WSCP

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'''2022 Update''': In recent versions, the [Jacl] (Java port of Tcl) scripting in WebSphere administration is deprecated, and Jython (Java-based Python) is recommended as its replacement. See for example https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/was/9.0.5?topic=scripting-using-wsadmin-jacl-deprecated%|%this section of WebSphere docs%|%. Note also, the Websphere that still supports Jacl (albeit as deprecated)  is called "Traditional", and the newer "Liberty" branch of WebSphere does not include Jacl at all.
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"WSCP" is the [WebSphere] Control Program--WebSphere's [Java]-coded "console".  Structurally, it's similar to [OEM].
Since version 3.5 of WebSphere, WSCP has shipped with a (modified?)
[Jacl] 8.0 (1.2.5, in fact) (for WS 4.0, and maybe for 3.5) that permits [Tcl]-simple [scripting] of administrative actions.
WSCP is available only with the Commercial Version of WebSphere, NOT
any of the Single Servers or such.

The "Admin Console" is what WSAS users regard as the more traditional,
GUI-based administrative utility.

"IBM Websphere Control Program" [http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/it-febcc01/index.html]



Faults reported for the WSCP Jacl:
   * artificial limit on effective [[exec]] line length (?)
   * [[file copy ...]] misbehavior
   * maybe lots of [[exec]] defects in WSCP for WS 3.5? 
   * ...

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IBM published an article entitled
"Tcl for WebSphere Application Server Administrators"
[http://www7b.software.ibm.com/wsdd/techjournal/0203_laird/laird.html].
IBM's rather weird about the product, though;
public relations staffers in the US repeatedly have told
[CL] that there's no product manager who can speak about WSCP.
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Recently on comp.lang.tcl, [Tom Poindexter] writes:

The best WSCP reference seems to be the chapter from the WebSphere Handbook,
'Command-line administration and scripting'.  However, I've found that
the docs don't always agree with the current code base, especially when
building up a list of attributes for a specific WSCP Tcl command.  The next
best doc for WSCP is WSCP itself:  just crank up an interactive session
'wscp.sh' and type 'Help'.  Most of the WSCP commands also have varying
degrees of help text embedded, e.g. 'ApplicationServer help'.

Get the WebSphere V4.0 Advance Edition Hanbook in PDF from  
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com 

As far as additional packages, remember that WSCP is using Jacl v1.2.5, the Tcl
implementation written in Java.  The only other package shipped with WSCP is
the Jacl 'java' pacakge, which allows access to any Java class on your
CLASSPATH. E.g.:

 $ wscp.sh
 wscp> package require java
 1.2.5
 wscp> set ht [java::new java.util.Hashtable]
 java0x1
 wscp> $ht put foo bar
 java0x0
 wscp> $ht toString
 {foo=bar}
 wscp> [$ht get foo] toString
 bar


I'm building up scripts to automate JDBC/JNDI configuration and .ear 
deployment.  No rocket science, just simplifing the WSCP specific commands.
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Flash:  as of fall 2002, the word from IBM is that "WSCP is being dropped in WAS V5 and a new component called wsadmin is replacing WSCP.
wsadmin supports [[or will support]] tcl plus several other scripting languages."
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[Tom Poindexter] is good with WSCP.




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IBM apparently claims to support WSCP through the "WS 5 forum"
news://news.software.ibm.com/ibm.software.websphere.application-server.v5  There are other Web fora that also claim to cover WS;
CL finds none of them satisfying.

''However'', in November 2005, Patrick Finnegan offered this more constructive information:
"IBM have essentially OEMed JACL for use as the scripting interface for        
WebSphere to simply the JMX bean based administration interface.  It's        
possible to automate administration using pure java but adminstrators         
need                                                                            
a dynamic language solution for short utility scripts.                        
                                                                               
There is an Austin based 'department' within IBM that architected the         
WAS                                                                             
JMX interface.  Some of [[the]] lead developers worked on the '''IBM WebSphere        
System Adminstration''' guide
[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0131446045/qid=1132104458/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/102-4975278-0649709?v=glance&s=books].

Leigh Williamson <[email protected]> led the design and implementation of the WebSphere           
Version 5 new administrative architecture.                                                                                            
                                                                               
Roger Cundiff <[email protected]> was the first development team member for application           
server                                                                          
management at IBM in Austin, Texas, and continues to work on WebSphere        
systems management there.                                                     
                                                                               
Shawn Lauzon <[email protected]> is working on the next release of WebSphere with                 
Aspect-Oriented Software Design."

Note that Williamson wrote 
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/techjournal/0301_williamson/williamson.html#scriptingtool
----
By 2005, IBM had been, to put it bluntly, mismanaging WSCP for several years.  In 2010, such articles as this
[http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/library/techarticles/1004_gibson/1004_gibson.html]
appeared:  [Jython]-for-WSAS is supported, Tcl ignored.

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