Assembling applications

Application assembly consists of creating Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) modules that can be deployed onto application servers. The modules are created from code artifacts such as Web application archives (WAR files), resource adapter archives (RAR files), enterprise bean (EJB) JAR files, and application client archives (JAR files). This packaging and configuring of code artifacts into enterprise application modules (EAR files) or standalone Web modules is necessary for deploying the modules onto an application server.

This article assumes that you have developed 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 J2EE modules include the following:

Enterprise beans
Servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP) files and other Web components
Resource adapter (connector) implementations
Application clients
Other supporting classes and files

Before you can assemble your code artifacts into deployable J2EE modules, install or get access to a supported assembly tool. WebSphere Application Server supports two tools that you can use to develop, assemble, and deploy J2EE modules:

Application Server Toolkit (AST)
Rational Web Developer

You assemble code artifacts into J2EE 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 J2EE applications and modules, edit deployment descriptors, and map databases as needed. Unless you assemble your code artifacts into J2EE modules, you cannot run them successfully on an application server.

This article describes how to assemble J2EE code artifacts into deployable modules using an assembly tool. Alternatively, you can use a WebSphere rapid deployment tool to quickly assemble and deploy J2EE code artifacts. Refer to articles on Rapid deployment of J2EE applications in this information center for details.

Start an assembly tool.
Optional: Read the online documentation for the assembly tool.
- Click Help > Help Contents > product_name information, for example Help > Help Contents > Application Server Toolkit information . The displayed documentation provides extensive information on assembling modules.
- Click Help > Cheat Sheets > tutorial_name > OK. The displayed tutorial provides steps with illustrations.
- Press F1 to access information specific to an AST or Rational Web Developer view or window.
- Visit the Application Server Toolkit information center that accompanies this WebSphere Application Server information center. Also, refer to articles on Rapid deployment of J2EE applications in this information center.
- See the article Assembling applications: Resources for learning for additional sources.
Configure the assembly tool for work on J2EE modules.
Migrate J2EE projects or code artifacts created with the Assembly Toolkit, Application Assembly Tool (AAT) or a different tool. To migrate files, use the J2EE
Migration wizard or import the files to the AST or Rational Web Developer.
Create an enterprise application project to which you can add archive files. You can create an enterprise application project separately or when you create archive files such as the following:
Edit the deployment descriptors as needed. You can edit deployment descriptors for enterprise application, Web, application client, and enterprise bean (EJB) modules.
Optional: Generate enterprise bean (EJB) to relational database (RDB) mappings for EJB modules.
Verify the archive files.
Generate code for deployment for Web services-enabled modules or for enterprise applications that use Web service modules.

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 applications or modules lists systems management tools available for deploying J2EE modules on an application server. The systems management tool follows the security and deployment instructions defined in the deployment descriptor, 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.

To deploy EJB projects to a target server, right-click the EJB project in the Project Explorer view and click Deploy .

Package your application so that the .ear file contains necessary modules only. Modules can include metadata for the modules such as information on deployment descriptors, bindings, and IBM extensions.

Use the administrative console at installation to complete the security instructions defined in the deployment descriptor 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.

Sub-topics
Application assembly and J2EE applications
Assembly tools
Starting an assembly tool
Configuring an assembly tool
Archive support in Version 6.0
Migrating code artifacts to an assembly tool
Creating enterprise applications
Creating Web applications
Creating EJB modules
Creating application clients
Creating connector modules
Editing deployment descriptors
Mapping enterprise beans to database tables
Verifying archive files
Generating code for Web service deployment
Assembling applications: Resources for learning