This appendix lists various frequently asked questions relating to WLST.
On which versions of WebLogic Server is WLST supported?
WLST online is supported on WebLogic Server 11g Release 1 (10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3, and 10.3.4), 10.3, 10.0, 9.x, 8.1, and 7.0. WLST offline is supported on WebLogic Server 11g Release 1 (10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3, and 10.3.4), 10.3, 10.0, 9.x and 8.1 SP5.
What is the relationship between WLST and the existing WebLogic Server command-line utilities, such as wlconfig and weblogic.Deployer?
WLST functionality includes the capabilities of the following WebLogic Server command-line utilities:
wlconfig Ant task tool for making WebLogic Server configuration changes (see "Using Ant Tasks to Configure and Use a WebLogic Server Domain" in Developing Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server)
weblogic.Deployer utility for deploying applications. (see "Deployment Tools" in Deploying Applications to Oracle WebLogic Server)
When would I choose to use WLST over the other command-line utilities or the Administration Console?
You can create, configure, and manage WebLogic domains using WLST, command-line utilities, and the Administration Console interchangeably. The method that you choose depends on whether you prefer using a graphical or command-line interface, and whether you can automate your tasks by using a script.
What is the distinction between WLST online and offline?
You can use WLST online (connected to a running Administration Server or Managed Server instance) and offline (not connected to a running server).
WLST online interacts with an active WebLogic domain and provides simplified access to Managed Beans (MBeans), WebLogic Server Java objects that you can also manage through JMX. Online, WLST provides access to information that is persisted as part of the internal representation of the configuration.
WLST offline enables you to create a new WebLogic domain or update an existing WebLogic domain without connecting to a running WebLogic Server—supporting the same functionality as the Configuration Wizard. Offline, WLST only provides access to information that is persisted in the config directory.
What version of Jython is used by WLST?
The WLST scripting environment is based on the Java scripting interpreter, Jython 2.2.1.
Can I run regular Jython scripts from within WLST?
Yes. WebLogic Server developers and administrators can extend the WebLogic scripting language to suit their environmental needs by following the Jython language syntax. For more information, see http://www.jython.org.
If I have SSL or the administration port enabled for my server, how do I connect using WLST?
If you will be connecting to a WebLogic Server instance through an SSL listen port on a server that is using the demonstration SSL keys and certificates, invoke WLST using the following command:
java -Dweblogic.security.SSL.ignoreHostnameVerification=true -Dweblogic.security.TrustKeyStore=DemoTrust weblogic.WLST
Otherwise, at a command prompt, enter the following command:
java weblogic.WLST
In the event of an error, can I control whether WLST continues or exits?
Yes, using the exitonerror variable. Set this variable to true to specify that execution should exit when WLST encounters an error, or false to continue execution. This variable defaults to true. For more information, see "WLST Variable Reference" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference.
Why do I have to specify (and) after each command, and enclose arguments in single- or double-quotes?
This is the proper Jython syntax. For more information, see http://www.jython.org.
Can I start a server, deploy applications, and then shut down the server using WLST?
Yes, see documentation for the following groups of WLST commands:
"Life Cycle Commands" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference
"Deployment Commands" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference
Can WLST connect to a Managed Server?
Yes. You can connect to a Managed Server using the connect command. While connected to a Managed Server, you can view run-time data for the server and manage the security data that is in your Authentication provider's data store (for example, you can add and remove users). You cannot modify the WebLogic domain's configuration. For more information, see "connect" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference.
Can WLST use variables that I define in a properties file?
Yes. You can use the loadProperties command to load your variables and values from a properties file. When you use the variables in your script, during execution, the variables are replaced with the actual values from the properties file. See "loadProperties" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference.
Does the configToScript command convert security MBeans in config.xml?
Yes, the security MBeans are converted. However, the information within the Embedded LDAP is not converted.
How can I access custom MBeans that are registered in the WebLogic MBeanServer?
To navigate to the custom MBean hierarchy on the Runtime MBean Server, use the custom command. To navigate to the custom MBean hierarchy on the Domain Runtime MBean Server, use the domainCustom command. For more information, see "Tree Commands" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference.
Why am I not seeing all the MBeans that are registered in the MBeanServer?
There are internal and undocumented MBeans that are not shown by WLST.
Why does WLST offline not display the same MBeans as WLST online?
As a performance optimization, WebLogic Server does not store most of its default values in the WebLogic domain's configuration files. In some cases, this optimization prevents entire management objects from being displayed by WLST offline (because WebLogic Server has never written the corresponding XML elements to the WebLogic domain's configuration files). For example, if you never modify the default logging severity level for a WebLogic domain while the domain is active, WLST offline will not display the domain's Log management object.
If you want to change the default value of attributes whose management object is not displayed by WLST offline, you must first use the create command to create the management object. Then you can cd to the management object and change the attribute value. See "create" in WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference.
When browsing custom MBeans, why do I get the following error message: No stub Available?
When browsing the custom MBeans, the cmo variable is not available.
Can I connect to a WebLogic Server instance via HTTP?
If you are connecting to a WebLogic Server instance via HTTP, ensure that the TunnelingEnabled attribute is set to true for the WebLogic Server instance. For more information, see "TunnelingEnabled" in Oracle WebLogic Server MBean Reference.
Can I invoke WLST via Ant?
Yes, you can initiate a new weblogic.WLST process inside an Ant script and pass your script file as an argument.
Can WLST scripts execute on the server side?
Yes. You can create an instance of the WLST interpreter in your Java code and use it to run WLST commands and scripts. You can then call the WLST scripts as a startup class or as part of ejbCreate so that they execute on the server side. For more information, see Embedded Mode.
Can I customize WLST?
Yes. You can update the WLST home directory to define custom WLST commands, WLST commands within a library, and WLST commands as a Jython module. For more information, see Customizing WLST.
How do I execute custom WLST commands?
You execute custom WLST commands in the same way as WebLogic Server WLST commands. Once you define custom commands in a .py file, they are available for use from the WLST command line and within scripts.
Similarly, if you have installed Fusion Middleware (FMW) components that include custom WLST commands, the commands are available for use from the WLST command line or within scripts. For information on how to use the FMW Custom WLST commands, see "Using Custom WLST Commands" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide.
The FMW custom commands are WLST versions of many (but not all) of the existing Oracle ASCTL commands. For a complete list and description of the available FMW commands, see WebLogic Scripting Tool Command Reference. You can display help for these commands by entering the help(), help('commandGroup'), and help('commandName') commands on the WLST command line.