Websphere Process Server Interview Questions

Explain about WebSphere?

The word websphere popularly refers to IBM middleware technology products. Web sphere is known for its turn key operation in e business applications. It has run time components and tools which can help in creating applications which run on WAS. WAS refers to websphere application server.

Explain about WebSphere commerce?

IBM websphere commerce has a single platform which offers complete eCommerce solutions to developers. It can be very productive if you are planning to do business with consumers, business and indirectly through channel partners. This can be used to perform business with consumers, business and channel partners altogether.

Detail about the architecture of websphere?

Web Sphere is built on three main components they are:

Database

J2EE application server

A web server

The databases which it supports are

DB2

Oracle

Cloudscape

Application server is IBMWAS and the supported web servers are

IBM server

Microsoft IIS

Sun web server

How to disable security in websphere ?

Go to /was root/profiles/profile name/config/cell/cell name/node/node name/servers/server name > take the backup of security.xml file and open the security.xml file change first enable= true to false and restart the instances.

What are the differences between long-running process and micro-flows? when do you use each of them?

We use long running process only in the following conditions

-If your process requires more than one transaction.

-If your process will need to stop at any point and wait for external input, either in the form of an event or a human task.

-If you have elements in your process that you would like to run in parallel

-We use short running process in the following conditions

-A microflow is a process that is contained within a single transaction.

-Because it runs automatically from start to finish, it is ideal for situations where the user is expecting an immediate response.

-Example of a microflow would be a database query.

-Microflows cannot be used for processes involving human tasks.

-If you have a short series of steps to model and want them executed very quickly in the runtime environment, use a microflow.

-Performance: short running processes offer great performance; so, where ever feasible one should use short running processes.

State some of the features present in websphere?

Some of the features which are present in web sphere are: –

Order management

Websphere commerce accelerator

Analytical and business intelligence

Open standards such as Java, EJB, etc

Websphere commerce payments and customer care, etc

Explain the various Administrator benefits using Web sphere?

Websphere almost reduces the work of server administrator as he can manage load on servers efficiently without any hassles. It also gives him flexibility to divide the load and applications among different server farms. He can also predict about the incoming load on servers. Email alerts, restart options, memory leak detection, etc.

 Explain about websphere MQ Real time transport?

This feature is very useful in instant messaging across different clients through intranet and internet. This supports high volume and high performance across different clients. It uses the concept of lightweight transport which is again based on IP rather than the queue process.

Explain about Websphere MQ JMS Provider?

Websphere MQ and Websphere Business integration manager Broker are very useful in providing Java messaging services to wide range of clients (publisher –subscribe, point to point). Java classes are chiefly responsible for translating the API calls to API`s defined by websphere. It is very useful to have knowledge of Websphere MQ for proper configuration.

Explain the attribute CHANNEL in websphere MQ?

CHANNEL specifies the name of the server connection channel. Generally this is Websphere MQ network abstraction. The default standard used by CHANNEL is SVRCONN which is the server connection channel. This server is generally used to communicate to the queue manager by the client.

 What is the difference between Web Server and Application Server ?

Webserver:

A Web server handles the HTTP protocol. When the Web server receives an HTTP request, it responds with an HTTP response, such as sending back an HTML page. To process a request, a Web server may respond with a static HTML page or image, send a redirect, or delegate the dynamic response generation to some other program such as CGI scripts, JSPs (JavaServer Pages), servlets, ASPs (Active Server Pages), server-side JavaScripts, or some other server-side technology. Whatever their purpose, such server-side programs generate a response, most often in HTML, for viewing in a Web browser.

Application Server:

As for the application server, according to our definition, an application server exposes business logic to client applications through various protocols, possibly including HTTP. While a Web server mainly deals with sending HTML for display in a Web browser, an application server provides access to business logic for use by client application programs. The application program can use this logic just as it would call a method on an object

What are the different application servers and Web Servers supporting J2EE technology’s ?

JBoss Is an Application Server that supports J2EE

IBM Websphere and BEA WebLogic servers are a combination of Application Server, Web Server & container

Jakarta Tomcat is a Servlet container and a Web server.

Apache Server is a Web server

 What is the WebSphere Application Server Console and what is it’s role? What is the default URL and port for accessing it?

The administrative console is a browser-based interface that allows you to configure application server settings, deploy and manage applications, and perform additional tasks that are not included in the HTTP Server Administration interface. It used to be a Java application, however to be firewall safe it was made into a web-based application.

It runs on the default install port 9060 e.g http:\\hostname:9060\ibm\console, however this can be changed by editing virtual_hosts names. also when during installation ie GUI or response-file install you can set the ports that will be used.

What Development Environment(s) are available to develop applications for WebSphere?

IBM provides several industrial strength development environments based on Eclipse development framework the current IDE is Rational Developer for Websphere. Applications can also be developed with the Websphere Application Server Toolkit and third party tools like Jbuilder, and Eclipse/ANT etc.

What type of files are required to deploy an application into Websphere. How can they be installed?

WAR or EAR files.

Can be installed using Administration Console or scripts.

How would use ensure WebSphere server logs are created on a different drive than the installation root?

Change the WebSphere server’s server variables using the Administrative Console or use scripts.

What is needed to load balance the HTTP traffic across a cluster of Web servers?

Use an IP sprayer from the load balancing component of the WebSphere Edge Components

What is SOA?

SOA: SOA is a Service Oriented Architecture. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a software design and software architecture design pattern based on structured collections of discrete software modules, known as services that collectively provide the complete functionality of a large software application. Purpose of SOA is to allow easy cooperation of a large number of computers that are connected over a network. Every computer can run an arbitrary number of programs - called services in this context - that are built in a way that they can exchange information with any other service within the reach of the network without human interaction and without the need to make changes to the underlying program itself.

How to deploy an application in WebSphere?

There are three possible ways to deploy.

Hot deployment – copy the application file into the application directory. This is good for the non-production environment and not recommended for production.

DMGR – You can deploy an application through DMGR by going to Applications >> New application

Scripts – You can develop wsadmin scripts or ant tasks for an application deployment.

What file types you can deploy into WebSphere?

You can deploy WAR, EAR, JAR or SAR module through DMGR console or scriptings.

What are the WebSphere editions available?

WAS – Network Deployment

WAS – Developers

WAS – z/OS

WAS – Hypervisor

WAS – Express

WAS – Base

WAS – Liberty core

How to generate and propagate the plugin?

Login into WAS Administrative console

Go to Servers >> Web Servers

Select the server and click on “Generate” & “Propagate” button.

Tell me some of the log files generated by WebSphere?

SystemOut.log

SystemError.log

native_stdout.log

native_stderr.log

How do you disable security in WebSphere?

You can disable security by executing “securityoff” through wsadmin.sh. DMGR must be restarted after switching off the security.

How to enable verbose garbage collection?

Verbose GC is not enabled by default and if you need you can do it by;

Servers >> Server Type >> WebSphere Application Server

Select the JVM >> Process definition under “Java and process management”

Click java virtual machine under “additional properties” and tick the checkbox for “verbose garbage collection”

How to make WebSphere auto-start when server reboot?

WebSphere automatically generates startup script in /etc/init.d which will ensure it starts when reboot.

However, if for some reason script doesn’t exist then you can create one and put under /etc/init.d and enable it as below.

chkconfig -- add WebSphere #script file name

chkconfig WebSphere on

Refer my detailed guide on how to auto-start services on boot.

How to increase heap size of JVM?

Login to Administrative Console

Go to servers >> Server types >> WebSphere application server

Select the JVM >> Process definition >> java virtual machine

You can enter initial and maximum heap size here.

Can you decode WebSphere keystore XOR?

Yes, you can through online tool – http://strelitzia.net/wasXORdecoder/wasXORdecoder.html

Which scripting language is the default in WebSphere? JACL or Jython?

JACL is the default scripting language in WebSphere.

How can you apply fix pack in WebSphere 8.5.x?

IBM IM can be used to apply the fix. Refer how to apply fix pack guide for detailed instruction.

Where is your webserver hosted?

Again explain about your supported application architecture. However, in a typical production environment for the Internet-facing applications, Web servers would be in DMZ zone and application server in a core network.

This means you must have necessary ports allowed in the firewall between web servers to an application server.

Which database do you use with Websphere?.

DB2

Oracle Database

Microsoft SQL Server

Sybase

How do you connect Web Server to WAS?

There are two ways to connect to WAS.

Using plugin – this is the recommended method to install WAS plugin on a web server.

Using ProxyPass – if you are using Apache and don’t want to use the plugin then you can connect to WAS JVM by ProxyPass directive.

Do I need Web Server in front of WAS?

It’s recommended to have supported web server in front of WAS for better security, performance & maintenance.

How to change WebContainer thread pool size?

WebContainer thread pool can be changed by going inside JVM >> Thread pools >> WebContainer

What is the registry or repository supported in WebSphere?

Federated repository

Local operating system

Standalone LDAP registry

Standalone custom registry

What is the IBM WebSphere Service Registry and Repository?

WebSphere Service Registry and Repository is a system for storing, accessing and managing information, commonly referred as service metadata, used in the selection, invocation, management, governance and reuse of services in a successful SOA. In other words, it is where you store information about services in your systems, or in other organizations' systems, that you already use, plan to use, or want to be aware of. For example, an application can check the Registry & Repository just before invoking a service to locate the service instance best satisfying its functionality and performance needs. Registry & Repository also play a role in other stages of the SOA lifecycle.

Our view of a Registry & Repository encompasses:

Service Registry that contains information about services, such as their interfaces, operations and parameters

Metadata Repository providing a robust, extensible framework to suit the diverse nature of service usage.

How do I know if I need the WebSphere Service Registry and Repository?

The promise of SOA depends heavily on the ability to share assets. Such sharing requires coordinated facilities for access and control. With SOA adoption, the increase in the number of services that an organization needs to track and manage becomes evident. Also, with adoption comes the recognition of a need for better processes to manage the lifecycle of services. A disciplined approach to lifecycle management, part of the overall governance, helps ensure that the design, development, deployment, and operation of services adhere to policies. In the most effective SOA deployments, governance processes are woven throughout all phases of the lifecycle. Governance addresses the need for financial transparency, the alignment between business and IT, and process control, as well as how these business imperatives are achieved. The right software tools can greatly facilitate governance. These are some of the primary indications on when one should consider WebSphere Service Registry and Repository as part of the SOA solution.

Why is WebSphere Service Registry and Repository so important to my business?

The WebSphere Service Registry and Repository is critical when deploying significant SOA projects because it enables you to:

Associate services with business tasks - Mapping IT services to your business design supports service lifecycle management and governance, giving you better control of your SOA environment.

Share your services - Identify common services to avoid duplication and foster reuse. WebSphere Service Registry and Repository supports not only discovery and reuse of services, but also associated metadata and artifacts.

Integrate with standard registries and repositories - With support for standards, WebSphere Service Registry and Repository federates multiple registries and repositories to ensure a unified view across many sources of service information.

Support interoperable services with governance - Interoperably leverage existing investments and infrastructure with WebSphere Service Registry and Repository support for WSDL, XML, XSD, BPEL, SCA and other standards.

Unlock the value of mainframe applications and databases - Expose mainframe applications and database interactions by publishing them as services. WebSphere Service Registry and Repository enables access to both mainframe and non-mainframe applications without invasive API-level coding.

Enforce best practices - WebSphere Service Registry and Repository provides functions and flexibility to help IT groups institute standards and best practices in their SOA deployments.

Incrementally adopt SOA - Institute cultural change incrementally and accelerate via best practices.

How does the WebSphere Service Registry and Repository integrate with other IBM products?

WSRR integrates with development tooling using an Eclipse plug-in to support lookup, retrieval and publishing of service metadata. The product will provide an ESB Mediation and Routing Node based on metadata query for WebSphere ESB and Message Broker respectively.

Are there other IBM products that will help me get the most out of my WebSphere Service Registry and Repository?

Yes, typical patterns in SOA leads to the following complimentary products:

WebSphere ESB

WebSphere Message Broker

WebSphere Process Server

ITCAM for SOA

Rational Portfolio Manager

WebSphere Metadata Server

WebSphere Application Server

What is the interaction, linkage and roadmap of IBM Business Partners focused SOA Business Catalog and the SOA Foundation component - IBM WebSphere Service Registry and Repository?

IBM WebSphere Service Registry and Repository will be used across the enterprise SOA infrastructure to raise the visibility of reusable services fostering reuse. There will be situations where the services internally within the enterprise may not be complete to drive the SOA solution and there may be a need to access other services provided by IBM SOA partners. This is where the linkage between the internally focused WebSphere Service Registry and Repository with the external SOA Business Catalog will be beneficial for IBM SOA offering. Overtime the WebSphere Service Registry and Repository may not only link to the external SOA Business Catalog but also host these services (Plans subject to change). This interaction and linkage along with the roadmap is key to understand when business partners are building assets towards the SOA Business Catalog. The business partners who have services - and repositories today can work with IBM to interact with the IBM WebSphere Service Registry and Repository solution, so that customers will see the benefit of an IBM solution - and can consume it that way.

Does that mean that WebSphere Service Registry and Repository will have a standards based Web Services interface?

That is correct. WebSphere Service Registry and Repository is a J2EE application that installs on top of a WebSphere Application Server. Persistence is provided by IBM metadata management technology (Metadata Server) which interacts with a Relational Data Base configured through the Application Server. WebSphere Service Registry and Repository provides both Java and SOAP APIs. Basic CRUD operations as well as governance operations and a flexible query capability based on XPath are provided through both APIs. The product also has a web-based user interface for users representing different roles to interact with the WSRR, supporting lookup and publish scenarios, metadata management and analysis scenarios, and functions that support SOA governance.

How does the WebSphere Service Registry and Repository integrate with other IBM products?

WSRR integrates with development tooling using an Eclipse plug-in to support lookup, retrieval and publishing of service metadata. The product will provide an ESB Mediation and Routing Node based on metadata query for WebSphere ESB and Message Broker respectively.

Does WSRR provide a workflow capability?

WSRR provides a state transition engine that enables service lifecycle capability. The more complete workflow/process engine is provided by IBM WebSphere Process Server. WebSphere Service Registry and Repository is integrated to WebSphere Process Server and leverages the process flows, as applicable to service lifecycle transitions.

How would you ensure that a Websphere Application server or Websphere Application Server Node is started when the OS being windows 2000/2003 is re-booted?

Use the command WASService to register the Websphere Application Server or Websphere Application node as a Windows service.