Define DataSource in META-INF/context.xml ?

[Stephen Byrne]

(JBoss AS 4.2.2.GA)
(Oracle 10.2)

I currently define my DataSource in $JBOSS_HOME/server/default/deploy/oracle-ds.xml, which looks like this:

<datasources>
  <local-tx-datasource>
    <jndi-name>jdbc/testDataSource</jndi-name>
    <connection-url>jdbc  :o  racle:thin:@dbserver:1521  :o  rcl</connection-url>
    <driver-class>oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver</driver-class>
    <user-name>myuser</user-name>
    <password>mypass</password>
    <min-pool-size>2</min-pool-size>
    <max-pool-size>20</max-pool-size>
    <idle-timeout-minutes>5</idle-timeout-minutes>
    <track-statements/>
    <metadata>
      <type-mapping>Oracle9i</type-mapping>
    </metadata>
  </local-tx-datasource>
</datasources>

My web application (war packaged) WEB-INF/web.xml has:

<web-app>
  <resource-ref>
    <description>testDataSource</description>
    <res-ref-name>jdbc/testDataSource</res-ref-name>
    <res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type>
    <res-auth>Container</res-auth>
  </resource-ref>
</web-app>

And of course the corresponding WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml:

<jboss-web>
  <resource-ref>
    <res-ref-name>jdbc/testDataSource</res-ref-name> <!-- matches web.xml -->
    <jndi-name>java:jdbc/testDataSource</jndi-name> <!-- matches oracle-ds.xml -->
    <res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type>
  </resource-ref>
</jboss-web>

Which allows me to get a DataSource as follows:

Context initialContext = new InitialContext();
Context envContext = (Context) initialContext.lookup( "java:comp/env" );
DataSource ds = (DataSource) envContext.lookup( "jdbc/testDataSource" );

This all works. However, I would prefer to define my DataSource in my web application's META-INF/context.xml as is done in (standalone) Tomcat, something like this:

<Context>
  <Resource name="jdbc/testDataSource"
    auth="Container"
    type="javax.sql.DataSource"
    driverClassName="oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver"
    url="jdbc  :o  racle:thin:@dbserver:1521  :o  rcl"
    username="myuser"
    password="mypass"
    validationQuery="select * from dual"
    maxActive="20" maxIdle="10" />
</Context>

I have been unable to get this to work. Does JBoss AS use the context.xml? If so, how do I define my DataSource there?

If I have simply missed the relevant section of the manual and somebody can point me to it, I would be grateful.
[ August 21, 2008: Message edited by: Stephen Byrne ]

[Peter Johnson]

That is not possible. The only way of defining a datasource is with a *-ds.xml file.

Is it that you prefer to deploy just a single file, rather than two files? If so, you could package the *.ds.xml and war files in an ear. You would need a META-INF/jboss-app.xml file to reference the *-ds.xml.

[Stephen Byrne]

Originally posted by Peter Johnson:
Is it that you prefer to deploy just a single file, rather than two files? If so, you could package the *.ds.xml and war files in an ear. You would need a META-INF/jboss-app.xml file to reference the *-ds.xml.

In addition to wanting to deal with only a single file I would like the DataSource pool stopped and started when I redeploy the application. Will that happen if I deploy with a .ear?

[Peter Johnson]

That should get you what you want:

1) Single file to deploy - 100% confidence level

2) Datasource pool restarted on redeploy - 80% confidence level. If you do not change the *-ds.xml file and thus the timestamp remains the same, I am not sure if the datasource would actually be restarted, but a quick test should verify if it is (you'll see it in the console log, and if you are using PostgreSQL you should see a new set of processes). If the timestamp on the *-ds.xml file changes a restart is guaranteed.

[Jaikiran Pai]

Srikant Venkata,
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