Transferring files using Remote System Explorer

You can use Remote System Explorer to transfer WAR and EAR files to your iSeries host. With Remote System Explorer you can move files between your workstation and your server without using FTP or NetServer file sharing.

The WebSphere Application Server administative consoles for versions 3.5.x and 4.x Advanced Edition require that WAR or EAR files that it is going to install are already on the server's file system (IFS). The administrative consoles for version 5.x and 4.x Single Server Edition are browser based and WAR and EAR files can be installed directly from your workstation or from a path in your server's file system if they have already been transferred there.

To transfer files using Remote System Explorer, follow these steps:

  1. First, export your WebFacing project as a WAR or EAR file. Using WAR files as an example: In the workbench select File > Export. Choose WAR file in the Select an export destination dialog. Click Next. In the WAR Export dialog, select your WebFacing project in the What resources do you want to export field. Click Browse to choose a location on your local file system to export the file to (for example, X:\war-files). Click Finish.
  2. Open the Remote System Explorer perspective. To open the perspective, select Window > Open Perspective > Remote System Explorer.
  3. Create a new connection if necessary. When initially creating your WebFacing project you would have been prompted to create a connection to your iSeries server if one didn't already exist. You can use this connection if that is the server you want to deploy your WAR file to. If you want to create a new connection (for example, if the application server is installed on a different iSeries than where your original 5250 application is located), in the Remote System Explorer perspective, select New Connection > iSeries and then double-click the iSeries icon.
  4. Transfer the file to your server.
    1. Expand the Local icon to explore your local file system and locate the WAR file you exported in the initial step. Right-click the WAR file and select Copy.
    2. Expand the connection icon for your server. For example, if your server is called MYISERIES and you used the same name for the connection name, you should have an icon MYISERIES in the Remote System Explorer perspective. For your server, expand the icon IFS Files and locate a folder that you want to transfer the WAR file to. For example, you might select IFS Files > Root file system > home > my_directory. Right-click the directory you want to transfer the file to can select Paste.

With your WAR or EAR file transferred to your iSeries file system, you can specify it's location directly in the application server's administative console. For example, if you exported your WebFacing project to a file called wfproj.war and transferred the file to MYISERIES > IFS Files > Root file system > home > my_directory, then in the administative console application install dialog, you can specify the path for your WAR file as /home/my_directory/wfproj.war .

Related concepts
Deployment descriptor