Jorge,

There isn't really a 1 best practice for EAR file management. What we typically see is the EAR files are placed in the RAFW tree by another library/step that the user has created. Typically this means that the first set of actions in a deployment plan has a step(s) to extract the desired version of the application from either an SCM system or an asset manager. The next set of steps in the automation plan uses RAFW actions to actually deploy the application to WAS.
From the file system you won't really be able to tell what version of the application is there, you will have to use the audit trail in BF to determine what was last deployed or you will have to tell the automation plan exactly which version you would like for your new deployment.

You could also place the application in a folder named according to the baseline in the application. For example, rafw_cell_def/apps/media/MyEarV2.2, this does however mean you have to update the application's properties file to point to the new location of the ear.

--tim

4. Copy to RAFW env FS
5. Deploy and .. for the moment defyining a FS structure were to track EAR files already deployed.

We are also doing a FS structure (outside RAFW FS) for audit trail of deployed .ear files.

Upon successful deployment, we immediately remove the .ear from the RAFW env FS. Otherwise, the next RAFW activity will sync that .ear file to the RAFW FS on all 12 nodes in the WAS cell, which increases the time to complete the RAFW activity, and uses space on the nodes FS.

Regards,