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6.4: Installing applications and setting classpaths

6.4: Installing applications and setting classpaths

This article describes how to install an application into the WebSphere Application Server environment. This includes placing the files comprising an application onto the physical system containing the WebSphere Application Server product and updating the application server configuration with information about the application.

Note: During installation of an enterprise application, WebSphere Application Server examines the Enterprise Archive (EAR) file that you created and adds WebSphere product specific binding information to create a new EAR file. The new EAR file is placed in the $WAS_HOME/installableApps directory. Changes that are made to the original EAR file include:

  • Application binding and extension files are created, including META-INF/ibm-application-bnd.xmi and META-INF/ibm-application-bnd.xmi.
  • Application bindings collected through installation are saved in the applications binding file.
  • Module level binding files are created, including META-INF/ibm-ejb-jar-bnd.xmi and WEB-INF/ibm-web-bnd.xmi
  • .
  • Module level bindings collected during installation are saved back to modules.
Only the EAR files that result from the above process should be transferred to other WebSphere Application Server nodes. You should never try to produce these binding and extension files manually because the content is platform and release specific, and WebSphere Application Server can exhibit indeterminate in the current or future releases if this practice is not followed.

Installing applications (or standalone modules) into the application server runtime involves the following tasks:

  • Configure the application settings in the administrative console, by performing an application installation task (requires the server to be running)

  • Placing the application files in a directory location, usually relative to the IBM WebSphere Application Server product_installation_root

    • Place the files in the location of your choice. Specify the location when you are performing the application installation task.
  • Setting classpaths as needed, in addition to those set during application assembly

  The application installer tool is also available for installing application files into the directory structure. The command line-based application installer tool accomplishes the same thing as the application installation task in the administrative console, but does not require the application server and administative console to be running at the time of application installation.

Go to previous article: Verifying archives Go to next article: Setting classpaths

 

 
Go to previous article: Verifying archives Go to next article: Setting classpaths