1 Introduction

You can create templates in WebLogic Server by using the Domain Template Builder. The Domain Template Builder is a standalone Java application that guides you through the process.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Overview of the Domain Template Builder
  The Domain Template Builder helps you create domain and extension templates. You can then use these domain or extension templates to build or extend WebLogic domains.
• About Domain and Extension Templates
  In the context of the Domain Template Builder, the term template refers to a Java Archive (JAR) file. A template JAR contains the files and scripts that are used to create or extend a WebLogic domain.
• Additional Tools for Creating Templates
  In addition to the Domain Template Builder, you can use other tools such as the pack command and WLST to create domain and extension templates.

Overview of the Domain Template Builder

The Domain Template Builder helps you create domain and extension templates. You can then use these domain or extension templates to build or extend WebLogic domains.

The domain and extension templates contain the key attributes and files required to build or extend a WebLogic domain. Figure 1-1 illustrates the process to create templates.

Figure 1-1 Domain Template Builder

Description of "Figure 1-1 Domain Template Builder"

You can use the Domain Template Builder to create templates off-line, in graphical mode. The Domain Template Builder is not supported in console mode. Therefore, the console attached to the system on which you are using the Domain Template Builder must support Java-based GUIs. All consoles for Windows systems support Java-based GUIs; only some UNIX-based consoles support Java-based GUIs.

Your product installation includes a set of predefined domain and extension templates. This set of templates includes the WebLogic Server Base Domain template, and various extension templates that allow you to add product features and samples to the base domain. For more information about the templates that are available for various products, see Fusion Middleware Product Templates in Domain Template Reference.

After you create your domain and add new resources and applications to it, you can use the Domain Template Builder to create domain and extension templates. To do so, select the existing domain or template as the source for your new domain or extension templates. When your custom domain templates are complete, you can use them to create domains by using the Configuration Wizard, WLST Offline, or the unpack command. For more information about these tools, see Additional Tools for Creating Templates.

About Domain and Extension Templates

In the context of the Domain Template Builder, the term template refers to a Java Archive (JAR) file. A template JAR contains the files and scripts that are used to create or extend a WebLogic domain.

The Configuration Wizard uses the following types of templates to create or extend domains:

• Domain template: defines the full set of resources within a WebLogic domain, including infrastructure components, applications, services, security options, and general environment and operating system options. You can create this type of template from an existing domain by using the Domain Template Builder or the pack command. You can then create a domain based on the template.

  The product distribution includes the WebLogic Server Base Domain template. This template defines the core set of resources within a domain, including an Administration Server and basic configuration information, infrastructure components, and general environment and operating system options. It does not include sample applications. You can use this template to create a basic WebLogic Server domain, which you can then extend with applications and services, or additional product component functionality.

• Extension template: defines applications and services that can provide additional features, such as applications, or JDBC resources, JMS components, or deployed libraries. This type of template can be used to update an existing WebLogic domain.

• Managed Server template: defines the subset of resources within a domain that are required to create a Managed Server domain on a remote machine. This type of template can be created by using the pack command.

Your product installation includes a set of predefined domain and extension templates. This set includes the WebLogic Server Base Domain template and various extension templates that allow you to add component features and samples to the base domain. For more information about these templates and how they relate to each other, see the WebLogic Server Templates in Domain Template Reference.

Additional Tools for Creating Templates

In addition to the Domain Template Builder, you can use other tools such as the pack command and WLST to create domain and extension templates.

Here is a description of the additional tools:

• pack

  Use this command to create a template archive (JAR) file that contains a snapshot of either an entire WebLogic domain or a subset of a WebLogic domain. You can use a template that contains a subset of a domain to create a Managed Server domain directory hierarchy on a remote machine.

  For more information about the pack command, see The Pack Command in Creating Templates and Domains Using the Pack and Unpack Commands.

• WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST):

  WLST is a command-line scripting interface, which you can use to interact with and configure WebLogic Server instances and domains. When WLST is offline, you can create a WebLogic domain or update an existing WebLogic domain without connecting to a running WebLogic Server—supporting the same functionality as the Configuration Wizard.

  For more information about WLST, see Using the WebLogic Scripting Tool in Understanding the WebLogic Scripting Tool and WebLogic Server WLST Online and Offline Command Reference in WLST Command Reference for WebLogic Server.