1 | <html><head><META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><title>Apache Tomcat 6.0 - Tomcat Web Application Deployment</title><meta value="Allistair Crossley" name="author"><meta value="" name="email"></head><body vlink="#525D76" alink="#525D76" link="#525D76" text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"><table cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0"><!--PAGE HEADER--><tr><td><!--PROJECT LOGO--><a href="http://tomcat.apache.org/"><img border="0" alt=" |
---|
2 | The Apache Tomcat Servlet/JSP Container |
---|
3 | " align="right" src="./../images/tomcat.gif"></a></td><td><font face="arial,helvetica,sanserif"><h1>Apache Tomcat 6.0</h1></font></td><td><!--APACHE LOGO--><a href="http://www.apache.org/"><img border="0" alt="Apache Logo" align="right" src="./../images/asf-logo.gif"></a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="4" width="100%" border="0"><!--HEADER SEPARATOR--><tr><td colspan="2"><hr size="1" noshade></td></tr><tr><!--RIGHT SIDE MAIN BODY--><td align="left" valign="top" width="80%"><table cellspacing="4" width="100%" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" align="left"><h1>Apache Tomcat 6.0</h1><h2>Tomcat Web Application Deployment</h2></td><td nowrap="true" valign="top" align="right"><img border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" height="1" width="1" src="./../images/void.gif"></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Table of Contents"><strong>Table of Contents</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
4 | <ul> |
---|
5 | <li><a href="#Introduction">Introduction</a></li> |
---|
6 | <li><a href="#Installation">Installation</a></li> |
---|
7 | <li><a href="#A word on Contexts">A word on Contexts</a></li> |
---|
8 | <li><a href="#Deployment on Tomcat startup">Deployment on Tomcat startup</a></li> |
---|
9 | <li><a href="#Deploying on a running Tomcat server">Deploying on a running Tomcat server</a></li> |
---|
10 | <li><a href="#Deploying using the Tomcat Manager">Deploying using the Tomcat Manager</a></li> |
---|
11 | <li><a href="#Deploying using the Client Deployer Package">Deploying using |
---|
12 | the Tomcat Client Deployer</a></li> |
---|
13 | </ul> |
---|
14 | |
---|
15 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Introduction"><strong>Introduction</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
16 | <p> |
---|
17 | Deployment is the term used for the process of installing a web |
---|
18 | application (either a 3rd party WAR or your own custom web application) |
---|
19 | into the Tomcat server. |
---|
20 | </p> |
---|
21 | <p> |
---|
22 | Web application deployment may be accomplished in a number of ways |
---|
23 | within the Tomcat server. |
---|
24 | <ul> |
---|
25 | <li>Statically; the web application is setup before Tomcat is started</li> |
---|
26 | <li> |
---|
27 | Dynamically; in conjunction with the Tomcat Manager web application or |
---|
28 | manipulating already deployed web applications |
---|
29 | </li> |
---|
30 | </ul> |
---|
31 | </p> |
---|
32 | <p> |
---|
33 | The Tomcat Manager is a tool that allows URL-based web application |
---|
34 | deployment features. There is also a tool called the Client Deployer, |
---|
35 | which is a command shell based script that interacts with the Tomcat |
---|
36 | Manager but provides additional functionality such as compiling and |
---|
37 | validating web applications as well as packaging web application into |
---|
38 | web application resource (WAR) files. |
---|
39 | </p> |
---|
40 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Installation"><strong>Installation</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
41 | <p> |
---|
42 | There is no installation required for static deployment of web |
---|
43 | applications as this is provided out of the box by Tomcat. Nor is any |
---|
44 | installation required for deployment functions with the Tomcat Manager, |
---|
45 | although some configuration is required as detailed in the |
---|
46 | Tomcat Manager manual. An installation is however required if you wish |
---|
47 | to use the Tomcat Client Deployer (TCD). |
---|
48 | </p> |
---|
49 | <p> |
---|
50 | The TCD is not packaged with the Tomcat core |
---|
51 | distribution, and must therefore be downloaded separately from |
---|
52 | the Downloads area. The download is usually labelled |
---|
53 | <i>apache-tomcat-6.0.x-deployer</i>. |
---|
54 | </p> |
---|
55 | <p> |
---|
56 | TCD has prerequisites of Apache Ant 1.6.2+ and a Java installation. |
---|
57 | Your environment should define an ANT_HOME environment value pointing to |
---|
58 | the root of your Ant installation, and a JAVA_HOME value pointing to |
---|
59 | your Java installation. Additionally, you should ensure Ant's ant |
---|
60 | command, and the Java javac compiler command run from the command shell |
---|
61 | that your operating system provides. |
---|
62 | </p> |
---|
63 | <ol> |
---|
64 | <li>Download the TCD distribution</li> |
---|
65 | <li> |
---|
66 | The TCD package need not be extracted into any existing Tomcat |
---|
67 | installation, it can be extracted to any location. |
---|
68 | </li> |
---|
69 | <li>Read Using the <a href="#Deploying using the Client Deployer Package"> |
---|
70 | Tomcat Client Deployer</a></li> |
---|
71 | </ol> |
---|
72 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="A word on Contexts"><strong>A word on Contexts</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
73 | <p> |
---|
74 | In talking about deployment of web applications, the concept of a |
---|
75 | <i>Context</i> is required to be understood. A Context is what Tomcat |
---|
76 | calls a web application. |
---|
77 | </p> |
---|
78 | <p> |
---|
79 | In order to configure a Context within Tomcat a <i>Context Descriptor</i> |
---|
80 | is required. A Context Descriptor is simply an XML file that contains |
---|
81 | Tomcat related configuration for a Context, e.g naming resources or |
---|
82 | session manager configuration. In earlier versions of |
---|
83 | Tomcat the content of a Context Descriptor configuration was often stored within |
---|
84 | Tomcat's primary configuration file <i>server.xml</i> but this is now |
---|
85 | discouraged (although it currently still works). |
---|
86 | </p> |
---|
87 | <p> |
---|
88 | Context Descriptors not only help Tomcat to know how to configure |
---|
89 | Contexts but other tools such as the Tomcat Manager and TCD often use |
---|
90 | these Context Descriptors to perform their roles properly. |
---|
91 | </p> |
---|
92 | <p> |
---|
93 | The locations for Context Descriptors are; |
---|
94 | <ol> |
---|
95 | <li>$CATALINA_BASE/conf/[enginename]/[hostname]/context.xml</li> |
---|
96 | <li>$CATALINA_BASE/webapps/[webappname]/META-INF/context.xml</li> |
---|
97 | </ol> |
---|
98 | Files in (1) are named [webappname].xml but files in (2) are named |
---|
99 | context.xml. If a Context Descriptor is not provided for a Context, |
---|
100 | Tomcat configures the Context using default values. |
---|
101 | </p> |
---|
102 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Deployment on Tomcat startup"><strong>Deployment on Tomcat startup</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
103 | <p> |
---|
104 | If you are not interested in using the Tomcat Manager, or TCD, |
---|
105 | then you'll need to deploy your web applications |
---|
106 | statically to Tomcat, followed by a Tomcat startup. The location you |
---|
107 | deploy web applications to for this type of deployment is called the |
---|
108 | <code>appBase</code> which is specified per Host. You either copy a |
---|
109 | so-called <i>exploded web application</i>, i.e non-compressed, to this |
---|
110 | location, or a compressed web application resource .WAR file. |
---|
111 | </p> |
---|
112 | <p> |
---|
113 | The web applications present in the location specified by the Host's |
---|
114 | (default Host is "localhost") <code>appBase</code> attribute (default |
---|
115 | appBase is "$CATALINA_BASE/webapps") will be deployed on Tomcat startup |
---|
116 | only if the Host's <code>deployOnStartup</code> attribute is "true". |
---|
117 | </p> |
---|
118 | <p> |
---|
119 | The following deployment sequence will occur on Tomcat startup in that |
---|
120 | case: |
---|
121 | </p> |
---|
122 | <ol> |
---|
123 | <li>Any Context Descriptors will be deployed first.</li> |
---|
124 | <li> |
---|
125 | Exploded web applications not referenced by any Context |
---|
126 | Descriptor will then be deployed. If they have an associated |
---|
127 | .WAR file in the appBase and it is newer than the exploded web application, |
---|
128 | the exploded directory will be removed and the webapp will be |
---|
129 | redeployed from the .WAR |
---|
130 | </li> |
---|
131 | <li>.WAR files will be deployed</li> |
---|
132 | </ol> |
---|
133 | <p> |
---|
134 | Note again that for each deployed web application, a |
---|
135 | Context Descriptor will be created <i>unless one exists already</i>. |
---|
136 | </p> |
---|
137 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Deploying on a running Tomcat server"><strong>Deploying on a running Tomcat server</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
138 | <p> |
---|
139 | It is possible to deploy web applications to a running Tomcat server. |
---|
140 | </p> |
---|
141 | <p> |
---|
142 | If the Host <code>autoDeploy</code> attribute is "true", the Host will |
---|
143 | attempt to deploy and update web applications dynamically, as needed, |
---|
144 | for example if a new .WAR is dropped into the <code>appBase</code>. |
---|
145 | For this to work, the Host needs to have background processing |
---|
146 | enabled which is the default configuration. |
---|
147 | </p> |
---|
148 | |
---|
149 | <p> |
---|
150 | <code>autoDeploy</code> set to "true" and a running Tomcat allows for: |
---|
151 | </p> |
---|
152 | <ul> |
---|
153 | <li>Deployment of .WAR files copied into the Host <code>appBase</code>.</li> |
---|
154 | <li> |
---|
155 | Deployment of exploded web applications which are |
---|
156 | copied into the Host <code>appBase</code>. |
---|
157 | </li> |
---|
158 | <li> |
---|
159 | Re-deployment of a web application which has already been deployed from |
---|
160 | a .WAR when the new .WAR is provided. In this case the exploded |
---|
161 | web application is removed, and the .WAR is expanded again. |
---|
162 | Note that the explosion will not occur if the Host is configured |
---|
163 | so that .WARs are not exploded with a <code>unpackWARs</code> |
---|
164 | attribute set to "false", in which case the web application |
---|
165 | will be simply redeployed as a compressed archive. |
---|
166 | </li> |
---|
167 | <li> |
---|
168 | Re-deployment of a web application if the /WEB-INF/web.xml file (or any |
---|
169 | other resource defined as a WatchedResource) is updated. |
---|
170 | </li> |
---|
171 | <li> |
---|
172 | Re-deployment of a web application if the Context Descriptor file from which |
---|
173 | the web application has been deployed is updated. |
---|
174 | </li> |
---|
175 | <li> |
---|
176 | Re-deployment of a web application if a Context Descriptor file (with a |
---|
177 | filename corresponding to the Context path of the previously deployed |
---|
178 | web application) is added to the |
---|
179 | <code>$CATALINA_BASE/conf/[enginename]/[hostname]/</code> |
---|
180 | directory. |
---|
181 | </li> |
---|
182 | <li> |
---|
183 | Undeployment of a web application if its document base (docBase) |
---|
184 | is deleted. Note that on Windows, this assumes that anti-locking |
---|
185 | features (see Context configuration) are enabled, otherwise it is not |
---|
186 | possible to delete the resources of a running web application. |
---|
187 | </li> |
---|
188 | </ul> |
---|
189 | <p> |
---|
190 | Note that web application reloading can also be configured in the loader, in which |
---|
191 | case loaded classes will be tracked for changes. |
---|
192 | </p> |
---|
193 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Deploying using the Tomcat Manager"><strong>Deploying using the Tomcat Manager</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
194 | <p> |
---|
195 | The Tomcat Manager is covered in its <a href="manager-howto.html">own manual page</a>. |
---|
196 | </p> |
---|
197 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Deploying using the Client Deployer Package"><strong>Deploying using the Client Deployer Package</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> |
---|
198 | <p> |
---|
199 | Finally, deployment of web application may be achieved using the |
---|
200 | Tomcat Client Deployer. This is a package which can be used to |
---|
201 | validate, compile, compress to .WAR, and deploy web applications to |
---|
202 | production or development Tomcat servers. It should be noted that this feature |
---|
203 | uses the Tomcat Manager and as such the target Tomcat server should be |
---|
204 | running. |
---|
205 | </p> |
---|
206 | |
---|
207 | <p> |
---|
208 | It is assumed the user will be familar with Apache Ant for using the TCD. |
---|
209 | Apache Ant is a scripted build tool. The TCD comes pre-packaged with a |
---|
210 | build script to use. Only a modest understanding of Apache Ant is |
---|
211 | required (installation as listed earlier in this page, and familiarity |
---|
212 | with using the operating system command shell and configuring |
---|
213 | environment variables). |
---|
214 | </p> |
---|
215 | |
---|
216 | <p> |
---|
217 | The TCD includes Ant tasks, the Jasper page compiler for JSP compilation |
---|
218 | before deployment, as well as a task which |
---|
219 | validates the web application Context Descriptor. The validator task (class |
---|
220 | <code>org.apache.catalina.ant.ValidatorTask</code>) allows only one parameter: |
---|
221 | the base path of an exploded web application. |
---|
222 | </p> |
---|
223 | |
---|
224 | <p> |
---|
225 | The TCD uses an exploded web application as input (see the list of the |
---|
226 | properties used below). A web application that is programatically |
---|
227 | deployed with the deployer may include a Context Desciptor in |
---|
228 | <code>/META-INF/context.xml</code>. |
---|
229 | </p> |
---|
230 | |
---|
231 | <p> |
---|
232 | The TCD includes a ready-to-use Ant script, with the following targets: |
---|
233 | </p> |
---|
234 | <ul> |
---|
235 | <li> |
---|
236 | <code>compile</code> (default): Compile and validate the web |
---|
237 | application. This can be used standalone, and does not need a running |
---|
238 | Tomcat server. The compiled application will only run on the associated |
---|
239 | Tomcat 6.0.x server release, and is not guaranteed to work on another |
---|
240 | Tomcat release, as the code generated by Jasper depends on its runtime |
---|
241 | component. It should also be noted that this target will also compile |
---|
242 | automatically any Java source file located in the |
---|
243 | <code>/WEB-INF/classes</code> folder of the web application.</li> |
---|
244 | <li> |
---|
245 | <code>deploy</code>: Deploy a web application (compiled or not) to |
---|
246 | a Tomcat server. |
---|
247 | </li> |
---|
248 | <li><code>undeploy</code>: Undeploy a web application</li> |
---|
249 | <li><code>start</code>: Start web application</li> |
---|
250 | <li><code>reload</code>: Reload web application</li> |
---|
251 | <li><code>stop</code>: Stop web application</li> |
---|
252 | </ul> |
---|
253 | |
---|
254 | <p> |
---|
255 | In order for the deployment to be configured, create a file |
---|
256 | called <code>deployer.properties</code> in the TCD installation |
---|
257 | directory root. In this file, add the following name=value pairs per |
---|
258 | line: |
---|
259 | </p> |
---|
260 | |
---|
261 | <p> |
---|
262 | Additionally, you will need to ensure that a user has been |
---|
263 | setup for the target Tomcat Manager (which TCD uses) otherwise the TCD |
---|
264 | will not authenticate with the Tomcat Manager and the deployment will |
---|
265 | fail. To do this, see the Tomcat Manager page. |
---|
266 | </p> |
---|
267 | |
---|
268 | <ul> |
---|
269 | <li> |
---|
270 | <code>build</code>: The build folder used will be, by default, |
---|
271 | <code>${build}/webapp/${path}</code>. After the end of the execution |
---|
272 | of the <code>compile</code> target, the web application .WAR will be |
---|
273 | located at <code>${build}/webapp/${path}.war</code>. |
---|
274 | </li> |
---|
275 | <li> |
---|
276 | <code>webapp</code>: The directory containing the exploded web application |
---|
277 | which will be compiled and validated. By default, the folder is |
---|
278 | <code>myapp</code>. |
---|
279 | </li> |
---|
280 | <li> |
---|
281 | <code>path</code>: Deployed context path of the web application, |
---|
282 | by default <code>/myapp</code>. |
---|
283 | </li> |
---|
284 | <li> |
---|
285 | <code>url</code>: Absolute URL to the Tomcat Manager web application of a |
---|
286 | running Tomcat server, which will be used to deploy and undeploy the |
---|
287 | web application. By default, the deployer will attempt to access |
---|
288 | a Tomcat instance running on localhost, at |
---|
289 | <code>http://localhost:8080/manager</code>. |
---|
290 | </li> |
---|
291 | <li> |
---|
292 | <code>username</code>: Tomcat Manager username (user should have a role of |
---|
293 | manager) |
---|
294 | </li> |
---|
295 | <li><code>password</code>: Tomcat Manager password.</li> |
---|
296 | </ul> |
---|
297 | </blockquote></td></tr></table></td></tr><!--FOOTER SEPARATOR--><tr><td colspan="2"><hr size="1" noshade></td></tr><!--PAGE FOOTER--><tr><td colspan="2"><div align="center"><font size="-1" color="#525D76"><em> |
---|
298 | Copyright © 1999-2008, Apache Software Foundation |
---|
299 | </em></font></div></td></tr></table></body></html> |
---|