When you use the Servlet implementation of the WebFOCUS Client, the files that make up the WebFOCUS Web application are stored on the Java Application server. Each Web application has its own deployment descriptor file named web.xml that contains initialization parameters for the application and context parameters that the application needs in order to run, such as where certain application files are found.

Most variables used by the WebFOCUS Client are defined in one of its configuration files, such as cgivars.wfs, and can be edited using the WebFOCUS Administration Console. However, deployment descriptor variables are defined in the Web application. Although some of these variables are used by WebFOCUS, they are not accessible to the WebFOCUS Administration Console. To edit any of these variables, you must use the Application Server product, after which you may need to update and redeploy the Web application.

Note that two types of WebFOCUS application files are distributed: the open directory structure and .war files. The .war files are archive (compressed) files. If you deploy the open directory structure version, any changes you make to variables or files within the structure are immediately available for processing. If you deploy the .war files, you must un-archive (un-war) them to make any changes, and you must re-war and redeploy them for the changes to take effect. Note that on z/OS, only the .war files are distributed.

If you need to customize the WebFOCUS application files, Information Builders recommends using the open directory structure during development. When you have made any changes needed to the Web application files (such as web.xml), you can then create your own customized .war files to deploy for testing and production.