Redeploy precompiled JSPs to managed server in exploded format without incurring a JSP recompile

Question

     How do you redeploy precompiled JSPs to a managed server in exploded format without
incurring a JSP recompile?
     Our application is deployed in Two Phase, Stage mode, Exploded Format. We regularly
update JSPs on our Production application and would like to be able to redeploy
JSPs without incurring the JSP recompile. I am able to precompile JSPs and redeploy
the JSP and compiled JSP to the managed server, but the updated page is still
recompiled.
     I've searched the BEA site, newsgroups, and web and still need some help.
     Additional information:
     - precompile in web.xml is false. we'd prefer not to precompile all the jsps
at startup to minimize Production downtimes when deploying new major releases
     - the compiled JSPs reside in ~/classes/jsp_servlet and not ~/WEB-INF/classes/jsp_servlet
     - our directory structure looks like:
          ~/app
               /META-INF
               /WEB-INF
               /classes ( compiled source )
                    /hotwire ( java class files )
                    /jsp_servlet ( compiled jsps )
          ~/deploy ( property files )
               /prod
                    /web.xml
                    /weblogic.xml
          ~/src ( java files )
               hotwire/
     I found this information on the BEA newsgroup ( http://newsgroups.bea.com/cgi-bin/dnewsweb?cmd=article&group=weblogic.developer.interest.jsp&item=582&utag=
) regarding the _isStale() method for compiled JSPs, but wasn't able to get it
to work when the file was in the exact same path ( note: compilation occurred
on a different machine than the managed view server )
     Do we have to store our compiled JSP files under /WEB-INF/classes for this feature
to work and in a WAR?
     What am I missing?
     Regards,
          Paul

Answer 1

Hi Mark,
Thank you for replying and logging the CR. I've read lots of your posts in researching
this issue and was hoping you'd reply.
I used the JSP Precompile Validation Utility ( http://dev2dev.bea.com/resourcelibrary/utilitiestools/adminmgmt.jsp
) and tested against WLS8.1sp2 and agree with your assessment. The JSP Time utility
indicates that the JSP and compiled class are in agreement, yet the server always
recompiled the JSP after I redeployed that particular file and class. I opened
Case Ticket #: 473459 that includes a test script, output, and lots of information.
It's currently being investigated. I'll inform the BEA Relations engineer and
add my name to the CR you opened.
Dynamic content updates without recompiles is something we'd really like to be
able to do. We are hoping to be able to do specific frequent content updates
in the afternoon as opposed to 1:00 AM :)
Thanks again,
Paul
JSP TIME TOOL:
Summary
====================
Total JSP Files: 1
Total JSP that will compile in server because of missing _staticIsStale method:....
0
Total JSP that will compile in server because of wrong weblogic version:...........
0
Total JSP that will compile in server because jsp is newer than parse date:........
0
Total JSP that will compile in server because missing class:.......................
0
REDEPLOY COMMAND:
$JAVA weblogic.Deployer -adminurl t3://localhost:7004 -user <username> -password
<password> -name phoenixApp -targets phoenixViewWebApp@wlview1 -redeploy web/jsp/customer-care/indexMain.jsp
WEB-INF/classes/jsp_servlet/_web/_jsp/_customer_45_care/__indexmain.jsp
WEBLOGIC LOG:
####<Jan 13, 2004 3:33:04 PM PST> <Info> <Deployer> <ppjsp01> <wlview1> <ExecuteThread:
'2' for queue: 'weblogic.kernel.System'> <<WLS Kernel>> <> <BEA-149059> <Module
phoenixViewWebApp of application phoenixApp is transitioning from active to prepared
on server wlview1.>
####<Jan 13, 2004 3:33:04 PM PST> <Info> <Deployer> <ppjsp01> <wlview1> <ExecuteThread:
'2' for queue: 'weblogic.kernel.System'> <<WLS Kernel>> <> <BEA-149060> <Module
phoenixViewWebApp of application phoenixApp successfully transitioned from active
to prepared on server wlview1.>
####<Jan 13, 2004 3:33:05 PM PST> <Info> <Deployer> <ppjsp01> <wlview1> <ExecuteThread:
'2' for queue: 'weblogic.kernel.System'> <<WLS Kernel>> <> <BEA-149059> <Module
phoenixViewWebApp of application phoenixApp is transitioning from prepared to
active on server wlview1.>
####<Jan 13, 2004 3:33:05 PM PST> <Info> <Deployer> <ppjsp01> <wlview1> <ExecuteThread:
'2' for queue: 'weblogic.kernel.System'> <<WLS Kernel>> <> <BEA-149060> <Module
phoenixViewWebApp of application phoenixApp successfully transitioned from prepared
to active on server wlview1.>
####<Jan 13, 2004 3:38:13 PM PST> <Info> <HTTP> <ppjsp01> <wlview1> <ExecuteThread:
'119' for queue: 'default'> <<anonymous>> <> <BEA-101295> <Recompiling JSP [ServletContext(id=31702491,name=phoenixViewWebApp,context-path=)],
resource [web/jsp/customer-care/indexMain.jsp], because it is stale. It was previously
compiled using a different version of WebLogic Server.
JSP build version: 8.1.2.0
WLS build version: 8.1.2.0.>
####<Jan 13, 2004 3:38:13 PM PST> <Info> <HTTP> <ppjsp01> <wlview1> <ExecuteThread:
'119' for queue: 'default'> <<anonymous>> <> <BEA-101047> <[ServletContext(id=31702491,name=phoenixViewWebApp,context-path=)]
Generated java file: /opt/p4/phoenix/6.2/app/WEB-INF/classes/jsp_servlet/_web/_jsp/_customer_45_care/__indexmain.java>
"Mark Griffith" <[email protected]> wrote:
So this is a scenario that we should support Paul.
There are a couple of issues.
1) I dont think our weblogic.Deployer api currently does a very good
job of
this at all, since it is MOSTLY concerned with redeployment of applications
and modules, and in this scenario you dont want app redpeloyment you
just
want what are essentially content files distributed. In otherwords the
api
I worry wont help you distributing files for this case, at least in this
current release and SP.
2) once you get the files to the location, things should in the servlet
containers.
Having said that it is easier if you are able to have the application's
deployed with -no-stage, or no-copying, or shared application, that way
you
have one location to copy files to vs. many stage dirs. Either way you'll
have to copy the jsp's and the classfiles to the webapp directories.
Additionally I just tried this on 8.1. sp2 and the stale-check by the
servlet container is busted. :( I opened a bug on this: CR133453.
Not
sure if this is in sp1 or not, didnt have time to check it. I suggest
you
contact support and get your name added to this CR to raise its priority.
Cheers
mbg