Unix/ Linux installation: these instructions guide you to setting up tomcat to run as a service under the classic init mechanism on unix/ linux (System V) since this will be available on all platforms, but you should consider using Upstart, a more modern init mechanism that will be available on most modern unix/ linux distributions. Installation using upstart is widely covered on the web.
Further, at some versions of tomcat, on certain unix/ linux versions, a complete tomcat installation can be performed using a few simple package commands. Before you begin, a web search for tomcat installation at the desired version of tomcat, on the installed version of your unix/ linux distribution, may give you a much simpler installation method.
However you install tomcat, please note the settings that are needed under configuring tomcat
Download
The System Administrator should have set up a linked directory structure like [c:]/opt/tomcat. The details of this may differ between installations so from this point on, the “root” tomcat directory will be referred to as $TOMCAT.
Download the appropriate version of Tomcat from tomcat.apache.org and unpack (unzip/uncompress) into the $TOMCAT. (Refer to Compatibility Guide and Upgrade Planning for supported versions).
Install
Some instructions are given here for installing tomcat, and making it run as a service. You should ensure that any installation meets with your company standards.
Installing on windows
Run the tomcat installation program.
Installing on unix/ linux
Install the login scripts in tomcat login scripts into the tomcat user home directory. These scripts are correct as of Tomcat 8.0 but you should confirm that no changes are needed because of environment differences or because of different versions of tomcat.
Configure tomcat
context.xml: cache settings
The default Tomcat cache settings are insufficient for PhixFlow:
Add <Resources ... /> to at the end of the <Context/> block in context.xml so that the file looks something like this:
<Context>
<!-- lines omitted -->
<Resources cachingAllowed="true" cacheMaxSize="1000000" />
</Context>
server.xml: Port Specification (Optional)
By default, Tomcat will use ports 8080 for HTTP and 8443 for HTTPS.
If you need to use different ports, you can set them in $TOMCAT/conf/server.xml. E.g.
<!-- Define a non-SSL HTTP/1.1 Connector on port 8080 -->
<Connector
port="8081"
maxHttpHeaderSize="8192" …
Remember to enable this port in the server’s firewall (if enabled).
web.xml: Session timeout
Modify $TOMCAT/conf/web.xml to change the Tomcat session timeout period from its default value (30 mins). Find the following lines and change as needed:
<session-config> <session-timeout>720</session-timeout> </session-config>
Update <session-timeout> to the value you need, e.g. to 720 (minutes i.e. 12 hours).
Java and JVM Options
Download and install Java from java.com. Java JDK 1.8 is required (and version 1.8.0_74 or greater is recommended). The following JVM (Java Virtual Machine) options should be set to control (amongst other things) the amount of memory reserved for Tomcat and therefore made available for PhixFlow. The options are:
Option | Recommended Setting | Syntax |
Initial Memory Pool | 1024Mb on 32bit architecture. 40% of physical memory on x64 architecture. Consult your sys admin for recommended settings on virtual servers. | -Xms1024m |
Max Memory Pool | As much as possible. 1024Mb on 32bit architecture. 75% of physical memory on x64 architecture. Consult your sys admin for recommended settings on virtual servers. | -Xmx1024m |
Garbage Collector Diagnostics | Enabled | -verbose:gc |
| Disable direct GUI access | Some JDBC (database) drivers generate warning messages direct to the screen if running under a GUI (graphical user interface). These messages are confusing at best for a background service such as the PhixFlow web application server, and should be disabled. This setting tells Java to behave as though there were no GUI present. | -Djava.awt.headless=true |
To set JVM options:
Windows |
-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -verbose:gc -Djava.awt.headless=true |
Unix/Linux | If you have installed the scripts in tomcat login scripts, these option will already be set however for clarity, these options are defined in the JAVA_OPTS environment variable set in the tomcat user’s shell startup file (e.g. .profile / .bash_profile / .cshrc in the user’s home directory – the actual startup file is determined by the user’s default shell settings). JAVA_OPTS=’-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -verbose:gc -Djava.awt.headless=true’ |
Database JDBC Drivers
The drivers needed to connect to PhixFlow’s own database are included within the release pack and no action is needed.
Drivers used to connect to external databases may still have to be downloaded.
For information on using SQLServer with Integrated Authentication, see SQLServer Integrated Authentication.
Start Tomcat
To start Tomcat:
Windows | Run the Tomcat Monitor. Click on Right mouse menu -> Start Service |
Unix | Login to the unix server as user tomcat. unix> cd $TOMCAT unix> startup.sh |
Make tomcat run as a service
Windows
- Run the Tomcat Monitor.
- Right click on the Apache Tomcat icon in the system tray and select Configure …
- On the ‘General’ tab:
- Set Startup Type to Automatic.
Unix/ Linux
As the root user, install the tomcat script listed in tomcat service scripts and create a soft link to it from the appropriate run-level directory. The actual run-level directories are specific to the particular unix variant.