Application Assembly Tool (AAT) Problems in v4.0
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component-specific MustGather information. Otherwise, click: MustGather:
Read first for all WebSphere Application Server products.
Deploy (AAT) specific MustGather
Guidelines for resolving your problems with the WebSphere Application
Assembly Tool (AAT), including MustGather questions.
First Contact:
Review information about the AAT in the WebSphere V4.0 Advanced Edition
Information Center (sections 6.3/6.4), WebSphere V4.0 Advanced Edition
Handbook (ch. 18/19), and WebSphere V4.0 Application Development Handbook.
Enterprise Application (highest level):
Represented by a .ear file and encompasses zero or more EJB/WAR/Client
modules. Each of these pieces can be created and packaged in your AAT tool
manually or thru a wizard.
Modules:
- Enterprise JavaBeans™ (EJB) module
Represented by a JAR file and contains enterprise beans class files,
beans deployment descriptor, and any dependent classes.
- Web module
Represented by a WAR file and contains servlets, JavaServer Pagers
(JSP), and static parts of a web-base client, such as HTML files or images
and a deployment descriptor.
- Client module
Contains code for two types of client modules:
- Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) Clients
Runs in a J2EE client container, which is installed on each client
machine. This client has all of the J2EE benefits.
- Java Thin Clients
Does not require a specific container to run, only the WebSphere runtime
classes need to be on each client machine. Using this client is best when
modifying existing applications to use enterprise beans or clients that
need to be light-weight.
Verification:
In your AAT tool, verify a module/ear (by using the verify icon/ pull
down option) to determine module problems and specification compliance.
Code Generation:
In earlier versions of WebSphere; EJB's must have deployed code in order
to run in WebSphere. This can be completed by creating a deployed jar in
Visual Age for Java (VAJ) or in AAT (by using the generate code
button/option), or at the end of an application install. Also:
- EJB's must be in 1.1 format not 1.0.
- VAJ V4.0 can create 1.1 or 1.0 EJB jar's.
- If EJB 1.0 jar is used; open it in AAT and save it to convert to a 1.1
jar.
- Web modules need no code generation.
- Once the Generate code for deployment is selected from your
File pull down menu or from the icon, an additional window is seen:
DB type, DB name, and Schema:
Entry fields for database specific information.
Code Generation Only Check Box:
This check box specifies that only stub and skeleton files are to be
generated. The Remote Method Invocation Compiler (RMIC command) and
Java compiler (javac command) are not to be run. The default is
false (that is, all steps are executed).
Verify archive:
Specifies whether verification is to take place during your deployment.
The default is false. Note: This means to verify that a
module/ear file is up to the correct standards verify must be selected
here or done separately outside of code generation.
Once code generation is completed, your "deployed" ear/ejb jar will be
created.
Example: deployed_myapp.ear
Note: Check the help box for explanation of fields in the Generate
code for
deployment window
Ear Expander:
To explore problems within your ear files, try expanding the ear and
studying it's structure. EARExpander expands .ear files into the
format desired by the server runtime. It can also collapse expanded format
to a normal .ear (or .jar, or .zip) format.
Example:
EARExpander -ear my.ear -expandDir c:\tmp\myear -operation expand
Information helpful for problem determination:
- Detailed explanation of at what point your problem is occurring
(opening in AAT, code generation, installation into WebSphere Application
Server, verification, and so forth)
- Complete file trying to open/install (.ear, .war, .jar).
- How was the file created/developed (VAJ if so, which version, in AAT,
and so forth)?
- If you are having problems with a ear file, is the problem with one of
your modules within the ear file or does the problem occur once they are
packaged into the ear. You can validate structure of an EAR/WAR/JAR
created by another tool by opening it with AAT.
- If you are having problems with an EJB module (contained in a .jar
file):
- Has the deployment code been generated? If so, how?
- Which EJB Specification was used in creation of your JAR: 1.0 or 1.1?
- EJB 1.1 part of the J2EE standard and must be used. Refer
to the following site for more information. http://java.sun.com
- If EJB 1.0 jar is used; open it in AAT and save it to
convert to a 1.1 jar.
- If you are having problems with a web module (contained in a .war
file):
- Was Servlet 2.2 specifications used?
- Servlet 2.2 part of the J2EE standard and must be used.
Refer to the sun site for more information. http://java.sun.com
- Run verify on the module (ear, war, ejb, client) in the AAT by hitting
verify. This, among other things, will verify that your module is
up to J2EE standard. If errors occur, capture it in a screen shot or cut
and paste into a text document.
- Are you using Advance Edition or Advanced Edition Single Server?
If your problem has classpath visibility implications, refer to the WebSphere
V4.0 Advanced Edition Handbook (sg24-6176) section 19.8.2. Are you
having problems with your application running on one version but failing
on the other?
- Has your application ever been installed and worked on WebSphere
Application Server previously? If so what version?
- Are there any error messages?
There is NO logging for the AAT besides what
is printed to the screen in the message field of the code generation
window or in pop up error messages. Gather these messages thru screen
shots or cut and paste them into a text document.
|
Follow instructions to send
diagnostic information to IBM support. |
For a listing of all technotes, downloads, and educational materials
specific to the Deploy (AAT) component, search the WebSphere
Application Server support site for deploy, application assembly tool,
or AAT. |