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Import assets

We must register application business logic such as Java EE archives, libraries, and other resource files with the product configuration as assets before we can add the assets to one or more business-level applications. Importing an asset registers it with the product configuration.

We have one or more application binary files to add to a business-level application. We must register those binary files as assets before we can add them to the business-level application.

Before a business-level application that uses an asset can be started on the target run time, the asset binaries must be extracted to a deployer-defined location on the file system that is local to the target run time. Importing an asset extracts binaries to a location that is local to the target run time.

The application server run time that reads the asset binaries either at application start time or while serving an incoming client request determines the extraction format of the asset binaries. The extraction format might include unzipping of JAR or compressed (zip) files.

The steps describe how to import an asset using the administrative console. Alternatively, we can use the wsadmin tool or programming.


Tasks

  1. Click Applications > New Application > New Asset in the console navigation tree.

  2. On the Upload asset page, specify the asset package to import.

    1. Specify the full path name of the asset.

    2. Click Next.

  3. On the Select options for importing an asset page, specify asset settings.

    You typically can click Next and use the default values.

    1. Optional: For Asset description, specify a brief description of the asset.

    2. Optional: For Asset binaries destination URL, specify the target location of the asset.

      This setting specifies the location to which the product extracts the asset. After an asset is imported, the product looks for the asset in this location when a running application uses the asset.

      If we do not specify a value, the product installs the asset to the default location, ${profile_root}/installedAssets/asset_name/BASE/.

    3. Optional: For Asset type aspects, examine the asset content type and version specified by the product. We cannot change this setting value.

      The type aspect typically denotes the type of application contents, such as a specification to which the application is written. For example, an enterprise bean (EJB) that supports the EJB v2.0 specification has the aspects type=EJB,version=2.0.

      If the type aspect is none and if the asset is a JAR file, then the product associates a javarchive type aspect with the asset by default.

    4. For File permissions, specify any file permissions that are set on asset binary files so the target run time can read or run the asset. Importing the asset extracts its binary files on the disk local to the target runtime environment.

      Try importing the asset using the default value. For detailed information on the File permissions setting, refer to the Select options for importing an asset page online help.

      Restriction: OSGi applications do not use a File permissions setting.

    5. For Current asset relationships, add assets that the asset we are importing needs to run or remove assets that are not needed.

      When the product imports a JAR asset, the product detects asset relationships automatically by matching the dependencies defined in the JAR manifest with the assets that are already imported into the administrative domain.

    6. For Validate asset, specify whether the product validates the asset.

      The setting is deselected by default. This false (no) value is appropriate for most assets. Only select true (yes) to validate an asset when needed.

      The product does not save the value specified for Validate asset. Thus, if we select to validate the asset (yes) now and later update the asset, when you update the asset enable this setting again for the product to validate the updated files.

      Restriction: OSGi applications do not use a Validate asset setting.

    7. Click Next.

  4. On the Summary page, click Finish.

Several messages are displayed, indicating whether your asset is imported successfully.

An asset can contain multiple deployable objects as defined by the application contents of that asset. A deployable object is a part of the asset that we can map to a deployment target such as an application server or a cluster. If the product imports the asset successfully, then appropriate deployable objects are identified in the asset and are further used when a composition unit is created from that asset.

If the asset importing is not successful, read the messages and try importing the asset again. Correct the values noted in the messages.


What to do next

If the product imports the asset successfully and displays the list of assets on the Assets page, then click Save.

Add a composition unit to a business-level application using the asset that we imported. An asset included in a business-level application is represented by a composition unit.


Subtopics


Related:

  • Assets
  • Create business-level applications
  • Deploy and administering business-level applications
  • Asset collection