Modules often use artifacts that are located in libraries. Artifacts
and libraries are contained in Java™ archive (JAR) files that you identify
when you deploy a module.
While developing a module, you might identify certain resources or components
that could be used by various pieces of the module. These resources or components
could be objects that you created while developing the module or already existing
objects that reside in a library that is already deployed on the server. This
topic describes the libraries and files that you will need when you install
an application.
What is a library?
A library contains objects or
resources used by multiple modules within
WebSphere® Integration Developer.
The artifacts can be in JAR, resource archive (RAR), or Web service archive
(WAR) files. Some of these artifacts include:
- Interfaces or Web services descriptors (files with a .wsdl extension)
- Business object XML schema definitions (files with an .xsd extension)
- Business object maps (files with a .map extension)
- Relationship and role definitions (files with a .rel and .rol extension)
When a module needs an artifact, the server locates the artifact
from the EAR class path and loads the artifact, if it is not already loaded,
into memory. From that point on, any request for the artifact uses that copy
until it is replaced.
Figure 1 shows
how an application contains components and related libraries.
Figure 1. Relationship amongst module, component and library
What are JAR, RAR, and WAR files?
There are a number
of files that can contain components of a module. These files are fully described
in the Java 2
Enterprise Edition (J2EE) specification. Details about JAR files can
be found in the JAR specification.
In WebSphere Process Server,
a JAR file also contains an application, which is the assembled version of
the module with all the supporting references and interfaces to any other
service components used by the module. To completely install the application,
you need this JAR file, any other libraries such as JAR files, Web services
archive (WAR) files, resource archive (RAR) files, staging libraries (Enterprise Java Beans
- EJB) JAR files, or any other archives, and create an installable EAR file
using the serviceDeploy command.
Naming conventions for staging modules
Within
the library, there are requirements for the names of the staging modules.
These names are unique for a specific module. Name any other modules required
to deploy the application so that conflicts with the staging module names
do not occur. For a module named
myService, the staging
module names are:
- myServiceApp
- myServiceEJB
- myServiceEJBClient
- myServiceWeb
Note: The serviceDeploy command only creates
the myService Web staging module if the service includes
a WSDL port type service.
Considerations when using libraries
Using libraries
provides consistency of business objects and consistency of processing amongst
modules because each calling module has its own copy of a specific component.
To prevent inconsistencies and failures it is important to make sure that
changes to components and business objects used by calling modules are coordinated
with all of the calling modules. Update the calling modules by:
- Copying the module and the latest copy of the libraries to the production
server
- Rebuilding the installable EAR file using the serviceDeploy command
- Stopping the running application containing the calling module and reinstall
it
- Restarting the application containing the calling module
Last updated: Thu 26 Oct 2006 10:30:05
(c) Copyright IBM Corporation 2005, 2006.
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