Configuring a Reverse Proxy Server with a REN Server

This section provides an overview of reverse proxy server (RPS) configuration and provides examples.

Production PeopleSoft installations may configure the REN server behind an RPS. The RPS isolates the REN server and other web servers from the open internet, provides SSL session handling, and presents a single-server origin to outside clients. PeopleSoft customers may put REN servers and PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture web servers behind one RPS, or just REN servers.

These examples assume that:

  • You have installed the current PeopleTools release on both host machines.

  • You have configured a web server using the default parameters on the first host machine.

  • You have configured a REN server using the default parameters on the first host machine.

See Understanding REN Server Configuration Options.

This example presents one possible configuration for a REN server running on one host machine and installing an RPS to run on a second host machine, using Oracle WebLogic . The RPS redirects clients to both a REN server and to the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture web server.

To configure an RPS for a REN server on another host machine:

  1. Install a new web server domain on the second machine.

    Name the domain rps.

    Configure the following values:

    • AppServer Name: <application_server_machine_name>

    • JSL Port: 9999

      The RPS will not make Jolt connections.

    • HTTP Port: 8080

    • HTTPS Port: 8443

  2. Start the new web server.

    Navigate to <PIA_HOME>\webserv\rps, and run startPIA.cmd.

  3. Sign in to the WebLogic Server Administrative Console for the rps web server.

    Access the WebLogic Server Administrative Console at http://<webserver>:<port>/console (for example, http://localhost:8080/console).

    When prompted for a user name and password, specify the WebLogic system ID and password. If you've followed the default WebLogic Server install, the ID and password are system and password.

  4. Using the console's hierarchical navigation, navigate to rps > Deployments > Applications > PeopleSoft. Select the Targets tab.

    Clear the PIA option.

    Click Apply.

  5. Using the console's hierarchical navigation, navigate to rps > Deployments > Web Application Modules > HttpProxyServlet. Select the Targets tab. Select the PIA option. Click Apply.

  6. For better web server performance, navigate to rps > Servers > PIA. Select the Protocols tab, select the HTTP tab, and set both Duration and HTTPS Durationto 120 secs.

  7. Stop the rps web server.

    Navigate to <PIA_HOME>\webserv\rps and run stopPIA.cmd.

  8. Configure RPS parameters for the rps server.

    Locate the file web.xml at PIA_HOME/webserv/rps/applications/HttpProxyServlet/WEB-INF.

    Edit web.xml in a text editor, changing the WebLogic port and WebLogic host from 8080 to 80 (the value 8080 is a default value that is derived during installation of the domain rps). For example:

    <init-param>
	<param-name>WebLogicPort</param-name>
	<param-value>80</param-value>
	<description>HTTP listen port of WebLogic PIA/PORTAL server.</description>
</init-param>

    To specify the associated REN server, (which is on another machine), edit web.xml, changing the REN server host machine, port, and root URL from their default RPS values. For example:

    <init-param>
	<param-name>WebLogicHost</param-name>
	<param-value>MACHINE_2</param-value>
	<description>Hostname of REN server.</description>
</init-param>
<init-param>
	<param-name>WebLogicPort</param-name>
	<param-value>7180</param-value>
	<description>Listen port of REN server.</description>
</init-param>

    Another example is:

    <servlet-mapping>
	<servlet-name>RENHttpProxyServlet</servlet-name>
	<url-pattern>/psren/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

  9. Reboot the RPS web server.

    Navigate to <PIA_HOME>\webserv\rps, and run startPIA.cmd.

  10. (Optional) Configure and enable SSL on the RPS machine.

Note: When using Apache 1.3.x or 2.0.x RPS, you must configure the kn_response_flush_override and the flush_rps_buffer_size_for_knjs parameters in the psrenconfig.txt file. If you are using Apache 1.3.x, set both of these parameters to 4096. If you are using Apache 2.0.x, set both parameters to 8192. Apache needs both parameters present with the same buffer size. The kn_response_flush_override parameter flushes a message, while the flush_rps_buffer_size_for_knjs parameter flushes the stay-alive.

Note: Using WebLogic as a reverse proxy server is not recommended for a production system.

Apache-based proxy servers vary widely in configurations, here we present an example configuration. The configuration files for your environment may be quite different.

To proxy for RenServer, find and edit the httpd.conf configuration file. Make the following modifications to the file:

  1. Move the line LoadModule proxy_module modules/ApacheProxyModule.dll to the bottom of the file.

  2. Comment out the line AddModule mod_proxy.c.

  3. Add the following five lines after LoadModule proxy_module: 

    <IfModule mod_proxy.c> 
  ProxyRequests Off 
  ProxyPass /psren http://machine:7180/psren 
  ProxyPassReverse /psren http://machine:7180/psren 
</IfModule>

  4. Reboot your webserver and reverse proxy server.