Enabling live chats in a clustered environment

The live chat service enables end users and Service Desk agents to chat in real time about end user problems and issues. In a clustered environment, you must configure each clustered server to accommodate live chat requests. After you do so, the chat service functions properly in a horizontal or vertical cluster.

About this task

Configuring you clustered servers for the live chat involves two major steps:
  1. Set the mxe.name Java Virtual Machine (JVM) parameter for every server in the environment. The procedure depends on whether you use a WebSphere® Application Server or a WebLogic Server environment.
  2. In the System Properties application, create an instance property for each of the servers in the environment.
Parent topic: Working with live chats

Step 1: Setting the mxe.name JVM parameter

You must set the mxe.name JVM parameter for every JVM instance in the clustered environment. If you are deployed in a WebSphere Application Server environment, you set the parameter from the WebSphere Application Server administrative console; in a WebLogic Server environment, you edit the startManagedWebLogic script.

Setting the parameter in a WebSphere Application Server environment

Procedure

Perform these steps to set the mxe.name parameter for servers in a WebSphere Application Server clustered environment:

  1. On the WebSphere Application Server administrative console, navigate to Servers > Java and Process Management > Process Definition > JVM.
  2. Add the following to the generic JVM arguments:

    -Dmxe.name=unique_name

    You can supply any value for the unique_name variable that you want. This name will be specified as a value when you define the instance property for this JVM instance.

  3. Repeat these steps for each server in the clustered environment.
  4. Start the servers for which you set the mxe.name JVM parameter, and proceed to "Step 2: Creating matching instance properties."

Setting the parameter in a WebLogic Server environment

Procedure

Perform these steps to set the mxe.name parameter for servers in a WebLogic Server clustered environment:

  1. Go to your WebLogic Server directory, and, depending on your operating system, open the startManagedWebLogic.bat or startManagedWebLogic.sh script in a text editor.
  2. Locate the setJAVA_OPTIONS line, and add the following to that line:

    -Dmxe.name=unique_name

    You can supply any value for the unique_name variable that you want. This name will be specified as a value when you define the instance property for this JVM instance.

  3. Repeat these steps for each server in the clustered environment.
  4. Start the servers for which you set the mxe.name JVM parameter, and proceed to "Step 2: Creating matching instance properties."

Step 2: Creating matching instance properties

Each of the servers for which you set an mxe.name parameter must have a corresponding instance property that specifies the URL address of the server in the cluster. The instance properties connect the chat servers and enable them to communicate during chat operations.

About this task

You create the instance properties in the System Properties application.

Procedure

Perform these steps to create instance properties for each of the JVM servers that were given an mxe.name parameter:

  1. Go to the System Properties application (Go To > System Configuration > Platform Configuration > System Properties).
  2. In the Instance Properties table, click New Row.
  3. Create a new instance property with the following name:

    sccd.livechat.instanceJVMAddress

  4. In the Value field, provide the address to maximo for one of the clustered instances. Enter the address in the following format:

    http://<node_hostname>:<JVM_port_for_accessed_maximo_application>/maximo

    For example, for a JVM managed from node node1.romelab.it.ibm.com and listening on port 9081, you would specify the following value:

    http://node1.romelab.it.ibm.com:9081/maximo

  5. In the Server field, enter the value for the server that relates to the corresponding JVM mxe.name property you assigned previously. For example, if http://node1.romelab.it.ibm.com:9081/maximo links to the mxe.name property maximoServer1, ensure that both of these are set.
  6. Repeat these steps to create new instance values for all of the servers in the cluster. Note that all of them must be up and running for their values to be displayed in the Server Selection dialog.
  7. Restart all of the servers.

Results

After you perform these steps, the live chat service works properly within a clustered environment.

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