Assembling applications
Application assembly consists of creating Java™ Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) modules that can be deployed onto application servers. The modules are created from code artifacts such as web application archive (WAR) files, resource adapter archive (RAR) files, enterprise bean (EJB) JAR files, and application client archive (JAR) files. This packaging and configuring of code artifacts into enterprise archive (EAR) modules or stand-alone web modules is necessary for deploying the modules onto an application server.
Before you begin
Develop code artifacts that you want to deploy onto an application server and have unit tested the code artifacts in your favorite integrated development environment. Code artifacts that you might assemble into deployable Java EE modules include the following:
- Enterprise beans
- Servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP) files and other web components
- Resource adapter (connector) implementations
- Client applications
- Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) modules (SAR files)
- Other supporting classes and files
To assemble your code artifacts into deployable Java EE modules, you can use a supported assembly tool. The product supports IBM® WebSphere® Application Server Developer Tools for Eclipse and IBM Rational® Application Developer for WebSphere Software for developing, assembling, and deploying Java EE modules.
About this task
You assemble code artifacts into Java EE modules in order to deploy the code artifacts onto an application server. When you assemble code artifacts, you package and configure the code artifacts into deployable Java EE applications and modules, edit annotations or deployment descriptors, and map databases as needed. Unless you assemble your code artifacts into Java EE modules, you cannot run them successfully on an application server.
The steps describe how to assemble Java EE code artifacts into deployable modules using an assembly tool. Alternatively, you can use a rapid deployment tool to quickly assemble and deploy Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) 1.3 or 1.4 code artifacts. Refer to Rapid deployment of J2EE applications for details.
Procedure
What to do next
After assembling your applications, use a systems management tool to deploy the EAR or WAR files onto the application server. Ways to install enterprise applications or modules lists systems management tools available for deploying Java EE modules on an application server. The systems management tool follows the security and deployment instructions defined in the annotations or deployment descriptors, and enables you to modify bindings specified within an assembly tool. The tool locates the required external resources that the application uses, such as enterprise beans and databases.
Package your application so that the EAR file contains necessary modules only. Modules can include metadata for the modules such as information on annotations, deployment descriptors, bindings, and IBM extensions.
Use the administrative console at installation to complete the security instructions defined in the annotations or deployment descriptors and to locate required external resources, such as enterprise beans and databases. You can add configuration properties and redefine binding properties defined in an assembly tool.