Create and Manage Multiple J2EE Deployment Descriptors During your Build Cycle
More often than not, a large J2EE project requires multiple versions of the deployment descriptors to match the various versions of your back end database and other system configurations. But managing the creation and deployment of .ear and .war files is complicated. Find out how to organize your development to create these files properly during the build process.
by Steve Taylor
February 1, 2006
2EE developers working in a standard lifecycle model often face challenges in managing deployment descriptors for the different lifecycle stages. In larger J2EE development environments where IT governance is an issue, developers follow a strict process of promoting their J2EE applications through a standard lifecycle model from development to testing and finally to production. The challenge is deployment descriptors are unique to the web server to which they are deployed. If the development, test and production web servers are configured differently, then developers must create unique .wars and .ears for each web server used in the lifecycle.
There's a sensible reason why Web servers are often configured differently: unique database names for each stage of the lifecycle. Something as simple as a unique database name for each environment requires the J2EE developer to rebuild his J2EE components using a different deployment descriptor for each web server in the lifecycle. This means that instead of building a single .war or .ear that is moved across the lifecycle, the developers must build three versions: one for development, one to be executed in testing, and one for production release. And we all know that rebuilding an object after it has been tested is risky; how do you guarantee that only the deployment descriptors were changed between the testing and production versions of the .wars an .ears?
It's quick, easy and you get access to all the articles on DevX.
This registration/login is to allow you to read articles on devx.com. Already a member?
To become a member of DevX.com create your Member Profile by completing the form below. Membership is free!
2EE developers working in a standard lifecycle model often face challenges in managing deployment descriptors for the different lifecycle stages. In larger J2EE development environments where IT governance is an issue, developers follow a strict process of promoting their J2EE applications through a standard lifecycle model from development to testing and finally to production. The challenge is deployment descriptors are unique to the web server to which they are deployed. If the development, test and production web servers are configured differently, then developers must create unique .wars and .ears for each web server used in the lifecycle.
