About Application Deployment

Application packaging (for deployment in the host Java or Java EE environment) influences EclipseLink use and configuration. For example, you package a Java EE application in an EAR file. Within the EAR file, there are several ways to package persistent entities within WAR and JAR files. How you configure EclipseLink depends, in part, on how you package the application and how you use the class loader of the host application server.

The EclipseLink approach to deployment involves packaging application files into a single file, such as a JAR or an EAR file. This approach lets you create clean and self-contained deployments that do not require significant file management. After creating these files, deploy the project.

For more information, see Chapter 5, "Understanding Application Deployment."