Application Specific classpath set by Env Variable

[patrick_hanson2]

Hello,

We have several .war  files deployed to JBoss that all need to point to an external framework.jar file. 

We do not want to put this .jar file into web-inf/lib, as we do not want to repackage the applications each time a new framework.jar is made available.

However this framework.jar file must be loaded into the application's classloader, and not a shared classloader.

I need to be able specify an application classpath for the .war file.

I did try setting the .war file's manifest.mf class-path attribute, and it did kind of work.  However the .jar was loaded into the shared classloader, and not the application specific classloader.  This will not work in my case, as the framework.jar file has some static variables and is not multiple application safe.

What is the best approach?

Bonus question:

I would like

applicationA to use c:/lib/framework/v1/framework.jar

applicationB to use c:/lib/framework/v1/framework.jar

applicationC to use c:/lib/framework/v2/framework.jar

applicationD to use c:/lib/framework/v3/framework.jar

Ideally I would be able to set the following env variables

applicationA_classpath=c:/lib/framework/v1/framework.jar

applicationB_classpath=c:/lib/framework/v1/framework.jar

applicationC_classpath=c:/lib/framework/v2/framework.jar

applicationD_classpath=c:/lib/framework/v3/framework.jar

without touching or redeploying the .war files.  Restarting Jboss is ok.

Is there anyway to get an env variable into the application specific classpath?  Or similar approach without modifying or redeploying the .war files?

Any advice would be truly appreciated,

Pat

[patrick_hanson2]

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If anyone has a good solution, or just good advice, I would truly appreciate it.

One possibility is to write a subclass to the Tomcat classloader that creates our custom application classpath.  That is a possibility, but I would prefer to not go down this path.

If anyone knows that the desired functionality is not possible/practical in the current architecture, or is just a plain bad idea, I would appreciate that advice as well.

Thanks,

Pat