Command Reference: pack and unpack

Creating Templates and Domains Using the pack and unpack Commands

Command Reference: pack and unpack

This section describes the purpose, syntax, and parameters of the pack and unpack commands.
pack

The pack command creates a template (a .jar archive file) that contains a snapshot of either an entire domain or a subset of a domain. You can use a template that contains a subset of a domain to create a managed server domain directory hierarchy on a remote machine.
Table 2-1 describes the files and directories that are included in the templates that you create by using the pack command.
Table 2-1 Files and Directories
Template Type Files and Directories
Domain All files and directories in the source domain are included, with the following exceptions:

Temporary files that are created when you start a server
The servers directory
Files in the security directory that are created automatically when you create the domain, such as DefaultAuthenticatorInit.ldift and XACMLRoleMapperInit.ldift

If you configured additional security data, such as for users, groups, or roles, through the WebLogic Server administration console or other online tools, the security data is stored in the LDAP server and is not included in the template. You must first export the data and then import it into the target domain.
Managed server The following files and directories are included by default:

All files in the root directory with the following extensions: .cmd, .sh, .xml, .properties, and.ini.
Any files with the.pem extension defined in the SSL configuration for your domain
bin directory
lib directory
All files and subdirectories in the config directory
The following files and directories are not included in a managed server template by default:

Applications and certain application initialization files
Temporary files that are created when you start a server
The servers directory
Files in the security directory that are created automatically when you create the domain, such as DefaultAuthenticatorInit.ldift and XACMLRoleMapperInit.ldift.

The config.xml file of the domain from which you are creating your template must contain managed server definitions that specify the IP address and port for the target remote machine. The managed server template that you create from that domain can only be used, with the unpack command, on the specified remote machines to create managed server domain directories for the managed servers defined in the config.xml file.

Syntax
pack -domain=domain -template=template -template_name=“template_name” [-template_author=“author”][-template_desc=“description”] [-managed={true|false}][-log=log_file] [-log_priority=log_priority]
Parameters

Table 2-2 describes the parameters that you can use with the pack command.
Table 2-2 Parameters: pack Command
Parameter Required or Optional? Description
-domain=domain Required The full or relative path for the domain from which the template is to be created.
-template=template Required The full or relative path and filename of the template to be created. The template filename must include the .jar extension.
-template_name=“template_name” Required Descriptive name for the template. Quotes are required only if the value contains spaces.
-template_author=“author” Optional The name of the author of the template. Quotes are required only if the value contains spaces.
-template_desc=“description” Optional Description of the template. Quotes are required only if the value contains spaces.
-managed={true|false} Optional Whether the template is to be used to create managed servers on remote machines. The default is false. When this parameter is set to true, a managed server template is created that contains a minimal set of files, including SerializedSystemIni.dat, config.xml, and nm_password.properties. It also includes a domain.properties file that is unique to the managed server template. Applications and certain application initialization files are not included. The resulting template can be used to create managed servers on remote machines.
-log=log_file Optional Name of the log file.
-log_priority=log_priority Optional The priority setting for the log file. Use a log4j priority string. Valid log4j priority strings are debug, info, warn, error, and fatal. The priority string values correspond to the levels defined in the Level class. For more information, see http://logging.apache.org/log4j/docs/api/org/apache/log4j/Level.html.

Example

To create a template based on an existing domain named mydomain that is located in the C:\bea\user_projects\domains directory, run the following command:
pack -domain=C:\bea\user_projects\domains\mydomain -template=C:\bea\user_templates\mydomain.jar -template_name="My WebLogic Domain"
A template file named mydomain.jar is created in the C:\bea\user_templates directory. The name of the template is My WebLogic Domain.
Related Topic

How Do I Create and Start a Managed Server on a Remote Machine?
unpack

The unpack command creates a full domain or a subset of a domain used for a managed server domain directory on a remote machine. You should use unpack only with a template that is compatible with your current installation. The template can be any of the following:

A domain template that is packaged with your current installation
A domain template created by using the Domain Template Builder or WLST
A domain template created by using the pack command
A managed server template created by using the pack command

When you use the unpack command with a domain template, it creates a domain containing all of the application and resource files defined in the template. It also creates necessary start scripts, and certain security and configuration files.
When you use the unpack command with a managed server template, it creates a managed server domain directory that includes the following:

A customized start script for each managed server in the domain
config_bootstrap.xml file (based on the config.xml in the template)
nm_password.properties file
SerializedSystemIni.dat file

An entry for the managed server domain directory is also created in the NM_HOME/nodemanager.domains file, where NM_HOME designates the node manager installation directory for the product installation on the remote machine. By default, this directory is located in WL_HOME/common/nodemanager.

By default, application files are not included in a managed server template created by using the pack command. If an application in the domain from which you created a managed server template was deployed by using the external_stage mode, the managed server domain directory that you create with the unpack command will not contain any of the externally staged applications. Before you start the managed server, you will need to make sure that it has access to the externally staged application files. For more information, see Controlling Deployment File Copying with Staging Modes in Deploying Applications to WebLogic Server.
For more information about using the pack and unpack commands to create a managed server domain directory, see How Do I Create and Start a Managed Server on a Remote Machine?.

Syntax
unpack -template=template -domain=domain [-user_name=username] [-password=password] [-app_dir=application_directory]

[-java_home=java_home_directory] [-server_start_mode={dev|prod}]

[-log=log_file] [-log_priority=log_priority]
Parameter

Table 2-3 describes the parameters that you can use with the unpack command.
Table 2-3 Parameters: unpack Command
Parameter Required or Optional? Description
-template=template Required The full or relative path and filename of the template being used to create the domain.
-domain=domain Required The full or relative path of the domain to be created.
-user_name=username -password=password Optional The username and password for the default administrator as currently defined in the template. This username-password combination is used to boot the administration server and connect to it. If you specify a new password for the default administrator, the password will be reset to the value specified.

If a password for the default administrator is not defined in the template, specify one.
If no administrative users are defined in the template, you can create a new default administrator by specifying the -user_name and -password parameters. If a default administrator and password are currently defined in the template, you can add a new administrative user by specifying the -user_name and -password parameters. The value must not include commas, tabs, or any characters in the following list: < > # | & ? ( ) { }. Usernames are case sensitive. A valid password consists of a string of at least eight case-sensitive characters. The unpack command encrypts the password value.

These parameters are not applicable if you are creating a domain using a managed server template. -app_dir=application_directory Optional The full path to the directory used to store the applications defined in the template.

This parameter is applicable only if the template supports a separate applications directory. -java_home=java_home_directory Optional The full path to the Java home directory. When set, this parameter identifies the default JVM used by the administration server for the domain.

This parameter is not applicable if you are creating a domain based on a managed server template. -server_start_mode={dev|prod} Optional The start mode for the administration server: development or production.

This parameter is not applicable if you are creating a domain by using a managed server template. -log=log_file Optional Name of the log file. -log_priority=log_priority Optional The priority setting for the log file. Use a log4j priority string. Valid log4j priority strings are debug, info, warn, error, and fatal. The priority string values correspond to the levels defined in the Level class. For more information, see http://logging.apache.org/log4j/docs/api/org/apache/log4j/Level.html.

Example

To create a domain named mydomain.jar in the C:\bea\user_templates directory, by using the my_new_domain template in the C:\bea\user_projects\domains directory, run the following command:
unpack -template=C:\bea\user_templates\mydomain.jar -domain=C:\bea\user_projects\domains\my_new_domain
Related Topic

How Do I Create and Start a Managed Server on a Remote Machine?

Parameter	Required or Optional?	Description
-domain=domain	Required	The full or relative path for the domain from which the template is to be created.
-template=template	Required	The full or relative path and filename of the template to be created. The template filename must include the .jar extension.
-template_name=“template_name”	Required	Descriptive name for the template. Quotes are required only if the value contains spaces.
-template_author=“author”	Optional	The name of the author of the template. Quotes are required only if the value contains spaces.
-template_desc=“description”	Optional	Description of the template. Quotes are required only if the value contains spaces.
-managed={true\|false}	Optional	Whether the template is to be used to create managed servers on remote machines. The default is false. When this parameter is set to true, a managed server template is created that contains a minimal set of files, including SerializedSystemIni.dat, config.xml, and nm_password.properties. It also includes a domain.properties file that is unique to the managed server template. Applications and certain application initialization files are not included. The resulting template can be used to create managed servers on remote machines.
-log=log_file	Optional	Name of the log file.
-log_priority=log_priority	Optional	The priority setting for the log file. Use a log4j priority string. Valid log4j priority strings are debug, info, warn, error, and fatal. The priority string values correspond to the levels defined in the Level class. For more information, see http://logging.apache.org/log4j/docs/api/org/apache/log4j/Level.html.