Deploying WebFacing applications

WebFacing applications can be deployed to the WebSphere® Application Server or the i5/OS® integrated Web application server.

Which application server should I use?
  • Use the Websphere Application Server Express or Base if you are deploying WebFacing applications, WebFacing/HATS linked applications, or WebFacing applications that use the application bridge.
  • Use the Websphere Application Server Network Deployment (ND) if you are deploying WebFacing applications requiring support for high availability, server failure bypass (failover), and server load-balancing.
  • Use the i5/OS integrated Web application server if you are deploying WebFacing Web applications and have limited i5/OS system resources that cannot optimally run the WebSphere Application Server. The i5/OS integrated Web application server does not support high availability and failover.

Deploying to WebSphere Application Server 5.1 and later (Base and Express)

  1. Export your WebFacing project as an EAR file.
    1. From the WebFacing Tool IDE, select File > Export. The Export wizard is launched.
    2. In the Export wizard, under Select an export destination, select EAR file. Click Next.
    3. In the EAR Export screen, select the WebFacing project that you would like to export in the field EAR application.
    4. Next to the Destination field, click Browse to select the directory that you would like to export the EAR file to and to choose a name for the EAR file. The browser-based Administrative Console enables you to install EAR files that are either on your workstation or that are already in the IFS on your i5/OS server. If you would like to first transfer your files to IFS you can do so by using Remote System Explorer in the workbench, by FTP, or by creating a file share on your server and mapping a network drive on your workstation to that file share.
    5. Click Finish to create the EAR file.
  2. Use the application installation wizard to install the EAR file.
    1. Log on to the browser-based Administrative Console. Generally, after you have installed WebSphere Application Server on your server, the URL for the Administrative Console is http://server_name:admin_port/admin/ for WebSphere Application Server.
    2. In the navigation on the left side of the Administrative Console, select Applications > Install New Application.
    3. If you want to install the WAR or EAR file from your workstation, select the Local file system button and browse to where you have exported the WAR file to. If you have transferred the WAR or EAR file to the IFS on your server, select the Server path button and enter the path where the file is located.
    4. If you are installing a WAR application, in the Context Root field, specify the name by which users will be able to access your application, prefixed with a forward slash. The default context root is the project name. For example, if you used the same name as you did for your WebFacing project, such as /webfacing1, users will be able to access your application through a browser with an address like: http://myservername/webfacing1 .

      If you are installing an EAR application, the Context Root field should be left blank.

    5. Click Next. The next series of pages will display additional information about your application; read the information; accept the default values; and click Next to continue.
    6. After you have completed the installation steps, the console displays a link Save to Master Configuration. Follow this link then click the Save button.
  3. Start the Web application.
    1. In the Administrative Console, select Applications > Enterprise Applications.
    2. Check the box next to the application that you have just installed.
    3. Click the Start button.

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