Deploy J2EE resources with portlet application WAR files

Deploy J2EE resources with portlet application WAR files

This topic describes how you can manually predeploy portlet application WAR files using the WAS Administration console and later register them into WebSphere Portal, together with other J2EE resources and artifacts.
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 WAS and WebSphere Portal.
You might want to deploy portlet applications together with EJBs, or bundle several WAR files into the same EAR file, or work with similar scenarios. For this type of requirement WebSphere Portal provides the predeployed mode with the XML configuration interface. It allows you to configure portlet applications into the portal which you predeployed into the application server as part of a larger EAR file.
You deploy the EAR file into the application server 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...

Bundle the portlet application(s) that you want to register together with other J2EE resources as an Enterprise Application Archive (EAR file). For details about how to do this refer to the WAS product documentation.

Deploy this EAR file into WAS. To do this, use the wsadmin command line tool or the Administration console. Consult the WAS product documentation for details about how to do this. Take a note of the target directory to which you deploy the EAR file. The default target directory is AppServer, but when deploying portlets for the portal it is a good option to specify PortalServer as the target directory.

Create a portal XML script file that deploys and configures the portlet application(s) deployed with the EAR file. For a sample XML file for deploying and configuring a predeployed portlet refer to RegisterPreDeployedEAR.xml.

Execute the XML script using the portal XML configuration interface.
After you have performed these steps, the portlet is ready for use.
Notes:

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.

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.

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

You cannot update a deployed portlet application WAR file with a predeployed EAR file and vice versa. To change between the two types of files, you need to 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.

The WAS administrator must take care of correctly configuring the dispatch mechanisms for these applications.
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 application server by the portal. The portlet application is already extracted and deployed into the application server 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. You must ensure that the context root that you specify when you register the portlet matches the one specified in the EAR 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.

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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 application server by the portal.	The portlet application is already extracted and deployed into the application server 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. You must ensure that the context root that you specify when you register the portlet matches the one specified in the EAR 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.