Assemble applications with the AAT

Before you begin

Assemble application modules (known as EAR files) from new or existing J2EE 1.3 or 1.4 modules, including these archives: Web application archives (WAR), resource adapter archives (RAR), enterprise beans (EJB JAR), and application client archives (JAR). This packaging and configuration of code artifacts into application modules or stand-alone Web modules is necessary for deploying the applications onto the application server.

For the Windows and Linux Intel operating systems, the Assembly Toolkit replaces the Application Assembly Tool (AAT). Visit the Web site http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&context=SSEQTP&q=&uid=swg24005125&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&lang=en+en to download the Application Server Toolkit product, which offers the Assembly Toolkit and other products. The Assembly Toolkit consists of the J2EE Perspective of the WebSphere Studio Application Developer product without the code generation capabilities.

Gather the code artifacts that you want to package into one or more assembled modules. Code artifacts include these items that you have created and unit tested in your favorite integrated development environment:

  • Enterprise beans

  • Servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP) files and other Web components

  • Resource adapter (connector) implementations

  • Application clients

  • Other supporting classes and files

Steps for this task

  1. Start the Application Assembly Tool (AAT).

  2. Migrate existing J2EE 1.2 modules to J2EE 1.3.
    The AAT has an option for migrating J2EE 1.2 application modules to J2EE 1.3. The J2EE 1.2 module is kept intact, with a new 1.3 module created. See also the earconvert tool documentation.

    You must migrate J2EE 1.2 application modules to which you want to add J2EE 1.3 level WAR, RAR, EJB and client modules. This tool migrates only the application modules. J2EE 1.2-level modules inside a J2EE 1.2 application module must be migrated by other means.

  3. Assemble new EJB modules (enterprise bean JAR files) as needed.
    Assemble an EJB module to contain enterprise beans and related code artifacts. (Group Web components, client code, and resource adapter code in separate modules.)

    You can install an EJB module as a stand-alone application or you can combine it with other modules into an enterprise application.

  4. Assemble new Web modules (WAR files) as needed.
    Assemble a Web module to contain servlets, JSP files, and related code artifacts. (Group enterprise beans, client code, and resource adapter code in separate modules.)

    You can install a Web module as a stand-alone application or combine it with other modules into an enterprise application.

  5. Assemble new application client modules (client JAR files) as needed.

  6. Assemble new resource adapter archives (RAR files) as needed.
    Assemble a resource adapter archive module to contain the library implementation code that your application uses to connect to enterprise information systems (EIS). (Group enterprise beans, Web components, and client code in separate modules.)

  7. Assemble an application module from other module types.
    You are ready to combine your new or migrated modules into an application module (EAR file). For applications containing only Web modules, this step is optional. It is feasible to deploy Web modules without assembling them into application modules.

  8. Verify your archive files.
    Verify your archive files and correct any problems so that generation of deployment code is successful. During verification, the AAT checks that an archive file is complete, and that deployment descriptor properties and references contain appropriate values.

  9. Remember to save your application one last time.

  10. Generate code for deployment for applications containing EJB modules.
    If the application modules contain EJB modules, generate deployment code for the enterprise beans in the application before you deploy applications on the server. The AAT provides this ability, or you can use the ejbdeploy command line tool.

  11. Open existing modules (File > Open) in the AAT to modify them as needed.
    For example, you can add or remove modules and edit deployment descriptor properties.

What to do next

After assembling your applications, use a systems management tool to deploy the EAR or WAR files onto the 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 the AAT. The tool locates the required external resources that the application uses, such as enterprise beans and databases.

Select a tool to use:

  • Deploying and managing applications with the GUI

  • Deploying and managing applications using programming

  • Deploying and managing applications using scripting

If you are uncertain of which systems management tool to use, try using the administrative console.