Automatically installing applications on WebSphere Application Server v6.0 or later

The automatic installation configuration creates a single monitored directory that listens for fully composed EAR files or application module such as WAR, EJB JAR files, or standalone resource adapter archive (RAR) files.

About this task

If you place EAR files inside this monitored directory, the EAR file is automatically deployed to the server. If you delete the EAR file from the monitored directory, that application is uninstalled from the server. If you place WAR or EJB jar files in the monitored directory, the rapid deployment tool generates the necessary EAR wrapper and then publishes that EAR file on the server. For RAR files, a wrapper is not created; the standalone RAR files are published to the server.

Restrictions

  • You can use the rapid deployment tools for packaging applications at J2EE 1.3 or 1.4 specification-levels. However, the rapid deployment tools do not support Java EE 5.0 (or later) nor J2EE 1.2 specification-level. For tools support of deploying Java EE 5 and later modules, you can use the monitored directory starting in WebSphere Application Server V8.0 release. For more details about the monitored directory, see Ways to install enterprise applications or modules and Installing enterprise application files by adding them to a monitored directory topics.
  • The rapid deployment tools do not automatically configure server-specific functions for an application. You need to create and manage the server-specific configurations through the WebSphere® administrative console. Examples of server-specific configurations include setting up ports, security role mappings, or data sources.
  • If you did not generate deployment code for the enterprise beans or enterprise application containing enterprise beans, the rapid deployment tool generates the deployment code with the default backend option set to DB2UDB_V82. If you want to set a different backend option, run the EJB deployment tools (ejbdeploy.bat) on the EAR file before dropping it into the automatic installation project.

To automate the installation of applications on WebSphere Application Server v6.0 or later:

  1. Set up a WebSphere rapid deployment environment
    You can run the rapid deployment batch tools from a command line to create, configure, and launch rapid deployment projects using the IBM® WebSphere v6.0 or later runtime environment. The rapid deployment tools run in a non-graphical command-line interface.
  2. Create an automatic installation project in your workspace
    The automatic installation project automates the installation, modification, and uninstallation of J2EE compliant applications (EAR files) or modules (WAR, JAR, or RAR files) on a server. Automatic application installation releases you from the complexity of administering your application on a server.
  3. Start a WebSphere rapid deployment session
    You can launch a rapid deployment session to start listening for application artifacts that are dropped into the folder you configured for either the free-form or automatic installation approach. Use the wrd command to launch a rapid deployment session. If you want to monitor rapid deployment activities, you can specify console output.
  4. Managing EAR or module files in an automatic installation project
    You can place J2EE compliant applications (EAR files) or application modules such as WAR files, EJB JAR files, or standalone RAR files in an automatic application installation project and let rapid deployment tools deploy that application on to a target server.
Related concepts:
Rapid deployment of J2EE applications
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