Deploying ColdFusion 8 project via EAR/WAR file

[e_X_calibur_lk]

I was wondering what considerations to take when deploying a ColdFusion 8 project as an EAR/WAR file. Is it possible to create the file on one computer (eg: development) and run it on another (eg: server)?

[Jochem van Dieten]

Yes, that is possible.

What exactly do you want? Do you want to generate complete black box EAR files that are completely uneditable when deployed? Do you want to ship the CF Administrator with them or not? Do you want compiled code or not? Do you know beforehand in what environment your EAR files will be deployed?

[e_X_calibur_lk]

My apologise for not specifying the situation.

I have been asked to research how it would work, in order to find out if we can use it to simplify updating our hosted internal system.

>> Do you want to generate complete black box EAR files that are completely  uneditable when deployed?

Not really, we have dedicated hosting.

>> Do you want to ship the CF Administrator with  them or not?

The server does have ColdFusion installed, so I don't think this is needed

>> Do you want compiled code or not?

What are the pros and cons of compiling it?

>> Do you know beforehand  in what environment your EAR files will be deployed?

Yes

[Jochem van Dieten]

I had written an explanation on how we use EAR files, then decided it

may be useful to more people so I put it on my blog:

http://jochem.vandieten.net/2010/01/15/using-ear-files-for-coldfusion-deployments/

[e_X_calibur_lk]

@Jochem: Thank you for the blog entry, it does answer a few questions; however it also raises a few more:

With ColdFusion packaged into the EAR, do you need ColdFusion installed on the environment you are deploying it on for it to work?

If so, does it make a difference on what version of ColdFusion it is packaged with (eg: Developer vs. Enterprise edition)?

Do you know of somewhere that describes how to build an EAR file via ANT and how to deploy it?

[Jochem van Dieten · Accepted solution]

ecalibur_lk wrote on 1/14/2010 11:47 PM:

With ColdFusion packaged into the EAR, do you need ColdFusion installed on the environment you are deploying it on for it to work?

No. You need to have a J2EE server like JBoss or JRun.

If so, does it make a difference on what version of ColdFusion it is packaged with (eg: Developer vs. Enterprise edition)?

If you want to We package our EAR files without a license key and

leave it up to our clients to make sure they have the proper licenses

for their environment. If they put a key in the properties file, we use

the Admin API to register the instance. If they don't put a key in the

properties file, the instance is a developer edition.

Do you know of somewhere that describes how to build an EAR file via ANT and how to deploy it?

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/coldfusion/articles/ear.html