WebLogic: The Definitive Guide

The Server Life Cycle

A server can cycle through a number of different states during its lifetime. It is useful to know how and when WebLogic transitions between these various states. You can explicitly move WebLogic Server to a new state, using either the Administration Console or the weblogic.Admin tool. Figure 13-6 illustrates the different states that a server goes through during its lifetime.

Figure 13-6. Life cycle of WebLogic Server

Let’s take a closer look at the various states of the server’s life cycle:

shutdown

A server that is not running is considered to be in the shutdown state. The only thing that you can do with such a server is to start it!

starting

A server that has been started from the command line or by a Node Manager moves into the starting mode. During this state, the server contacts the Administration Server, retrieves its configuration, starts all services, deploys all applications, and executes any startup classes.

standby

If an administration port has been configured, the server is capable of moving into the standby state after it has started. Otherwise, the server moves directly from the starting to the running state. In the standby state, all services are initialized and all applications are deployed. Except for the administration port, however, all ports are closed. Therefore, the server is effectively in hot standby and ready to go.

running

A server ...