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Installing and Uninstalling Service Packs on WebLogic Server

The following sections describe how to install and uninstall Service Packs on WebLogic Server:

- What Is a Service Pack?

- Service Packs for WebLogic Server 6.1

- Service Pack Installation Process

- Prerequisites to Installing a Service Pack

- Methods of Installing a Service Pack

- GUI-Mode Installation of a Service Pack

- Console-Mode Installation of a Service Pack

- Silent Installation of a Service Pack

- Uninstalling a Service Pack

- Reinstalling a Service Pack

- Viewing and Recovering Files Replaced or Deleted by a Service Pack Installation

- Working with the console.war File

What Is a Service Pack?

A Service Pack, or SP, is a program that fixes bugs or other known issues in an application. It can also add new functions to an application, or increase the capacity of an application.

A Service Pack for WebLogic Server delivers a maintenance release to BEA customers who already have WebLogic Server 6.1 installed. A maintenance release is a subsequent version of the WebLogic Server 6.1 software that includes updates or upgrades. "Update" means either a software modification or addition that, when made or added to the software, corrects an error or eliminates the adverse effect of the error on the customer. "Upgrade" means a revision of the software released by BEA to its customers to add new or different functions or to increase the capacity of the software. Upgrade does not include the release of a new product or added features for which there may be a separate charge.

As with most Service Packs, a Service Pack for WebLogic Server 6.1 is a cumulative collection of all previous Service Packs. That is, any subsequent Service Pack for WebLogic Server 6.1 will include the fixes provided by all previous Service Packs.

Service Packs for WebLogic Server 6.1

For a list of Service Packs available for WebLogic Server 6.1, see the Release Notes.

Service Pack Distribution

Service Packs are included in the available versions of WebLogic Server, which you can download from http://commerce.bea.com. If your WebLogic Server installation is version 6.0 or earlier and you want the latest distribution of WebLogic Server, you can download the entire WebLogic Server 6.1 distribution with the latest (highest-numbered) Service Pack, if any, from this site. Complete the installation by following the WebLogic Server installation procedures in this guide.

If you already have WebLogic Server 6.1 installed, with no Service Pack (or with an earlier 6.1 Service Pack, if one exists), you should login to the BEA eSupport Web site at http://support.bea.com and download the latest Service Pack (if any). Follow the procedures in Service Pack Installation Process in this guide.

Note: You must have a BEA eSupport account to download from this site. If you do not have a BEA eSupport account, you can register for one on the site.

Service Pack Content

A Service Pack is part of an installer file containing new and replacement files for WebLogic Server 6.1 and a copy of the BEA Installation program. A Service Pack installer does not contain a Java Development Kit (JDK).

Service Pack Installation Process

The process of installing a Service Pack on WebLogic Server is as follows. In the process flow, the BEA installation program is referred to as the "SP installer."

1. Select the language (English, French, German, Spanish, . . . ) to be used during the installation.

2. Select or create the BEA Home directory for the WebLogic Server 6.1 instance targeted to receive the SP update.

3. The SP installer finds the product directory for the WebLogic Server 6.1 instance, creates backup copies of various files, and installs the Service Pack.

As part of the installation, the SP installer moves the base files that will be replaced or deleted by the Service Pack installation into the wls_6.1_prod_dir/uninstaller_servicepack/baseRest.jar file, where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the target product directory. To view the content of the baseRest.jar file or to recover a replaced or deleted file from the baseRest.jar file, see Viewing and Recovering Files Replaced or Deleted by a Service Pack Installation.

The SP installer also makes backup copies of many files that you may have modified for the specific instance of WebLogic Server, including start scripts (for example, startWeblogic.cmd), set environment scripts (for example, setEnv.cmd), and many other files in the config and examples subfolders. The SP installer places the copies of these files in the following directory: wls_6.1_prod_dir\servicepacks\sp1\backup, where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the target product directory. The backup folder includes subfolders that match folders in the product directory. You may need to review the backup files so you can make similar modifications to the new versions of the files. The backup copies are for your use. The SP installer and uninstaller do not use these files.

Prerequisites to Installing a Service Pack

Before you can start the installation, you need to complete the following tasks:

- Shut down all applications running on the target WebLogic Server platform including WebLogic Server itself.

- Download the Service Pack installer to the target system.

- Include the path to the JDK 1.3 (or higher) software at the front of the PATH variable setting on the target system.

Shutting Down Applications and WebLogic Server

Before starting a Service Pack installation, you need to shut down all applications running on your WebLogic Server platform, and then shut down WebLogic Server itself. "Hot installation" of a Service Pack is not supported.

To shut down the default, examples, and Pet Store servers, see Shutting Down the Default, Examples, and Pet Store Servers. For complete information about stopping the WebLogic Server, see "Starting and Stopping WebLogic Servers" in the Administration Guide.

Downloading the Service Pack Installer

Choose any directory on the target system to receive the Service Pack installer and then download the installer to that directory.

Setting Up Your Environment

Before starting a Service Pack installation, include the path to the JDK 1.3 (or higher) software at the front of the PATH variable setting on the target system. Java 1.3 or higher is required to start the BEA Installation program. For a list of certified JDKs for the various supported platforms, see the Platform Support page at http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/certifications/certifications/index.html.

On a Windows System

To set up your environment on a Windows system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Windows system.

2. Open a command-line shell.

3. Go to the following directory:

   >     wls_6.1_prod_dir\config\domain_name

   where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the product directory in which you installed the WebLogic Server software, and domain_name represents the name of the domain you specified during installation (mydomain by default).

4. Enter the following command:

   >     setEnv.cmd

On a UNIX System

To set up your environment on a UNIX system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the UNIX system.

2. Open a command-line shell.

3. Go to the following directory:

   >     wls_6.1_prod_dir/config/domain_name

   where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the product directory in which you installed the WebLogic Server software, and domain_name represents the name of the domain you specified during installation (mydomain by default).

4. Enter the following command:

   >     . ./setEnv.sh

Methods of Installing a Service Pack

Use one of the following methods of installation to install a Service Pack on WebLogic Server 6.1:

- GUI-mode installation (Windows or UNIX)—See GUI-Mode Installation of a Service Pack.

- Console-mode installation (UNIX only)—See Console-Mode Installation of a Service Pack.

- Silent installation (Windows or UNIX)—See Silent Installation of a Service Pack.

The three methods of installation are different modes of operation of the BEA Installation program. Currently, the default mode of operation is GUI-mode installation.

Note: "Default" means that entering the installation command without any additional command line parameters (such as -i console) results in GUI-mode installation. In a future release, the default mode for UNIX systems will change to console-mode installation for both Service Pack and WebLogic Server base-product installations.

GUI-Mode Installation of a Service Pack

GUI-mode installation of a Service Pack is the graphics-based method of installing the Service Pack on WebLogic Server. It can run on both Windows and UNIX systems.

To run GUI-mode installation, the console attached to the machine on which you are installing the software must support a Java-based GUI. All consoles for Windows systems support Java-based GUIs, but not all consoles for UNIX systems do.

Note: To install a Service Pack on a UNIX system with a non-graphics console, see Console-Mode Installation of a Service Pack.

Starting GUI-Mode Installation on a Windows System

To start a Service Pack upgrade using GUI-mode installation on a Windows system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Windows system.

2. Go to the directory in which you downloaded the Service Pack installer.

3. Invoke the installation procedure by double-clicking filename.exe, where filename is the name of the Service Pack installer.

4. Proceed to Running GUI-Mode Installation.

Starting GUI-Mode Installation on a UNIX System

To start a Service Pack upgrade using GUI-mode installation on a UNIX system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the UNIX system.

2. Open a command-line shell.

3. Go to the directory in which you downloaded the Service Pack installer.

4. Invoke the installation procedure by entering

   >     java -cp filename.zip install

   where filename is the name of the Service Pack installer.

5. Proceed to Running GUI-Mode Installation.

Running GUI-Mode Installation

The installation program prompts you to enter specific information about your system and configuration. For instructions on responding to the prompts during the Service Pack installation, see the following table.

In this window . . . | Perform the following action . . .
--- | ---
BEA Logo | Select the language in which to display text during the installation.
Welcome | Click the Next button to proceed with the installation. You may cancel the installation at any time by clicking Exit.
Choose BEA Home Directory | Specify the BEA Home directory associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. For details about the BEA Home directory, see BEA Home Directory.
Installing . . . | No user input is required here. The installer program is installing the Service Pack on the target WebLogic Server instance. Note: It is normal for the installation progress bar to stop for a fairly long time, especially at the end. The installer is still working when this occurs.
Install Complete | Click Done to exit the installer program.

Congratulations! Your installation of the Service Pack upgrade is complete!

To determine what you need to do next, see Working with the console.war File.

Console-Mode Installation of a Service Pack

Console-mode installation of a Service Pack is the text-based method of installing the Service Pack on WebLogic Server. It can be run only on UNIX systems and is intended for UNIX systems with non-graphics consoles. Console-mode installation offers the same capabilities as graphics-based installation.

Starting Console-Mode Installation

To start a Service Pack upgrade using console-mode installation, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the UNIX system.

2. Open a command-line shell.

3. Go to the directory in which you downloaded the Service Pack installer.

4. Invoke the installation procedure by entering

   >     java -cp filename.zip install -i console

   where filename is the name of the Service Pack installer.

5. Proceed to Running Console-Mode Installation.

Running Console-Mode Installation

To complete the console-mode installation process, respond to the prompts in each section by entering the number associated with your choice or by pressing Enter to accept the default. To exit the installation process, enter quit in response to any prompt. To review or change your selection, enter back at the prompt.

In this section . . . | Perform the following action . . .
--- | ---
> Choose Locale | Choose the language in which to display text during the installation by entering the number associated with that language.
>     =================================
>     Choose Locale...
>         1- Deutsch
>       ->2- English
>         3- Español
>         4- Français

>     CHOOSE LOCALE BY NUMBER:
>     =================================
For example, if you want text to be displayed in French, enter 4 at the CHOOSE LOCALE BY NUMBER prompt. The default is English.
Introduction | Press Enter to continue with the installation process.
> Choose BEA Home Directory | Enter 2 to select the BEA Home directory associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. For example:
>     ====================================================
>     Choose BEA Home Directory
>     -------------------------
>       1- Create a New BEA Home
>       2- Use Existing BEA Home
>     Enter a number: 2
>       1- /home3/bea
>       2- /home2/beahome
>     Existing BEA Home: 1
>     ====================================================
In this example, you enter 2 to display the BEA Home directories that have already been created on this system. At the Existing BEA Home: prompt, you enter 1 to specify /home3/bea as the BEA Home directory for this installation. Make sure that you enter the number associated with the BEA Home directory instead of the directory name. Note: The BEA Home directory serves as a central support directory for all BEA products installed on the target system. For details, see BEA Home Directory.
Installing . . . | No user input is required here. The installer program is installing the Service Pack on the target WebLogic Server instance. Note: It is normal for the installation progress bar to stop for a fairly long time, especially at the end. The installer is still working when this occurs.
Install Complete | Press Enter to exit the installer program.

Congratulations! Your installation of the Service Pack upgrade is complete!

To determine what you need to do next, see Working with the console.war File.

Silent Installation of a Service Pack

Silent installation of a Service Pack installs the Service Pack on WebLogic Server by reading the settings for your configuration from a text file that you create prior to beginning the installation. Manual intervention is not necessary during the installation process. Silent installation works on both Windows and UNIX systems.

Silent installation is a way of setting installation configurations only once and then using those configurations to duplicate the installation on many machines.

Note: Using silent installation implies your consent to the BEA License Agreement. You neither see a copy of the BEA Software License Agreement nor have any means to accept the terms of the agreement.

Using Silent Installation: Main Steps

There are two primary steps in the silent installation process:

1. Create a template file that contains the configuration settings, such as BEA Home directory, product directory, domain and server names, and listen ports appropriate for your installation.

   For the detailed procedure, see Creating a Template File. Two sample template files are provided in Windows Template File and UNIX Template File.

2. Invoke the installation process using the values specified in the template files.

   For the detailed procedure, see Starting SP Silent Installation on a Windows System and Starting SP Silent Installation on a UNIX System.

Creating a Template File

To create a template file for use in the SP silent installation process, follow these steps:

1. Display the template file specific to your platform in a supported browser. The following templates are available:

   - Windows Template File

   - UNIX Template File

2. Copy the contents of the template file and save it as a text file named installer.properties in the directory containing the Service Pack installer.

3. In the installer.properties file, modify the values for the keywords shown in the following table to create your desired configuration.

   For this keyword . . . | Enter the following value . . .
   --- | ---
   INSTALLER_UI= | The mode of installation. The default is silent; do not modify this value.
   USER_LOCALE= | A language code determining the language displayed during the installation. Besides en for English, you can set this value to de for German (Deutsch), es for Spanish (Español), fr for French (Français), or ja (or ja_JP) for Japanese.
   BEAHOME= | The full pathname for the BEA Home directory associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade.
   USER_INSTALL_DIR= | The full pathname for the product directory associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade.
   C_domainName= | The domain name for the WebLogic Server default server associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. The default is mydomain.
   C_serverName= | The server name for the WebLogic Server default server associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. The default is myserver.
   C_serverListenPort= | The dedicated TCP/IP port number for the WebLogic Server default server associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. The default is 7001.
   C_serverSSLListenPort= | The dedicated secure listen port number for the WebLogic Server default server associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. The default is 7002.
   INSTALL_NT_SERVICE= (Windows systems only) | No to installing the WebLogic Server default server as a Windows service. The default is no; do not modify this value.
   C_password= | The password associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade.
   CHOSEN_INSTALL_SET= | The install set associated with the WebLogic Server instance that is to receive the Service Pack upgrade. Install set choices are ServerExample and ServerOnly; the default is ServerExample.

In the template files, comment lines are preceded by hash marks.

To specify the ServerOnly install set, comment the CHOSEN_INSTALL_SET=ServerExample line and uncomment the CHOSEN_INSTALL_SET=ServerOnly line.

Starting SP Silent Installation on a Windows System

Installing the Service Pack using silent installation takes the same amount of time as a standard installation. During silent installation, an initial Installation Program window appears briefly, indicating that the installation has started. No other windows or prompts are displayed to indicate that the installation is in progress or has completed.

To start a Service Pack upgrade using silent installation on a Windows system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the target Windows system.

2. Open a command-line shell.

3. Go to the directory in which you downloaded the Service Pack installer.

4. Invoke the installation procedure by entering

   >     filename.exe -f full_path/installer.properties

   where filename is the name of the Service Pack installer, and full_path is the full pathname for the installer.properties file.

5. To determine what you need to do next, see Working with the console.war File.

Starting SP Silent Installation on a UNIX System

Installing the Service Pack using silent installation takes the same amount of time as a standard installation. During silent installation, a startup message appears, followed by an "Installing . . ." message, indicating that the installation has started. A short message appears when the installation has completed.

To start a Service Pack upgrade using silent installation on a UNIX system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the UNIX system.

2. Open a command-line shell.

3. Go to the directory in which you downloaded the Service Pack installer.

4. Invoke the installation procedure by entering

   >     java -cp filename.zip install -f full_path/installer.properties

   where filename is the name of the Service Pack installer, and full_path is the full pathname for the installer.properties file.

5. To determine what you need to do next, see Working with the console.war File.

Uninstalling a Service Pack

Uninstalling a Service Pack removes all components installed by the Service Pack installation. It does not delete configuration or application files created after the installation.

Uninstalling a Service Pack leaves the original full installation of the WebLogic Server base product, where a base product may or may not have Service Packs already applied. The following examples help clarify the Service Pack uninstallation process.

Example 1:

1. Install WebLogic Server 6.0 with no Service Packs applied.

2. Install WebLogic Server 6.0 Service Pack 1.

3. Install WebLogic Server 6.0 Service Pack 2.

4. Uninstall WebLogic Server 6.0 Service Pack 2.

   Result: WebLogic Server 6.0 with no Service Packs applied.

Example 2:

1. Install WebLogic Server 6.0 with Service Pack 1 already applied.

2. Install WebLogic Server 6.0 Service Pack 2.

3. Uninstall WebLogic Server 6.0 Service Pack 2.

   Result: WebLogic Server 6.0 with Service Pack 1 already applied.

As demonstrated by the first example, if you install multiple Service Packs, you need only uninstall the highest-level Service Pack to revert back to the WebLogic Server base product. As demonstrated by the second example, if you install a WebLogic Server instance with a Service Pack already applied (a full installation), you cannot uninstall that Service Pack.

To uninstall a Service Pack, complete the procedures for the appropriate platform, provided in the following table.

To uninstall the Service Pack on this platform . . . | Complete the following procedure . . .
--- | ---
Windows | Shut down any servers that are running. For instructions, see Shutting Down the Default, Examples, and Pet Store Servers. From the Windows Start menu, choose Start—>Programs—>BEA WebLogic E-Business Platform—>WebLogic Server 6.1—>Uninstall Service Pack x, where x is the highest-level Service Pack applied. The BEA Installation program Uninstaller window appears. Click Uninstall to start the uninstall program. Click Exit in the Uninstall Complete window.
UNIX | Shut down any servers that are running. For instructions, see Shutting Down the Default, Examples, and Pet Store Servers. Set the PATH and CLASSPATH variables to include the location in which the JDK 1.3 (or higher) is installed. You can include them as arguments on the java command line, or by executing a sample script provided with your software. To execute the script, go to the following directory: wls_6.0_prod_dir/config/domain_name where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the product directory in which you installed the WebLogic Server software, and domain_name represents the name of the domain you specified during installation (mydomain by default). Enter the following command at the prompt: . ./setEnv.sh Go to the following directory: wls_6.1_prod_dir/uninstaller_servicepack where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the product directory in which you installed the WebLogic Server software. Choose one of two methods for uninstalling the software: To use the GUI-mode installation program, go to step 5. To use the console-mode procedure, go to step 6. (GUI-mode method) Enter the sh uninstall command at the prompt. In the Uninstaller window, click Uninstall to start the uninstall program, then click Exit in the Uninstall Complete window to complete the uninstallation. (Console-mode method) Enter the sh uninstall -i console command at the prompt. When the uninstall process is complete, press Enter to exit the uninstaller.

Reinstalling a Service Pack

When you attempt to install a Service Pack on a WebLogic Server 6.1 instance that already has the same Service Pack installed, the BEA Installation program responds in one of two ways:

If . . . | Then . . .
--- | ---
The WebLogic Server 6.1 instance received its Service Pack upgrade at the customer site—an upgrade installation | The BEA Installation program will reinstall the Service Pack.
The WebLogic Server 6.1 instance was installed with the Service Pack already applied—a full installation | The BEA Installation program will not reinstall the Service Pack. An Exit Installation button will appear, which you click to abort the installation.

Just as when you installed the Service Pack, when you reinstall a Service Pack, the SP installer makes backup copies of any files that you have modified, including start scripts and set environment scripts. The SP installer places the copies of these files in the following directory: wls_6.1_prod_dir\servicepacks\sp N\backup, where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the target product directory. If a previous version of a file exists in the backup folder or a subfolder that is different than the current version, the SP installer makes an additional backup copy of the file and adds a numeric suffix to the file name starting with _001 for the second backup copy of each file. The SP installer incrementally increases the suffix each time it makes a backup copy of the file. The SP installer only adds or increments the suffix if the file has been modified.

Note: The SP installer adds suffixes only to files that are modified before a reinstallation of the Service Pack. It does not add suffixes to files that are not modified. Therefore, you cannot use the suffix numbers to compare versions of different files.

Viewing and Recovering Files Replaced or Deleted by a Service Pack Installation

To view the files replaced or deleted by a Service Pack installation, go to the wls_6.1_prod_dir/uninstaller_servicepack directory of the upgraded WebLogic Server instance and enter the following command:

>     jar tf baseRest.jar

To recover a file replaced or deleted by a Service Pack installation, go to the wls_6.1_prod_dir/uninstaller_servicepack directory of the upgraded WebLogic Server instance and enter the following command:

>     jar xf baseRest.jar filename

where filename is the name of the file you want to recover.

The SP installer also makes backup copies of commonly modified files and places the copies in the following directory: wls_6.1_prod_dir\servicepacks\sp N\backup, where wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the target product directory. For more information, see Service Pack Installation Process and Reinstalling a Service Pack.

Working with the console.war File

As of WebLogic Server version 6.1, the console.war file for a WebLogic Server distribution is packaged in one of the following Java archives:

- wls_6.1_prod_dir/lib/weblogic_sp.jar or

- wls_6.1_prod_dir/lib/weblogic.jar

In these pathnames, wls_6.1_prod_dir represents the product directory in which you installed the WebLogic Server software.

Because the console.war file is packaged with the WebLogic Server Java archives, you no longer need to copy the console.war file to your customer-created domains after a Service Pack installation or uninstallation. You need only do what you normally do when setting up the environment for your customer-created domains: ensure that the paths to the weblogic_sp.jar and weblogic.jar files are included in the CLASSPATH variable setting.

After installing a Service Pack, verify that the Service Pack is installed correctly by performing the tasks in Performing Post-Installation Tasks.

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