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Deploy Applications to On-Premises Mule Instances Using the Mule Maven Plugin

Mule Maven plugin versions 3.0.0, 3.1.0, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6, 3.1.7, and 3.8.3 are deprecated.

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In addition to using Anypoint Studio, Anypoint Runtime Manager, or the Anypoint Platform CLI to deploy applications on-premises, you can also deploy Mule applications by using the Mule Maven plugin. To do so, you must meet certain prerequisites, and configure the desired deployment strategy in your project’s pom.xml file.

If you want to deploy applications on-premises using a different method, see:

On-premises Deployment Strategies

When you deploy applications on-premises using the Mule Maven plugin, you can select three different methods for deployment:

  • Standalone deployment
    By using this method you perform a manual deployment of your Mule application to your on-premises Mule instance.

  • Runtime Manager REST API deployment
    This method enables you to deploy an application using the Runtime Manager REST API, which links your on-premises Mule instance with your Anypoint Runtime Manager account, where you can do further management and monitoring of your deployed application.

  • Runtime Manager Agent deployment
    This method enables you to deploy an application using the Runtime Manager agent, which exposes a local API that you can call to manage and monitor your deployed application.

The Mule Maven plugin also supports deploying domains when using the standalone deployment strategy, or the Runtime Manager agent deployment strategy.

Additional operations enable you to deploy applications in parallel and update applications at runtime.

Prerequisites

Deploy a Mule Application to a Standalone Mule Runtime Engine

Inside the plugin element, add a configuration for your standalone deployment, replacing the placeholder values with your local Mule runtime engine information:

<plugin>
  <groupId>org.mule.tools.maven</groupId>
  <artifactId>mule-maven-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>3.7.1</version>
  <extensions>true</extensions>
  <configuration>
    <standaloneDeployment>
      <muleHome>${mule.home.test}</muleHome>
      <muleVersion>${app.runtime}</muleVersion>
    </standaloneDeployment>
  </configuration>
</plugin>

From the command line in your project’s folder, package the application and execute the deploy goal:

mvn clean deploy -DmuleDeploy

Standalone Deployment Parameters Reference

Parameter Description Required

standaloneDeployment

Top-Level Element.

Yes

applicationName

Specifies the application name to use during deployment.

Yes

muleVersion

The Mule version running in your local machine instance.
If this value does not match the Mule version running in your deployment target, the plugin raises an exception.

The Mule Maven Plugin does not download a Mule runtime engine if these values don’t match.

Yes

muleHome

The location of the Mule instance in your local machine.

Yes

deploymentTimeout

The allowed elapsed time, in milliseconds, between the start of the deployment process and the confirmation that the artifact has been deployed

The default value is 1000000.

No

skip

When set to true, skips the plugin deployment goal.
Its default value is false.

No

Deploy a Mule Application Using the Runtime Manager REST API

Mule Maven plugin enables you to deploy a Mule Application to a local Mule instance using the Runtime Manager REST API.

Prerequisites

Deploying Using the Runtime Manager REST API

Inside the plugin element, add a configuration for your Runtime Manager deployment, replacing the placeholder values with your Runtime Manager information:

<plugin>
  <groupId>org.mule.tools.maven</groupId>
  <artifactId>mule-maven-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>3.7.1</version>
  <extensions>true</extensions>
  <configuration>
    <armDeployment>
      <muleVersion>${app.runtime}</muleVersion>
      <uri>https://anypoint.mulesoft.com</uri>
      <target>${target}</target>
      <targetType>${target.type}</targetType>
      <username>${username}</username>
      <password>${password}</password>
      <environment>${environment}</environment>
      <properties>
        <key>value</key>
      </properties>
    </armDeployment>
  </configuration>
</plugin>

From the command line in your project’s folder, package the application and execute the deploy goal:

mvn clean deploy -DmuleDeploy

Authentication Methods

When you deploy applications using Mule Maven plugin, you can use different methods to provide your credentials to authenticate against the deployment platform. Depending on the authentication method you use, the parameters to set in the deployment configuration differ:

Authentication Method Description Configuration Parameters

Username and password

Authenticate with the username and password for the server where your Mule instances are installed.

  • username

  • password

Server

Use credentials stored in a Maven server, configured inside the Maven settings.xml file.

  • server

Authorization Token

Use an authorization token to access the platform.
See Identity Management for a list of supported single sign-on (SSO) types.

  • authToken

Connected Apps

Use a Connected App to perform the authentication programmatically by communicating with Anypoint Platform.
Note that the Connected App credentials must have the Design Center Developer access scope.
See Connected Apps for Developers for instructions about creating Connected Apps.

  • connectedAppClientId

  • connectedAppClientSecret

  • connectedAppGrantType

For a detailed description of the configuration parameters, see the Runtime Manager REST API Deployment Parameters Reference.

Runtime Manager REST API Deployment Parameters Reference

Parameter Description Required

armDeployment

Top-Level Element.

Yes

applicationName

Specifies the application name to use during deployment.

Yes

muleVersion

The Mule version required for your application to run in your deployment target.
If this value does not match the Mule version running in your deployment target, the plugin raises an exception.

The Mule Maven Plugin does not download a Mule runtime engine if these values don’t match.

Yes

uri

The Anypoint Platform URI. If you are using Anypoint Platform PCE, specify this parameter with your Anypoint Platform installation URI.
If not set, by default this value is set to https://anypoint.mulesoft.com.

No

target

The server name for the server where your Mule instances are installed.

Yes

targetType

The type of target to which you are deploying.

Valid values are:

  • server

  • serverGroup

  • cluster

Yes

username

Your username for the server where your Mule instances are installed.

Only when using Anypoint Platform credentials to login.

password

Your password for the server where your Mule instances are installed.

Only when using Anypoint Platform credentials to login.

environment

The environment name for the server where your Mule instances are installed. This value must match any environment configured in your Runtime Manager account.
For Example:

<environment>Sandbox</environment>

Yes

businessGroup

The Business group path of the deployment
Specify the full hierarchical path from the parent organization to the target Business group, for example:

<businessGroup>ParentOrg\SubOrg1\myBusinessGroup</businessGroup>

This value is omitted if businessGroupId is set. If businessGroup and businessGroupId are not set, the value defaults to the main business group of the user.

No

businessGroupId

The Business group ID of the deployment
Instead of specifying the Business group path, you can specify the Business group ID to deploy your application. If businessGroupId and businessGroup are not set, the value defaults to the main business group of the user.
The Business group ID is a mandatory parameter when you have access only to a specific Business group but not to the parent organization.
This parameter is available in plugin version 3.2.7 and later.

No

deploymentTimeout

The allowed elapsed time, in milliseconds, between the start of the deployment process and the confirmation that the artifact has been deployed

The default value is 1000000.

No

server

Maven server with Anypoint Platform credentials
This is only needed if you want to use your credentials stored in your Maven settings.xml file. This is not the Mule server name.

No

properties

Top-Level element
If you need to set properties for the Mule application you are deploying, you can use the <properties> top-level element:

<properties>
  <key>value</key>
</properties>

For example:

<properties>
  <http.port>8081</http.port>
</properties>

No

skip

When set to true, skips the plugin deployment goal.
Its default value is false.

No

skipDeploymentVerification

When set to true, skips the status verification of your deployed app.
Its default value is false.

No

authToken

Specifies the authorization token to access the platform. You can use this authentication method instead of setting username and password.
See Identity Management for a list of supported single sign-on (SSO) types.

Only when using an Authorization token to login.

connectedAppClientId

Specifies the Connected App clientID value.

Only when using Connected Apps credentials to login.

connectedAppClientSecret

Specifies the Connected App secret key.

Only when using Connected Apps credentials to login.

connectedAppGrantType

Specifies the only supported connection type: client_credentials.

Only when using Connected Apps credentials to login.

Encrypt Credentials

To use encrypted credentials when deploying, you need to set up your Maven master encrypted password and your settings-security.xml file.

  1. Create a master password for your Maven configuration.

    mvn --encrypt-master-password <yourMasterPassword>

    Maven returns your master password encrypted:

    {l9vZ2uM5SdgHy+H12z4pX7LEOZn3Kbnqmt3kIquLjnQ=}

  2. Create a settings-security.xml file in your ~/.m2 repository and add your encrypted master password:

    <settingsSecurity>
  <master>{l9vZ2uM5SdgHy+H12z4pX7LEOZn3Kbnqmt3kIquLjnQ=}</master>
</settingsSecurity>

  3. Encrypt your Anypoint platform password:

    mvn --encrypt-password <yourAnypointPlatformPassword>

    Maven returns your Anypoint platform password encrypted:

    {HTWFGH5BG9QmvJ1B=}

  4. Add your encrypted Anypoint Platform password to your settings.xml file in the <server> section:

    <settings>
 ...
  <servers>
   ...
    <server>
      <id>my.anypoint.credentials</id>
      <username>my.anypoint.username</username>
      <password>{HTWFGH5BG9QmvJ1B=}</password>
    </server>
   ...
  </servers>
 ...
</settings>

  5. In your configuration deployment, reference the credentials injecting the server ID configured in your settings.xml file:

    <plugin>
  ...
  <configuration>
    ...
    <armDeployment>
      ...
      <server>my.anypoint.credentials</server>
      ...
    </armDeployment>
    ...
  </configuration>
  ...
<plugin>
    Make sure that the username and password are not set in the deployment configuration, or they will overwrite the defined server ID.

Troubleshoot TLS Errors in Anypoint Private Cloud Edition

When trying to connect to an instance of Runtime Manager that’s on an Anypoint Platform Private Cloud Edition installation, the plugin validates certificates for that server. If you haven’t installed the server certificates in your truststore, an SSL error occurs. To avoid this problem, you can run the plugin in an insecure mode, which skips the security validations. You can use the armInsecure tag or the arm.insecure system property.

Enabling an insecure connection is a dangerous practice. Don’t use this unless you know what you are doing and your On-Premises installation is isolated in a local network.

See the configuration example below:

<plugin>
  <groupId>org.mule.tools.maven</groupId>
  <artifactId>mule-maven-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>3.7.1</version>
  <extensions>true</extensions>
  <configuration>
    <armDeployment>
        <target>${target}</target>
        <targetType>${target.type}</targetType>
        <username>${username}</username>
        <password>${password}</password>
        <environment>${environment}</environment>
        <armInsecure>true</armInsecure>
    </armDeployment>
  </configuration>
</plugin>

Deploy a Mule Application Using the Runtime Manager Agent

Inside the plugin element, add a configuration for your Runtime Manager agent deployment, replacing the URI value with your remote server information:

<plugin>
  <groupId>org.mule.tools.maven</groupId>
  <artifactId>mule-maven-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>3.7.1</version>
  <extensions>true</extensions>
  <configuration>
    <agentDeployment>
      <uri>http://localhost:9999/</uri>
    </agentDeployment>
  </configuration>
</plugin>

From the command line in your project’s folder, package the application and execute the deploy goal:

mvn clean deploy -DmuleDeploy

Runtime Manager Agent Deployment Parameters Reference

Parameter Description Required

agentDeployment

Top-Level Element.

Yes

applicationName

Specifies the application name to use during deployment.

Yes

muleVersion

The Mule version required for your application to run in your deployment target.
If this value does not match the Mule version running in your deployment target, the plugin raises an exception.

The Mule Maven Plugin does not download a Mule runtime engine if these values don’t match.

Yes

uri

The server URI where your Mule instances are installed.

Yes

deploymentTimeout

The allowed elapsed time, in milliseconds, between the start of the deployment process and the confirmation that the artifact has been deployed

The default value is 1000000.

No

skip

When set to true, skips the plugin deployment goal.
Its default value is false.

No

Deploy a Domain

The Mule Maven plugin supports deploying domains only when using the standalone deployment strategy, or the Runtime Manager agent deployment strategy.

To deploy a domain, use the same configuration and deployment steps you use when deploying an application. For example, to deploy a domain to a standalone instance:

  1. Inside the plugin element, add a configuration for your standalone deployment, replacing the placeholder values with your local Mule runtime engine information:

    <plugin>
  <groupId>org.mule.tools.maven</groupId>
  <artifactId>mule-maven-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>3.7.1</version>
  <extensions>true</extensions>
  <configuration>
    <standaloneDeployment>
      <muleHome>${mule.home.test}</muleHome>
      <muleVersion>${app.runtime}</muleVersion>
    </standaloneDeployment>
  </configuration>
</plugin>

  2. From the command line in your project’s folder, package the domain and execute the deploy goal:

    mvn clean deploy -DmuleDeploy

Deploy Applications in Parallel

You can deploy applications in parallel to on-premises Mule instances. Deploying applications in parallel reduces the startup time when you deploy a large number of apps. To prevent deployment failure, ensure that applications are not dependent on each other because a particular start order cannot be guaranteed.

Parallelism is fixed at 20.

To enable parallel deployment:

  1. Package or export your Mule applications to the /apps directory of your Mule runtime engine instance.

  2. Start Mule using the -M-Dmule.deployment.parallel option:

    mule -M-Dmule.deployment.parallel

After performing these steps, Mule deploys in parallel all applications in the /apps directory.

Undeploy Applications

You can undeploy Mule applications by deleting an app’s anchor file only instead of deleting the application folder directly.

Deleting only the app’s anchor file:

  • Prevents any interference from the hot-deployment layer and leaves no room for concurrent conflicting actions.

  • Avoids potential application JAR file locking issues on some operation systems and allows for clean shutdown and undeployment.

For example, if the stockTrader app is running (app folder is there as well as the $MULE_HOME/apps/stockTrader-anchor.txt file), just delete the anchor file to have the app removed from the Mule instance at runtime. Application folder is removed after the app terminates.

After undeploying a Mule application, there is a timeout of 15 seconds until LoggerContext stops. Log files for an application only release after this timeout expires. This information is important in Windows, where you can’t remove files that are in use by other processes. After undeploying a Mule application, there is a timeout of 15 seconds until LoggerContext stops. Log files for an application only release after this timeout expires. This information is important in Windows, where you can’t remove files that are in use by other processes.

Update Applications at Runtime

Updating a Mule application at runtime can be a complex change involving class modifications, endpoint modifications (for example, changing ports), and reconfiguring flows. An application update first performs a graceful app shutdown and then reconfigures itself in the background within seconds. This process is transparent for the users.

There are two ways you can update an application:

  • By adding the modifications over an existing unpacked app folder and touching the main configuration file (mule-config.xml located in the app’s root directory by default).
    For this option to be valid, start the runtime with the system property -M-Dmule.deployment.forceParseConfigXmls=true.

  • By adding a new jar with an updated version of the app into the $MULE_HOME/apps directory. Mule detects the jar as an updated version of an existing application and ensures the update by a clean redeployment of the app.
    Note that Mule discards any modifications to the old application folder. The new app folder is a clean unpacked application from a jar.

Either method integrates well with existing build tools.

See Also