How to Work With Packages

Packages enable the importing and exporting of repository content. For example, you can use packages to install new functionality, transfer content between instances, and back up repository content.

Packages can be accessed and/or maintained from the following pages:

• Package Manager, which you use to manage the packages in your local AEM instance.

• Software Distribution, a centralized server holding both publicly available packages and those private to your company. The public packages can contain hotfixes, new functionality, documentation, etc.

You can transfer packages between Package Manager, Software Distribution, and your file system.

What are Packages?

A package is a zip file holding repository content in the form of a file-system serialization (called “vault” serialization). This provides an easy-to-use-and-edit representation of files and folders.

Packages include content, both page-content and project-related content, selected using filters.

A package also contains vault meta information, including the filter definitions and import configuration information. Additional content properties (that are not used for package extraction) can be included in the package, such as a description, a visual image, or an icon; these properties are for the content package consumer and for informational purposes only.

You can perform the following actions on or with packages:

• Create new packages; defining package settings and filters as required
• Preview package contents (before build)
• Build packages
• View package information
• View package contents (after build)
• Modify the definition for existing packages
• Rebuild existing packages
• Rewrap packages
• Download packages from AEM to your file system
• Upload packages from your file system into your local AEM instance
• Validate package content before installation
• Perform a dry run installation
• Install packages (AEM does not automatically install packages after uploading)
• Delete packages
• Download packages, such as hotfixes, from the Software Distribution library
• Upload packages to the company-internal section of the Software Distribution library

Package Information

A package definition is made up of various types of information:

• Package Settings
• Package Filters
• Package Screenshots
• Package Icons

Package Settings

You can edit a variety of Package Settings to define aspects such as the package description, related bugs, dependencies and provider information.

The Package Settings dialog is available via the Edit button when creating or editing a package and provides three tabs for configuration. After any changes are made click OK to save these.

Package Filters

Filters identify the repository nodes to include in the package. A Filter Definition specifies the following information:

• The Root Path of the content to include.
• Rules that include or exclude specific nodes below the root path.

Filters can include zero or more rules. When no rules are defined, the package contains all content below the root path.

You can define one or more filter definitions for a package. Use more than one filter to include content from multiple root paths.

The following table describes these rules and provides examples:

Package filters are most often defined when you first create the package, but they can be edited at a later time as well (after which the package should be rebuilt).

Package Screenshots

You can attach screenshots to your package to provide a visual representation of what the content looks like; for example, by providing screenshots of new functionality.

Package Icons

You can also attach an icon to your package to provide a quick-reference visual representation of what the package contains. This is then shown in the package list and can help you easily identify the package, or the class of package.

As a package can contain an icon, the following conventions are used for official packages:

Official Hotfix package:

Official AEM Installation or Extension package:

Official Feature packs:

Package Manager

The Package Manager manages the packages on your local AEM installation. After you have assigned the necessary permissions you can use the Package Manager for various actions, including configuring, building, downloading and installing your packages. The key elements to be configured are:

• Package Settings
• Package Filters

Permissions needed for using the Package Manager

To grant users the right to create, modify, upload, and install packages, you must give them the appropriate permissions at the following locations:

• /etc/packages (full rights excluding delete)
• the node that contains the package contents

See Setting permissions for instructions on changing permissions.

Creating a New Package

To create a new package definition:

1. On the AEM Welcome screen, click Packages (or from the Tools console double-click on Packages).

2. Then select Package Manager.

3. Click Create Package.

   NOTE

   If your instance has a lot of packages there might be a folder structure in place, so you can navigate to the required target folder before creating the new package.

4. In the dialog:

   

   Enter the:

   • Group Name

     The target group (or folder) name. Groups are intended to be used to help you organize your packages.

     A folder will be created for the group if it does not already exist. If you leave the group name blank, it will create the package in the main package list (Home > Packages).

   • Package Name

     The name of your new package. Select a descriptive name to help you (and others) easily identify the contents of the package.

   • Version

     A textual field for you to indicate a version. This will be appended to the package name to form the name of the zip file.

   Click OK to create the package.

5. AEM lists the new package in the appropriate group folder.

   

   Click on the icon or package name to open.

   

   NOTE

   You can return to this page at a later stage if required.

6. Click Edit to edit the package settings.

   Here, you can add information and/or define certain settings; for example these include a description, the icon, related bugs and add provider details.

   Click OK after you are finished editing the settings.

7. Add Screenshots to the package as required. One instance is available when the package is created, add more if required by using Package Screenshot from sidekick.

   Add the actual image by double-clicking the image component in the Screenshots area, adding an image, and clicking OK.

8. Define the Package Filters by dragging instances of the Filter Definition from the sidekick, then double-clicking to open for editing:

   

   Specify:

   • Root Path
     The content to be packaged; this can be the root of a subtree.

   • Rules
     Rules are optional; for simple package definitions, it is not necessary to specify include or exclude rules.

     If needed, you can define either Include or Exclude rules to exactly define the package contents.

     Add rules using the + symbol, alternatively remove rules using the - symbol. Rules are applied according to their order so position them as required using the Up and Down buttons.

   Then click OK to save the filter.

   NOTE

   You can use as many filter definitions as you need, though care must be taken to ensure they do not conflict. Use Preview to confirm what the package contents will be.

9. To confirm what the package will hold you can use Preview. This performs a dry run of the build process and lists everything that will be added to the package when it is actually built.

10. You can now Build your package.

    NOTE

    It is not compulsory to build the package at this point, it can be done at a later point in time.

Building a Package

A package is often built at the same time as you create the package definition, but you can return at a later point in time to either build, or rebuild the package. This can be useful if the content within the repository has changed.

1. Open the package definition from Package Manager (click on the package icon or name).

2. Click Build. A dialog asks for confirmation that you do want to build the package.

   NOTE

   This is of particular significance when you are rebuilding a package as the package contents will be overwritten.

3. Click OK. AEM will build the package, listing all content added to the package as it does so. When complete AEM displays a confirmation that the package was built and (when you close the dialog) updates the package list information.

Rewrapping a Package

Once a package has been built it can be rewrapped, if required.

Rewrapping changes the package information - without changing the package content. Package information is the thumbnail, description, etc., in other words everything you can edit with the Package Settings dialog (to open this click Edit).

A major use case for rewrap is when preparing a package. For example, you might have an existing package and decide to share it with others. For that you want to add a thumbnail and add a description. Instead of recreating the entire package with all its functionality (which might take some time and bears the risk that the package is no longer identical to the original) you can rewrap it and just add the thumbnail and description.

1. Open the package definition from Package Manager (click on the package icon or name).

2. Click Edit and update the Package Settings as required. Click OK to save.

3. Click Rewrap, a dialog will ask for confirmation.

Viewing and Editing Package Information

To view, or edit, information about a package definition:

1. In the Package Manager navigate to the package you want to view.

2. Click the package icon of the package you want to view. This will open the package page listing information about the package definition:

   

   NOTE

   You can also edit and perform certain actions on the package from this page.

   The buttons available will depend on whether the package has already been built or not.

3. If the package has already been built click Contents, a window will open and list the entire contents of the package:

Viewing Package Contents and Testing Installation

After a package has been built you can view the contents:

1. In the Package Manager navigate to the package you want to view.

2. Click the package icon of the package you want to view. This will open the package page listing information about the package definition.

3. To view the contents click Contents, a window will open and list the entire contents of the package:

   

4. To perform a dry run of the installation click Test Installation. After you confirm the action, a window will open and list the results as if installation was performed:

   

Downloading Packages to Your File System

This section describes how to download a package from AEM to your file system by using Package Manager.

1. On the AEM Welcome screen, click Packages, then select Package Manager.

2. Navigate to the package you want to download.

   

3. Click the link formed by the name of the zip file (underlined) for the package you want to download; for example export-for-offline.zip.

   AEM downloads the package to your computer (using a standard browser download dialog).

Uploading Packages from Your File System

A package upload allows you to upload a package from your file system into the AEM Package Manager.
To upload a package:

1. Navigate to the Package Manager. Then to the group folder into which you want the package to uploaded.

   

2. Click Upload Package.

   

   • File

     You can either type the file name directly, or use the Browse… dialog to select the required package from your local file system (after selection click OK).

   • Force Upload

     If a package with this name already exists you can click this to force upload (and overwrite the existing package).

   Click OK so that the new package is uploaded and listed in the Package Manager list.

   NOTE

   To make the content available to AEM, be sure to install the package.

Validating Packages

Before installing a package, you may wish to verify its content. Because packages can modify overlaid files under /apps and/or add, modify, and remove ACLs, it is often useful to validate these changes before installing.

Validation Options

The validation mechanism can check the following characteristics of the package:

• OSGi Package Imports
• Overlays
• ACLs

These options are detailed below.

• Validate OSGi Package Imports

  What’s Checked

  This validation inspects the package for all JAR files (OSGi bundles), extracts their manifest.xml (which contains the versioned dependencies on which said OSGi bundle relies) and verifies the AEM instance exports said dependencies with the correct versions.

  How It’s Reported

  Any versioned dependencies that cannot be satisfied by the AEM instance are listed in the Activity Log of the Package Manager.

  Error States

  If dependencies are unsatisfied, then the OSGi bundles in the package with those dependencies will not start. This results in a broken application deployment as anything relying on the un-started OSGi bundle will in turn not function properly.

  Error Resolution

  To resolve errors due to unsatisfied OSGi bundles, the dependency version in the bundle with unsatisfied imports needs to be adjusted.

• Validate Overlays

  What’s Checked

  This validation determines if the package being installed contains a file that is already overlaid in the destination AEM instance.

  For example, given an existing overlay at /apps/sling/servlet/errorhandler/404.jsp, a package that contains /libs/sling/servlet/errorhandler/404.jsp, such that it will change the existing file at /libs/sling/servlet/errorhandler/404.jsp.

  How It’s Reported

  Any such overlays are described in the Activity Log of the Package Manager.

  Error States

  An error state means that the package is attempting to deploy a file that is already overlaid, thus the changes in the package will be overridden (and thus “hidden”) by the overlay and not take effect.

  Error Resolution

  To resolve this issue, the maintainer of the of the overlay file in /apps must review the changes to the overlaid file in /libs and incorporate the changes as needed into the overlay ( /apps), and redeploy the overlaid file.

  NOTE

  Note that the validation mechanism has no way to reconcile if the overlaid content has been properly incorporated into the overlay file. Therefore this validation will continue to report over conflicts even after the necessary changes have been made.

• Validate ACLs

  What’s Checked

  This validation checks which permissions are being added, how they will be handled (merge/replace), and if the current permissions will be impacted.

  How It’s Reported

  The permissions are described in the Activity Log of the Package Manager.

  Error States

  No explicit errors can be provided. The validation simply indicates whether any new ACL permissions will be added or impacted by installing the package.

  Error Resolution

  Using the information provided by the validation, the impacted nodes can be reviewed in CRXDE and the ACLs can be adjusting in the package as needed.

  CAUTION

  As best practice it is recommended that packages should not affect AEM-provided ACLs as this may result in unexpected product behavior.

Performing Validation

Validation of packages can be done in two different ways:

• Via the Package Manager UI
• Via HTTP POST request such as with cURL

Package Validation Via the Package Manager

1. Open the Package Manager at https://<server>:<port>/crx/packmgr

2. Select the package in the list and then select More dropdown from the heading and then Validate from the drop-down menu.

   NOTE

   This should be done after uploading the content package, but before installing the package.

3. In the modal dialog box that then appears, use the checkboxes to select the type(s) of validation and begin the validation by clicking Validate. Alternatively click Cancel.

4. The chosen validation(s) is/are then run. Results are displayed in the activity log of the Package Manager.

Package Validation Via HTTP POST Request

The POST request takes the following form.

https://<host>:<port>/crx/packmgr/service.jsp?cmd=validate&type=osgiPackageImports,overlays,acls

The following is an example of using cURL to execute a package validation.

1. If using cURL execute a statement similar to the following:

   curl -v -X POST --user admin:admin -F file=@/Users/SomeGuy/Desktop/core.wcm.components.all-1.1.0.zip 'http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service.jsp?cmd=validate&type=osgiPackageImports,overlays,acls'
   

2. The requested validation is run and the response is sent back as a JSON object.

Installing Packages

After you upload a package, you need to install the content. To have the package content installed and functional, it needs to be both:

• loaded into AEM (either uploaded from your filesystem or downloaded from Software Distribution)

• installed

1. In the Package Manager navigate to the package you want to install.

   An Install button is shown at the side of Packages that have not yet been installed.

   NOTE

   Alternatively, you can open the package by clicking on its icon to access the Install button there.

2. Click Install to start the installation. A dialog will request confirmation and list all changes being made. When finished click Close on the dialog.

   The word Installed appears next to the package after it has been installed.

File System Based Upload and Installation

There is an alternative way to upload and install packages to your instance. In your file system, you have a crx-quicksart folder alongside with your jar and license.properties file. You need to create a folder named install under crx-quickstart. You will then have something like this: <aem_home>/crx-quickstart/install

In this install, folder, you can add directly your packages. They will automatically be uploaded and installed on your instance. When it’s done, you can see the packages in the Package Manager.

If your instance is running, adding a package to the install folder will launch directly the upload and the installation on the instance. If your instance is not running, the packages you put in the install folder will be installed at startup in the alphabetical order.

Uninstalling Packages

AEM lets you uninstall packages. This action reverts the contents of the repository that are impacted to the snapshot made immediately prior to the package installation.

1. In the Package Manager navigate to the package you want to uninstall.
2. Click the package icon of the package you want to uninstall.
3. Click Uninstall to remove the contents of this package from the repository. A dialog will request confirmation and list all changes being made. When finished click Close on the dialog.

Deleting packages

To delete a package from the Package Manager list(s):

1. In the Tools console, expand the Packages folder to show your package in the right-hand pane.

2. Click the package you want to delete so that it is highlighted and then either:

   • Click Delete in the toolbar menu.
   • Right-click and select Delete.

   

3. AEM asks for confirmation that you want to delete the package. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

Replicating Packages

Replicate the contents of a package to install it to the publish instance:

1. In the Package Manager, navigate to the package that you want to replicate.

2. Click the icon or the name of the package you want to replicate to expand it.

3. In the More drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Replicate.

Package Share

The Package Share was a centralized server made publicly available to share Content-Packages.

It has been replaced by Software Distribution.

Software Distribution

Software Distribution is the new user interface designed to simplify the search and download of AEM Packages.

For more information, have a look at the Software Distribution documentation.