locations of jdbc drivers and jdbc code in j2ee web application

[Benjamin Weaver]

Where is the best place to put jdbc database drivers in a web application (e.g. Tomcat)?

Our present server environment is a bit Balkanized--so my inclination is to but the driver jars within Tomcat. But, if so, where within Tomcat? If you think it is a bad idea to put the driver jars within Tomcat, I would like to know.

And how about jdbc database access code? This, I assume, would be put in its own package under WEB-INF/classes/myPackageName, but was not sure. I will be writing my own for now, instead of using iBatis, Hiburnate, etc.


Many thanks in advance!

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Originally posted by Benjamin Weaver:
Where is the best place to put jdbc database drivers in a web application (e.g. Tomcat)?

Our present server environment is a bit Balkanized--so my inclination is to but the driver jars within Tomcat. But, if so, where within Tomcat? If you think it is a bad idea to put the driver jars within Tomcat, I would like to know.

Are you using datasources that will be shared across applications or specific to your application?

And how about jdbc database access code? This, I assume, would be put in its own package under WEB-INF/classes/myPackageName, but was not sure. I will be writing my own for now, instead of using iBatis, Hiburnate, etc.

Yes. That is a good location. If your application gets more complicated you may consider developing the JDBC code in a separate project and jar'ing up that project. Then the jar would go under your WEB-INF/lib directory.

[Benjamin Weaver]

There is good possibility that datasources will eventually be shared by several applications.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Originally posted by Benjamin Weaver:
There is good possibility that datasources will eventually be shared by several applications.

In that case, I would favor putting the drivers in a separate directory. For example, /apps/databaseName/driver. This protects you against change to individual apps and Tomcat upgrades.

(If it was only one app, I would have suggested using the application's lib directory.)

[Benjamin Weaver]

This makes good common sense. Thanks, Jeanne.