Steps to deploy WS-BA Framework?

[elwood_j_blues]

Hello,

for some thesis research, I am currently trying to write a simple web service application that is supposed to use a WS-BusinessActivity across two JBoss instances. I wrote several working (nontransactional) web services and I also think I annotated them correctly with the JBoss BAFramework, however, I am having trouble to get the client side working.

Can somebody point me to a resource that explains how to get a WS-BA coordinator up and running on JBoss? I have an instance of JBoss 4.2.3 with JBossWS, but I am unsure what I need to do in order to install the XML Transaction Service that is needed for the BAFramework to operate.

Thanks in advance,
Fred

[elwood_j_blues]

To give a little more information here, is it correct that:

In order to use the BAFramework (server-side) and implement WS-BA business activities (client-side), I need to have JBossTS on top of my JBoss Application server?

Is it further correct that I cannot install JBossTS on a current stable release of JBoss Application Server (version 4.2.3, unless I am mistaken)?

If so, what would you recommend I do? Downgrade the JBossAS to a version on which both JBossTS and ultimately the BA framework will be able to run (which version would that be?)? Or do I need to upgrade JBossAS to a development milestone, then install a dev version of JBossTS (which version numbers?)?

Note that since my application is for proof-of-concept purposes only, I wouldn't have a problem using development versions.

Thanks in advance!

[adinn]

Ok, first off, let's cover some basics. JBossAS comes with the core components of the JBossTS implementation already bundled. This consists of the default (single-JVM) JTA transaction implementation in jbossjta.jar. You normally stick with the version of this library provided with the AS although it is sometimes possible to build and install a later version from the sources in order to get round bugs That accounts for the basic Java (JTA) transaction functionality in AS. However, JBossTS includes several other components:

One of these is a distributed (multi-JVM) JTA transaction implementation based on CORBA known as the JTS and contained in jar jbossjts.jar. You install this by replacing jbossjta.jar. The XTS code used to require you to install this library instead of the default one but actually you can use XTS with either so you are best off ignoring the JTS.

Another extra is the web services transaction implementation known as XTS. This is an additional layer which employs the core transaction engine contained in the jbossjta/jts jar.. It allows client code to create web transactions and have the web services it invokes take part in the transaction. It specialises the core engine TX model to add its own semantics so its transactions are different from the JTA and JTS transactions.

One of these specialised TX models is the BA implementation. In order to make it available for your app to use you need to build and deploy the XTS code from sources. In the AS 4.0 releases you deploy it with your app in an ear as a set of jars, wars and xml config files.

Finally the BA Framework comes as a bolt-on to the XTS code. It needs to be compiled from source and deployed in the ear along with your application and the XTS code.

Now, as to versions -- the latest version of the BA code was developed, tested and built using JBossAS 4.2.1 GA and JBossTS 4.2.3 SP5. The latter TS release just happens to be the one used in the former AS release. So, if you check out TS 4.2.3.SP5 and built the XTS code form that, add the current BA framework code to it and then bundle it all in with your app you should get a working version.

The BA Framework directory contains a readme file explaining what to do. Follow it and let me know what happens

[elwood_j_blues]

Oh, thank you so much for your explanation. Now it is much clearer to me how the components relate to each other, and with regard to versions, which ones I am likely to succeed with.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

[elwood_j_blues]

"adinn" wrote:

Now, as to versions -- the latest version of the BA code was developed, tested and built using JBossAS 4.2.1 GA and JBossTS 4.2.3 SP5. The latter TS release just happens to be the one used in the former AS release. So, if you check out TS 4.2.3.SP5 and built the XTS code form that, add the current BA framework code to it and then bundle it all in with your app you should get a working version.

The BA Framework directory contains a readme file explaining what to do. Follow it and let me know what happens

One of the JBossTS distributed files contains binaries already for xts, can I use these instead? (i.e., http://www.jboss.org/jbosstm/downloads/ -- jbossts-full-4.2.3GA.zip)

Now, if I understood you right, I will not need to compile any component into my server directory, but a) JBossAS 4.2.3 GA comes with the components I need, and b) I need to bundle both the XTS and BA Framework into my application's EAR package. Right?

The BA Framework distribution also doesn't seem to have the README you are talking about (http://www.jboss.org/jbosstm/baframework/index.html -- any of the three zip files on there). Could you point me to it?

Thanks!

[elwood_j_blues]

"elwood_j_blues" wrote:

The BA Framework distribution also doesn't seem to have the README you are talking about (http://www.jboss.org/jbosstm/baframework/index.html -- any of the three zip files on there). Could you point me to it?

Nevermind about this one: I found it in the SVN tree.