Predefining MobileFirst Server configuration for several deployment environments

You can configure JNDI properties in a property file for easy transfer between one web application server and another; for example, to transfer from test to production environments.

As part of the installation of administration components of IBM MobileFirst™ Platform Foundation, various JNDI properties must be set. These components include MobileFirst Operations Console, MobileFirst Administration Service, and Application Center. Normally, JNDI properties are specified in the configuration of the web application server and are outside the web archive (WAR) file that represents the server component.

Instead, you can specify the JNDI properties in a property file. Having JNDI properties in a property file makes it easier to transfer the entire configuration from one web application server to another. For example, you can configure a test web server and, once the configuration is stable, you can transfer the configuration to the production web server by copying the property file to the production server.

This property file can be made available to the server components in various ways:

• The property file can be placed on the file system.

  This solution is particularly useful for a stand-alone test server when you are experimenting with JNDI properties to determine the final configuration. You can easily change the file on the file system with a text editor. Then you have only to restart the web server to enable the changed configuration.

• The property file can be injected into web archive (WAR) files.

  This solution is useful when you want to transfer the configuration together with the web archive file to another web server. You only have to handle the web archive file, and no other files. The configuration is, in this case, fused into the web archive file.

• The property file can be installed as a shared library for all server components.

  This solution is useful when you intend to exchange the web archive files often, but want to keep the same configuration all the time.