If you use a browser (and let's pretend your lpar name is myibmi) go to
http://myibmi:2001/HTTPAdmin While you're waiting for it to pop up is a
good time to plow the back 40, build a stone fence and complete your
cattle drive to market. After it finally pops up you can check both tabs
of http servers and "All Application Servers". The latter is for both
your Tomcat and Websphere servers. This can be used to check them, start
them and stop them.
There are some WAS based servers which require additional steps. For
example, I have to run a series of qsHell scripts to start and stop some
WAS based functions for Lotus Sametime.
Then there is another definition of "check". Remember, all the user cares
about is that the web interface works. If the above steps are all
complete but the user still can't perform the functions necessary are they
going to accept that you've ran them? <expletive deleted> no! I ran into
this case with the websphere based Sametime meeting server. Now, two
hours before known high profile meetings I log in, create a test meeting
and actually attend that test meeting. It was quite disappointing to go
so far as the first two steps and "assume" that was good enough only to
find out it wasn't. Your definition of a test may vary. The
extensiveness of a test may vary based on a daily test versus one after an
IPL, system upgrade etc. For example you may not have to check every
function daily. But if your WAS based product relies upon a DB2
connection to data, some PDF translation of spool files and connection to
various remote servers which may flop around based on system replication,
high availability situations and other scenarios; and you've just upgraded
your OS or put on major ptf's, then you may want to test those various
functions.
Rob Berendt
midrange.com
