WAR file and context.xml overwriting on deployment

[Joe Reger, Jr.]

Hi.

I have a java web app that I package as a WAR file. People download it.
They install it on their instance of Tomcat. They configure application
settings as variables in context.xml.

The problem is that each time they grab updated code (a new WAR file) they
overwrite their context.xml file with the default settings.

Is there some more user-friendly way to deal with this configuration issue?
How do others that provide downloadable WAR files do this?

I understand that this may not be the traditional usage of WAR files and
Tomcat. Ideas welcome.

Thanks,

Joe Reger

[QM]

: The problem is that each time they grab updated code (a new WAR file) they
: overwrite their context.xml file with the default settings.
:
: Is there some more user-friendly way to deal with this configuration issue?
: How do others that provide downloadable WAR files do this?

This is the opposite of what I've seen: usually, the context.xml (the
version copied to {tomcat}/conf/{engine}/{host}/{context-name}.xml) is
*not* overritten with the (newer) version in the newly-deployed WAR
file.

as for dealing with this issue:
As context.xml is Tomcat-specific, you could expect a certain level
of Tomcat expertise from your users. By "expertise" in this case, I
mean, "remove the old context XML file before deploying the new WAR, to
make sure the newer file is copied over."

-QM

[b***@tcs.com]

Hi,
I have a question for webapplication developer ,
I have already applied JDBcRealm but im confused between the security -
constraints in the web.xml and the realm
because in web.xml also web.xml we declare the security roles and also in
database table so if we have say 5-10 differernt kind of users do we need
to declare them in web.xml and also to create them in database ??
My second question is after the application authentication type "FORM" my
action is =j_security_check how ever in i want to direct the user to
some welcome jsp after succcessful log where do i need to mention
that??

your help is appreciated
thanks
regards


Birendar Singh Waldiya
Tata Consultancy Services Limited
Mailto: ***@tcs.com
Website: http://www.tcs.com

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Thank you.

[Tim Funk]

See section SRV.12.3 Programmatic Security of the Servlet spec for the role
link question.

As for the welcome page - the spec wasn't meant to handle cases like this.
The container protects resources. Once you try to access a protected resource
- you mustr authenticate. Then you are passed to the protected resource, not
to a different page.

-Tim

Post by b***@tcs.com
Hi,
I have a question for webapplication developer ,
I have already applied JDBcRealm but im confused between the security -
constraints in the web.xml and the realm
because in web.xml also web.xml we declare the security roles and also in
database table so if we have say 5-10 differernt kind of users do we need
to declare them in web.xml and also to create them in database ??
My second question is after the application authentication type "FORM" my
action is =j_security_check how ever in i want to direct the user to
some welcome jsp after succcessful log where do i need to mention
that??
your help is appreciated
thanks
regards

[Shapira, Yoav]

Hi,
You could use a different, your own, configuration file. You would then
have some logic into the file name, e.g. myconfigfile-v1 for WAR v1, and
then when your ship WAR v2, use myconfigfile-v2, so it wouldn't
overwrite the first, etc.

Yoav Shapira http://www.yoavshapira.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 5:28 PM
Subject: WAR file and context.xml overwriting on deployment
Hi.
I have a java web app that I package as a WAR file. People download

it.

They install it on their instance of Tomcat. They configure

application

settings as variables in context.xml.
The problem is that each time they grab updated code (a new WAR file)

they

overwrite their context.xml file with the default settings.
Is there some more user-friendly way to deal with this configuration

issue?

How do others that provide downloadable WAR files do this?
I understand that this may not be the traditional usage of WAR files

and

Tomcat. Ideas welcome.
Thanks,
Joe Reger
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