Building Packages

Parallels H-Sphere offers an interface for integrating custom plugins, or packages. With these packages, you may add new or override default Parallels H-Sphere functionality.

Packages can be used to integrate the following elements:

• resources: new or custom Java classes
• system scripts (in the /hsphere/shared/scripts directory)
• templates: new or custom templates
• images: custom images
• menu: Control Panel menu elements
• interface: Control Panel skins and icon sets
• language bundles: adding new languages to Parallels H-Sphere interface or updating language files
• context help: context help XML file customization
• plans: XML plan wizards
• crons: new or custom CP cron jobs
• promotions: custom promotion validators and calculators
• SQL quieries: making changes into the Parallels H-Sphere database
• third party RPMs and tarballs to be included into Parallels H-Sphere scripts.

These components are built into one portable .hsp file which can be easily installed by an Parallels H-Sphere system administrator.

Building packages is performed in the following steps:

1. preconfiguration:
   • determine package configuration: what resources, templates, systems scripts, XML configuration files, language bundles, jars, etc. would be included into a package
   • prepare package content: make sure the files to be included to a package are located in the corresponding directories you will specify in the package configurator's command line
   • run package configurator to collect package source files into one preconfigured package source directory
2. configuration:
   • set package info: package name, version, build, etc.
   • set package custom properties configuration: custom XML configs, language bundles, etc.
   • check and manually add source files wherever needed
3. building: assemble the package into one Java archive file with .hsp extension