Package design and generation

A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method of preparing an application for deployment across a plurality of server computers, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

• access a package definition for the application, the package definition defining elements to be used in the application, the defined elements included in one or more application packages, the one or more application packages defined in an object model;
• create an application package element manifest for the application from the contents of the one or more application packages, the application package element manifest containing one or more of:
• a file and data relevant to the defined elements;
• transform the application package element manifest into one or more manifest files compatible with a packaging schema for product deployment software, the application package element manifest transformed into one or more manifest files by mapping between types and properties in the object model and elements and attributes in the packaging schema, the product deployment software configured to deploy applications across the plurality of server computers;
• and
• bundle the one or more manifest files into a deployment format expected by the product deployment software.

A system, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• system memory;
• and
• one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions representing a package designer and generator, the package designer and generator configured to:
• access a package definition for the application, the package definition defining elements to be used in the application, the defined elements included in one or more application packages, the one or more application packages defined in an object model;
• create an application package element manifest for the application from the contents of the one or more application packages, the application package element manifest containing one or more of:
• a file and data relevant to the defined elements;
• transform the application package element manifest into one or more manifest files compatible with a packaging schema for product deployment software, the application package element manifest transformed into one or more manifest files by mapping between types and properties in the object model and elements and attributes in the packaging schema, the product deployment software configured to deploy applications across the plurality of server computers;
• and
• bundle the one or more manifest files into a deployment format expected by the product deployment software.