The Java ES Integrated Installer

All Java ES components are installed using a single installer. The Java ES installer transfers Java ES software to a host system. The installer lets you select and install any number of Java ES components on a host in your computing environment. The installer also provides for some installation-time configuration, depending on the particular Java ES components being installed.

The Java ES installer does not, in itself, perform distributed installations. To deploy a distributed Java ES software solution, you use the Java ES installer to install the appropriate components on each computer in your environment, one computer at a time. You must use a reasonable sequence of installation sessions and configuration procedures, based on your deployment architecture and component dependencies.

The installer runs interactively in both a graphical mode and a text-based mode, and also provides a parameter-driven silent installation mode. In addition to English, the installer supports the following languages: French, German, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

This section discusses aspects of the integrated Java ES installer. For more detailed information, see the Sun Java Enterprise System 5 Installation Guide for UNIX.

Preexisting Software Checking

The installer examines the host on which you are installing and identifies the Java ES components that are already installed. The installer then checks at several levels to ensure that all existing components are at the appropriate release level to interoperate successfully. The installer informs you about those software components that are incompatible and must be upgraded or removed.

Similarly, the installer checks for Java ES shared components such as J2SE or NSS that are already installed and lists any incompatibilities (see Shared Components). If you proceed with installation, the installer automatically upgrades the shared components to newer versions.

Dependency Checking

The installer does extensive checking of components to verify that the installation components you select function properly together. Many components have dependencies on other components. For this reason, when you select a component to install, the installer automatically includes the components and subcomponents upon which the selected component has dependencies. You cannot deselect a component if another selected component depends upon that component locally. However, if the dependency is not local, you receive a warning but can proceed under the assumption that the dependency is satisfied by a component on a different host computer.

Initial Configuration

Many Java ES components require initial configuration before they can be started. For some components, the Java ES installer is used to perform this initial configuration.

You can choose to have the installer perform this initial configuration (Configure Now option) or to install the software without performing initial configuration (Configure Later option), in which case you must explicitly configure each installed component after installation is complete.

If you choose to have the installer do the initial configuration, you supply the required configuration information during installation. In particular, you can specify a set of parameter values that are common across all component products, such as an administrator ID and password.

Uninstallation

Java ES also provides an uninstallation program to remove components that were installed on the local computer by the Java ES installer. The uninstaller checks for local dependencies and issues warnings when a dependency is found. The uninstaller does not remove Java ES shared components. As with the installer, the uninstaller can be run in graphical mode, text-based mode, or silent mode.