IBM WebSphere Server Administration Interview Questions and Answers

If you are an IBM Product Expert then this is for you. Looking for a job change and worried about the questions in interview? we’ve a right answer for your job interview preparation. If you are preparing for IBM WAS Administration job interview and not sure what sort of questions you might be asked, then check Wisdomjobs interview questions and answers page to pass the interview. WAS is the server that hosts for web applications. Mostly, WAS hosts Java based web applications. Candidates preparing for this interview should have sufficient knowledge on installing, developing, debugging, problem solving, administering the websphere application servers. Below are the IBM WAS Administration interview questions and answers which makes you comfortable to face the interviews.

1. When You Use Migration Wizard (pmt) For Websphere Application Server 8, Do You Expect To Have All Profile Services Up And Running Again?

Ans:

No, migration wizard only provides minimal function and it does not enable any services by default.

2. In A Scenario Where An Administrator Needs To Migrate The Entire Application Server Profiles From V6.1 To V8 Using Profile Management Tool (pmt) And He Wants To Keep All Windows Services Created For These Profiles, How To Make Sure That These Windows Services Are Kept After Migration Process?

Ans:

Administrator must create the new profile with a services enabled before starting the wizard, and then point to that profile during the migration wizard.

3. Assume That You Installed Was 6 After Was 8 On Your Server, Is It Then Possible To Migrate Was 6 Nodes To Was 8?

Ans:

No, it will not work as WAS 8 should be installed after those earlier versions.

4. What Are The New Capabilities In Ibm Installation Manager V8?

Ans:

Here is a list of new capabilities:

• Asingle installation technology for installing and uninstalling product
• Updating and rolling back fixpacks and iFixes
• Installing and uninstalling feature packs
• GUIinterface to perform individual operations; response files can be recorded either from the GUI or created by specifying the appropriate XML file for silent installation purposes
• Silent mode support for invoking multiple operations.

5. Can You Check On Installed Servers In “.nifregistry” File After Installing Was 8?

Ans:

No, WAS 8 is no longer using this registry file.

6. Is It Possible To Install Websphere Application Server V5 Over System I Remotely?

Ans:

No, you can’t as there is no GUI interface for version 5.

7. What May Cause Installation Of Websphere Application Server Over System I To Be Stopped Suddenly With No Log File Creation?

Ans:

Undefined host name for your system i box

8. What May Cause Problem In Profile Creation?

Ans:

Including special characters in your local host name may cause problem in profile creation.

9. How Can You Administer Your Application Server?

Ans:

Application server can be administered using admin console and wsadmin.

10. Can You Federate A Profile Using Manageprofiles Command Facility?

Ans:

No, you can’t but you can delete a profile by manageprofiles command facility.

11. Will There Be Any Problem In Installing The Application Server On A Target Platform Where It Has Been Done Before?

Ans:

Yes, it will cause an unattended installation of the application server.

12. Can You Enable Sso For Application Server Over System I?

Ans:

Yes, you can, during profile creation wizard.

13. Can You Federate A Node On System I Box Into Dmgr Over Windows/linux Platform?

Ans:

Yes, you can, as long as system i box can be accessed through network.

14. Can You Use Iim For Installing Application Server 8 Over System I?

Ans:

No, you can’t. You have to install it using QShell command line.

15. Can You Take A Copy Of Systemout.log Files Over System I While It Is Running?

Ans:

No, you can’t as this file is locked by application server process.

16. Mention What Is The Difference Between Websphere And Weblogic?

Ans:

Websphere is focused more on connectivity, integration, and web services.  It has better performance, rich implementation of J2EE, more extensive integration and transaction management compare to Weblogic.
Weblogic has default transaction attributes as supports, while websphere does not have such type of the default transaction attribute.

17. Explain What Is A Connecting Pool?

Ans:

Connecting pool is a cache of database connections maintained so that connection can be reused when future requests to the database are required. If all the connections are occupied, a new connection is created and is added to the pool.

18. Mention What Sync Function Does In Websphere?

Ans:

WAS (WebServer Application Server) stores all the configuration in one central location referred as “Master Repository”. The sync ensures the configuration in both local and master repositories are same and in sync.

19. Mention How Many Ways You Can Deploy The Application In Websphere?

Ans:

In Websphere application can be deployed in three ways

• Copy files directly to deploy application folder in websphere.
• Use websphere specific ant tasks create automated scripts for deploying application.
• Via administration console.

20. Mention Which Resource Can Enhance Ears Support Apart From Shared Libraries And Data Sources?

Ans:

Class loader policy, JAAS authentication aliases and virtual host information can enhance EARs support apart from EARs support and shared libraries.

21. Mention What Are The Websphere Mq Programming Apis?

Ans:

Websphere MQ programming APIs include

• AMI (Application Messaging Interface).
• JMS (Java Message Service).
• MQI (Message Queue Interface).

22. Mention What Functionality Does Caching Proxy Server Provides?

Ans:

Caching server provides functionality like

• Reverse proxy and content based routing.
• Integration with servlet caching and dynamic content caching.

23. Explain How Caching Proxy Of Websphere On The Edge Server Is Done?

Ans:

• A caching proxy can be configured in forward direction or as a proxy. When user requests the content, it is cached by the edge before sending or following to the query.
• Page fragments arising from Servlets or JSP are cached by Edge, and the Caching process becomes Slow.
• Performance and scalability can be optimized by edge.

24. Explain What Is Websphere Edge Server?

Ans:

The WebSphere edge server is used to enhance the performance of web based systems.  It can be used as a proxy server.  There are basically four components in the web sphere they are caching proxy, content distribution, network dispatcher and application server at the edge.

25. Explain What Is Extended Deployment In Websphere?

Ans:

The extended deployment in WebSphere leverages enhanced qualities of service with features optimizing IT resources. It spans three areas

• WebSphere Virtual Enterprise.
• WebSphere eXtreme Scale.
• Compute Grid.

26. Explain What Is Sslpeer In Ibm Websphere Mq?

Ans:

SSLPEER is a string usually distinguished name of MQ client, which links to QueueManager securely using QueueManager.  This is a mechanism used to identify client.

27. Explain What Is Queue Manager In Ibm Websphere Mq?

Ans:

QueueManager is the important component of WebSphere MQ.  It is accountable for storing and routing messages to other queue manager within MQ, and it also communicate with the outside world.

28. Explain What Is Websphere Is Mq?

Ans:

WebSphere MQ is an application program that allows you to communicate with each other using messages and queues.  This form of communication is referred as commercial messaging.  There are two methods for application to communicate, Request/Response and Fire & Forget.

29. Mention When Does Websphere Application Server Contact The Registry For User Information?

Ans:

Web-sphere application server contact the registry for user when users

• Checks the users password.
• Maps certificate information to a userid.
• Converts userid to registry uniqueid.
• Obtains group information.

30. Mention What Are The Default Ports You Use To Use Websphere Application Sphere?

Ans:

The default ports you use are HTTP: 9080 and HTTP: 9443.

31. Explain What Is A Cell In Websphere?

Ans:

A cell is referred as a grouping of nodes into a single administrative domain. A cell can have multiple nodes which are all managed from a single point.

32. Explain What Is Node, Node Agent And Node Groups?

Ans:

Node : It is a logical grouping of server processes maintained by WebSphere and that share common configuration and operational control.

Nodeagent :  Each node has a node agent that works along with the deployment manager to manage administration processes. It acts as a mediator between the node and deployment manager.

Node Group : A node group is a grouping of nodes within a cell that have same capabilities.

33. Mention What Is Asymmetric Clustering In Web-sphere?

Ans:

In asymmetric clustering, the partition can be defined dynamically and runs on a single cluster at a time. The task which is particular to an appropriate cluster can be routed to that cluster.  Usually, clustering is used by banks.

34. Mention What Type Of Files Are Required To Deploy An Application Into Websphere?

Ans:

WAR or EAR files are required to deploy an application into Web-sphere.

35. Mention How Does A Websphere Or Any Application Server Clustering Work?

Ans:

A WebSphere’s web server plugin component routes requests to WebSphere cluster web containers.   If there is a communication failure with a particular cluster member, it will mark that member down and start routing all requests to the remaining cluster member till the original is available.

36. Mention Some Of The Features Available In Web-sphere?

Ans:

Some of the features available in Web-sphere includes

• It supports the servlet/JSP container functionality that runs on top of HTTP.
• It supports HTTP servers as IBM HTTP server, Netscape iPlanet server, and MS IIS.
• It supports Java Server Pages, HTML pages, Servlets and XML.
• It supports EJB component model and Workload Management.

37. Mention What Are The Important Component Of Web-sphere?

Ans:

Important components of Web-Sphere are

• WebSphere Application Server or WAS: It connects the website users with Java servlets.
• Data–Server: For data persistence.
• Web–server: It provides the service of HTTP.

38. Explain What Is Web-sphere?

Ans:

Web-sphere is a tool based on Java and developed by IBM, to manage and create websites.  Web-sphere is often used to build interactive web-oriented applications that support business functions required for e-commerce, it integrates all the data across different operating system and applications.

39. How Can Administrator Assign Java Ee 5 Security Permissions To Actual Users In Websphere Application Server?

Ans:

The administrator can assign security permissions to actual users by mapping application roles to users or groups in the WebSphere user registry.

40. When Does Administrator Need To Create A Jdbc Provider?

Ans:

If the administrator is implementing an application which requires a connection to the database then he needs to create a JDBC provider.

41. A Scenario Of A Network Deployment Cell Has One Cluster And An Application Uses Jms Client Required To Be Deployed To The Cluster, What Are The Required Steps To Be Followed By Administrator To Make Clients Able To Consume Messages?

Ans:

The cluster must be added as a member to the Service Integration Bus (SIBus).

42. What Is The Required Configuration Information To Connect Jms Destination To Sibus?

Ans:

JMS provider type, bus name and the bus destination.

43. State The Three Ways To Enable Verbose Gc.?

Ans:

wsadmin script,

-verbose:gc command line attribute and

-Xoptionsfile command line option.

44. Where Can Administrator Find Binding Information For An Application?

Ans:

The administrator can find the binding information in the deployment descriptor.

45. In Order To Modify The Configuration Of An Enterprise Application, Through Which Components Can The System Admin Make Modification Using Wsadmin?

Ans:

Job manager or deployment manager.

46. How To Protect Servlets In Java Ee Applications?

Ans:

Servlets can be protected by method permissions.

47. Is It Possible To Manage Sinus Using Fine-grained Administrative Security?

Ans:

No, SIBus messaging engine cannot be managed by fine-grained administration.

48. How To Remove The Application-scoped Resources From An Enhanced Ear File?

Ans:

Application scoped resources can be removed from an enhanced EAR file by removing META—INF/ibmconfig directory.

49. How Can You Describe The Relationship Between A Flexible Management Topology And The Network Deployment Cell?

Ans:

Flexible management topology can be an alternative to the network deployment cell.

50. How To Manage Multiple Stand-alone Application Servers On Different Hosts?

Ans:

Multiple stand alone application servers can be managed by using a job manager through administrator agents.