The configuration detail starts with the <url> that sets Tomcat's plain-text-based administration interface used by Maven to invoke commands of the server. Maven needs to access the administration panel to allow the copy of the WAR file to the webapps. Since we will be using the TLS-enabled connector, we will be using the secured-HTTP together with the registered hostname in the keystore which is spring5server.

The tag <path> sets the context root of the project and must have a forward slash while the <username> and <password> refer to the credentials of the administrator having the roles manager-gui and manager-script.

The most important configuration details are <keystoreFile> and <keystorePass>. <keystoreFile> makes reference to the keystore of Tomcat that contains the TLS certificate. <keystorePass> provides the password used by <keystoreFile> in registering certificates. Together with these credentials, we have to be sure that the certificate has been added to the JRE's keystore which is <installation_folder>Java1.8.112jrelibsecuritycacerts.

<update> is required to undeploy all existing WAR files that already exist in the webapps. Sometimes the deployment does not work without this forced update.