Using a Component Type to Deploy WebSphere Applications

The WebSphere Plug-In includes several WebSphere-specific component types. These component types enable you to quickly model many of the most common WebSphere application components and to automatically associate install, uninstall, export, and snapshot behavior with a particular resource. Many of the component types are used by the software when you create and manage servers and clusters. As a result, there is only one component type that you will work with on a regular basis, as described in the following section:

• Enterprise Application (EAR) Component Type

The WebSphere Plug-In can only install EAR files that were assembled using the IBM assemble tool. These files contain configuration settings that the plug-in requires.

Enterprise Application (EAR) Component Type

A component of this type models an enterprise application. The component can contain either an enterprise application archive (EAR) or the expanded version of an EAR as a package.

Browsing for an Enterprise Application

You can use one of the following browsers to select your enterprise application for this component type:

• A WebSphere Appserver browser from which you can select one of the installed applications and its relevant settings. The Appserver browser provides an alphabetical list of enterprise applications on the application server. You can choose one enterprise application for a component.

• A file system browser from which you can select the EAR file to create a component that does not include settings. The file system browser provides a list of files and directories from which you can choose. You can choose to see only those files or type *.ear in the browser.

The WebSphere Plug-In can only install EAR files that were assembled using the IBM assemble tool. These files contain configuration settings that the plug-in requires.

Installing an Enterprise Application

To install an enterprise application component, you must use a WebSphere application server instance or cluster as the target host. The installation process performs three main tasks:

1. Installs the EAR file on the target.

2. Registers the EAR with the WebSphere Application Server.

You can install the enterprise application by navigating to the application's component Details page and running the Install component procedure.

Uninstalling an Enterprise Application

When you uninstall an enterprise application component, the enterprise application no longer targets the virtual host. If the enterprise application is not targeted elsewhere, the registration component is removed from the application server .

You can uninstall the enterprise application by navigating to the application's component Details page and running the Uninstall component procedure.

Starting and Stopping an Enterprise Application

You can start and stop enterprise applications that have been installed with the provisioning system.

How to Start or Stop an Enterprise Application

Steps

1. In the Common Tasks section in the browser interface, click WebSphere 5.1.

2. Click the Enterprise Applications (EAR): View All link.

   The Components page displays.

3. Select the enterprise application that you plan to start or stop, and click Details.

   The component Details page displays.

4. In the Component Procedures table, select the Start or Stop procedure and click Run.

   The plan's Run page displays.

5. Select the virtual host of the application server that hosts the enterprise application that you plan to start or stop.

6. Click Run Selected Installations.

   The plan Run page displays.

7. Click Run Plan (Includes Preflight).

Installing Web Application (WAR) and Java Archive (JAR) File

WebSphere does not support WAR and JAR files. If you need to install a WAR or JAR file through the provisioning system, use the WebSphere Assemble tool to convert the file to the EAR format. After you export the file, you can use the provisioning system to deploy it.