How do I Configure Pramati Server for Firewalls?

In typical deployment scenarios, servers are located behind firewalls and any RMI transport layer that attempts to open direct sockets to hosts on the Internet will not be allowed to do so. The default RMI transport provides two alternate HTTP-based mechanisms that enable a client to invoke a method on a remote object residing across the firewall. These are:

• HTTP tunneling when the RMI call is within the HTTP protocol
• Using the default socket factory

Administrators must consider the following points while using Server with firewalls:

• The naming service port will always have to be open.
• HTTP Tunneling drastically reduces performance of network communication and must be avoided if possible.

To configure Pramati Server or a Cluster node to run behind a firewall:

1. Open the HTTP port. In a typical firewall configuration, this is the default port that is open.
2. Open the Naming service port. This is mandatory if Naming service lookups have to occur from the client-side. If HTTP Tunneling is used, no other ports need to be open.
3. Open the port on which remote objects are to be exported if HTTP Tunneling is not used. This port is already configured as part of Server. See the <export-port> tag under <server-nodes> in server-config.xml. The value is zero by default, when it exports remote objects on random ports. Specifying an unused port here exports all remote objects onto this port. Hence, this port must be open to enable the client to talk to remote objects behind a firewall.
4. Open the class file server port (this must be done) to enable dynamic downloading of stubs to clients across firewalls. This port can be specified in server-config.xml under <class-file-server-port>. By default it is 5020. If dynamic downloading of the EJB stubs is not required, then there is no need to open this port across the firewall.
5. Confirm that the configuration file of Server has the global IP of the node specified in the <host-ip> tag. When starting the Server, provide the following command line argument to the JVM: java -Djava.rmi.server.hostname = <GLOBALIP> com.pramati.Server.

Related Topics:

• What is HTTP Tunneling (Port Filtering Firewalls)?
• How do I configure client?
• How do I configure RMI servers?
• How do I work with NAT Firewalls?
• What is default socket factory?
• What are the various hosting scenarios?

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