Usage of auto-deploy-exploded="true" in Prod environment

[sridharthiyagarajan]

Hello,

I am working on an EAR application which was deployed as an exploded EAR in JBoss 6 AS and am migrating the application to Wildfly 8.2.0 AS. To retain the same deployment structure, I am using auto-deploy-exploded="true" in deployment-scanner subsystem of standalone-full-ha.xml. When starting the server, I am getting the below warning in the server.log. 

WARN  [org.jboss.as.server.deployment.scanner] (ServerService Thread Pool -- 5) JBAS015005: Reliable deployment behaviour is not possible when auto-deployment of exploded content is enabled (i.e. deployment without use of ".dodeploy"' marker files). Configuration of auto-deployment of exploded content is not recommended in any situation where reliability is desired. Configuring the deployment scanner's auto-deploy-exploded setting to "false" is recommended.

As I need to retain the deployment structure, if I use the same structure (i.e.) exploded EAR with auto-deploy-exploded="true" in Production environment, then will this cause any harm or effects ? I just want to learn and understand whether I can ignore this warning message OR I need to to take any action.

Many thanks for the help in advance.

[jaikiran]

Earlier versions of JBoss AS (prior to version 7) had a problem wherein if you deployed an exploded application (i.e. as a folder) then the deployment scanner would sometimes pick up the deployment even before the application was fully copied over. This would cause deployment failures.

To prevent issues like these, JBoss AS7 and later versions now expect to find a marker file to trigger the deployment. The marker file should be placed (by the person who's copying over the deployment) in the deployments folder when the deployment is completely copied over and ready for deployment.

[sridharthiyagarajan]

Many thanks for the response... Jaikiran. Here in Wildfly 8.2.0 AS, I am deploying an exploded EAR application in standalone/deployments folder and when starting the server, it generates test.ear.isdeploying marker file and after successful deployment, it generates test.ear.deployed marker file. So, this means there should not be any problem when deploying an exploded application in Wildfly 8.2.0 AS as marker files are getting generated by the server every time when starting the server.

[jaikiran]

I was actually talking about the .dodeploy marker, the presence of which triggers the application deployment for exploded deployments, when auto-deploy-exploded (is by default) false.

[sridharthiyagarajan]

Many thanks for the response.. Jaikiran. Marker files are generated by the server start up.  So, should .dodeploy marker file be generated and copied manually in case of exploded deployment (with auto-deploy-exploded="false" which is default) ?

[sridharthiyagarajan]

.dodeploy marker files gets generated for exploded application deployment (with auto-deploy-exploded="true") during server start and while deploying, it is .isdeploying and after successful deployment, it is .deployed in case if it is a failure, then it is .failed. I think the below WARN message can be ignored.

WARN  [org.jboss.as.server.deployment.scanner] (ServerService Thread Pool -- 5) JBAS015005: Reliable deployment behaviour is not possible when auto-deployment of exploded content is enabled (i.e. deployment without use of ".dodeploy"' marker files). Configuration of auto-deployment of exploded content is not recommended in any situation where reliability is desired. Configuring the deployment scanner's auto-deploy-exploded setting to "false" is recommended.

Many thanks .. Jaikiran.

[jameslivingston]

If you are going to use the marker files, turn off auto-deploy-exploded="true" - that is for only when you want to do it without marker files (which is dangerous, as the message says).

[sridharthiyagarajan]

Many thanks for the response.. James.