Configuring Apache Tomcat (2024)

WebFOCUS Release 8.0 Versions 10 and 09 > App Studio > WebFOCUS App Studio Installation and Configuration Guide > Configuring the Web Server or Application Server

Configuring Apache Tomcat

In this section:

Tomcat Configuration Overview
Configuring Tomcat
Additional Tomcat Configuration Options
Apache Tomcat Application Server Unicode Configuration
Deploying the App Studio Help on a Remote Application Server

The App Studio installation provided the option to installand configure Apache Tomcat for you. If you chose this option andthe verification tool ran successfully, you do not need to manuallyconfigure Tomcat. However, if you are not familiar with Tomcat, youmay wish to review this section to understand the configurationprocess.

Note:

If Tomcat is notyet installed, install it at this time. You can install Tomcat by restartingthe App Studio installation program, choosing the Full Install option,choosing the Apache Tomcat installation option,and deselecting the App Studio option.
Tomcat uses TCP ports8080, 8009, and 8005 by default. If you need to change them, see Tomcat Ports.
If App Studio installsTomcat, it increases the default Java VM memory options. If youmanually install Tomcat or need to troubleshoot memory issues, see Java Memory Issues.

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Tomcat Configuration Overview

To configure Tomcat, you tell Tomcat where App Studiofiles are located and the contexts in which to use them. For example, theWebFOCUS web application is installed with App Studio in:

drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\webfocus

Tomcat must know to serve files from the web application whenit receives a request for the ibi_apps context path. For example:

http://localhost:8080/ibi_apps

Tomcat can be used as both a web server and application server,so Tomcat can also serve files outside of a web application afterit knows their location and context. On a traditional web server,you create aliases. With Tomcat, an alias is treated like a context root,even when serving files outside of a web application.

When using Tomcatas both web and application server, the following contexts mustbe created:
Context (path)

Directory (DocumentBase)
/ibi_apps
drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\webfocus
/ibi_apphelp
drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp
/approot
drive:\ibi\apps
When using Tomcatas the application server and IIS as the web server, create only onecontext on Tomcat:
Context (path)

Directory (DocumentBase)
/ibi_apps
drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\webfocus
/ibi_apphelp
drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp
The ibi_apphelp and approot contexts are thencreated as aliases (Virtual Directories) on IIS and IIS is configuredto send requests for ibi_apps to Tomcat.

Context (path)	Directory (DocumentBase)
/ibi_apps	drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\webfocus
/ibi_apphelp	drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp
/approot	drive:\ibi\apps

Context (path)	Directory (DocumentBase)
/ibi_apps	drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\webfocus
/ibi_apphelp	drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp

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Configuring Tomcat

How to:

Create Contexts for Apache Tomcat
Test the Tomcat Configuration

There are many ways to configure Tomcat. InformationBuilders recommends creating XML files under

<catalina_home>\conf\Catalina\localhost

where:

<catalina_home>

Is the actual location of your Tomcat installation directory.For example:

drive:\ibi\tomcat

C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\tomcat x.x.

Context roots can be created as specified in the following steps.

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Procedure: How to Create Contexts for Apache Tomcat

Stop Tomcatfrom the Windows Services window by right-clicking ApacheTomcat and choosing Stop.
Navigateto the following directory in Windows Explorer or My Computer:
```
<catalina_home>\conf\Catalina\localhost
```
This directory can contain XML files that definecontexts. If the App Studio installation installed and configuredTomcat for you, the following files should appear to define theibi_apps context that deploys the webfocus directory:
```
approot.xml
```
```
ibi_apps.xml
```
If you are using stand-alone Tomcat,the following file should appear as well:
```
ibi_apphelp.xml
```
The XML files are named for the context root youwould use to access the web application and should have the followingsyntax:
```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><Context docBase="path_To_WebApplication" path="/contextRoot"></Context>
```
where:

path_To_WebApplication

Is the absolute path to the WAR fileor directory you are deploying.

contextRoot

Is the context root.

Note: They can optionally contain additional information,as explained in Tomcat documentation.
If the ibi_apps.xmlfile does not exist, create it using Notepad. For example:
```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><Context docBase="C:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\webfocus" path="/ibi_apps"></Context>
```
Be sure to specifythe correct directory on your machine and change the context rootif you are not using the default (ibi_apps).
If you areusing stand-alone Tomcat and approot.xml does not exist, createit using Notepad. For example:
```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><Context docBase="C:\ibi\apps" path="/approot"></Context>
```
Be sure to specifythe correct directory on your machine.
If you areusing stand-alone Tomcat and ibi_apphelp.xml does not exist, createit using Notepad. For example:
```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><Context docBase="C:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp" path="/ibi_apphelp"></Context>
```
Be sure to specifythe correct directory on your machine.
See Also
Starting/Stoping Tomcat Server
RestartTomcat from the Services window.

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Procedure: How to Test the Tomcat Configuration

Ensure thatTomcat has been restarted.
Test theibi_apps context by going to the following URL in a web browser:
```
http://localhost:8080/ibi_apps/
```
The WebFOCUS home page should appear. If you receivean error, see Troubleshooting App Studio.

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Additional Tomcat Configuration Options

Reference:

Tomcat Ports
Reloading Web Applications
Additional Configuration Steps

You should be aware of how to secure the Tomcat ManagerWeb Tool, Tomcat TCP ports, and how to reload web applications.

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Reference: Tomcat Ports

By default, Tomcat uses the three TCP ports listed below:

Default Port	Name	Use
8080	HTTP Listener Port	You access Tomcat in a web browser usingthis port. For example: http://localhost:8080
8009	Connector Port	Web servers can route servlet requests toTomcat on this port. The Tomcat connector (plug-in) for IIS uses thisport. Tomcat listens on this port even if no web server is connecting.
8005	Shutdown Port	Tomcat uses this port for internal operationsand for shutting down.

Default Port

Name

Use

HTTP Listener Port

You access Tomcat in a web browser usingthis port. For example:

http://localhost:8080

Connector Port

Web servers can route servlet requests toTomcat on this port. The Tomcat connector (plug-in) for IIS uses thisport. Tomcat listens on this port even if no web server is connecting.

Shutdown Port

Tomcat uses this port for internal operationsand for shutting down.

If these ports are not availableor you wish to change them, do the following:

Open the followingfile in a text editor:
```
<catalina_home>\conf\server.xml
```
Search for the portnumbers you wish to replace (8080, 8009, 8005) and replace themwith the ports you wish to use.
Save and exit thefile.
Restart Tomcat.

If you change defaults, substitute accordingly in proceduresand examples. You also need to update the App Studio connectionsettings so it knows the correct Tomcat HTTP port if you changethe default.

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Reference: Reloading Web Applications

This is not a consideration if you just installed Tomcatwith App Studio for the first time, only when installing a servicepack or new release. When you upgrade App Studio or install a servicepack, Tomcat must use the new web application rather than cachedcopies of the old version.

If the expanded webfocusdirectory was deployed, the new web applications should be usedautomatically, but you should remove the following directory andrestart Tomcat.
```
<catalina_home>\work\Catalina\localhost\ibi_apps
```
For a stand-alone Tomcat configuration, also removethe approot and ibi_apphelp directories.
If you deploy thewebfocus.war file or your new release is located in a different directoryfrom the old release, remove the following, recreate the context,and restart Tomcat:
```
<catalina_home>\webapps\ibi_apps
```
```
<catalina_home>\work\Catalina\localhost\ibi_apps
```
```
<catalina_home>\conf\Catalina\localhost\ibi_apps.xml
```
For a stand-alone Tomcat configuration, removethe approot.xml file as well.

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Reference: Additional Configuration Steps

If you are using Tomcat as the application server andIIS as the web server, configure IIS, as explained in the next section.

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Apache Tomcat Application Server Unicode Configuration

To set up a Unicode environment, follow these steps:

Edit the server.xmlfile located under drive:\ibi\tomcat\conf.
Add useBodyEncodingForURI="true"to the Connector, as shown in the following image.
Recycle the TomcatApplication Server to activate.

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Deploying the App Studio Help on a Remote Application Server

This section is required if you are deploying the AppStudio Help system on a remote application server. The App StudioHelp web application must be deployed to an application server.

If Tomcat is your remote application server, you can do one ofthe following:

Copy the ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp folder, tothe following location, and restart Tomcat.
```
<catalina_home>\webapps
```

Create a context that points to the deployed Help web application.Create the context ibi_apphelp.xml, and place it in the followinglocation:
```
<catalina_home>\conf\Catalina\localhost\
```
Thexml should include the following syntax:
```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><Context docBase="drive:\ibi\AppStudio80\webapps\ibi_apphelp" path="/ibi_apphelp"></Context>
```

To configure the App Studio Help on a remote application serverother than Tomcat, you must deploy the ibi_apphelp.xml web applicationto the server.

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