Deploying web services to multiple environments.

[Rhodri]

We have just completed a development project using an ebase UI that talks to a .NET web service application.

We now need to deploy our project to the test environment.

One issue we have is that the Target URL of each web service resource will still point to the development .NET environment after deployment to another environment - because this is where we told it to point during development.

When deploying to another environment, we need our web services resources to point to the corrensponding .NET environment (in this case the test environment). I assume that this is a very common scenario and there is a simple solution!!!

Obviously, duplicating the web service resources (then using an 'if' statement to call the appropriate resource) is not acceptable, nor is manually changing the Target URL after deployment.

Any guidance on this issue would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[AJDulk]

What we are doing is using the variables in the WEB-INF/web.xml file.
You define it using the following code:

Code: Select all

  <env>
    <env>WEBSERVICE_HOSTNAME</env>
    <env>dev.example.com</env>
    <env>java.lang.String</env>
  </env>

You can then use it in your forms as $ENV_WEBSERVICE_HOSTNAME and in a resource with the && prefix as in the following code:

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http://&&$ENV_WEBSERVICE_HOSTNAME/PublicPaymentService/PublicPaymentRS

Another option would be to save the value in a database (or other readable resource), read it in at the form and pass it to the resource (in a web or xml resource you do this by creating a unbound string field in the resource). Use &&FIELD_NAME to substitute it in the adapter then.

[ehmd]

I'm also using the Environment variable option as well, as I have a M$ dot net application with over 50 available web service calls

I've also encrypted the URL ( plus other variables) using the eBase encrypt function and placed these in Environment variables as well, just for added security

[AJDulk]

I've also encrypted the URL ( plus other variables) using the Ebase encrypt function and placed these in Environment variables as well, just for added security

Interesting idea for when you wish to keep the variables for use in Ebase only. Personally I do not have a use for it since Ebase is in its own container and therefor the variables are not shared with other applications.

[Rhodri]

Hi, thanks very much for your replies.

I followed your guidance and used the environment variables. We now have a fairly tidy setup for deployment accross development, test and production environments.