Using the IABankingApplication Sample for Creating Multi-Tier Virtual Appliances

InstallAnywhere 2020

IABankingApplication.iap_xml is a sample InstallAnywhere project that you can use to explore InstallAnywhere’s support for multi-tier virtual appliances. This project file, along with application files, are installed in the following location:

$IA_HOME$/IABankingApplication

The IABankingApplication.iap_xml project is configured to build a three-tier virtual appliance with the following tiers:

First tier—This tier is configured to host a Derby database server and an Apache Tomcat application server. This tier has a Start/Stop Order value of 0.
Second tier—This tier is configured to host a second Apache Tomcat application server. This tier has a Start/Stop Order value of 1.
Third tier—This tier is configured to host a load-balanced Apache HTTPd Web server. This tier has a Start/Stop Order value of 2.

Each of the virtual machines (one associated with each tier) is configured to use a 32-bit CentOS VM template.

The multi-tier virtual appliances uses the following technologies:

JAAS authentication
Java with J2EE using hibernate, servlets and JSPs
Apache Tomcat server
Load-balanced HTTPd server
Apache Derby database
SQL

To build the sample three-tier IABankingApplication virtual appliance:

1. Obtain a JRE VM pack for 32-bit Linux systems and add it to the following location:

$IA_HOME$/resource/installer_vms

2. Obtain a 32-bit CentOS VM template for virtual appliances and add it to the following location:

$IA_HOME$/resource/baseline_vms

3. Open the IABankingApplication.iap_xml project in InstallAnywhere.
4. Build all configurations of the installers.
5. In the Advanced Designer, on the Build page, click Build Appliances. The Build Appliances view opens.
6. Click the Appliance Configuration tab.
7. In the Connection Settings area, enter the connection settings and credentials for your VMware vCenter server.
8. On the VM Configuration tab, configure the following installers:
A prebuilt installer (DB_Tomcat1 configuration) for DB_FirstAppServer. Enter the following product properties:
USER_INSTALL_DIR=/DBServer
APACHE_SERVER_ROOT=/DBServer/Downloaded/apache-tomcat-7.0.27
A prebuilt installer (Tomcat2 configuration) for SecondAppServer. Enter the following product properties:
USER_INSTALL_DIR=/AppServer2
APACHE_SERVER_ROOT=/AppServer2/Downloaded/apache-tomcat-7.0.27
An installer out of the current project (WebServer configuration). This installer is for the Web server. Enter the following product properties:
USER_INSTALL_DIR=/WebServer
HTTPD_SERVER_ROOT=/etc/httpd
9. Select a 32-bit CentOS VM template for each of the three tiers.
10. Build the virtual appliance.

To access the application, use the following URL:

http://IP_Address_of_WebTier/IAMultiTierApplication

Use the following credentials:

Test credentials: 10001/test123
Admin credentials: 10000/admin

Note • Modifying the VM name on the VM Configuration tab in the Build Appliances view and/or the product name on the Product Properties subtab on the VM Configuration tab requires corresponding modifications to the first boot installation scripts.

See Also