Deployment is the process of installing or updating Software components into the Component Server. With component specification becoming popular, K2 provides deployment module that handles automatic deployment of a CORBA component independent of the platform. K2 allows remote deployment in any of the servers in the cluster. Remote deployment means a package that is residing locally on the machine running the Deployment tool, is checked and installed in one of the servers. The packaging of software components is necessary to allow easy deployment of a new component in an already existing component system using a tool or automated installation. We focus on the use of Open Software Description as it is used by the CORBA component specification as well.

Open Software Description is an XML vocabulary used to describe software components and their relationships to other components. The OSD vocabulary is a standard (open) way to describe software components, their versions, their underlying structures and their dependence on other components. It is standard for books to have a table of contents. Similarly OSD is the equivalent content list for packaged software components. Open Software Description provides a large and flexible vocabulary for describing software distribution packages. When structure and dependencies can be clearly described, only those parts of the package that need to be changed will be uploaded to the server and installed.

K2 Deployment Tool can be used to deploy CORBA components. This tool provides simple graphical user interface for performing common deployment tasks such as

• Deploying new Component/Package.



• Uninstalling existing component/Package



• Starting/stopping CCM server to host components (container to a component)



• Viewing descriptor file of a component



• Making XQL Query to components



• Loading and Unloading application instances on CCM servers, to make the services offered by the components available

Deployment descriptors

A collection of deployment descriptors is packaged together in one physical archive file to create a deployment unit.