9.2.2 Changing web server settings by using server templates

To change the web server settings (other than standard properties), use server templates, which contain the settings required to run the web server. When changing the web server settings, either set extended properties or enter a directive directly into the server template. If you edit a server template, we recommend setting the extended properties.

Prerequisites

The domain administration server (DAS) is running.
Application Server has been set up.

Intended users

System engineers

Storage location and file names of the server templates

The file names of the server templates are as follows:

httpsd.conf@windows.vtl

The server template for web server basic settings. This template contains basic settings other than those for request transmission to web server and load balancing.
reverse_proxy.conf@.vtl

The server template for the settings for web server request transmission. This template contains the settings for when the server instance of the request transmission destination is in a non-cluster configuration.
proxy_balancer.conf@.vtl

The server template for the settings for web server load balancing. This template contains the settings for when the server instance of the request transmission destination is in a cluster configuration.

When the domain is started for the first time, files in the server template are deployed to the following location: installation_directory_for_Application_Server/javaee/glassfish/domains/domain_name/server_templates/webserver/conf.

Editing the server template

The server template can be edited as follows:

Use VTL syntax to set the extension properties.

Specify the VTL syntax in the server template, and then set up the web server by processing the extended property values of the set subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
Directly specify directives.

Set the web server by entering directives directly into the server template.

By using VTL syntax to specify extended properties, you will be able to change the web server settings by using the set subcommand of the asadmin utility command, and verify the changes by using the get subcommand.

When the create-webserver and start-webserver subcommands of the asadmin utility command are run, the server template is read by the DAS. The settings are then applied to the definition file that is read by the web server.

Procedure

If you are using a hardware load balancer, then block it.

For more information about blocking, refer to the hardware load balancer manual.

If the performance tracer, server instance, and web server are not stopped, go to step 2.

If the performance tracer, server instance, and web server are already stopped, omit steps 1 to 5.
To stop all performance tracers, server instances, and web servers at the same time, execute the stop-servers subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin stop-servers
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows:
```
Command stop-servers executed successfully.
```
To display a list of performance tracers, run the list-prfs subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin list-prfs
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows. Ensure that the statuses of the performance tracers are not running.
```
performance_tracer_name not running
Command list-prfs executed successfully.
```
To display a list of server instances, run the list-instances subcommand of the asadmin utility command with the --long option specified.
```
asadmin list-instances --long=true
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows. Ensure that the statuses of the server instances are not running.
```
server_instance_name host_name port_number process_ID cluster_name not running
Command list-instances executed successfully.
```
- cluster_name is displayed only for cluster configurations that contain multiple Java EE servers.
To display a list of web servers, run the list-webservers subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin list-webservers
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows. Ensure that the statuses of the web servers are not running.
```
web_server_name not running
Command list-webservers executed successfully.
```
To set extended properties by using VTL syntax, do the following:

The following procedure uses the ProxyPreserveHost directive of reverse_proxy.conf as an example.
1. Using a text editor, open the server template file (reverse_proxy.conf@.vtl), and then specify the VTL syntax of extended properties.
  To specify extended properties, add ex_ at the beginning of the directive name.
  
  For example, for the ProxyPreserveHost directive, extended properties can be set by using ex_ProxyPreserveHost.value.
```
ProxyPreserveHost ${property.ex_ProxyPreserveHost.value}
```
2. Save the server template file.
3. To specify On for the value of the ex_ProxyPreserveHost.value extended property of the web server settings, run the set subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin set 
hitachi-webservers.hitachi-webserver.web_server_name.
property.ex_ProxyPreserveHost=On
```
  When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows:
```
hitachi-webservers.hitachi-webserver.web_server_name.
property.ex_ProxyPreserveHost=On
Command set executed successfully.
```
4. Run the get subcommand of the asadmin utility command to verify whether the value of the ex_ProxyPreserveHost.value extended property is the same as intended.
```
asadmin get hitachi-webservers.hitachi-webserver.web_server_name.
property.ex_ProxyPreserveHost
```
  When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows:
```
hitachi-webservers.hitachi-webserver.web_server_name.
property.ex_ProxyPreserveHost=On
Command get executed successfully.
```
When specifying a directive directly, do the following:
1. Open the server template file by using a text editor, and then directly specify the Web Server directive.
  
  To specify the directive as a comment, start the line with a hash mark (#) followed by a half-width space.
2. Save the server template file.
  
  If you are finished making changes, go to step 8.
  
  If you want to change the following environment definitions, define each environment setting without starting the servers that configure Application Server.
  
  Application Server settings
  
  Java VM options
  
  Environment variables to be applied to the processing of the asadmin utility command
To start Application Server at once, run the start-servers subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin start-servers
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows:
```
Command start-servers executed successfully.
```
To display a list of performance tracers, run the list-prfs subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin list-prfs
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows. Ensure that the statuses of the performance tracers are running.
```
performance_tracer_name running
Command list-prfs executed successfully.
```
To display a list of server instances, run the list-instances subcommand of the asadmin utility command with the --long option specified.
```
asadmin list-instances --long=true
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows. Ensure that the statuses of the server instances are running.
```
server_instance_name host_name port_number process_ID cluster_name running
Command list-instances executed successfully.
```
- cluster_name is displayed only for cluster configurations that contain multiple Java EE servers.
To display a list of web servers, run the list-webservers subcommand of the asadmin utility command.
```
asadmin list-webservers
```
When this command is run, the result is displayed as follows. Ensure that the statuses of the web servers are running.
```
web_server_name   running
Command list-webservers executed successfully.
```
If you are using a hardware load balancer, unblock it.

For more information about unblocking, refer to the hardware load balancer manual.