Running IBM HTTP Server via Linux scripts and sudo

This is to allow non-root users to start and stop IHS via sudo scripts. It also allows IHS to automatically start following a server restart.

As root

(1) Copy the init scripts into place

$ cp ~/ibmhttp* /etc/init.d/

(2) Set executable permissions

$ chmod a+x /etc/init.d/ibmhttp*

(3) Register the services

$ chkconfig --add ibmhttpd
$ chkconfig --add ibmhttpadmin

(4) Check the autostart options

$ chkconfig --list | grep ibm

ibmhttpadmin       0:off    1:off    2:off    3:on    4:on    5:on    6:off
ibmhttpd           0:off    1:off    2:off    3:on    4:on    5:on    6:off

(5) Add to the /etc/sudoers file

Add: -

hayd    ALL=NOPASSWD: /sbin/service ibmhttpd *
hayd    ALL=NOPASSWD: /sbin/service ibmhttpadmin *

to the end of /etc/sudoers.

As the non-root user e.g. hayd

(1) Check the sudo permissions

$ sudo -l

Matching Defaults entries for hayd on this host:
    requiretty, !visiblepw, always_set_home, env_reset, env_keep="COLORS
    DISPLAY HOSTNAME HISTSIZE INPUTRC KDEDIR LS_COLORS", env_keep+="MAIL PS1
    PS2 QTDIR USERNAME LANG LC_ADDRESS LC_CTYPE", env_keep+="LC_COLLATE
    LC_IDENTIFICATION LC_MEASUREMENT LC_MESSAGES", env_keep+="LC_MONETARY
    LC_NAME LC_NUMERIC LC_PAPER LC_TELEPHONE", env_keep+="LC_TIME LC_ALL
    LANGUAGE LINGUAS _XKB_CHARSET XAUTHORITY",
    secure_path=/sbin\:/bin\:/usr/sbin\:/usr/bin

User hayd may run the following commands on this host:
    (root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/service ibmhttpd *
    (root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/service ibmhttpadmin *

(2) Test the scripts

$ sudo /sbin/service ibmhttpd status

IBM HTTP Server is not running:

$ sudo /sbin/service ibmhttpadmin status

IBM HTTP Server is not running:

(3) Use the scripts

$ sudo /sbin/service ibmhttpd start

Starting IBM HTTP Server:                                  [  OK  ]

$ sudo /sbin/service ibmhttpadmin start

Starting IBM HTTP Server: /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/adminctl start: admin http started
                                                           [  OK  ]

(4) Check processes and logs

$ ps auxw | grep -i httpd

root     22928  0.0  0.1   5488  2664 ?        Ss   01:02   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -d /opt/IBM/HTTPServer -k start
nobody   22930  0.0  0.0   5076  1444 ?        S    01:02   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -d /opt/IBM/HTTPServer -k start
nobody   22931  0.0  0.0   5488  1712 ?        S    01:02   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -d /opt/IBM/HTTPServer -k start
nobody   22932  0.0  0.0 283220  1844 ?        Sl   01:02   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -d /opt/IBM/HTTPServer -k start
root     23100  0.0  0.0   4312  1512 ?        Ss   01:14   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -f /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/conf/admin.conf
root     23102  0.0  0.0   4304   788 ?        S    01:14   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -f /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/conf/admin.conf
ihsadmin 23103  0.0  0.1  77164  3468 ?        Sl   01:14   0:00 /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/bin/httpd -f /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/conf/admin.conf

$ netstat -aon | grep 80

tcp        0      0 :::80                       :::*                        LISTEN      off (0.00/0/0)
tcp        0      0 :::8008                     :::*                        LISTEN      off (0.00/0/0)

$ cat /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/logs/error.log

[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] PLUGIN: mod_was_ap22_http: apache_log_header: WebSphere Plugins loaded.
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] PLUGIN: mod_was_ap22_http: apache_log_header: --------------------Plugin Information-----------------------
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] PLUGIN: mod_was_ap22_http: apache_log_header: Bld version: 7.0.0
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] PLUGIN: mod_was_ap22_http: apache_log_header: Bld date: Aug 19 2008, 23:45:47
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] PLUGIN: mod_was_ap22_http: apache_log_header: Webserver: IBM_HTTP_Server
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] PLUGIN: mod_was_ap22_http: apache_log_header: --------------------------------------------------------------
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] Using config file /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/conf/httpd.conf
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] IBM_HTTP_Server/7.0.0.0 (Unix) configured -- resuming normal operations
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] [notice] Core file limit is 0; core dumps will be not be written for server crashes

$ cat /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/Plugins/logs/webserver1/http_plugin.log

[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - ERROR: lib_security: loadSecurityLibrary: Failed to load gsk library from /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/Plugins/gsk7/gsk7_32
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - ERROR: ws_transport: transportInitializeSecurity: Unable to load security library
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - ERROR: ws_server: serverAddTransport: Failed to initialize security
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - ERROR: ws_server: serverAddTransport: HTTPS Transport is skipped
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: Plugins loaded.
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: --------------------System Information-----------------------
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: Bld version: 7.0.0
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: Bld date: Aug 19 2008, 23:43:56
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: Webserver: IBM_HTTP_Server
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: Hostname = rhel6.uk.ibm.com
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: NOFILES = hard: 1024, soft: 1024
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: MAX COREFILE SZ = hard: INFINITE, soft: 0
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: DATA = hard: INFINITE, soft: INFINITE
[Sat Jun 23 01:02:03 2012] 00005990 f77276c0 - PLUGIN: --------------------------------------------------------------

( I'll come back to the security related errors later )

(5) Test the site via a browser i.e. http://localhost:80 or similar

(6) Reboot the server and check that the httpd tasks automatically start.