Chapter 8 Application Server

This chapter describes how to upgrade Application Server from previous Java ES versions to Java ES 2005Q4 (Release 4): Sun Java System Application Server Enterprise Edition 8.1 2005Q4.

The chapter provides a general overview of upgrade issues and procedures for the different upgrade paths supported by Java ES Release 4. The chapter covers the following:



Note	File locations in this chapter are specified with respect to a directory path referred to as ApplicationServer-base. At least part of this path might have been specified as an installation directory when Application Server was initially installed. If not, the Java ES installer assigned a default value. The default value of ApplicationServer-base is <windows_drive>\Sun\ApplicationServer

Overview of Application Server Upgrades

This section describes the following general aspects of Application Server that impact upgrading to Java ES 2005Q4 (Release 4):

About Java ES Release 4 Application Server

Java ES Release 4 Application Server represents selected bug fixes to the Release 3 version. Functionally Release 4 Application Server is the same as Release 3.

Application Server Upgrade Roadmap

Table 8-1 shows the supported Application Server upgrade paths to Java ES Release 4.

Table 8-1 Upgrade Paths to Java ES Release 4: Sun Java System Application Server Enterprise Edition 8.1 2005Q4
Java ES Release	Application Server Version	General Approach	Re-configuration Required
Release 3	Sun Java System Application Server Enterprise Edition 8.1 2005Q1	Direct upgrade: Performed by applying patches.	None

Application Server Data

The following table shows the type of data that could be impacted by an upgrade of Application Server software.

Table 8-2 Application Server Data Usage
Type of Data	Location	Usage
Environment variables	ApplicationServer-base/config/asenv	Global variables
Configuration data	Release 3 & 4: ApplicationServer-base/domains/domainName/config	Configuration of Application Server instances
Deployment data	Release 3 & 4: ApplicationServer-base/domains/domainName/ applications	Configuration of J2EE container for specific J2EE components and applications.

Compatibility Issues

Release 4 Application Server does not introduce any interface changes with respect to Release 3.

Application Server Dependencies

Application Server dependencies on other Java ES components can impact the procedure for upgrading and re-configuring Application Server software. Changes in Application Server interfaces or functions, for example, could require upgraded versions of components upon which Application Server depends. The need to upgrade such components depends upon the specific upgrade path.

Shared components. Application Server has dependencies on specific Java ES shared components (see Table 1-6).

Message Queue. Application Server depends on Message Queue to provide J2EE Java Message Service-compliant asynchronous messaging support.

Web Container (optional). Application Server depends upon web container services for its optional load balancing plugin. This support can be provided either by Java ES Web Server.

High Availability Session Store (optional). Application Server depends upon High Availability Session Store to maintain session state information needed to support failover between instances.

Upgrading Application Server from Java ES Release 3

This section includes information about upgrading Application Server from Java ES 2005Q1 (Release 3) to Java ES 2005Q4 (Release 4). The section covers the following topics:

Introduction

When upgrading Java ES Release 3 Application Server to Release 4, consider the following aspects of the upgrade process:

General Upgrade Approach. The upgrade is performed by applying patches to the Release 3 version. No re-configuration or migration of J2EE components is required to upgrade from Release 3 Application Server to Release 4.

Upgrade Dependencies. While Application Server has dependencies on a number of Java ES shared components (see Table 1-6), Release 4 Application Server is compatible with the Release 3 versions of all these components. Upgrade of these shared components is therefore optional with respect to upgrade of Application Server to Release 4.

In addition, Release 4 Application Server is dependent upon Release 4 Message Queue and optionally dependent on Java ES Web Server or third-party web containers, as described in Application Server Dependencies. However, these are soft upgrade dependencies; upgrade of these components is optional with respect to upgrade of Application Server to Release 4.

Release 4 Application Server is also optionally dependent upon on High Availability Session Store. If being used by Application Server, High Availability Session Store should be upgraded to Release 4. Note that upgrade of High Availability Session Store automatically upgrades the J2SE shared component to Release 4.

Backward Compatibility. Release 4 Application Server is backwardly compatible with the Release 3 version.

Upgrade Rollback. Rollback of the Release 4 upgrade to Release 3 is achieved by removing the patches applied during the upgrade.

Application Server Upgrade

This section describes how to perform an upgrade of Application Server from Java ES Release 3 to Java ES Release 4. The section covers the following topics:

Pre-Upgrade Tasks

Before you upgrade Application Server you should perform the tasks described below.

Verify Current Version Information

You can verify the current version of Application Server by entering the following command:

Table 8-3 Application Server Version Verification Outputs
Java ES Release	Application Server Version Number
Release 3	Sun Java Enterprise System Application Server Enterprise Edition 8.0.0_01
Release 4	Sun Java Enterprise System Application Server Enterprise Edition 8.1

Upgrade Application Server Dependencies

It is generally recommended that all Java ES components on a computer system (and in a computing environment) be upgraded to Java ES Release 4. However, because the upgrade of Application Server to Release 4 does not require upgrading other Release 3 components, this task is optional. If you choose to upgrade components upon which Application Server depends, those components would generally be upgraded in the following order:

Shared Components. Instructions for upgrading Java ES shared components to Release 4 are provided in Chapter 2, "Upgrading Java ES Shared Components".

Message Queue. Instructions for upgrading Message Queue to Release 4 are provided in Chapter 6, "Message Queue".

Web Container Software. Instructions for upgrading Web Server or Application Server are provided in Chapter 5, "Web Server" and Chapter 8, "Application Server", respectively.

High Availability Session Store. Instructions for upgrading High Availability Session Store are provided in Chapter 7, "High Availability Session Store".

Back Up Application Server Data

The Application Server upgrade from Release 3 to Release 4 does not modify configuration data. There is no need to back up current data.

Obtain Required Configuration Information and Passwords

You should know the Application Server administrator user ID and password for your currently installed version.

Upgrading Application Server

This section discusses considerations that impact the upgrade procedure for Application Server followed by a description of the procedure itself.

Upgrade Considerations

The upgrade of Application Server software to Java ES Release 4 takes into account the following considerations:

Any J2EE components running in an Application Server instance should be shut down before you upgrade that instance. However, if load balancing provides for high availability or scalability, this requirement can be relaxed.

All instances of Application Server running on a single computer (all corresponding to the same installed Application Server image) must be shut down while the patch is being applied to the installed image.

In multiple node deployments, perform the upgrade procedure on each node or computer that hosts Application Server instances.

Upgrade Procedure

The procedure documented below applies to Application Server instances residing locally on the computer where the upgrade is taking place.

Obtain the required patches, based on Table 1-3.

Patches can be downloaded from:

http://sunsolve.sun.com

Shut down all J2EE components running in the Application Server instances that are to be upgraded.

Shut down all Application Server instances on the computer that is to be upgraded.

ApplicationServer-base/bin/asadmin stop-domain domainName

Take the backup of <ApplicationServer-Base>\setup\ASConfigurator.properties file

Apply the appropriate Application Server patch in Table 1-3.

<patch_id>.exe

Perform the Post-upgrade tasks

Restart the Application Server instance.

ApplicationServer-base/bin/asadmin start-domain domainName

Known Issue

After installation of Application Server patch , HKLM\SOFTWARE\Sun Microsystems\EntSys\Installer\Patches-> Application Server registry entry is not created.

So if the user is installing any patches for products which are using Application Server as container, then the user has to create this registry entry manually. Procedure to create this entry is as follows:

Verifying the Upgrade

You can verify that the patch has been properly applied using the following command:

Post-Upgrade Tasks

Restore the ASConfigurator.properties at <ApplicationServer_base>\Setup whose backup was taken before the installation of the patch

Add one entry AS_MASTERPASSWD=<admin-passwd> in the file where <admin-passwd> is the administrator password entered while installing Application Server or administrator password used to start the domains and instances.

Extract the imqjmsra.jar file <Message_Queue>\lib\imqjmsra.rar to <Application_Server>\lib\install\applications\jmsra.

Copy the PostPatch.class file provided with patch to <Application_Server>\lib and give command java PostPatch.

Add the -c option in DASConfigure.bat file after the class name ASConfigurator4Windows

(i.e) java -cp <classpath> com.sun.aps.config.ASConfigurator4Windows -c ASConfigurator.properties.

Rolling Back the Upgrade

This section describes considerations that impact the upgrade rollback procedure for Application Server followed by the procedure itself.

Rollback Considerations

The procedure for rolling back the upgrade to Release 4 of Application Server is pretty much the reverse of the procedure for upgrading to Release 4. The patches are removed.

Rollback Procedure

Shut down all J2EE components running in the Application Server instance that is to be upgraded.

Shut down the Application Server instance that is to be upgraded.

Remove the patches obtained from the Table 1-3.

Run the Uninstall_<patch id>.bat

Restart the Application Server instance.

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