Oracle GlassFish Server provides a server for the development and deployment of Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE platform) applications and web technologies based on Java technology. GlassFish Server 3.1.2 provides the following:
A lightweight and extensible core based on OSGi Alliance standards
A web container
An easy-to-use Administration Console for configuration and management
Update Tool connectivity for updates and add-on components
Support for high availability clustering and load balancing
The following topics are addressed here:
Oracle GlassFish Server 3.1.2 Quick Start Guide demonstrates key features of the GlassFish Server product and enables you to quickly learn the basics. Step-by-step procedures introduce you to product features and enable you to use them immediately.
This guide assumes that you have already obtained and installed the GlassFish Server 3.1.2 software. For more information about installing GlassFish Server 3.1.2, see the Oracle GlassFish Server Installation Guide.
Instructions and examples in this guide that apply to all supported operating systems use the forward slash character (/) as path separators in all file names and commands. Ensure that you use the correct character for the system on which GlassFish Server is installed. For example:
UNIX, Linux, or Mac OS X systems: as-install/bin/asadmin
Windows systems: as-install\bin\asadmin
This guide provides basic information only. For comprehensive information about GlassFish Server and other entities mentioned in this guide, see For More Information.
To review additional details about this release before you begin using the software, see the Oracle GlassFish Server Release Notes. The Release Notes provide important information about the GlassFish Server 3.1.2 release, including details about new features, information about known issues and possible workarounds, and tips for installing and working with GlassFish Server 3.1.2 software.
The following table describes the default paths and file names that are used in this book.
Table 1-1 Default Paths and File Names
| Placeholder | Description | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
|
as-install |
Represents the base installation directory for GlassFish Server. In configuration files, as-install is represented as follows:
|
Installations on the Oracle Solaris operating system, Linux operating system, and Mac OS operating system: user's-home-directory Installations on the Windows operating system: SystemDrive |
|
as-install-parent |
Represents the parent of the base installation directory for GlassFish Server. |
Installations on the Oracle Solaris operating system, Linux operating system, and Mac operating system: user's-home-directory Installations on the Windows operating system: SystemDrive |
|
domain-root-dir |
Represents the directory in which a domain is created by default. |
as-install |
|
domain-dir |
Represents the directory in which a domain's configuration is stored. In configuration files, domain-dir is represented as follows:
|
domain-root-dir |
|
instance-dir |
Represents the directory for a server instance. |
domain-dir |
The following table lists default administration values for GlassFish Server. See Default Paths and File Names for more information about the as-install and domain-dir placeholders.
Table 1-2 Default Administration Values
| Item | Default Value or Location |
|---|---|
|
Domain name |
|
|
Master password |
|
|
|
as-install |
|
Configuration files |
domain-dir |
|
Log files |
domain-dir |
|
Administration server port |
|
|
HTTP port |
|
|
HTTPS port |
|
|
Pure JMX clients port |
|
|
Message Queue port |
|
|
IIOP port |
|
|
IIOP/SSL port |
|
|
IIOP/SSL port with mutual authentication |
|
When you install GlassFish Server, a default domain named domain1 is created. The following procedures describe how to start and stop domain1 when it is the only domain. For information about starting and stopping a domain when there are multiple domains, see "Administering Domains" in Oracle GlassFish Server Administration Guide.
GlassFish Server software must be installed before you start the domain.
Run the asadmin start-domain command without an operand:
as-install/bin/asadmin start-domain
The command starts the default domain, domain1.
Run the asadmin stop-domain command without an operand:
as-install/bin/asadmin stop-domain
The command stops the default domain, domain1.
Tip:
To determine whether a domain is running, use the asadmin list-domains command:
as-install/bin/asadmin list-domains
A database server is not started by default when you start the GlassFish Server domain. If your applications require a database back end, you must start and stop the database server manually.
The following procedures describe how to start and stop the Java DB server that is bundled with GlassFish Server. For information about starting and stopping other database servers, see the documentation for your specific product.
For the list of database products supported in this release, see the Oracle GlassFish Server Release Notes.
For more information about database connectivity, see "Administering Database Connectivity" in Oracle GlassFish Server Administration Guide.
At least one GlassFish Server domain must be started before you start the database server.
Run the asadmin start-database command.
The general form for the command is as follows:
as-install/bin/asadmin start-database --dbhome directory-path
For example, to start the Java DB server from its default location:
as-install/bin/asadmin start-database --dbhome as-install-parent/javadb
Run the asadmin stop-database command:
as-install/bin/asadmin stop-database
The GlassFish Server Administration Console provides a browser interface for configuring, administering, and monitoring GlassFish Server.
At least one GlassFish Server domain must be started.
Type the URL in your browser.
The default URL for the Administration Console on the local host is as follows:
http://localhost:4848
If prompted, log in to the Administration Console.
You will be prompted to log in if you chose to require an administration password at the time GlassFish Server was installed.
For more information, see the Administration Console online help.
The process of configuring and enabling applications to run within the GlassFish Server framework is referred to as deployment.
This section explains how to deploy, list, and undeploy applications. The procedures in this section use the hello.war sample application. The following topics are addressed here:
Deploying and Undeploying the Sample Application From the Command Line
Deploying and Undeploying Applications by Using the Administration Console
Deploying and Undeploying the Sample Application Automatically
Download a copy of the hello.war sample application from http://glassfish.java.net/downloads/quickstart/hello.war.
Save the hello.war file in the directory of your choice.
This directory is referred to as sample-dir.
GlassFish Server provides asadmin subcommands for performing the following deployment-related tasks:
The sample application must be available before you start this task. To download the sample, see To Obtain the Sample Application. At least one GlassFish Server domain must be started before you deploy the sample application.
Run the asadmin deploy command.
The general form for the command is as follows:
as-install/bin/asadmin deploy war-name
To deploy the hello.war sample, the command is as follows:
as-install/bin/asadmin deploy sample-dir/hello.war
Access the hello application by typing the following URL in your browser:
http://localhost:8080/hello
The application's start page is displayed, and you are prompted to type your name.
Hi, my name is Duke. What's yours?
Type your name and click Submit.
The application displays a customized response, giving you a personal Hello.
For more information about the deploy subcommand, see deploy(1).
For more information about deploying applications from the command line, see the Oracle GlassFish Server Application Deployment Guide.
Run the asadmin list-applications command:
as-install/bin/asadmin list-applications
Run the asadmin undeploy command.
The general form for the command is as follows:
as-install/bin/asadmin undeploy war-name
For war-name, use the literal hello, not the full hello.war name.
For the hello.war example, the command is as follows:
as-install/bin/asadmin undeploy hello
For more information about the undeploy subcommand, see undeploy(1).
The graphical Administration Console of GlassFish Server enables you to perform the following deployment-related tasks:
To Deploy the Sample Application by Using the Administration Console
To Undeploy the Sample Application by Using the Administration Console
The sample application must be available before you start this task. To download the sample, see To Obtain the Sample Application. At least one GlassFish Server domain must be started before you deploy the sample application.
Launch the Administration Console by typing the following URL in your browser:
http://localhost:4848
Click the Applications node in the tree on the left.
The Applications page is displayed.
Click the Deploy button.
The Deploy Applications or Modules page is displayed.
Select Packaged File to be Uploaded to the Server, and click Browse.
Navigate to the location in which you saved the hello.war sample, select the file, and click Open.
You are returned to the Deploy Applications or Modules page.
Specify a description in the Description field, for example:
hello
Accept the other default settings, and click OK.
You are returned to the Applications page.
Select the check box next to the hello application and click the Launch link to run the application.
The default URL for the application is as follows:
http://localhost:8080/hello/
For more information, see the Administration Console online help.
Launch the Administration Console by typing the following URL in your browser:
http://localhost:4848
Click the Applications node in the tree on the left.
Expand the node to list deployed applications. Deployed applications are also listed in the table on the Applications page.
Launch the Administration Console by typing the following URL in your browser:
http://localhost:4848
Click the Applications node in the tree on the left.
The Applications page is displayed.
Select the check box next to the hello sample application.
Remove or disable the application.
To remove the application, click the Undeploy button.
To disable the application, click the Disable button.
For more information, see the Administration Console online help.
GlassFish Server enables you to performing the following deployment-related tasks automatically:
You can deploy applications automatically by placing them in the domain-dir/autodeploy directory, where domain-dir is the directory of the domain for which you want to configure automatic deployment. For this example, use the default domain, domain1, in the default domain-root-dir, which is as-install/domains:
as-install/domains/domain1/autodeploy
The sample application must be available before you start this task. To download the sample, see To Obtain the Sample Application.
Copy the application WAR file to the domain-dir/autodeploy directory.
On UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X systems, type this command:
cp sample-dir/hello.war as-install/domains/domain-dir/autodeploy
On Windows systems, type this command:
copy sample-dir\hello.war as-install\domains\domain-dir\autodeploy
GlassFish Server automatically discovers and deploys the application. The default URL for the application is as follows:
http://localhost:8080/hello/
Change to the domain's autodeploy directory.
cd as-install\domains\domain-dir\autodeploy
Delete the sample application's WAR file to undeploy and remove the application.
On UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X systems, type this command:
rm hello.war
On Windows systems, type this command:
del hello.war
GlassFish Server enables multiple GlassFish Server instances to be clustered to provide high availability through failure protection, scalability, and load balancing. The subsections that follow provide an overview of high availability clustering and load balancing for GlassFish Server. For a complete example of setting up high availability clustering and load balancing, see Deploying an Application to a Two-Instance Cluster.
A cluster is a collection of GlassFish Server instances that work together as one logical entity. A cluster provides a runtime environment for one or more Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) applications. A cluster provides high availability through failure protection, scalability, and load balancing.
A GlassFish Server instance is a single Virtual Machine for the Java platform (Java Virtual Machine or JVM machine) on a single node in which GlassFish Server is running. A node defines the host where the GlassFish Server instance resides. The JVM machine must be compatible with the Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE).
GlassFish Server instances form the basis of an application deployment. An instance is a building block in the clustering, load balancing, and session persistence features of GlassFish Server. Each instance belongs to a single domain and has its own directory structure, configuration, and deployed applications. Every instance contains a reference to a node that defines the host where the instance resides.
For more information, see the following documentation:
"Administering GlassFish Server Nodes" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide
"Administering GlassFish Server Clusters" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide
"Administering GlassFish Server Instances" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide
Storing session state data enables the session state to be recovered after the failover of an instance in a cluster. Recovering the session state enables the session to continue without loss of information. GlassFish Server supports in-memory session replication on other servers in the cluster for maintaining HTTP session and stateful session bean data.
For more information, see "Configuring High Availability Session Persistence and Failover" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide.
GlassFish Server supports web server and hardware-based load balancing for clustered configurations. A load balancer is deployed with a cluster, and provides the following features:
Allows an application or service to be scaled horizontally across multiple physical (or logical) hosts yet still present the user with a single URL
Insulates the user from host failures or server crashes when used with session persistence
Enhances security by hiding the internal network from the user
Oracle GlassFish Server includes a Load Balancer Plug-in for popular web servers such as Oracle HTTP Server, Oracle iPlanet Web Server, Apache HTTP Server, and Microsoft Windows IIS. The Load Balancer Plug-in includes a graphical Load Balancer Configurator installation wizard that makes it easy to configure the plug-in to work with your particular GlassFish Server and web server installations.
GlassFish Server load balancing configurations can vary widely depending on the needs of your enterprise. For complete information about configuring load balancing in GlassFish Server, see the following documentation:
"Configuring Web Servers for HTTP Load Balancing" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide
"Configuring HTTP Load Balancing" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide
"RMI-IIOP Load Balancing and Failover" in Oracle GlassFish Server High Availability Administration Guide
GlassFish Server provides an administrative tool called Update Tool that enables you to install updates and add-on components to your existing GlassFish Server installation. Update Tool can be accessed as a standalone graphical tool from the command line or as a browser-based graphical tool from the Administration Console. For more information about Update Tool, see "Update Tool" in Oracle GlassFish Server Administration Guide.
Run the updatetool command:
as-install-parent/bin/updatetool
If Update Tool is not installed, you will be prompted to install it. Install the tool if desired, then use the updatetool command to start the tool. Extensive online help is available from the tool's Help menu.
A command-line interface is also available for Update Tool. The command-line interface uses the pkg command and enables you to perform most of the tasks provided by the graphical version. For more information about the pkg command, see "Extending and Updating GlassFish Server" in Oracle GlassFish Server Administration Guide.
At least one GlassFish Server domain must be started before you launch the Administration Console.
Launch the Administration Console by typing the following URL in your browser:
http://localhost:4848
Click the Update Tool node in the tree on the left.
For more information, see the Administration Console online help.
Before removing the GlassFish Server software, stop the following processes:
All domains and other related processes
Command prompts that use the installation directory or its subdirectories
The Update Tool notifier process if present
Any applications that use files that are part of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE)
For more information about performing these tasks, see "Uninstalling GlassFish Server" in Oracle GlassFish Server Installation Guide.
Change to the as-install-parent directory, which contains the uninstallation program.
If necessary, grant execute permissions to the uninstallation program file.
chmod +x ./uninstall.sh
Run the uninstallation program.
./uninstall.sh
Examine the contents of the remaining installation directories and remove any files or directories that you do not want, including hidden directories prefixed with a dot.
Change to the as-install-parent directory, which contains the uninstallation program.
Run the uninstallation program.
uninstall.exe
Examine the contents of the remaining installation directories and remove any files or directories that you do not want, including hidden directories prefixed with a dot.
Additional resources are available to help you learn more about GlassFish Server 3.1.2 and related technologies.
The following resources are described here:
Comprehensive product documentation is available and includes the following.
Oracle GlassFish Server Release Notes: Latest details about new features, known issues, and tips for installing and working with GlassFish Server software.
Oracle GlassFish Server Documentation Library: Collection of guides that document Oracle GlassFish Server features and functions.
GlassFish Server Screencasts: Collection of video recordings that demonstrate various features and provide examples for working with GlassFish Server and related technologies.
GlassFish Server FAQs: Frequently asked questions covering a variety of GlassFish Server topics.
The following resources will help you connect with other users, learn more about GlassFish Server, and get help if needed.
GlassFish Forum: Public online discussion forum that provides community support and tips for working with GlassFish Server.
GlassFish Wiki: Community site that provides a wide range of information related to GlassFish Server.
GlassFish Documentation Project: Documentation community site that provides details about GlassFish Server documentation and how you can participate.
GlassFish Quality Community: Quality community site focused on testing and improving GlassFish Server.
The following tutorials provide working examples and detailed instructions for creating enterprise applications for the Java EE 6 platform.
Your First Cup: An Introduction to the Java EE Platform: Provides a short tutorial for beginning Java EE programmers that shows how to develop a simple enterprise application from scratch. The sample application consists of four main components: a JAX-RS RESTful web service, an enterprise bean, a Java Persistence API entity, and a web application created with JavaServer Faces Facelets technology.
The Java EE 6 Tutorial: Provides a beginner's guide to developing enterprise applications for GlassFish Server. The tutorial includes working examples and instructions for creating applications with Java EE 6 technologies, including Java Servlets, JavaServer Faces, Facelets, RESTful Web Services, Enterprise JavaBeans, Java Persistence API, Contexts and Dependency Injection for the Java EE platform, and more. The document is also available through Update Tool.
The sample applications demonstrate Java EE 6 technologies. The samples are available through Update Tool and also as part of the Java EE 6 SDK distributions. The SDK distributions are available from the Java EE SDK downloads page.