6 Administering Web Applications

To Use the default-web.xml File

1. Place the JAR file for the filter, security constraint, or other feature in the domain-dir/lib directory.

2. Edit the domain-dir/config/default-web.xml file to refer to the JAR file.

3. To apply your changes, restart GlassFish Server.

   See To Restart a Domain.

To Enable mod_jk

You can front GlassFish Server with Apache HTTP Server by enabling the mod_jk protocol for one of GlassFish Server's network listeners, as described in this procedure. A typical use for mod_jk would be to have Apache HTTP Server handle requests for static resources, while having requests for dynamic resources, such as servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSPs), forwarded to, and handled by the GlassFish Server back-end instance.

When you use the jk-enabled attribute of the network listener, you do not need to copy any additional JAR files into the /lib directory. You can also create JK connectors under different virtual servers by using the network listener attribute jk-enabled.

1. Install Apache HTTP Server and mod_jk.

   • For information on installing Apache HTTP Server, see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/install.html.

   • For information on installing mod_jk, see http://tomcat.apache.org/connectors-doc/webserver_howto/apache.html.

2. Configure the following files:

   • apache2/conf/httpd.conf, the main Apache configuration file

   • apache2/conf/workers.properties

   Example 6-4 and Example 6-5 provide examples of configuring these two files.

3. Start Apache HTTP Server (httpd).

4. Start GlassFish Server with at least one web application deployed.

   In order for the mod_jk-enabled network listener to start listening for requests, the web container must be started. Normally, this is achieved by deploying a web application.

5. Create a jk-enabled network listener by using the create-network-listener subcommand.

   asadmin> create-network-listener --protocol http-listener-1 \
   --listenerport 8009 --jkenabled true jk-connector
   

6. If you are using the glassfish-jk.properties file to use non-default values of attributes described at http://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-5.5-doc/config/ajp.html), set the jk-configuration-file property of the network listener to the fully-qualified file name of the glassfish-jk.properties file.

   asadmin> set server-config.network-config.network-listeners.network-listener.\
   jk-connector.jk-configuration-file=domain-dir/config/glassfish-jk.properties
   

7. If you expect to need more than five threads for the listener, increase the maximum threads in the http-thread-pool pool:

   asadmin> set configs.config.server-config.thread-pools.thread-pool.\
   http-thread-pool.max-thread-pool-size=value
   

8. To apply your changes, restart GlassFish Server.

   See To Restart a Domain.

LoadModule jk_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_jk.so
JkWorkersFile /etc/httpd/conf/worker.properties
# Where to put jk logs
JkLogFile /var/log/httpd/mod_jk.log
# Set the jk log level [debug/error/info]
JkLogLevel debug
# Select the log format
JkLogStampFormat "[%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y] "
# JkOptions indicate to send SSL KEY SIZE,
JkOptions +ForwardKeySize +ForwardURICompat -ForwardDirectories
# JkRequestLogFormat set the request format
JkRequestLogFormat "%w %V %T"
# Send all jsp requests to GlassFish
JkMount /*.jsp worker1
# Send all glassfish-test requests to GlassFish
JkMount /glassfish-test/* worker1

# Define 1 real worker using ajp13
worker.list=worker1
# Set properties for worker1 (ajp13)
worker.worker1.type=ajp13
worker.worker1.host=localhost
worker.worker1.port=8009

See Also

For more information on Apache, see http://httpd.apache.org/.

For more information on Apache Tomcat Connector, see http://tomcat.apache.org/connectors-doc/index.html.

To Load Balance Using mod_jk and GlassFish Server

Load balancing is the process of dividing the amount of work that a computer has to do between two or more computers so that more work gets done in the same amount of time. Load balancing can be configured with or without security.

In order to support stickiness, the Apache mod_jk load balancer relies on a jvmRoute system property that is included in any JSESSIONID received by the load balancer. This means that every GlassFish Server instance that is front-ended by the Apache load balancer must be configured with a unique jvmRoute system property.

1. On each of the instances, perform the steps in To Enable mod_jk.

   If your instances run on the same machine, you must choose different JK ports. The ports must match worker.worker*.port in your workers.properties file. See the properties file in Example 6-5.

2. On each of the instances, create the jvmRoute system property of GlassFish Server by using the create-jvm-options subcommand.

   Use the following format:

   asadmin> create-jvm-options "-DjvmRoute=/instance-worker-name"/
   

   where instance-worker-name is the name of the worker that you defined to represent the instance in the workers.properties file.

3. To apply your changes, restart Apache HTTP Server and GlassFish Server.

LoadModule jk_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_jk.so 
JkWorkersFile /etc/httpd/conf/worker.properties 
# Where to put jk logs 
JkLogFile /var/log/httpd/mod_jk.log 
# Set the jk log level [debug/error/info] 
JkLogLevel debug 
# Select the log format 
JkLogStampFormat "[%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y] " 
# JkOptions indicate to send SSL KEY SIZE, 
JkOptions +ForwardKeySize +ForwardURICompat -ForwardDirectories 
# JkRequestLogFormat set the request format 
JkRequestLogFormat "%w %V %T" 
# Send all jsp requests to GlassFish 
JkMount /*.jsp worker1 
# Send all glassfish-test requests to GlassFish 
JkMount /glassfish-test/* loadbalancer

worker.list=worker1,worker2,loadbalancer
worker.worker1.type=ajp13
worker.worker1.host=localhost
worker.worker1.port=8009
worker.worker1.lbfactor=1
worker.worker1.socket_keepalive=1
worker.worker1.socket_timeout=300
worker.worker2.type=ajp13
worker.worker2.host=localhost
worker.worker2.port=8010
worker.worker2.lbfactor=1
worker.worker2.socket_keepalive=1
worker.worker2.socket_timeout=300
worker.loadbalancer.type=lb
worker.loadbalancer.balance_workers=worker1,worker2

To Enable SSL Between the mod_jk Load Balancer and the Browser

To activate security for mod_jk on GlassFish Server, you must first generate a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) self-signed certificate on the Apache HTTP Server with the mod_ssl module. The tasks include generating a private key, a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), a self-signed certificate, and configuring SSL-enabled virtual hosts.

Before You Begin

The mod_jk connector must be enabled.

1. Generate the private key as follows:

   openssl genrsa -des3 -rand file1:file2:file3:file4:file5 -out server.key 1024
   

   where file1:file2: and so on represents the random compressed files.

2. Remove the pass-phrase from the key as follows:

   openssl rsa -in server.key -out server.pem 
   

3. Generate the CSR is as follows:

   openssl req -new -key server.pem -out server.csr
   

   Enter the information you are prompted for.

4. Generate a temporary certificate as follows:

   openssl x509 -req -days 60 -in server.csr -signkey server.pem -out server.crt
   

   This temporary certificate is good for 60 days.

5. Create the http-ssl.conf file under the /etc/apache2/conf.d directory.

6. In the http-ssl.conf file, add one of the following redirects:

   • Redirect a web application, for example, JkMount /hello/* worker1.

   • Redirect all requests, for example, JkMount /* worker1.

   # Send all jsp requests to GlassFish
   JkMount /*.jsp worker1
   # Send all glassfish-test requests to GlassFish
   JkMount /glassfish-test/* loadbalancer 
   

Listen 443
<VirtualHost _default_:443>
SSLEngine on
SSLCipherSuite ALL:!ADH:!EXP56:RC4+RSA:+HIGH:+MEDIUM:+LOW:+SSLv2:+EXP:+eNULL
SSLCertificateFile "/etc/apache2/2.2/server.crt"
SSLCertificateKeyFile "/etc/apache2/2.2/server.pem"
JkMount /* worker1
</VirtualHost>

To Enable SSL Between the mod_jk Load Balancer and GlassFish Server

This procedure does not enable SSL transfer between mod_jk and GlassFish Server. It enables mod_jk to forward SSL-encrypted information from the browser to GlassFish Server.

Before You Begin

The self-signed certificate must be configured.

1. Perform the steps in To Enable mod_jk.

2. Start another GlassFish Server with at least one web application deployed.

   In order for the mod_jk-enabled network listener to start listening for requests, the web container must be started. Normally, this is achieved by deploying a web application.

3. Follow instructions from To Configure an HTTP Listener for SSL on the mod_jk connector.

   Use the following format:

   asadmin> create-ssl --type http-listener --certname sampleCert new-listener
   

4. Add the following directives in the httpd.conf file under the /etc/apache2/conf.d directory:

   # Should mod_jk send SSL information (default is On)
   JkExtractSSL On
   # What is the indicator for SSL (default is HTTPS)
   JkHTTPSIndicator HTTPS
   # What is the indicator for SSL session (default is SSL_SESSION_ID)
   JkSESSIONIndicator SSL_SESSION_ID
   # What is the indicator for client SSL cipher suit (default is SSL_CIPHER )
   JkCIPHERIndicator SSL_CIPHER
   # What is the indicator for the client SSL certificated? (default is SSL_CLIENT_CERT )
   JkCERTSIndicator SSL_CLIENT_CERT
   

5. To apply your changes, restart Apache HTTP Server and GlassFish Server.

To Enable mod_proxy_ajp

You can front GlassFish Server with Apache HTTP Server and its mod_proxy_ajp connector by enabling the AJP protocol for one of GlassFish Server's network listeners, as described in this procedure. A typical use for mod_proxy_ajp would be to have Apache HTTP Server handle requests for static resources, while having requests for dynamic resources, such as servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSPs), forwarded to, and handled by the GlassFish Server back-end instance.

1. Install Apache HTTP Server.

   For information on installing Apache HTTP Server, see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/install.html.

2. Configure apache2/conf/httpd.conf, the main Apache configuration file.

   For example:

   LoadModule proxy_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_proxy.so
   LoadModule proxy_ajp_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_proxy_ajp.so
    
   Listen 1979
   NameVirtualHost *:1979
   <VirtualHost *:1979>
      ServerName localhost
      ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/ajp.error.log
      CustomLog /var/log/apache2/ajp.log combined
    
      <Proxy *>
        AddDefaultCharset Off
        Order deny,allow
        Allow from all
      </Proxy>
    
      ProxyPass / ajp://localhost:8009/
      ProxyPassReverse / ajp://localhost:8009/
   </VirtualHost>
   

3. Start Apache HTTP Server (httpd).

4. Create a jk-enabled network listener by using the create-network-listener subcommand.

   asadmin> create-network-listener --protocol http-listener-1 \
   --listenerport 8009 --jkenabled true jk-connector
   

5. If you expect to need more than five threads for the listener, increase the maximum threads in the http-thread-pool pool:

   asadmin> set configs.config.server-config.thread-pools.thread-pool.\
   http-thread-pool.max-thread-pool-size=value
   

6. To apply your changes, restart GlassFish Server.

   See To Restart a Domain.

See Also

For more information on Apache, see http://httpd.apache.org/.

For more information on the Apache mod_proxy_ajp Connector, see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.1/mod/mod_proxy.html and http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.1/mod/mod_proxy_ajp.html.

For more information on the AJP protocol, see http://tomcat.apache.org/connectors-doc/ajp/ajpv13a.html.

To Load Balance Using mod_proxy_ajp and GlassFish Server

Load balancing is the process of dividing the amount of work that a computer has to do between two or more computers so that more work gets done in the same amount of time. In the GlassFish Server context, load balancing is most frequently used to distribute work among the instances in a GlassFish Server cluster.

To configure load balancing using mod_proxy_ajp, you must use the mod_proxy_balancer Apache module in addition to mod_proxy_ajp.

In order to support stickiness, the mod_proxy_balancer load balancer relies on a jvmRoute system property that is included in any JSESSIONID received by the load balancer. Consequently, every GlassFish Server instance that is front-ended by the Apache load balancer must be configured with a unique jvmRoute system property.

1. Install Apache HTTP Server.

   For information on installing Apache HTTP Server, see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/install.html.

2. Configure apache2/conf/httpd.conf, the main Apache configuration file.

   For example:

   LoadModule proxy_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_proxy.so
   LoadModule proxy_ajp_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_proxy_ajp.so
   LoadModule proxy_balancer_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/mod_proxy_balancer.so
    
   # Forward proxy needs to be turned off
   ProxyRequests Off
   # Keep the original Host Header
   ProxyPreserveHost On
    
      <Proxy *>
         Order deny,allow
         Deny from all
         Allow from localhost
      </Proxy>
    
   # Each BalancerMember corresponds to an instance in the GlassFish Server
   # cluster. The port specified for each instance must match the ajp port
   # specified for that instance.
   <Proxy balancer://localhost>
       BalancerMember ajp://localhost:8009
       BalancerMember ajp://localhost:8010
       BalancerMember ajp://localhost:8011
   </Proxy>
   

3. Start Apache HTTP Server (httpd).

4. In GlassFish Server, use the create-network-listener subcommand to create a jk-enabled network listener targeted to the cluster.

   For example:

   asadmin> create-network-listener --jkenabled true --target cluster1 \
   --protocol http-listener-1 --listenerport ${AJP_PORT} jk-listener
   

   In this example, cluster1 is the name of the cluster and jk-listener is the name of the new listener.

5. If you expect to need more than five threads for the listener, increase the maximum threads in the http-thread-pool pool:

   asadmin> set configs.config.cluster1-config.thread-pools.thread-pool.\
   http-thread-pool.max-thread-pool-size=value
   

6. Use the create-jvm-options subcommand to create the jvmRoute property targeted to the cluster.

   For example:

   asadmin> create-jvm-options --target cluster1 \
   "-DjvmRoute=\${AJP_INSTANCE_NAME}"
   

7. Use the create-system-properties subcommand to define the AJP_PORT and AJP_INSTANCE_NAME properties for each of the instances in the cluster, making sure to match the port values you used in Step 2 when specifying the load balancer members.

   For example:

   asadmin> create-system-properties --target instance1 AJP_PORT=8009
   asadmin> create-system-properties --target instance1 \
   AJP_INSTANCE_NAME=instance1
   asadmin> create-system-properties --target instance2 AJP_PORT=8010
   asadmin> create-system-properties --target instance2 \
   AJP_INSTANCE_NAME=instance2
   asadmin> create-system-properties --target instance3 AJP_PORT=8011
   asadmin> create-system-properties --target instance3 \
   AJP_INSTANCE_NAME=instance3
   

   In this example, instance1, instance2 and instance3 are the names of the GlassFish Server instances in the cluster.

8. To apply your changes, restart GlassFish Server.

   See To Restart a Domain.