Tools for Extending and Updating GlassFish Server

GlassFish Server provides the following tools for updating software on a deployed server:

• Update Tool

• The pkg Command

• Administration Console

Update Tool

Update Tool is a standalone graphical tool bundled with GlassFish Server that can be used to find and install updates and add-ons on a deployed GlassFish Server instance.

To start Update Tool, type the following command:

as-install-parent/bin/updatetool

For instructions for using Update Tool, see the Update Tool online help.

For additional information about Update Tool, see the following wikis:

• Multi-platform Packaging for Layered Distros

• Toolkit Documentation

The pkg Command

The pkg command is the command-line equivalent to Update Tool. Most of the tasks that can be performed with the graphical Update Tool can be performed from a command line using the pkg tool.

The pkg command is located in the as-install-parent/bin directory. To run the pkg command without specifying the path, ensure that this directory is in your path.

The pkg command enables you to create update scripts and to update software on headless systems. A headless system does not have a monitor, graphics card, or keyboard.

Most of the procedures in this chapter are based on the pkg command. A set of reference pages that contain details about using the pkg command is included with GlassFish Serverin the as-install-parent/pkg/man directory.

Administration Console

The Administration Console enables you to perform the following tasks that are related to extending and updating GlassFish Server:

• Installing add-on components

• Viewing available updates to installed components

• Viewing installed components

For more information, see the Administration Console online help.

The Administration Console does not enable you to update or remove installed components. Instead, you must stop the GlassFish Server domain and use Update Tool or the pkg command.