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Apache Tomcat

Environment variables​

  • CATALINA_BASE
    • The root of a particular Tomcat instance (the same as $CATALINA_HOME if multiple instances aren't configured)
    • This points to the location of configuration files, logs, startup scripts, web apps, and work/temp folders
  • CATALINA_HOME
    • The root of your Tomcat installation
    • This points to where the Tomcat binaries are located

The environment variables are normally set in the startup scripts for Tomcat

  • RHEL 7:
    • See: /etc/tomcat/tomcat.conf
  • RHEL 6:
    • See: /etc/tomcat6/tomcat6.conf

Undeploy (delete) a deployed Tomcat application​

RHEL 6:

  1. Set CATALINA_BASE and CATALINA_HOME

    source /etc/tomcat6/tomcat6.conf

  2. If the application was deployed as a WAR file:

    1. Remove the application from $CATALINA_BASE/webapps

      sudo mv $CATALINA_BASE/webapps/myapp.war $CATALINA_BASE/myapp.war-`date +%Y%m%d`

    2. If Tomcat is running, it should automatically remove the deployed app from $CATALINA_BASE/webapps and $CATALINA_BASE/work/Catalina/localhost. Watch the folder and wait for it to be removed:

      ls $CATALINA_BASE/webapps
      ls $CATALINA_BASE/work/Catalina/localhost

      When the app is undeployed, the subfolder with the same name as your WAR file will disappear (e.g. $CATALINA_BASE/webapps/myapp, $CATALINA_BASE/work/Catalina/localhost/myapp)

  3. If the application is deployed using a context fragment (i.e. via an XML file in $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/localhost):

    1. Get the location of the war file

      $ grep docBase $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/localhost/idp.xml
      <Context docBase="/opt/shibboleth-idp/war/idp.war"

    2. If you want to fully remove the application (you won't be replacing it with a new version):
      Warning: This will also remove the context fragment XML file

      1. Remove the old WAR file

        sudo mv /opt/shibboleth-idp/war/idp.war /opt/shibboleth-idp/war/idp.war-`date +%Y%m%d`

      2. If Tomcat is running, it should automatically remove the deployed app from $CATALINA_BASE/work/Catalina/localhost and the context fragment from $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/localhost:

        ls $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/localhost
        ls $CATALINA_BASE/work/Catalina/localhost

    3. If you intend on updating the application with a new WAR file:

      1. Make a backup copy of the old WAR file 
        sudo cp /opt/shibboleth-idp/war/idp.war /opt/shibboleth-idp/war/idp.war-`date +%Y%m%d`

Update a deployed Tomcat application​

  1. Undeploy the old WAR file

    1. See above

  2. Once the app is undeployed, deploy the new WAR file

    1. If the old WAR file was in the webapps folder:

      1. Put the new WAR file in place

        sudo cp myapp.war $CATALINA_BASE/webapps

      2. Watch the webapps folder to make sure the app is deployed

        ls $CATALINA_BASE/webapps

        If you don't see a subfolder with the same name as your WAR file (e.g. $CATALINA_BASE/webapps/myapp) within a minute or so, check the logs for errors

    2. If the old WAR file was deployed using a context fragment:

      1. Put the new WAR file in place 
        sudo cp idp.war /opt/shibboleth-idp/war
      2. Watch the work folder to make sure the app is deployed 
        ls -l $CATALINA_HOME/work/Catalina/localhost/idp/

Customizing application context​

  1. Copy the filename of the application's WAR file from $CATALINA_BASE/webapps (e.g. myApp.war)

  2. Create a new context fragment file in $CATALINA_HOME/conf/Catalina/localhost

    • Use the same filename as the war file, but replace the .war extension with .xml (e.g. myApp.xml)

  3. Add the xml header and an empty <Context> element

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
    <Context>
    </Context>

  4. Add any customizations as desired

    <Context swallowOutput="true">
        <WatchedResource>...

  5. If this is a new context file, it should automatically be picked up and applied by Tomcat. Otherwise, Tomcat may need to be restarted

    sudo systemctl restart tomcat