Weblogic Application Deployment

Deployment Process
The term application deployment refers to the process of making an application or
module available for processing client requests in a WebLogic Server domain.
Application deployment generally involves the following tasks:
"Preparing Applications and Modules for Deployment"
"Configuring Applications for Production Deployment"
"Exporting an Application for Deployment to New Environments"
"Deploying Applications and Modules with weblogic.Deployer"
"Redeploying Applications in a Production Environment"
"Managing Deployed Applications"

Supported Deployment Units

Enterprise Applications

Web Applications

Enterprise JavaBean

Resource Adapter

J2EE Library

JDBC,JMS,WLDF Modules

Client Application Archive

Deloyment Tools

Administrative Console

Weblogic.Deployer

WLST

Deployment Tool for Developers

Preparing Applications and Modules

for Deployment
"Packaging Files for Deployment"
"Understanding Default Deployment Names"
"Understanding Application Naming Requirements"
"Understanding Deployment Version Strings"
"Creating an Application Installation Directory"
"Using FastSwap Deployment to Minimize Redeployment"
"Best Practices for Preparing Deployment Files"

Packaging Files for Deployment

"Using Archived Files"
"Using Exploded Archive Directories"
"Creating an Exploded Archive Directory from an Archive File"

Understanding Default Deployment Names

Default Deplyment Name

Identification

Understanding Application
Naming Requirements
Application names must only contain the following characters:
a-z
A-Z
0-9
_ (underscore)
- (hyphen)
. (period)
No additional characters are allowed in application names.
Application names that contain the "." character must contain at least one additional
different character; "." and ".." are not valid application names.
Application names must be less than 215 characters in length.

Understanding Deployment
Version Strings
In addition to a deployment name, an application or module can also have an associated
version string. The version string distinguishes the initial deployment of the application
from subsequent redeployed versions. For example, you may want to later update the
application to fix problems or add new features. In production systems, it is critical to
maintain a version string for both the initial and subsequent deployments of an
application. Doing so allows you to update and redeploy an application version without
interrupting service to existing clients.
The version string is specified in the manifest file for the application, and should be
provided by your development team along with the other deployment files. "Assigning
Application Versions" in Developing Applications for Oracle WebLogic Serverdescribes
the conventions for specifying the version string.

Creating an Application
Installation Directory

Using FastSwap Deployment to

Minimize Redeployment

With FastSwap, Java classes are redefined in-place without reloading the
classloader, thereby having the decided advantage of fast turnaround times. This
means that you do not have to wait for an application to redeploy and then navigate
back to wherever you were in the Web page flow. Instead, you can make your
changes, auto compile, and then see the effects immediately.
FastSwap is only supported when WebLogic Server is running in development
mode. It is automatically disabled in production mode.
Only changes to class files in exploded directories are supported. Modifications to
class files in archived applications, as well as archived JAR files appearing in the
application's classpath are not supported.
weblogic-application.xml
<fast-swap><enabled>true</enabled></fast-swap>

Best Practices for Preparing

Deployment Files

Regardless of whether you deploy an archive file or exploded archive

directory, store the deployment files in an installation directory for the
application
Manage the entire application installation directory in a source control
system, so you can easily revert to previous application versions if
necessary.