type=page
status=published
title=Packaging, Integrating, and Delivering an Add-On Component
next=integration-point-reference.html
prev=session-persistence-modules.html
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= Packaging, Integrating, and Delivering an Add-On Component

[[GSACG00009]][[ghmxp]]


[[packaging-integrating-and-delivering-an-add-on-component]]
== Packaging, Integrating, and Delivering an Add-On Component

Packaging an add-on component enables the component to interact with the
GlassFish Server kernel in the same way as other components. Integrating
a component with GlassFish Server enables GlassFish Server to discover
the component at runtime. If an add-on component is an extension or
update to existing installations of GlassFish Server, deliver the
component through Update Tool.

The following topics are addressed here:

* link:#ghpun[Packaging an Add-On Component]
* link:#ghmne[Integrating an Add-On Component With GlassFish Server]
* link:#ghpuz[Delivering an Add-On Component Through Update Tool]

[[ghpun]][[GSACG00142]][[packaging-an-add-on-component]]

=== Packaging an Add-On Component

To enable an add-on component to plug in to the GlassFish Server kernel
in the same way as other components, package the component as an OSGi
bundle.

A bundle is the unit of deployment in the OSGi module management
subsystem. To package a component as an OSGi bundle, package the
component's constituent files in a Java archive (JAR) file with
appropriate manifest entries. The manifest entries provide information
about the component that is required to enable the component to be
plugged into the GlassFish Server kernel, such as:

* Name
* Version
* Dependencies
* Capabilities

[[ghmne]][[GSACG00143]][[integrating-an-add-on-component-with-glassfish-server]]

=== Integrating an Add-On Component With GlassFish Server

Integrating an add-on component with GlassFish Server enables GlassFish
Server to discover the component at runtime. To integrate an add-on
component with GlassFish Server, ensure that the JAR file that contains
the component is copied to or installed in the as-install`/modules/`
directory.

[[ghpuz]][[GSACG00144]][[delivering-an-add-on-component-through-update-tool]]

=== Delivering an Add-On Component Through Update Tool

If an add-on component is an extension or update to existing
installations of GlassFish Server, deliver the component through Update
Tool. To deliver an add-on component through Update Tool, create an
Image Packaging System (IPS) package to contain the component and add
the package to a suitable IPS package repository.

For information about how to create IPS packages, see the
http://wikis.oracle.com/display/IpsBestPractices/[IPS best practices
document] (`http://wikis.oracle.com/display/IpsBestPractices/`).