Administering links to external bundle repositories

Use the administrative console to list, delete, add, modify, or show details for links to external bundle repositories.

Before you begin

You can administer links to external bundle repositories by using the administrative console as described in this topic, or by using wsadmin commands as described in Administering links to external bundle repositories using wsadmin commands.

About this task

The external bundle repositories are bundle repositories that are available outside of WebSphere Application Server. If your OSGi applications reference bundles that are stored in an external bundle repository, you must configure a link (name and URL) to the repository so that the provisioner can retrieve the bundles when required. When an OSGi application is imported as an asset, the provisioner attempts to satisfy all its dependencies by using the contents of the asset, the contents of the internal bundle repository, and the contents of any available external bundle repositories.

Depending on how the external bundle repository is implemented, you might not be able to use it to provision services, or to store composite bundles or bundles referenced by composite bundles. If your bundle includes Blueprint XML files that specify service or reference elements, and the bundle is included in an EBA asset or installed in the internal bundle repository, then these elements are respected during provisioning and appropriate services are provisioned when needed. For more information, see Provisioning for OSGi applications.

Procedure

  1. Start the administrative console.
  2. Navigate to Environment > OSGi bundle repositories > External bundle repositories.

    The list of external bundle repository links is displayed in the External bundle repositories [Collection] form.

  3. Delete, add, show, or modify links to external bundle repositories.
    • To delete one or more repository links from the list, select the required links then click Delete.
    • To add a new link to an external bundle repository, click New then type the link properties (name, optional description, and URL of the bundle repository XML file) into the External bundle repositories [Settings] form.
    • To show or modify an existing link to an external bundle repository, click the name of the link. The link properties are displayed. If required, modify the link properties (optional description, and URL of the bundle repository XML file) in the External bundle repositories [Settings] form. You cannot modify the bundle repository name property.
  4. If you add, modify, or remove a link to an external bundle repository, save your changes to the master configuration.

    If you add or modify a link to an external bundle repository, you must save the changes before you can install an enterprise bundle archive (EBA) that depends on a bundle in that repository.