System and method for a packaging and deployment mechanism for Web service applications

1 . A method for installing on a first target environment a first Web service application created on a source environment, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating deployment archive, DAR, tools by

creating a packaging utility,

creating an unpackaging utility;

using the DAR tools to create a DAR file for the first Web service application created on the source environment;

obtaining a configuration set about the first target environment and the first Web service application; and

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the first Web service application on the first target environment.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein creating a packaging utility further comprises

creating a utility that

assembles installation data about the first Web service application, the

installation data comprising information about

a first Web service application,

at least one Web service used by the first Web service application, portlets, comprising programs that assemble information about the user interface for the first Web service application, such as portal Web pages,

executable programs used by Web services and portal pages to provide functionality, and

metadata entries comprising further information about the location and features of the first Web service application, and

packages the installation data into the DAR file.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein creating a utility that assembles installation data about executable programs further comprises

providing application-wide modules which are packaged in Java Archives, JARs.

4 . The method of claim 2 wherein assembling installation data about metadata entries comprises

assembling UDDI entries;

assembling data about application-wide properties, the data comprising

the encryption level for messages,

business service levels, and

the timeout and number of retries used in communications; and

assembling data about hierarchies of applications-wide properties.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein assembling data about hierarchies further comprises

assembling data about a hierarchy comprising as categories

a suite of applications,

an application,

a business service, and

a Web service.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein creating an unpackaging utility further comprises

creating a utility to read the DAR file into a memory;

creating a utility to read a configuration set into the memory; and

creating a utility to write the contents of the DAR file according to the configuration set of the target environment.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining a configuration set about the first target environment and the first Web service application further comprises

creating the configuration set about the first target environment.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy first Web service application on the first target environment further comprises

reading the DAR file into a memory on server which has access to the first target environment;

reading the configuration set about the first target environment into memory; and

writing the contents of the DAR file to the first target environment according to the configuration set.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising

obtaining a configuration set about a second target environment and the Web service application;

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy Web service application on the second target environment.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein obtaining a configuration set about the second target environment and the Web service application further comprises

creating the configuration set about the second target environment on the source environment.

11 . The method of claim 9 wherein obtaining a configuration set about the second target environment and the Web service application further comprises

importing the configuration set about the second target environment from the second target environment.

12 . The method of claim 9 wherein using the DAR tools with the configuration set about the second environment to deploy Web service application on the second target environment comprises

reading the DAR file into the memory;

reading the configuration set about the second target environment into the memory; and

writing the contents of the DAR file to the second target environment according to configuration set.

13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising

using the DAR tools to create a DAR file for a second Web service application created on the source environment;

obtaining a configuration set about a target environment and the second Web service application;

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the second Web service application on the target environment.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein obtaining a configuration set about the target environment and the second Web service application further comprises

creating the configuration set about the target environment on the source environment.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein obtaining a configuration set about the target environment and the second Web service application further comprises

importing the configuration set about the target environment from the target environment.

16 . The method of claim 13 wherein using the DAR tools to create a DAR file for a second Web service application created on the source environment further comprises

reading the DAR file into the memory;

reading the configuration set about the target environment into the memory; and

writing the contents of the DAR file to the target environment according to the configuration set.

17 . A method for installing on a first target environment a first Web service application created on a source environment, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

using deployment archive, DAR, tools to create a DAR file for the first Web service application created on the source environment;

obtaining a configuration set about the first target environment and the first Web service application; and

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the first Web service application on the first target environment.

18 . A method for creating deployment archive, DAR, tools to install on a first target environment a first Web service application created on a source environment, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating a packaging utility by

assembling installation data about the first Web service application, the installation data comprising information about

the first Web service application,

at least one Web service used by the first Web service application, portlets,

executable programs used by the first Web service application and portlets to provide functionality, and

metadata entries comprising further information about the location and features of the first Web service application, and

packaging the installation data about the first Web service application into a DAR file; and

creating an unpackaging utility by

creating a utility to read the DAR file into a memory,

creating a utility to read a configuration set into the memory, and

creating a utility to write the contents of the DAR file according to a configuration set of the first target environment.

19 . An automatic method for installing on a target environment a first Web service application and a second Web service application created on a source environment, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating deployment archive, DAR, tools by

creating a packaging utility, and

creating an unpackaging utility;

using the DAR tools to create a first DAR file for the first Web service application created on the source environment;

obtaining a configuration set about the first target environment and the first Web service application;

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the first Web service application on the first target environment;

using the DAR tools to create a second DAR file for a second Web service application created on the source environment;

obtaining a configuration set about a target environment and the second Web service application; and

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the second Web service application on the target environment.

20 . An automatic method for installing a plurality of Web service applications on a plurality of target environments, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating deployment archive, DAR, tools by

creating a packaging utility, and

creating an unpackaging utility;

using the DAR tools to create a first DAR file for a first Web service application;

obtaining a first configuration set about a first target environment and the first Web service application;

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the first Web service application on the first target environment;

obtaining a second configuration set about a second target environment and a second Web service application; and

using the DAR tools to deploy the second Web service application on the second target environment according to the second configuration set.

21 . An automatic method for installing, on a first target environment, a first Web service application created on a source environment, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of

creating deployment archive, DAR, tools by

creating a packaging utility by

assembling installation data about the first Web service application, the

installation data comprising information about

the first Web service application;

at least one Web service used by the first Web service application;

portlets,

executable programs used by the first Web service application and portlets to provide functionality, and

metadata entries comprising further information about the location and features of the first Web service application, and

packages the installation data about the first Web service application into a DAR file,

creating an unpackaging utility by

creating a utility to read the DAR file into a memory,

creating a utility to read a configuration set into the memory, and

creating a utility to write the contents of the DAR file according to a configuration set;

using the DAR tools to create the DAR file for the first Web service application created on the source environment;

obtaining the configuration set about the first target environment and the first Web service application; and

using the DAR tools with the configuration set to deploy the first Web service application on the first target environment by

reading the DAR file into the memory,

reading the configuration set about the first target

environment into the memory, and

writing the contents of the DAR file to the first target environment according to the configuration set.

22 . Deployment archive, DAR, tools comprising

a packaging utility that assembles installation data about a Web service application and

packages that installation data for deployment on a target environment; and

an unpackaging utility comprising

a utility to read a DAR file into a memory;

a utility to read a configuration set into the memory; and

a utility to write the contents of a DAR file according to a configuration set.

23 . A DAR file for installation data about a Web service application packaged for deployment on a target environment, the DAR file comprising installation data about

the first Web service application;

at least one Web service used by the first Web service application;

portlets,

executable programs used by the first Web service application and portlets to provide functionality, and

metadata entries comprising further information about the location and features of the first Web service application.

24 . A configuration set to facilitate installing, on a target environment, a Web service application associated with a web service, the configuration set comprising

instructions for placing portal pages for the Web service application on the target environment;

instructions for placing executable programs for the Web service application on the target environment;

instructions for placing metadata entries for the Web service application in metadata storage on the target environment; and

instructions for placing programs for the Web service on the target environment.

25 . A system for installing a first Web service application on a target environment and, the system comprising

a first Web service application;

a target environment server;

a configuration set about the target environment;

a Web service application server comprising

a memory,

deployment archive, DAR, tools comprising a packaging utility and an

unpackaging utility, and

a first DAR file for the first Web service application, such that the DAR tools facilitate reading the first DAR file into the memory, and facilitate reading the configuration set into the memory, and facilitate writing the contents of the first DAR file according to the configuration set to the target environment server; and

a network interface between the target environment server and the Web service application server.

26 . The system of claim 25 further comprising

a second server, such that the DAR tools are transferred to the second server, and such that the DAR tools are used to create a second DAR file on the second server for the first Web service application, and such that the configuration set is provided on the second server, and such that the DAR tools and the configuration set are used on the second server to deploy the first Web service application to the target environment server; and

a network interface between the target environment server, the Web service application server, and the second server.