How to switch web service providers?

[David Jencks <da...@yahoo.com>]

I made the plugin system support the condition expressions we've been  
using to select a web service container but I can't see how to make  
it work usefully so I wonder if we need a new approach.

Previously the conditions for axis2 and cxf we different in the jetty  
and tomcat servers, so cxf was on by default for jetty and axis2 for  
tomcat.  However now these conditions are specified in the axis2 and  
cxf deployer plugins, so when installed they are going to be the same  
for jetty and tomcat.  I guess we could come up with yet more  
complicated expressions that took into account whether we are on  
jetty or tomcat but this seems like its getting ridiculous and we  
need another way.

Here are a few ideas.

1. More assemblies.  I don't think anyone really wants this.

2. gshell commands to set the web service container.  I guess we  
could run this on say the tomcat assembly to switch it to axis2  
before we pack it up.  Well, actually we could use this so we only  
ship one server and use such commands to turn it into a jetty or  
tomcat server.

3. gshell commands to remove sets of unneeded plugins: this would  
more permanently convert a server to axis2 or cxf only.  However I  
think this is fairly appropriate.  Again this could be used to get  
all non-framework servers out of one big distro.

4. gshell commands to download and install specific servers starting  
from framework.

I'd actually like the gshell commands for 2,3,4 anyway but I'm  
wondering if any of them will actually provide a good solution for  
this problem.

thoughts?  Anyone have a better idea?

thanks
david jencks

Re: How to switch web service providers?

["Jay D. McHugh" <ja...@jnwd.net>]

I also like 2, 3, and 4.  But with a twist, setting up server 
configuration 'templates' and allowing users to do the same.  Then 
allowing the user/administrator to change which template their server 
should morph to.

We would supply templates for all of our default builds (essentially a 
copy of the config.xml that would have been supplied with the server 
build) and once a user had configured their server the way they wanted 
to, they would be able to export the current config.xml as a template.

Then we would have gshell command(s) that would download whatever 
plugins were needed and twist the config.xml to match the selected 
server configuration.

This is a little bigger than just changing the web service container - 
But I think it could have some very cool uses.

Jay
Paul McMahan wrote:
> On Nov 2, 2007, at 1:32 PM, David Jencks wrote:
>
>> On Nov 2, 2007, at 10:14 AM, Paul McMahan wrote:
>>
>>> Why not use the plugins portlet in the admin console?  From the 
>>> admin console in tomcat6-jee5 I was able to stop the axis components 
>>> and then install the cxf and cxf-deployer plugins from the online 
>>> Geronimo plugin repository all within about a minute.
>>
>> I think this is related to my (4).  I'm fine with shipping with only 
>> one web service framework per server but asking people to use the 
>> admin console and go through more than one step is too hard IMO.
>
> I agree that a gshell equivalent for this type of activity would be 
> required for some types of users.
>
> Best wishes,
> Paul
>
>

Re: How to switch web service providers?

[Paul McMahan <pa...@gmail.com>]

On Nov 2, 2007, at 1:32 PM, David Jencks wrote:

> On Nov 2, 2007, at 10:14 AM, Paul McMahan wrote:
>
>> Why not use the plugins portlet in the admin console?  From the  
>> admin console in tomcat6-jee5 I was able to stop the axis  
>> components and then install the cxf and cxf-deployer plugins from  
>> the online Geronimo plugin repository all within about a minute.
>
> I think this is related to my (4).  I'm fine with shipping with  
> only one web service framework per server but asking people to use  
> the admin console and go through more than one step is too hard IMO.

I agree that a gshell equivalent for this type of activity would be  
required for some types of users.

Best wishes,
Paul

Re: How to switch web service providers?

[David Jencks <da...@yahoo.com>]

On Nov 2, 2007, at 10:14 AM, Paul McMahan wrote:

> Why not use the plugins portlet in the admin console?  From the  
> admin console in tomcat6-jee5 I was able to stop the axis  
> components and then install the cxf and cxf-deployer plugins from  
> the online Geronimo plugin repository all within about a minute.

I think this is related to my (4).  I'm fine with shipping with only  
one web service framework per server but asking people to use the  
admin console and go through more than one step is too hard IMO.

thanks
david jencks

>
> Best wishes,
> Paul
>
>
> On Nov 2, 2007, at 12:26 PM, David Jencks wrote:
>
>> I made the plugin system support the condition expressions we've  
>> been using to select a web service container but I can't see how  
>> to make it work usefully so I wonder if we need a new approach.
>>
>> Previously the conditions for axis2 and cxf we different in the  
>> jetty and tomcat servers, so cxf was on by default for jetty and  
>> axis2 for tomcat.  However now these conditions are specified in  
>> the axis2 and cxf deployer plugins, so when installed they are  
>> going to be the same for jetty and tomcat.  I guess we could come  
>> up with yet more complicated expressions that took into account  
>> whether we are on jetty or tomcat but this seems like its getting  
>> ridiculous and we need another way.
>>
>> Here are a few ideas.
>>
>> 1. More assemblies.  I don't think anyone really wants this.
>>
>> 2. gshell commands to set the web service container.  I guess we  
>> could run this on say the tomcat assembly to switch it to axis2  
>> before we pack it up.  Well, actually we could use this so we only  
>> ship one server and use such commands to turn it into a jetty or  
>> tomcat server.
>>
>> 3. gshell commands to remove sets of unneeded plugins: this would  
>> more permanently convert a server to axis2 or cxf only.  However I  
>> think this is fairly appropriate.  Again this could be used to get  
>> all non-framework servers out of one big distro.
>>
>> 4. gshell commands to download and install specific servers  
>> starting from framework.
>>
>> I'd actually like the gshell commands for 2,3,4 anyway but I'm  
>> wondering if any of them will actually provide a good solution for  
>> this problem.
>>
>> thoughts?  Anyone have a better idea?
>>
>> thanks
>> david jencks
>>
>

Re: How to switch web service providers?

[Paul McMahan <pa...@gmail.com>]

Why not use the plugins portlet in the admin console?  From the admin  
console in tomcat6-jee5 I was able to stop the axis components and  
then install the cxf and cxf-deployer plugins from the online  
Geronimo plugin repository all within about a minute.

Best wishes,
Paul


On Nov 2, 2007, at 12:26 PM, David Jencks wrote:

> I made the plugin system support the condition expressions we've  
> been using to select a web service container but I can't see how to  
> make it work usefully so I wonder if we need a new approach.
>
> Previously the conditions for axis2 and cxf we different in the  
> jetty and tomcat servers, so cxf was on by default for jetty and  
> axis2 for tomcat.  However now these conditions are specified in  
> the axis2 and cxf deployer plugins, so when installed they are  
> going to be the same for jetty and tomcat.  I guess we could come  
> up with yet more complicated expressions that took into account  
> whether we are on jetty or tomcat but this seems like its getting  
> ridiculous and we need another way.
>
> Here are a few ideas.
>
> 1. More assemblies.  I don't think anyone really wants this.
>
> 2. gshell commands to set the web service container.  I guess we  
> could run this on say the tomcat assembly to switch it to axis2  
> before we pack it up.  Well, actually we could use this so we only  
> ship one server and use such commands to turn it into a jetty or  
> tomcat server.
>
> 3. gshell commands to remove sets of unneeded plugins: this would  
> more permanently convert a server to axis2 or cxf only.  However I  
> think this is fairly appropriate.  Again this could be used to get  
> all non-framework servers out of one big distro.
>
> 4. gshell commands to download and install specific servers  
> starting from framework.
>
> I'd actually like the gshell commands for 2,3,4 anyway but I'm  
> wondering if any of them will actually provide a good solution for  
> this problem.
>
> thoughts?  Anyone have a better idea?
>
> thanks
> david jencks
>