Deployments Misbehaving

I am having deployment issues with

I have developed a struts based framework that accepts user input, toddles off via a session bean to a sqlServer DB, and comes back with some information.

This all works fine on my desktop. When I deploy just the WAR file to our test server on a remote machine, the JSPs/Forms and servelts all behave (until they try to ask services from the undeployed EJBs, but I have no concerns about this tier of my application). As soon as I wrap the WAR file up into an EAR file, and deploy this to the remote machine, the EAR loads, starts, but immediately fails � I cannot invoke any of the JSPs as the servlets don�t load. The error message printed to the logs is (edited heavily):

--- end Original exception----
 
[B]could not be located while defining the class: app.CustomerDataForm
This is often caused by having the class at a higher point in the classloader hierarchy[/B]
Dumping the current context classloader hierarchy:
    ==> indicates defining classloader
    *** indicates classloader where the missing class could have been found
==>[0] 
com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader@1ff5021c
   Local ClassPath: C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\SimpleSignOn.war\WEB-INF\classes;  Delegation Mode: PARENT_FIRST
   [1] com.ibm.ws.classloader.JarClassLoader@534331932 Local Classpath: C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\CompanyEligabilityEJB.jar;C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\CompanyCommonBusiness.jar;C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\HealthcareEligabilityBusiness.jar;C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\HealthcareCommonBusiness.jar;C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\CommonWeb.jar;C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\EligabilityWeb.jar Delegation mode: PARENT_FIRST
   [2] com.ibm.ws.classloader.ExtJarClassLoader@1041154574 Local ClassPath: C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\lib\app;  Delegation Mode: PARENT_LAST
   [3] com.ibm.ws.classloader.ProtectionClassLoader@512a8201
   [4] com.ibm.ws.bootstrap.ExtClassLoader@4f818206
   [5] sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader@4f850206
   [6] sun.misc.Launcher$ExtClassLoader@4c78c206
---Original exception---
[B]java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Error while defining class: com.intl.company.ecommerce.common.web.struts.forms.CompanyForm
This error indicates that the class: org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm
could not be located while defining the class: com.intl.company.ecommerce.common.web.struts.forms.CompanyForm[/B]
../
/..
This is often caused by having the class at a higher point in the classloader hierarchy
Dumping the current context classloader hierarchy:
    ==> indicates defining classloader
    *** indicates classloader where the missing class could have been found
***[0] 
com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader@1ff5021c
   Local ClassPath: C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\SimpleSignOn.war\WEB-INF\classes;
../
/..
   Delegation Mode: PARENT_FIRST
==>[1] com.ibm.ws.classloader.JarClassLoader@534331932 Local Classpath: C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\installedApps\gnibes01\companyear.ear\CompanyEligabilityEJB.jar;
../
/..
\companyear.ear\EligabilityWeb.jar Delegation mode: PARENT_FIRST
   [2] com.ibm.ws.classloader.ExtJarClassLoader@1041154574 Local ClassPath: C:\Program Files\WebSphere\AppServer\lib\app;  Delegation Mode: PARENT_LAST
   [3] com.ibm.ws.classloader.ProtectionClassLoader@512a8201
   [4] com.ibm.ws.bootstrap.ExtClassLoader@4f818206
   [5] sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader@4f850206
   [6] sun.misc.Launcher$ExtClassLoader@4c78c206
---Original exception---
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/apache/struts/action/ActionForm
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass0(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java(Compiled Code))
at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java(Compiled Code))
at com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader._defineClass(CompoundClassLoader.java(Compiled Code))
at com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader.findClass(CompoundClassLoader.java(Compiled.

From what I can make out, the problem exists because when CustomerDataForm is loaded, the JVM cannot find CompanyForm which extends ActionForm.

CustomerDataForm exists in a Web Application Project
CompanyForm does not, it exists in a standard java project � could this be my issue? If I want to have all my ActionForms extend from one parent that extends ActionForm, does my parent need to be in a Web Application Project?

If I remove the call to CompanyForm, everything is tickety-boo.

Or do I need to mess around with the classpaths in the EAR�s deployment descriptor.

Oh yeah, how do I add utility (3rd party) jars to my ear deployment descriptor � can�t find a tool to do this at all, and editing source always makes me nervous.

Many thanx

Good to see my posts in this particular community are being ignored, as per usual.

Surprise surprise, no-one can answer this......