0 Replies Latest reply on Oct 4, 2012 11:25 PM by iapazmino

    jBPM5 installer

    iapazmino

      These days I've run into the need of installing jBPM5 over an EAP6 server, a task which proved to be a harder than I tought it would be from experience with the 3.x version. I found out there's an ant script in charge of the installaiton process which does it all for you, even installing the IDE if you want it to.

       

      This approach wasn't fit for my case so after a little reading and a little trying I resolved to rant and go to lunch... To my rant I got a very kind answer from the jBPM project lead himself, Kris Verlaenen, showing his will to help. So the least I can do is expose my case in hope it would give some feed back.

       

      On the ANT part.

      I'm not in disagree with the building tool per se, but as an installation tool. I think is really cool many JBoss projects now use an installer, like the ASs, because installation becomes really easy. But, the way I see it, there are three differences these project's installers have with jBPM's installer

      1. These projects use an installing software, not a script.
      2. Installers install one app and optionally some extensions, jBPM's script install an app server, jBPM and an IDE if you want it to.
      3. Other applications run by themselves, jBPM is to be installed (most of the time) inside an app server.

       

      On the manual installation instructions part.

      Number two, from the obove list, causes to have an standard scenario which is not necesarily viable for every one. This is very good to start really fast, but will hardly meet the many escenarios you will find around the world and twisting the build.xml file won't get you very far. I think is bad this is the only method documented in the user guide as it doesn't leave much room for customizing a development environment in a diferent configuration. I know a guy at work who uses NetBeans...

      Number three is the tip of the iceberg for the really big number of different configuration jBPM has to cope with. Just starting with each app-server (as7, as5, glassfish, etc.), leaving IDE aside, with the business rules locally and remote, standalone, etc., so I would say these manual steps should be a must in the user guide.

       

      Thank you for taking my rant so nicely and giving me the change to express in a proper way. I've managed to install the jBPM5 over the EAP6 standalone-full, in a not so nice way, and will be happy to share it tomorrow first thing in the morning.

       

      Regards,

      Iván Pazmiño