Configuring and Managing IBM WebSphere Application Server Cluster – Step by Step

Let us examine how to create configure and manage an application server cluster.

Step-1

Clusters à WebSphere application server clusters àNew

Step-2

Mention the cluster name and click Next

Step-3

Mention the name of the first cluster member, Select the node on which cluster needs to be created, select the template for first cluster member and click Next.


Note:- Three options are available for selecting the template. You can create the first cluster member by selecting already available templates with the product. (The templates available with the application server product). The other option to create the first cluster member is by selecting already created server as a template. ie  The member will be created similar to the existing application server. The last option is that you can convert the existing application server itself as a cluster member.

Difference between second and third option is that in the case of second option existing application server will not have any change but in the case of third option existing server itself will be converted as a cluster member.

Step-4

Mention the next cluster member name, select the Node on which cluster member needs to be created and click “Add Member”. The same step can be repeated for adding further members as per requirement. Note that here you will not get any option for selecting the template because the first cluster member will be the baseline for all further members which you are adding to the cluster.

After adding member, the member will be listed in the table at the bottom of the screen.

Click Next after adding all the members.

Step-5

This will take you to the summary screen where you can verify all the details. Click Finish to create the cluster and the members.

 Step-6
Save and synchronize the nodes.

You can notice the cluster name here and the cluster will be in stopped state.
With the above step we have created a cluster “My Cluster”  with two cluster members (FirstMember,SecondMember).

Now you can click on “MyCluster” which will take you to below screen.

Click on Details.

Start/Stop Cluster from admin console – Method 2

Here you can update the weight if you want. Also notice that the members will be in stop state. Also you can select the members and start/stop it.

 Start/Stop Cluster from admin console – Method 2

To start/stop the cluster you can go to  Clusters à WebSphere application server clusters àSelect  MyCluster and the click on start/stop.

Ripplestart: Ripplestart will restart the cluster members one by one without any downtime, ie it will stop one member start it and then proceed with the next member.

Start/Stop Cluster from admin console – Method 3

Go to WebSphere application servers in the console you will get below screen select the cluster members and then start/stop the same.

Below screen will give you the cluster topology.