Configuring Session Failover Manually

In some situations, you might need to manually configure Access Manager for session failover. For example, you do not plan to run the amsfoconfig script. Or, the amsfoconfig script exited with one of the following messages before finishing the configuration: “Site is already configured” or “Server entry is already site configured”.

These steps describe how to manually configure Access Manager for session failover:

• 1–Install the Required Components in the Deployment

• 2–Configure the Access Manager Deployment as a Site

• 3–Create a New Secondary Configuration Instance for the Load Balancer

• 4–Perform Session Failover Miscellaneous Configuration Tasks

• 5–Start the Session Failover Components

• amsessiondb Script

These steps are equivalent to the previous steps that described how to install the required components, configure session failover using the amsfoconfig script and then start the various components.

1–Install the Required Components in the Deployment

Install all components in the deployment, including Access Manager instances, load balancer, Message Queue, and the Berkeley DB client. For more information, see Installing the Session Failover Components.

2–Configure the Access Manager Deployment as a Site

If you do not plan to run the amsfoconfig script, which configures multiple Access Manager instances and a load balancer as a site, you must configure the deployment, as described in Configuring an Access Manager Deployment as a Site.

3–Create a New Secondary Configuration Instance for the Load Balancer

To create a new secondary configuration instance for your load balancer, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Access Manager 7.1 Console as amAdmin.

2. Click Configuration, Global Properties, Session, and then Secondary Configuration Instance.

3. c. Click New, and add the following values:

   • Name. Load balancer URL. For example: http://lb.example.com:80

   • Session Store User. Name you are using to connect to the Message Queue Server (if other than guest).

   • Session Store Password. Password for the Session Store User.

   • Maximum Wait Time. 5000 (Use the default unless you require another value).

   • Database Url: Message Queue broker address list. For example:

     mqsvr1.example.com:7777,mqsvr2.example.com:7777,mqsvr3.example.com:7777

     The default Message Queue port is 7676. If you are using Application Server as the web container, however, consider using another port, because port 7676 might already be in use by Application Server. For the range of the valid port numbers, refer to the Message Queue documentation.

4. Click Add to save your changes.

4–Perform Session Failover Miscellaneous Configuration Tasks

Perform the following tasks (which are the same as if you are running the amsfoconfig script):

• Disable Cookie Encoding.

• Edit the Web Container server.xml File.

• Add a New User in the Message Queue Server.

• Edit the amsessiondb Script (if needed).

5–Start the Session Failover Components

Run the amsfo script to start the Message Queue broker and Berkeley DB client (amsessiondb). Then, start each Access Manager instance by starting the respective web container. See Starting and Stopping the Session Failover Components.

amsessiondb Script

The amsessiondb script is called by the amsfo script to start the Berkeley DB client (amsessiondb), create the database, and set specific database values.

The recommended method to start and stop the Access Manager session failover components is to run the amsfo script and let it call the amsessiondb script. The following information is included only in case you might need to run the amsessiondb script independently.

Before you run the amsessiondb script, make sure you have the paths set correctly, as described under 4–Editing the amsessiondb Script (if Needed).

When you run the amsessiondb script, you can enter the Message Queue broker password on the command line as clear text (-w or --password option). However, if you prefer to use an encrypted password in a file (-f or --passwordfile option), first run the amsfopassword script to encrypt the Message Queue broker clear text password to a file. Then run the amsessiondb script, using this file for the -f or --passwordfile option.

Use the following syntax to run the amsessiondb script.

amsessiondb [ -u username | --username username ]
[ -w password | --password password | 
-f filename | --passwordfile filename ]
[ -c cachesize | --cachesize cachesize ]
[ -b dbdirectory | --dbdirectory dbdirectory ]
-a MQServerAddressList | --clusteraddress MQServerAddressList
[ -s numcleanexpiredsessions | --numcleansessions numcleanexpiredsessions ]
[ -v | --verbose ]
[ -i statsinterval | --statsInterval statsinterval ]
amsessiondb -h | --help
amsessiondb -n | --version

The following table describes the amsessiondb script arguments.

The following example shows the amsessiondb script.

amsessiondb -u amsvrusr -f pwfile -c 128 -b sessiondb 
-a host1:7777,host2:7777