Bristle Software Apache Tomcat Tips

Table of Contents:

Details of Tips:

1. Deploying A Webapp

   Last Updated: 1/7/2006
   Applies to: Tomcat 5.0.28+

   There are several ways to deploy a Webapp in Tomcat:

   1. Create a context configuration file for the Webapp in the Tomcat directory:
      
          .../conf/Catalina/localhost
      
      with a name like:
      
          mywebapp.xml
      
      and contents like: 
      
          <Context  docBase="/home/fred/bristle/webapps/mywebapp/web" 
                          path="/mywebapp"
          ></Context>
      
      pointing to the directory where the webapp resides.
      
      
   2. Create such a context configuration file for the Webapp in the Tomcat directory:
      
          .../webapps
      
      
   3. Create an apps.xml context configuration file for multiple apps:
      
         .../conf/Catalina/localhost/apps.xml
      
      with contents like: 
      
          <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
          <webapps>
            <Context  docBase="/home/fred/bristle/webapps/mywebapp/web" 
                            path="/mywebapp"
            ></Context>
            <Context  docBase="/home/fred/bristle/webapps/otherapp/web" 
                            path="/otherapp"
            ></Context>
          </webapps>
      
      
   4. Add a similar <Context> element to the main Tomcat server.xml file:
      
          .../conf/server.xml
      
      
   5. Copy the entire contents of the directory where the webapp resides to the Tomcat directory:
      
          .../webapps
      
      
   6. Copy the Webapp WAR file to the directory:
      
          .../webapps
      

   --Fred

2. Auto-Reloading A Webapp

   Last Updated: 1/7/2006
   Applies to: Tomcat 5.0.28+

   To cause Tomcat to check for and load updated code for a Webapp, edit the <Context> element of the context configuration file, setting the reloadable attribute of the Context element to "true", as:

           <Context  docBase="/home/fred/bristle/webapps/mywebapp/web" 
                           path="/mywebapp"
                           reloadable="true"
           >
           </Context>

   --Fred

3. Auto-Reloading All Webapps

   Last Updated: 1/7/2006
   Applies to: Tomcat 5.0.28+

   To cause Tomcat to check for and load updated code for all Webapps by default, add a <DefaultContext> element to the main Tomcat server.xml file:
   
           .../conf/server.xml
   
   setting the reloadable attribute of the Default Context element to "true", as:

           <DefaultContext reloadable="true"/>

   --Fred

4. Auto-Reloading Webapps More Often

   Last Updated: 1/7/2006
   Applies to: Tomcat 5.0.28+

   To cause Tomcat to more frequently (every 10 seconds in this case) check for and load code for a Webapp, add a <Loader> element to the <Context> element of the context configuration file, as:

           <Context  docBase="/home/fred/bristle/webapps/mywebapp/web" 
                           path="/mywebapp"
                           reloadable="true">
               <Loader checkInterval="10" />
           </Context>

   You may not want to do this for a production server, since it wastes unnecessary CPU cycles in an environment where files do not change often, but it's very handy on a development server.

   --Fred