title: How to migrate WebSphere app with no WAR/EAR file
body: <p>I am to migrate a Websphere machine (including the applications which run on it) to a new machine.  They wanted a clean install of the OS and WebSphere, so I did that.  I also took a full file backup of all of the applications they had on the old server.  The problem is that to re-install them on the new server, the WebSphere dialog asks me for the JAR/EAR/WAR file, which I don't have.  </p>
  
  <p>Is there any reasonably easy way to simply extract the backup of the WebSphere application files I have taken from the old maching, and simply configure the new machine to use them?  WAR, etc. is a nice feature to have, but to be forced to use it seems silly.</p>
  
  <p><em>Edit:</em> The existing WebSphere server is still up and running in production.</p>
  
  <p><em>Edit:</em> The old server is WAS 3.5, which means it doesn't even <em>have</em> an export function, sadly.  Also, the directory where it actually runs the content from has a completely different structure (consisting of like a a %/Web and %/Servlet, where % is the context path of the application).  In the "Install" section, it doesn't even mention EAR or WAR, only JAR.  I am currently thinking that perhaps the best thing to do might be to just copy the directory over to another WAS 3.5 system and then upgrade that system (and hope it converts the folder structure and updated the config as part of the upgrade).</p>
  
  <p><em>Edit:</em> The closest thing I have found to a solution so far is this link:
  <a href="http://www.javazoom.net/services/newsletter/was4.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.javazoom.net/services/newsletter/was4.html</a> (though I am not sure if that tool is available or relevant for WAS 7.x).</p>
  
  <p>This has to be a problem other people have run into before, but I can't find a solution anywhere on the WEB.</p>
  
  <p>Thank you!</p>