Securing a Multi-node Deployment

When a node connects to a remote server, the node provides a dialback key. The remote server then connects back to the node in order to verify the dialback key. In a multi-node deployment, the remote server may connect back to a different node in the pool from the node that originally sent the dialback key. The node the remote server connects to must provide the same dialback key that the original connecting node supplied. The iim_server.dialback key configuration parameter defines which dialback key a node should use. The value for the dialback key is randomly generated unless you explicitly specify one. See To Manually Define the Dialback Key for an Instant Messaging Server in a Server Pool for instructions.

The From attribute is used by a remote server to connect back to an initiating server. Typically, a server's domain name is used as the value for the From attribute in server-to-server communication under Jabber. However, all servers in a server pool share the same domain name. Therefore, the domain name cannot be used as a key to locate a single server in a pool. Instead, Instant Messaging uses a server or peer identifier (serverid) instead of the domain name as the value for the From attribute.

To Manually Define the Dialback Key for an Instant Messaging Server in a Server Pool

The value for the dialback key is randomly generated unless you explicitly specify one.

1. Open iim.conf.

   See iim.conf File Syntax for instructions on locating and modifying iim.conf.

2. Modify the value of the iim_server.dialback.key parameter.

   For example:

   iim_server.dialback.key=mymultinodedialbackkey

3. Save the changes and close iim.conf.

4. Refresh the configuration on both servers.

   imadmin refresh server