Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Deployment:
WebClient Applications

Defining a custom deployment configuration

Determine the correct values for your custom deployment configuration and make sure that the source .prowcapc file is accessible. Then complete this procedure.

To run the WebClient Deployment Packager:
  1. Start the Deployment Packager by one of the following methods:

    • If you have installed OpenEdge Studio, choose Tools PRO*Tools. The PRO*Tools menu bar opens. Choose WebClient Deployment Packager ( ).
    • Execute the following file with the -deploy option as shown:

      • prowcappmgr.exe -deploy

      In an OpenEdge installation, the prowcappmgr.exe file is located in OpenEdge-Install-Directory\bin. The file is also provided in the redistributable prowcdp.zip file for users who do not have access to OpenEdge Studio.

      The WebClient Deployment Packager window appears:

  2. To view or modify an existing custom deployment configuration (.wcd file), choose File Open or click the corresponding button (second from the left on the toolbar), navigate to and select the desired file, and click Open. Then skip to Step 4.

  3. To create a new custom deployment configuration, you begin by extracting the existing deployment information from a .prowcapc file. Choose File New or click the corresponding button (leftmost on the toolbar) to display the New Deployment Configuration dialog box:

    4. Enter the path to the .prowcapc file that you want to modify. Clicking the ellipsis (...) button opens a standard file browser with which you can navigate to and select the file. Then click OK to return to the WebClient Deployment Packager window, now showing the values extracted from the source .prowcapc file.

  4. You can save the deployment configuration to a .wcd file at any time. Choose File Save or click the corresponding button (second from the right on the toolbar). If the configuration has not been saved previously, you see a standard Save As dialog box that lets you name the file with a .wcd extension and specify its location.

  5. Most of the Deployment Packager fields, summarized in the list that follows, refer to values that are originally defined with the WebClient Application Assembler. Enter new values as appropriate for the custom deployment configuration. See the "Defining the application with the WebClient Application Assembler" section and the online help for more information. The fields are:

    • Prowcapc File — This field initially shows the path to the source .prowcapc file from which the deployment information was extracted, and it is a read-only field until you save the deployment configuration to a .wcd file. Unless the file is removed from that location before you generate your new .prowcapc file, there is no need to change this field. However, the file must be available at the specified location when you generate the new .prowcapc file, so that the Deployment Packager can make a copy of it as the target for your changes. If the original source file is moved, change the path in this field to the new location. Click the ellipsis (...) button for a standard file browser.
    • Output Directory — Enter the directory path where you want the new .prowcapc file to be generated. Click the ellipsis (...) button for a standard file browser.
    • Application Name — The initial value is from the source file (that is, the value entered in the Application field on the Application Assembler’s General tab, and matched by the file name of the .prowcapc file). The Deployment Packager uses the value of this field as the name of the new .prowcapc file that it creates in the specified output directory. You can change the name if you wish; if you do, the Deployment Packager will warn you when you validate or generate the new configuration that the name does not match the original.
    • Startup Parameters — The application startup parameters specified on the Application Assembler’s General tab appear as the initial value. You can change them as appropriate.
    • WebClient Install URL — This field identifies the Internet location from which WebClient can be downloaded. The WebClient Initializer goes to this location when attempting to upgrade the WebClient version. The initial value is the URL entered on the WebClient tab of the Application Assembler.
    • Configuration File URL — This field identifies the location where the WebClient Initializer looks for the .prowcapc file. The initial value is the URL entered on the General tab of the Application Assembler. To change this value and the associated connection and authentication options, click the Locator button to open the Configuration File Locator Definition dialog box (see Figure 7–2).
    • Codebase URL — This field identifies either an Internet server or an AppServer that hosts your application code (.CAB) files. The initial value is the URL entered on the Component tab of the Application Assembler. To change this value and the associated authentication options, click the Locator button to open the Codebase Locator Definition dialog box (see Figure 7–4).
    • Prowcapc Security (Original and Current) — These fields indicate whether the source (original) .prowcapc file is digitally signed, and whether you have defined a digital signature for the new (current) .prowcapc file. By default, the initial value for the Current field is always Unsigned, even if the original file is Signed. You can specify a digital signature for your new .prowcapc file at the Security dialog box (see Figure 5–1); to display this dialog box, click the Security button or choose Deployment Security. See Chapter 5, "Defining an application as signed," for more information. Also see the "Security considerations" section.
      • Caution: Your .prowcapc file and your application .CAB files must be either both signed or both unsigned; the application will not run if there is a mismatch. Therefore, you must be sure that the security setting for your new .prowcapc file matches that of the .CAB files. The value that you specify in the Current security field applies only to the new .prowcapc file; it does not affect the .CAB files.

      The value (Signed or Unsigned) that the Deployment Packager shows for the Original .prowcapc file typically reflects the status of the .CAB files as well as that of the source .prowcapc file, so you should usually match that setting. If the security settings do not match when you validate or generate the new configuration, a warning is displayed.

    • Web-enabled External Installer — The Install URL and Upgrade Install URL fields identify the Internet locations of programs for installing and upgrading the application. The initial values are those entered on the Options tab of the Application Assembler. You can enter new values if appropriate. For more information, see the "External installer" section.

After defining the custom deployment configuration, save your changes and generate the new .prowcapc file, as explained in the "Generating the .prowcapc file" section. Optionally, you can validate the configuration in a separate operation before generating the new file. (Before executing a Generate operation, the Deployment Packager automatically performs the same validation.)

Security considerations

Customers who host WebClient applications developed by an outside application provider need to coordinate with the provider to make sure security is properly configured. These customers also need to instruct their end users to recognize and trust the digital signatures of the application files.

If the application provider makes the prowcdp.zip file available, the customer can run the Deployment Packager and manage the security settings and other settings independently. Alternatively, the customer may specify the requirements and ask the application provider to define the deployment configuration accordingly.

Working as necessary with the application provider, the customer must make sure that:

Copyright © 2005 Progress Software Corporation
 www.progress.com
Voice: (781) 280-4000
Fax: (781) 280-4095