The Installer is Local

The Java ES installer installs component software on one computer at a time. For most solutions, this means the installer runs more than once. The installation plan must indicate how many times to run the installer. This section describe how to analyze a deployment architecture and determine how many times the installer is run to install and configure a solution.

A few solutions are installed on one computer only, and the installation plans for these solutions provide procedures for running the installer runs only once. The solutions that require running the installer only once are the following:

• A number of component are installed on one computer to evaluate Java ES features

• One component instance is added to an established solution. This includes adding component instances that have dependencies on existing components.

Most solutions are distributed across several computers. Installation plans for these solutions must describe running the installer multiple times to install and configure the complete solution. To analyze these solutions, use the following guidelines:

• Most combinations of components on a computer can be installed by running the installer once. This is particularly true if the installer runs in configure now mode, because in configure now mode, the installer can install both a web container and the component that runs in the web container. In these cases, the installation plan describes running the installer once on the computer and selecting all of the components specified for the computer.

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  Tip –

  Some components cannot be configured by the installer, even in configure now mode. When these components are installed on a computer, the configuration process is completed by running a configuration wizard for each component. When these components are installed in combination with components that are configured by the installer, the installer runs first. After the installer runs, the process is completed by running the configuration wizards for those components not configured by the installer. In these cases, the installation plan must describe running the installer and the correct sequence for running the configuration wizards.

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• Some combinations of components can only be installed by running the installer more than once on a computer. These combinations include the following:

  • Some component combinations that include a web container. If Web Server or Application Server is installed in configure later mode, an instance of Web Server or Application Server must be configured and verified before the component that runs in the web server can be installed. If the solution uses third-party web containers, the web container must be installed with its own installer, started, and verified, before the Java ES components are installed. The installation plan must describe running the installer multiple times on each computer.

  • Component combinations that use Sun Cluster software. If the components installed into the cluster are installed on a cluster file system, the Sun Cluster software must be installed and the cluster file system created before other components can be installed in the cluster nodes. The installation plan must describe running the installer multiple times on each computer.

The purpose of this section is to introduce the idea that installation plans must sometimes describe running the installer and the configuration wizards on one computer, or running the installer multiple times on one computer. For more information on the actual installation procedures for different component combinations, see Developing an Installation Plan.