Application deployment using SDM or NWDI

Question

Hello guys,
I'm working on a web dynpro + web services application. It's was developed to work with
SAP Portal, and MDM 5.5 SP06.
But we have a problem here. As you people know, we have two forms of deployment of the application to a portal: SDM and NWDI.
Of course, for security reasons, the company has forbidden the access to the SDM password, so, we are unable to deploy the EAR file directly to the portal server.
We're then working with NWDI deployment, (create activity then activate). But we are getting alot of trouble here.
The developers are creating alot of actitivties to test the application, i mean, everytime they need to test anything, they create a "test" actitivty then activate it to the development portal.
I'm really concerned about those activities, because i wonder if they might mess up with the NWDI and compromise the future of the project.
Then again, the deployment over this method (test activities) almost never work. The developers complains alot because they can't find the deployment logs, and the deploy just don't work. Otherwise, the SDM deploy works everytime on their own portals installed on their notebooks.
So, there is my question: There is anyway to find a document, best pratice or anything to show to the company, that the SDM deploy is recommended or anything by SAP?
There is anyway to show them that the develpoers NEED to test (deploy) the application via SDM?
I mean, i need something more than just the opinion of the developers or my opinion, i need a document or something.
Thanks people, sorry for my bad english!

Answer 1

This thread discuees abuout NWDI and SDM and it might helpful:
/thread/1042157 [original link is broken]
Thanks
Krishna