PAA file structure overview

Each PAA file is a structured ZIP compression file. Because the Solution installer uses Ant tasks to expand or parse the PAA file, it needs to be a ZIP compression file that can be decoded by the java.util.zip class.

At the top level of a PAA file is the root directory. There are no restrictions on the name of this directory; however, use something that is unique and does not clash with other registered PAA files or assemblies. There must be only one root directory in a PAA file. The name of this directory is significant because it is the reference name for your PAA content. It is the same value as the assemblyName when you create the assembly level sdd.xml file. Read The sdd.xml file for information.

You can find a sample top-level directory in the PortalServer_root/doc/paa-samples/sample1.paa file. The root directory contains the documentation and components directories and an sdd.xml file.

The sdd.xml file has the following roles:
  • It informs the ConfigEngine about the assembly of components.
  • It provides the ConfigEngine with the list of components and their locations within the directory structure.
  • It points to each component sdd.xml file so that the installation function can process the installation of the individual components.