logs/wls_install.log

The path can be to a file or folder. All folders in the path must exist before you execute the command or the installation program will not create the log file.

Starting Silent-Mode Installation for .jar Installation Files

Note: During silent-mode installation, the installation program does not validate entries in the silent.xml file. If there are errors in the silent.xml file, the installation will fail.

To start the silent-mode installation process for installation files ending in .jar, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the target UNIX system.
2. Open a command-line shell.
3. Include the bin directory of the JVM at the beginning of the PATH variable on the target system. For example:

   PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
   export PATH

   Where JAVA_HOME is the full path to the JVM directory.

4. Go to the directory that contains the installation file and start the installation procedure as described in Table 4-2, making sure to specify the full pathname of the silent.xml template file.

   Table 4-2 Commands to Start WebLogic Server Installation in Silent Mode

   If you are . . .	Enter the following command . . .
   Using JDK 1.4.1	java -jar filename.jar -mode=silent -silent_xml=/path_to_silent.xml
   Using a JDK other than 1.4.1	java -jar -Djdk.check.override=true filename.jar -mode=silent -silent_xml=/path_to_silent.xml
   Installing on an AIX platform	java -Djdk.check.override=true -classpath filename.jar com.bea.installer.BEAInstallController -mode=silent -silent_xml=/path_to_silent.xml

   For all commands, filename.jar is the name of the WebLogic Server installation file (for example pj_serverXXX_generic.jar) and path_to_silent.xml is the full path to the silent.xml template file.

Note: To create a verbose log file during installation, include the -log=/full_path_to_log_file option in the command line. For example:

java -jar filename.jar -mode=silent -silent_xml=/home/silent.xml -log=/logs/wls_install.log

The path can be to a file or folder. All folders in the path must exist before you execute the command or the installation program will not create the log file.