Packaging and Deployment
ColdFusion applications are collections of files that can easily be copied and moved between servers. But moving individual files is a highly error-prone exercise, and so ColdFusion provides more manageable ways to distribute and deploy applications.
The ColdFusion Archives Page
At any point during your application's development, you can use the ColdFusion Administrator to create a ColdFusion archive of your application. ColdFusion archives are files that can contain all the files needed to run your application, such as your ColdFusion (.cfm) pages, image files, XML files, desktop database files, Flash movies, and any other files that your application depends on.
But ColdFusion archives can include more than just your application files; they can also include any Administrator settings that your application depends on. In other words, the idea behind the ColdFusion archive feature is to give you a way to create a single file that contains everything needed to make your application work. It's a great way to back up your work.
ColdFusion archives are also about deployment. Once you have created an archive for your application, you can copy the single archive file to another ColdFusion server. Your application can then be installed in one step. All of your application's files will be unpacked from the archive and placed in the appropriate places on the server, and all of the required configuration changes (such as setting up data sources and mappings) will be made automatically. ColdFusion archives are created and used from within the ColdFusion Archives page.
Procedures for creating an archive, displaying the current archive definition list, and deploying an archive are discussed in more detail in Chapter 51, "Deploying Applications," in Volume 3.
The J2EE Archives Page
Java applications deployed on J2EE servers are usually deployed as EAR or WAR files. As ColdFusion itself is a Java application, it can be installed as an EAR or a WAR, as can applications you create. J2EE archive packaging is managed from the J2EE Archives page. For more information, see Chapter 51.
Add New Archive
To create a new deployment archive, enter an archive name and click the Add button to display the Add/Edit J2EE Archive screen. You will be prompted for the location of your application, the location to store the created archive, the destination serial number, as well as the ColdFusion features to include in the deployment package. Once you have specified these values, click Submit to create the deployment package.
Configured Archives
Packages may be modified and deleted as needed. Package deployment is performed using your J2EE server management tools.