OpenManage Server Administrator: How to Enable Custom JRE Packages

The following video provides an overview on how to enable custom JRE Packages in OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA):

In order to upgrade JRE and Tomcat versions, follow the steps below:

1. Identify JRE and Tomcat versions
2. Upgrade JRE
3. Upgrade Tomcat version

Identify JRE version:

The active JRE version is viewed from the "about" page in the web UI or from the omreport command-line utility. 

C:\>omreport preferences webserver attribute=getjre
JRE/JDK Information
Version : 11.0.4 (Bundled)
Path    : C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\jre

The CLI method also displays if the webserver is using the default version that is bundled with OMSA or if a different version is installed on the system.

Identify Tomcat version

The Tomcat version is also available from the "about" page in the web UI. The web UI reads this value from C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\oma\ini\omprv64.ini configuration file.
 

In order to identify 100% what code version is running, see the Catalina logs during the start of the web server service located at C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\apache-tomcat\logs.
 

Upgrading JRE Version

For security purposes or as required for fixes, change OMSA from the bundled JRE version to use the SYSTEM JRE version. This should not be a major version change, for example you cannot go from JAVA 8 to JAVA11.

The JRE is available from the Oracle site 11.0.7 https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase-jdk11-downloads.html  and older versions are available from the archive-downloads. For example, 11.0.6 https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/jdk11-archive-downloads.html  The same is true for other versions of Java.

Choose the Windows x64 Installer Package and run the installer.

Once an additional JRE version is available omreport CLI lists additional SYSTEM versions. 

C:\>omreport preferences webserver attribute=getjrelist
JRE/JDK Information
Version : 11.0.4 (Bundled)
Path    : C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\jre
 
Version : 11.0.7
Path    : C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11.0.7
 
C:\>omconfig preferences webserver attribute=setjre jreversion=11.0.7
JRE value is set successfully. Restart the webserver to make the changes effective.

Figure 2: Web server preferences on User Interface

After restarting the web service, confirm that the updated JRE is now being used.

C:\>net stop "Server Administrator" && net start "Server Administrator"
The DSM SA Connection Service service is stopping.
The DSM SA Connection Service service was stopped successfully.
The DSM SA Connection Service service is starting.
The DSM SA Connection Service service was started successfully.
 
C:\>omreport preferences webserver attribute=getjre
JRE/JDK Information
Version : 11.0.7
Path    : C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11.0.7

Upgrading Tomcat Version

The Apache Tomcat server can be upgraded to a later minor version using the integrated tool omwsupdateutility which is available in C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\omsa\wsupdate location.
Tomcat versions are available to download from the Apache Tomcat site at https://tomcat.apache.org/download-90.cgi .

You MUST use the ZIP format! Do NOT use the Windows or Linux specific downloads!
 

Figure 3: Screenshot of Zip format on Apache Tomcat site

Figure 4: Verify that the directory is not in use by any other process. 

If there are errors, this tool writes to the WSUpdateUtility.log.