Jboss Migration Guide

JBOSS MIDDLEWARE, Migration of applications from one server to other

During spring, Snow Geese bids fly north in search of better place to live and this spring migration happen every year. Like Snow Geese birds, our application servers hosting web applications also need to be migrated for better features and performances. Unlike Geese bird migration, application server migration happens once for every release of Application Server Software.

Before we start jumping into migrating application from one server to another, jboss to wildfly migration or websphere to jboss migration or jboss to weblogic migration,we need understand the pros and cons of it. Most of the migrations happens to improve the application performance and maintenance. And in few cases, due to end of support for the existing version may push the enterprises to upgrade to the latest stable versions.

In this article we will see how to migrate applications hosted on JBOSS Enterprise Application Server to the latest. Here are the few factors we need to consider before migration to the latest JBOSS version

1. Application Migration Efforts: 2. API Dependency. 3. Third Party Vendor Software’s. 4. Migration Cost and Licensing.

Let us go through Step by Step

1. Application Migration Efforts:

Detailed analysis of the existing application is to be done, approximate efforts required to modify the existing application modules (if it breaks due deprecated apis/ end of api support we will discuss about it later in this article), test the functionality of each module of the application. Once high level estimation is done, draft a plan to get each module of the application to run on new JBOSS servers.

2. API Dependancy:

Watch out for any deprecated methods, classes in the application programming interfaces used in your application. Like when you upgrade to never JBOSS version like JBOSS EAP 7, it requires JDK 1.8 and above. If your existing JBOSS running on JDK 1.5 or lower, its time for you to upgrade JDK to the newer JDK stable versions. Once you upgrade to the newer JDK version, test your code for any deprecated methods/apis. And modify them accordingly.

3. Third Party Vendor Softwares:

If your application uses any third party softwares, example TWILIO SMS services, JASPER reports, make sure those modules run without any issues on your newer JDK and JBOSS EAP 7. You might need to recompile respective vendor API’s if required. Example, if you are using template, you have to recompile all the .jrxmls using latest JDK.

4. Migration COST and Licensing:

Once you are done with above pointers, you will have clarity on the efforts required for application code changes/testing. You need to check on the JBOSS EAP 7 licensing and support cost. If your ok with the RedHat’s offer, you are good to get your application migrated to the newer version.

How to Migrate from JBOSS EAP 6.4 to JBOSS EAP 7.1

Here is the Jboss EAP 6.4 migration guide or Jboss EAP 7 migration guide or Jboss EAP 7.2 migration guide.

1. Download and Install the required Jboss EAP server version, Jboss EAP 6.4 or Jboss EAP 7, Jboss EAP 7.2.
2. If Java Development KIT / Java Run time is not upgraded to 1.8 or later. Install them form Oracle/Open JDK sites.
3. Once you are done with step 1 and step 2. Build your project as war of ear file. and place it in deployment directory of jboss eap server.
4. Modify the standalone.xml ( or standalone-full.xml / standalone-full-ha.xml based on your project,)
5. Update the DATA-Source details, like server name and credentials.[not required if nothing has changed on DB side].
7. If you find it difficult to modify the standalone file, you may use jboss provide migration tool, Jboss migration tool will create ready to deploy standalone config files from previous jboss server config files.
8. Once config files are updated, start the jboss server!
9. You should see your applicaion up and running, if not Good Luck :)

Jboss Migration Guide

1. Application Migration Efforts:

2. API Dependancy:

3. Third Party Vendor Softwares:

4. Migration COST and Licensing:

How to Migrate from JBOSS EAP 6.4 to JBOSS EAP 7.1

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