RE: [WDSCI-L] Re: Re: EAR/WAR Deployment

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Can you explain the deployment features that Tomcat has that
> WebSphere does
> not?  Whenever I used Tomcat I always deployed via a WAR file, I was not
> aware of another way to do it.  What are the automated features in Tomcat
> that you like that WebSphere does not?

Who said Tomcat has better deployment features?  I just said it is free.
Not only that, you don't HAVE to deploy an EAR/WAR file.  All I have to do
is create a folder in /webapps and I'm done.  (You do, however, have to stop
and restart the server for the webapp to be recognized.)  The point is that
you can get around the EAR/WAR issue easily.

More importantly, I'm saying that Tomcat is free, and while WebSphere
Express is a reasonably priced alternative, WASX + 3rd Party Deployment Tool
is not such a good deal.  However, I'm learning more as time goes on.
Symbolic links are quite powerful, and I hope to outline an alternative to
EAR/WAR deployment in my August column.


> Also, I deploy big changes on an undersized 270 all the time and it just
> takes seconds with WAS Express or WAS 4.0.  Probably 2 minutes
> would be the max.

I'm guessing you use your product to do this.  This is not the point.  Or
maybe it is the point - you have to use a 3rd party product to use IBM's
"free" web server.  Kind of like how WebFacing is free - it's free until you
factor in the time and money you spend getting it to work.

In this case, using your tool to deploy is not a level playing field.  Even
if you're doing it using copies or FTP, that's far more than the average
person understands.  Instead, try to do it the "supported" way - use WDSC
and deploy via EAR.  You will see my published results next week, results
that have been reviewed by the WAS team at IBM:

"The five-step process--export EAR, stop server, uninstall application,
reinstall application, start server--took over 20 minutes."

My guess is you just copied things up to the IFS using your tool.  Well,
that's all fine and good, but my guess is that your product costs more than
Tomcat.  However, if your point is that copying to the IFS is a viable
solution, then I agree, as long as you know what and where to copy.  As I
said, I'll be showing exactly how to do that in my August Weaving WebSphere
column.


Joe