Passing custom parameter to commit-deploy-plc for static assets deployment to web server

Hi Experts,

Version: 7.4.1 (Solaris)

How do we pass custom variables to PLC LSCS deployment? For e.g we would like to send the static contents to web server via the PLC, and we added a new definition to the commit-deploy-plc.xml :

</filters>

</pathSpecification>

</filelist>

</fileSystem>

</source>

</replicationFarmLink>

</target>

</definition>

Tried to set task variable “odSubst_WebServertargetArea” in the Production Deployment task of PLC, but it doesn’t get passed to the commit-deploy-plc LSCS deployment, though it does work for LSDS DataDeployments.

Also tried override LSCSDeploymentServiceAdapter to inject the parameter to the deployment object that is returned, but it doesn’t work that way as well.

It seems like a common requirement, thus checking if anyone has any pointers.

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Comments

Adam Stoller

LSCS deployments are done via an OD Adaptor that feeds the content into LSCS / IDOL - you don't want to piggyback your file deployments for web assets onto that, they should be picked up with the LSDS deployments or through a separate deployment of your own.

joyb

ghoti wrote:
LSCS deployments are done via an OD Adaptor that feeds the content into LSCS / IDOL - you don't want to piggyback your file deployments for web assets onto that, they should be picked up with the LSDS deployments or through a separate deployment of your own.

I am trying to add a new definition for static files deployment in the same commit-deploy-plc config file. The purpose is so that static files deployment, .page deployment and LSCS deployment can be transactional.

Sorry, I should have made it clearer that I am trying to find ways to pass custom parameter to the commit-deploy-plc.xml, not the LSCS deployment. As far as I know this OD config does both LSDS deployment and LSCS commit operation.

Thanks.

Rick Poulin

Oddly enough, the PLC implementation doesn't support passing custom OD substitution vars from the workflow (in a way similar to how the 'basic' deploy task accepts odSubst_ vars). You can build it by extending some of the classes that implement the PLC deployment process and then overriding those beans, but it's non-trivial and not supported.

Perhaps there's a different way to accomplish what you need? What variable are you looking to inject?

joyb

rpoulin wrote:
Oddly enough, the PLC implementation doesn't support passing custom OD substitution vars from the workflow (in a way similar to how the 'basic' deploy task accepts odSubst_ vars). You can build it by extending some of the classes that implement the PLC deployment process and then overriding those beans, but it's non-trivial and not supported.

Perhaps there's a different way to accomplish what you need? What variable are you looking to inject?

Hi Rpoulin,

The web servers might be different for different branches. We would like to make the target web server and target path dynamic via OD variables.

If there is only 1 single web server for all sites / branches, then I think it could just be static values in the config.

Thanks.

Rick Poulin

Ok. The approach I'm going to suggest is a little ugly but it would be supported:

In lscs-authoring.xml, define different target LSCS <runtimes> for each target webhost. Even if the LSCS target server is the same for all of these, give them different logical names.
In your workflow model, instead of defaulting to TargetNode=production, evaluate the appropriate target name given the site that's being published.
In odnodes.xml, create <node> instances to point each of those logical names. Here you can have multiple logical names point to the same machine name / IP.
In commit-deploy-plc.xml, point your web tier deployment at a <external name="$destinationNode^Web" />.
In your odnodes.xml, create replication farms for each logical name. Thus, if you had a LSCS target called SiteUnicorn, you would create a replication farm called SiteUnicornWeb and put the appropriate <nodeRef> to your web tier servers in here.
Specify the "default" target path for the web tier in commit-deploy-plc.xml, and then specify overrides for specific servers in odnodes.xml.

Your odnodes.xml should end up looking something like this:

<nodeSet>
<node name="SiteUnicorn" host="jupiter.cpc.com" port="20014"/>
<node name="web01" host="mercury.cpc.com" port="20014" />
<node name="web02" host="mercury.cpc.com" port="20014" />
<node name="web03" host="venus.cpc.com" port="20014" />

<replicationFarmSet>
  <replicationFarm name="SiteUnicornWeb">
    <nodeRef useNode="web01">
      <targetRules area="/var/www01/html" />
    </nodeRef>
    <nodeRef useNode="web02">
      <targetRules area="/var/www02/html" />
    </nodeRef>
    <nodeRef useNode="web03">
      <targetRules area="/var/www03/html" />
    </nodeRef>
  </replicationFarm>
</replicationFarmSet>
</nodeSet>

Let me know if any of the above is unclear.

PS. If you'd still rather go with *actual* substitution variables, I've done that before but I'm reluctant to share the code because [reasons]. I'll just give you the starting point in saying that you can do all of this by extending class LSCSDeploymentServiceAdapter. Beyond that, I leave it up to you to figure out the details so you can be comfortable supporting something that HP won't support for you.

Bowker

If I understand your requirement....

We actually deploy our static content to both the LSDS docroot and our webserver docroot.

in /opendeployng/conf/LiveSite/OpenDeployWebRoot.xml we added a new definition:

(Please note - this works in our environment and we have been using it for about 3 years v7.2.1 and 7.4.1)

</filters>
<targetRules area="..... PUT YOUR WEB SERVER DOC ROOT HERE .....">
<comparisonRules dateDifferent="yes"/>
<transferRules doDeletes="yes"/>
<permissionRules file="0664" directory="0775"/>
</targetRules>
</pathSpecification>
</filelist>

<filelist area="$cacheArea^" filePath="$cacheFileList^">
<pathSpecification>
<path name="."/>
<filters>
<excludePattern regex="[/\\]cache.WebRoot" />
</filters>