# Externalize Oasis Properties for Tomcat in Linux

This article outlines the procedure for externalizing Oasis configuration properties in a Linux environment. The goal is to move critical configurations outside the application’s packaged directory, allowing for easier management, environment-specific overrides, and improved maintainability. The steps include setting up an external configuration directory, modifying the oasis.properties file, and configuring Tomcat to recognize these externalized properties using a custom `setenv.sh` script.

## Prerequisites

* Tomcat is installed and located under `/home/ovaledge/apache-tomcat-10.1.40`
* The application (Oasis) is deployed and functional
* The user has sudo/root access or sufficient permissions to modify files and restart Tomcat
* `JAVA_HOME` is set and correctly configured

## Configuration Steps

1. Create extprop Directory
   * Create an external properties directory inside the ovaledge home folder:

     ```bash
     mkdir -p /home/ovaledge/extprop
     ```
   * Copy the `oasis.properties` file from the deployed application into this directory:

     ```bash
     cp /home/ovaledge/apache-tomcat-10.1.40/webapps/ovaledge/WEB-INF/classes/oasis.properties /home/ovaledge/extprop/
     ```

     \
     *Reference Screenshot 01:*

     <figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcGqW5T00zy18qJWGbd6j79f4AFWEVTgOhyvvjBK4mNu0uMXcKoVdZzPa8XlDkmujkRUSPmNY4h6LP1dqsObXy1WJ5iqoxesPI37QdzTc_DzGG11NucFuOapWZf7JWN8A9FRJjy2A?key=SDCZEuhCirWgGdwP9b5AFw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

     \
     \&#xNAN;*Reference Screenshot 02:*

     <figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfkEfc4SQa_ihB0WzN1ln66s44EFl_Xn4GKgRcSsUtKKPYfOEokFiFvy2DSFk7_g8zWbGEAERclWgFFyDPN-DUvD3IqxkHIG2OD5WE6I-4rO91ovjwT9oIEntFQ_wjPETJfG_kOjw?key=SDCZEuhCirWgGdwP9b5AFw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

     ✅ **Result:** External properties directory `/home/ovaledge/extprop` is created and contains the `oasis.properties` file.<br>
2. Edit oasis.properties
   * Open the file with a text editor:

     ```bash
     vi /home/ovaledge/extprop/oasis.properties
     ```
   * Update the following configurations:

     * **MySQL Connection Settings**\
       Verify hostname, port, username, and password
     * **Elasticsearch Configuration**\
       Set the appropriate cluster name and host
     * **Third-party JAR References**\
       Specify required external JAR paths if applicable

     ⚠️ Ensure sensitive values (like passwords or keys) are encrypted if required.<br>

     ✅ **Result:** The `oasis.properties` file is updated with environment-specific values.<br>
3. Create setenv.sh in Tomcat
   * Navigate to the Tomcat `bin` directory:

     ```bash
     cd /home/ovaledge/apache-tomcat-10.1.40/bin
     ```
   * Create or edit the `setenv.sh` file:

     ```bash
     vi setenv.sh
     ```
   * Add the following content:

     ```bash
     export CATALINA_OPTS="\
     -Duse.http=true \
     -DOVALEDGE_SECURITY_TYPE=db \
     -DOVALEDGE_ENCRYPT_DECRYPT_KEY=ovaledge2021 \
     -Dext.properties.dir=file:/home/ovaledge/extprop/ \
     -Dlog4j.configuration=file:/home/ovaledge/extprop/log4j.properties \
     -Xms4g -Xmx8g \
     --add-opens java.base/jdk.internal.loader=ALL-UNNAMED \
     --add-opens jdk.zipfs/jdk.nio.zipfs=ALL-UNNAMED \
     --add-opens java.base/java.net=ALL-UNNAMED \
     --add-opens java.base/java.time=ALL-UNNAMED \
     --add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED"
     ```

     \
     Ensure the file is executable:

     ```bash
     chmod +x setenv.sh
     ```

     \
     ✅ **Result:** Tomcat is configured to load external properties and custom memory settings during startup.<br>
4. Restart Tomcat Service
   * Restart Tomcat to apply the changes:

     ```bash
     cd /home/ovaledge/apache-tomcat-10.1.40/bin
     ./shutdown.sh
     ./startup.sh
     ```

     \
     ✅ **Result:** Tomcat starts using the externalized `oasis.properties` and `log4j.properties`.

## Validation

* Check Tomcat logs:\
  `/home/ovaledge/apache-tomcat-10.1.40/logs/catalina.out`
* Ensure no `FileNotFoundException` for `oasis.properties` or `log4j.properties`
* Validate application behavior (database connection, Elasticsearch integration)

## Rollback Instructions

To rollback to default (packaged) configurations:

* Remove or rename `setenv.sh`:

  ```bash
  mv setenv.sh setenv.sh.bak
  ```
* Restart Tomcat:

  ```bash
  ./shutdown.sh && ./startup.sh
  ```

  \
  ⚠️ This will cause the application to revert to internal property files packaged inside the WAR.

***

Copyright © 2025, OvalEdge LLC, Peachtree Corners, GA, USA.


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