Using WebLogic Server hot deploy

I. Introduction

II. Deploying in a running WebLogic Server

Deploying EJBeans from the WebLogic Console

Deploying EJBeans with the weblogic.deploy utility

Deploying servlets from the WebLogic Console

Creating JDBC connection pools from the WebLogic Console

III. Troubleshooting hot deploy

Other related documents

Using the WebLogic EJB Deployment Wizard

I. Introduction

Beginning with release 4.5, WebLogic Server includes a "hot deploy" feature that allows you to deploy, redeploy, or undeploy EJBeans while a WebLogic Server is running. To use the hot deploy feature, you start the WebLogic Server as described in the Tech Start Guide Setting up and starting WebLogic Server so that dynamic class loading is used.

After you start the WebLogic Server with the new class loader, you can deploy EJBeans from the WebLogic Console or with the weblogic.deploy utility.

You can also deploy servlets and create JDBC connection pools directly from the WebLogic Console.

For additional information, look in our Tech Support Guide Troubleshooting your WebLogic EJB application.

Note: Dynamic class loading -- and consequently hot deploy -- is not supported with the Microsoft SDK for Java (Jview).

II. Deploying in a running WebLogic Server

Deploying EJBeans from the WebLogic Console

• Deploying a .jar makes its EJBeans available
• Undeploying a .jar makes its EJBeans unavailable
• Redeploying a .jar refreshes the EJBeans with the EJBeans always available

Note that deploying a .jar creates a "deployment unit" in the Server, and these units are permanent for that session of the Server. The deployment unit can be undeployed, making the beans in it unavailable; but the deployment unit itself is always present. It is a logical unit which represents the EJBean interfaces loaded from its initial .jar file.

Deployments of EJBeans made through the Console are lost when you restart the WebLogic Server. To permanently change the deployment of an EJBean, you must edit the weblogic.properties file.

Additional help on deploying EJBeans in the WebLogic Console is found in the help system for the Console.

Deploying EJBeans

In the WebLogic Console, after connecting to your WebLogic Server:

1. Expand the "Distributed objects" managed object by clicking on the "+" symbol on its left.

2. Expand the "EJB" managed object that appears under "Distributed objects" by clicking on the "+" symbol on its left.

3. Select the "Deployment units" managed object by clicking on it. The managed object's properties box will appear in the right-hand side of the Console.

4. Click the "Commands" tab folder in the properties box. This folder contains the "New deployment..." button.

5. Click "New deployment...". A dialog box appears where you can type the deployment unit name and the bean file location to the .jar file for an EJBean you want to deploy.

   The deployment unit name must be different from any deployment unit name already existing. The bean file location you enter must be the full pathname of an existing .jar file.

6. Click OK.

   If the .jar file is successfully deployed, managed objects will be added under both the "Deployment units" and "Deployed beans".

   A single entry will be added under "Deployment units" using the name you specified as the deployment unit name. One entry for each bean deployed will be added under "Deployed beans" using the bean's home interface name.

   If the deployment fails, an error dialog displays a message.

Undeploying EJBeans

1. In the WebLogic Console, click the particular deployment unit managed object listed under "Deployment units" that you want to undeploy.

2. In the Commands tab folder, click the "Undeploy" button. A dialog will appear for you to confirm the undeployment and advising you that if you restart the Server, any .jars defined in the weblogic.properties file will be deployed.

3. Click OK to confirm the undeployment Any EJBeans deployed from the .jar file are undeployed and the EJBean managed objects will be removed from the "Deployed beans".

   If the .jar file is successfully undeployed, the two subobjects under the EJB object are updated accordingly. If the undeployment fails, an error dialog displays a message. Note: You can make the bean(s) in the deployment unit available again using the "Deploy" command.

Redeploying an EJBean

Note: You cannot redeploy an EJBean's public interfaces, or any supporting classes that are used by the public interfaces. Redeployment is limited to an EJBean's implementation classes.

When the deployment unit is refreshed, you must give the deployment unit a new .jar file from which to refresh the EJBeans. All aspects of the beans in the .jar file must be the same -- number of beans, names, interfaces -- only the implementation code may change.

1. In the WebLogic Console, click the particular deployment unit managed object listed under "Deployment units" that you want to redeploy.

2. In the Commands tab folder, click the "Redeploy" button. A dialog will appear with the path of the .jar file for that deployment unit. Edit the .jar file to the new .jar file from which you want to refresh the bean.

3. Click OK.

   If the bean is successfully redeployed, the ball to the left of the "Redeploy" button will turn blue, then green before fading to grey. If the redeployment fails, an error dialog displays a message.

Deploying EJBeans with the weblogic.deploy utility

Syntax

 $ java -classpath c:/java/lib/classes.zip;
      c:/weblogic/classes;c:/weblogic/lib/weblogicaux.jar
      weblogic.deploy
      -help 
      -version 
      -redeploy
      -port portnum
      -host hostname
      -name displayname
      password fileURL

Arguments

-help

Prints a help message and exits.

-version

Prints the version number of the utility and exits.

-debug

Prints detailed debug information.

-redeploy

Redeploys an existing EJBean. If not included, the EJBean is deployed.

-undeploy

Undeploys an existing EJBean.

-port portnum

The port number where the WebLogic Server is listening. The default is 7001.

-host hostname

The name of the computer where the WebLogic Server is running. The default is "localhost".

-name displayname

The name of the EJBean deployment. Although an optional argument, you should always supply a name, as this identifies the deployment in the server. If omitted, a default value is generated from the url argument.

If you are using the weblogic.deploy utility to manipulate a deployment unit defined in the weblogic.properties file, the name must coincide with the name generated for the .jar during startup. This is the name you see in the WebLogic Console.

password

The password for the WebLogic Server "system" user.

fileURL

The location of the EJB .jar file to deploy, expressed as a URL. This allows you to deploy EJBeans from any accessible network location.

Here is a Windows NT example that deploys an EJBean from the local file c:\weblogic\myserver\myBean.jar that's to be identified in the server as "myBean". The WebLogic Server is running on the same computer ("localhost") and listening for connections on port 8008, and has system password of "sYsteMpW". The command should be entered on a single line:

  $ java -classpath ... weblogic.deploy 
         -port 8008 -name myBean sYsteMpW 
         file:c:/weblogic/myserver/myBean.jar

Deploying servlets from the WebLogic Console

Note: Hot deploying or hot undeploying a servlet from the WebLogic Console is only effective for the current server session. You must change the servlet's registration properties in the weblogic.properties file to retain the changes when you restart the WebLogic Server.

Registering a new servlet

1. Select the HTTP ¬ Servlets ManagedObject in the WebLogic Console, then click on the Commands tab.

2. Press the 'Register new servlet' button and this dialog will appear:
   

3. In Servlet name, enter the 'virtual name' of the servlet.

4. In Servlet class name, enter the fully-qualified name of the servlet. The servlet class should be located in the servlet classpath as described in the Administrators Guide Setting Weblogic properties.

   Note: It is possible to hot deploy servlets from the weblogic.class.path, but you will not be able to undeploy or re-deploy them. Be carefull that your servlet classpath does not point to any resource in your weblogic.class.path or your system classpath, as this may cause related problems. For information on the weblogic.class.path see Setting up and Starting WebLogic Server.

5. In Initialization arguments, you may enter one or more name=value pairs, separated by commas. For more information, see the Administrators Guide Setting Weblogic properties.

6. When you have completed the information, press "OK" and the servlet will be loaded immediately.

Unloading a servlet

1. Expand the HTTP ¬ Servlets ManagedObject in the WebLogic Console to show all the registered servlets.

2. Click on the servlet you'd like to unload.

3. Click on the Commands tab. Press the 'Unload servlet' button and confirm that you'd like to unload the servlet in the dialog that opens.

4. The servlet will be unloaded.

Creating JDBC connection pools from the WebLogic Console

Note: Hot deploying or hot undeploying a connection pool from the WebLogic Console is only effective for the current server session. You must change the connection pool's registration properties in the weblogic.properties file to retain the changes when you restart the WebLogic Server.

Creating a new JDBC connection pool

1. Select the Database ¬ JDBC connection pools ManagedObject in the WebLogic Console, then click on the Commands tab.

2. Press the 'Create connection pool' button.

3. Complete the required information to describe the pool. For more information on connection pool properties, see the Developers Guide Using WebLogic JDBC: Using connection pools.

4. In Connection properties, enter any arguments as a semi-colon delimited list, as described in the Developers Guide Using WebLogic JDBC: Creating a startup connection pool.

5. Confirm the information, press "OK" and the JDBC connection pool will be created and enabled.

Resetting a connection pool

1. Expand the Database ¬ JDBC connection pools ManagedObject in the WebLogic Console to show all the registered JDBC connection pools.

2. Click on the connection pool you'd like to reset.

3. Click on the Commands tab. Press the 'Reset connection pool' button.

4. The connection pool will be reset.

Destroying a connection pool

1. Expand the Database ¬ JDBC connection pools ManagedObject in the WebLogic Console to show all the registered JDBC connection pools.

2. Click on the connection pool you'd like to destroy.

3. Click on the Commands tab. Press the 'Destroy connection pool' button and confirm that you'd like to destroy the connection pool in the dialog that opens. You can specify that either a hard or soft shutdown occurs. The default is a soft shutdown.

4. The connection pool will be shutdown and destroyed.

III. Troubleshooting hot deploy

• Test the deployment by entering appropriate properties in the weblogic.properties file to make sure that the EJBean or servlet is working correctly before attempting to hot deploy.

• Check that classpath and the WebLogic Server have been set correctly as described in the Tech Start Guide Setting up and starting WebLogic Server.

• Error messages from the hot deployment appear in the Server log or command line window where the Server was started and will tell why the Server was unable to complete the action you requested.

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