Deploy J2EE resources with portlet application WAR files

Overview

This topic describes how you can manually predeploy portlet application WAR files using the WebSphere Application Server Administration console and later register them into WebSphere Portal, together with other J2EE resources and artefacts.

Portlet applications are usually packaged into single WAR files. These WAR files can be directly deployed into the portal by using portal administration means, for example, the Manage Web Modules portlet or the XML configuration interface. The portal administration functions manage the correct deployment and configuration into both WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Portal.

There has been growing demand by customers to be able to deploy portlet applications together with EJBs, or to bundle several WAR files into the same EAR file, or similar scenarios. For this type of requirement WebSphere Portal V5.1 provides a new mode with the XML configuration interface. This mode is named predeployed mode. It allows you to configure portlet applications into the portal which you predeployed into the appserver as part of a larger EAR file.

You deploy the EAR file into the appserver by means of the application server administration interfaces, such as the Administration console or the wsadmin command line tool. Once you have deployed the EAR file into the application server you can use the portal XML configuration interface to perform the portal specific configuration steps that are required to configure the available portlet application(s). To do this, proceed by the following steps:

  1. Bundle the portlet application(s) that you want to register together with other J2EE resources as an Enterprise Application Archive (EAR file).

  2. Deploy this EAR file into WAS. To do this, use the wsadmin command line tool or the Administration console.

  3. Create a portal XML script file that deploys and configures the portlet application(s) deployed with the EAR file.

  4. Execute the XML script using the portal XML configuration interface.

After you have performed these steps, the portlet is ready for use.

Notes:

  1. You can register predeployed applications into the portal only by using the XML configuration interface. Once you have registered a predeployed application, the Manage Web Modules portlet shows this application.

  2. You can later use the portal administration portlets to remove the portlet definitions from the portal database. However, this does not remove the EAR file from WAS.

  3. You can update a predeployed portlet application only by using the XML configuration interface.

  4. You cannot update a deployed portlet application WAR file with a predeployed EAR file and vice versa. If you want to change between the two types of files, delete the existing portlet application and deploy the new one. However, deleting the existing portlet application will also delete all configuration data of that application. A predeployed application can only be updated via update of the EAR file in WAS and subsequent update of the contained WAR file in portal by using the XML configuration interface. Cross updates of a predeployed EAR file with a real WAR and vice versa are not possible.

  5. The WAS administrator must take care of correctly configuring the dispatch mechanisms for these applications.

For more information about the XML configuration interface and how to use it refer to XML configuration interface. The sample XML file RegisterPreDeployedEAR.xml shows you an example for deploying and configuring a predeployed portlet.

The following table shows the differences between WAR and EAR deployment:

Affected portal area WAR file Predeployed EAR file
Portlet application The portlet application is provided as WAR file. The portal configuration is read directly from the file stream. The WAR file is deployed into the appserver by the portal. The portlet application is already extracted and deployed into the appserver as part of the EAR file. The portal server reads the available portal configuration information (portlet.xml, etc.) from the location where the contained WAR file was extracted to.
Context Root The context root is assigned by the portal during WAR deployment. The context root is assigned by the EAR developer and stored in the file application.xml.
Display name The display name is assigned by Portal during WAR deployment. The display name is assigned by the EAR developer and stored in the file application.xml.
WAS policy for portlet applications The policy is stored in the WAR file and promoted to the EAR file by the portal during WAR deployment. The policy is stored in the EAR file.
Portlet administration You administer WAR files using the XML configuration interface and the administration portlets. You can register EAR files only by using an XML script with predeployed mode. You can remove EAR files by using either the administration portlet or an XML script.

 

See also

Library |

 

WebSphere is a trademark of the IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

 

IBM is a trademark of the IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.