J2EE deployable modules and Geronimo deployment plans can be installed on a Geronimo server instance using the run-time deployer. The run-time deployer can also be used to search a plug-in repository for available plug-ins and install any plug-in to provide new features to a Geronimo instance. The deployer usually executes when a target Geronimo instance is running. Some commands will also work offline locally, without a running instance of Geronimo. Online deployments can be performed locally (to a server running on the same machine) or remotely (to a Geronimo server running on another machine over the network).
The deployer can be used to do the following:
Deploy (install) a module or deployment plan
Redeploy a module or plan
Undeploy (uninstall) a configuration
Start a configuration
Stop a configuration
Save the required user login and password information during deployment
List all the running configurations
List available targets for deployment
Distribute a module to a target
Search for all plug-ins available from a plug-in repository or a running Geronimo instance
Install a plug-in bundle (CAR file)
All of these commands work against a running Geronimo server instance. If you must work with a local offline instance of Geronimo server, you can use the --offline option of the deployer.
The deployer is actually a JSR-88 client application, making use of Geronimo’s JSR-88 deployment plugins to do its work. Chapter 6 has a detailed discussion of the JSR-88 specification and its impact on J2EE server deployment and tool integration.
There are at least three ways to deploy a module and/or a plan in Geronimo:
Using the deployer
Use the Web console’s GUI interface
Use the hot deploy capabilities of Geronimo
This appendix provides a reference to the syntax of the deployer. It also provides instructions for the use of the GUI deployment interface and the hot deployer.