I just completed my mapping application based on openlayers and geoserver. Currently, I am trying to upload my geoserver to a production server using AWS. I created an EC2 instance with tomcat and I want to upload my geoserver as war file on the tomcat server.
I am using MAC OS X installer for my local development. Therefore, all my raster layers and shapefiles are located in my local geoserver installer copy. I am trying to export my local geoserver installer as a war file, so I can upload it on the tomcat server.
I have a large number of raster files and shapefiles; therefore, I am not trying to re-upload all the files again in an fresh geoserver war file. Is it possible to export my local installer as a war file?
It is possible, whether it is advisable is another question. A .war file is just a zip file with a different extension. So you need to zip the contents of webapps/geoserver/ into a zip file and change the extension. Take care to make sure that there is no parent directory in the zip file (i.e. do not just zip up the geoserver directory).
In future, you should move your data directory out of the installed geoserver directory and then all you need to do is move the data directory.