A deployment descriptor is an extensible markup language (XML)
file that describes how to deploy a module or application by specifying configuration
and container options.
Before you begin
This topic assumes that you have assembled code artifacts into a J2EE
module that you want to deploy onto an application server.
About this task
When you create a module in an
assembly tool such as the Application Server Toolkit,
Rational Application Developer or Rational Web Developer, the assembly tool
creates deployment descriptor files for the module.
You can edit a deployment
descriptor file manually. However, it is preferable to edit a deployment descriptor
using an assembly tool deployment descriptor editor to ensure that the deployment
descriptor has valid properties and that its references contain appropriate
values.
Deployment descriptor editor |
Resources modified in the editor |
Application deployment descriptor editor |
- application.xml
- ibm-application-bnd.xmi
- ibm-application-ext.xmi
|
Web deployment descriptor editor |
- WEB-INF/web.xml
- Binding information
- IBM binding and extensions information such as ibm-web-bnd.xmi and ibm-web-ext.xmi files
|
Enterprise bean (EJB) deployment descriptor editor |
- ejb-jar.xml
- ibm-ejb-jar-bnd.xmi
- ibm-ejb-jar-ext.xml
- ibm-ejb-access-bean.xml
|
Client deployment descriptor editor |
- application-client.xml
- ibm-application-client-bnd.xmi
- ibm-application-client-ext.xmi
|
Web services editor |
- webservices.xml
- ibm-webservices-bnd.xmi
- ibm-webservices-ext.xmi
|
Resource adapter deployment descriptor editor |
|
This topic describes how to edit a deployment descriptor using
an assembly tool deployment descriptor editor.
Procedure
- Start an assembly tool.
- If you have not done so already, configure the assembly tool for work on J2EE modules.
- In a Project Explorer view (Window > Show View > Project Explorer),
right-click the module with deployment descriptor values that you want to
browse or edit, and click Open With > Deployment Descriptor Editor.
A deployment descriptor editor for the module is displayed in
a view. You can click tabs such as Overview, Module, Security,
and Source at the bottom of the view to browse or edit specific deployment
descriptor values. Clicking Source displays editable source code; it
is preferable to edit values in fields on or accessible from the other tabs
rather than edit the source code manually.
If you selected the
WebSphere
Application Server v6.0 target server for a module, tabs and deployment
descriptor panels for application assembly services such as the following
are also available:
- Edit the deployment descriptor values as desired. For
information on fields in the deployment descriptor editor, press F1 and
click a topic. For deployment of your application onto a server
supported by WebSphere Application Server, consider specifying bindings such as Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) names in
the WebSphere Bindings section of module deployment descriptor editors.
If you do not specify bindings during application assembly, you can specify
them during installation of the application onto a server. If you do not specify
bindings during assembly or installation, WebSphere Application Server can
generate default bindings.
- Save your changes to the deployment descriptor.
- Close the deployment descriptor editor.
- When prompted, click Yes to indicate that you want to
save changes to the deployment descriptor.
You also can save changes to deployment descriptors at any time by pressing Ctrl+S.
Results
Files for the enterprise application are shown in the Project Explorer
view.
What to do next
Verify the contents of the updated module and
deploy the module to an application server.