Mendix Portable Runtime

Introduction

Mendix Portable Runtime (previously called Portable App Distribution) provides a flexible and straightforward method for isolated server-based deployments. By enabling customers to generate a bundled artifact packaged as a .zip file and run it directly, Mendix Portable Runtime simplifies the deployment process.

Benefits

Mendix Portable Runtime offers the following benefits:

• Simplified deployment - Portable apps eliminate complex installation procedures, making it easier and faster to get software up and running across different machines. This reduces setup time and potential configuration errors.
• Enhanced consistency - By bundling all dependencies, portable apps ensure a consistent operating environment for the application, regardless of the underlying system configuration.
• Improved mobility and flexibility - Teams can easily move applications between workstations, virtual machines, or even cloud instances without the need for reinstallation, fostering greater agility in project work.
• Reduced system impact - Portable apps often run in isolated environments, which can help prevent conflicts with other installed software and maintain system stability.
• Streamlined updates - Managing updates can be more straightforward, as new versions of a portable application can often be deployed by simply replacing the package.
• Layered configuration - Mendix Portable Runtime supports defining base configurations that can be extended with environment-specific or deployment-type-specific entries (for example, distinct configurations for development, testing, or production environments).

Licensing

You can test Mendix Portable Runtime on a Free App. For more information about Free Apps and their limitations, as well as licensing apps outside of the Mendix Cloud, see Licensing Apps.

To license a Mendix app on the Mendix Portable Runtime, add it to your configuration. For more information, see Obtaining a Mendix License.

Prerequisites

The Mendix Portable Runtime functionality is available in Mendix Studio Pro versions 10.24.19 LTS, 11.9, 11.6.5 MTS, and above. The functionality will be enabled for more Studio Pro versions in future releases.

You must also ensure that you have the supported version of Java Runtime Environment.

Creating a Mendix Portable Runtime File

In most production environments, deployment packages are created by using the Mx-Build command-line tool. However, you can also manually create a deployment package if required, for example, for a local test deployment.

Deploying Your App

After you create the Mendix Portable Runtime file, deploy it to your environment.

Deploying Locally

To run your app locally, perform the following steps:

1. Extract ..\releases\YourApp_portable_YYYYMMDD_hhmm.zip to a local folder.

2. Set the M2EE_ADMIN_PASS admin port password by performing one of the following actions:

   • For Windows, run the command set M2EE_ADMIN_PASS=<your password>
   • For Linux, run the command export M2EE_ADMIN_PASS=<your password>
   The Mendix admin port can be used to fetch metrics and other runtime data from an app. It requires a password for security reasons.

3. Run the app by using one of the following commands:

   • For Windows, run the command <your folder location>\bin\start.bat
   • For Windows Powershell, run the command <your folder location>\bin\start.ps1
   • For Linux, run the command <your folder location>\bin\start

Deploying to a Self-Hosted Environment

For more information about deploying to a self-hosted environment, refer to the following topics:

• Mendix Portable Runtime for Docker
• Mendix Portable Runtime for Linux
• Mendix Portable Runtime for Cloud Foundry

Frequently Asked Questions

What Will Happen with my Windows Deployment using Windows Service Console?

The Windows Service Console will stay as it is. Mendix Portable Runtime does not replace the Windows Service Console scope. The goal of Windows Service Console is to provide customers a Windows UI experience that our other products cannot offer.

Do I Need to Buy a New Subscription to Implement Mendix Portable Runtime?

Mendix Portable Runtime is included in the Server-Based subscription portfolio and uses the same license model. If you are entitled to the subscription, you can request a license to use with Mendix Portable Runtime. For more information, see Licensing Apps.

Does Mendix Fully Support Deployments using Mendix Portable Runtime on Linux or Cloud Foundry Environments?

Unlike the traditional M2EE-based or Cloud Foundry buildpack deployment, where Mendix fully supports the tooling, handling, and execution of the Mendix application package end-to-end, the Mendix Portable Runtime approach shifts the responsibility model. With Mendix Portable Runtime, the package requires only Java to run, and while Mendix officially supports the Mendix Portable Runtime package itself, all implementation, configuration, and deployment activities are the sole responsibility of the customer, meaning that Mendix does not officially support Linux or Cloud Foundry deployment as a platform, but exclusively supports the Mendix Portable Runtime package and what Mx runtime supports. For more information, see Support for Different Deployment Strategies.

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