Administration and Configuration Guide

JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.1

For Use with Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6

Edition 1

Nidhi Chaudhary

Lucas Costi

Russell Dickenson

Sande Gilda

Vikram Goyal

Eamon Logue

Darrin Mison

Scott Mumford

David Ryan

Misty Stanley-Jones

Keerat Verma

Tom Wells

Abstract

This book is a guide to the administration and configuration of Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 and its patch releases.

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. About Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 (JBoss EAP 6)

Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 (JBoss EAP 6) is a fast, secure, powerful middleware platform built upon open standards, and compliant with the Java Enterprise Edition 6 specification. It integrates JBoss Application Server 7 with high-availability clustering, powerful messaging, distributed caching, and other technologies to create a stable and scalable platform.
The new modular structure allows for services to be enabled only when required, significantly increasing start up speed. The Management Console and Management Command Line Interface remove the need to edit XML configuration files by hand, adding the ability to script and automate tasks. In addition, it includes APIs and development frameworks that can be used to develop secure, powerful, and scalable Java EE applications quickly.

1.2. About the Use of EAP_HOME in this Document

In this document, the variable EAP_HOME is used to denote the path to the JBoss EAP 6 installation. Replace this variable with the actual path to your JBoss EAP 6 installation.

1.3. Features of JBoss EAP 6

Table 1.1. 6.1.0 Features

Feature Description
Java Certification Certified implementation of the Java Enterprise Edition 6 Full Profile and Web Profile specifications.
Managed Domain
  • Centralized management of multiple server instances and physical hosts, while a Standalone Server allows for a single server instance.
  • Configurations, deployments, socket bindings, modules, extensions, and system properties are managed per server group.
  • Application security, including security domains, are managed centrally for simplified configuration.
Management Console and Management CLI New interfaces are provided to manage the domain or standalone server. Manual editing of XML configuration files is no longer required. The Management CLI also offers batch mode that can script and automate management tasks.
Simplified directory layout The modules/ directory now contains the application server modules, instead of using common and server-specific lib/directories. The domain/ and standalone/ directories contain the artifacts and configuration files for domain and standalone deployments.
Modular classloading mechanism Modules are loaded and unloaded on demand to provide performance and security benefits and a faster start-up and restart time.
Streamlined Data source management Database drivers are deployed just like other services. In addition, datasources are created and managed directly in the Management Console or Management CLI.
Faster start and stop time JBoss EAP 6 uses fewer resources and is extremely efficient in its use of system resources. This is especially beneficial for developers.

1.4. About JBoss EAP 6 Operating Modes

JBoss EAP provides two modes of operating the JBoss EAP instances. It can either be booted into a standalone server, or managed domain. Each mode is designed to suit the different needs of diverse business scenarios. It enables you to choose from a single server installation or coordinated multi-server management to leverage on your business needs and automate processes for ease of management.
The choice between a managed domain and standalone servers is all about how your servers are managed and not what capabilities they provide to service the end user requests. This distinction is particularly important when it comes to high availability (HA) clusters. It is important to understand that HA functionality is orthogonal to running standalone servers or a managed domain. That is, a group of standalone servers can be configured to form an HA cluster.

1.5. About Standalone Servers

A standalone server is one of two operating modes for the JBoss EAP. A standalone server mode is an independent process and is analogous to the only running mode of previous versions of the JBoss EAP.
A JBoss EAP instance running as a standalone server is a single instance only, but can optionally run in a clustered configuration.

1.6. About Managed Domains

A managed domain is one of two operating modes for a JBoss EAP instance. It is a mode to manage multiple instances of JBoss EAP from a single point of control.
A collection of servers that are centrally managed are known as members of a domain. All the JBoss EAP instances in the domain share a common management policy. A domain consists of one domain controller, one or more host controller(s), and zero or more server groups per host.
A domain controller is the central point from which the domain is controlled. It ensures that each server is configured according to the management policy of the domain. The domain controller is also a host controller. A host controller is a physical or a virtual host on which the domain.sh or domain.bat script is run. Unlike the domain controller, the host controllers are configured to delegate domain management tasks to it. The host controller on each host interacts with the domain controller to control the lifecycle of the application server instances running on its host and to assist the domain controller to manage them. Each host can contain multiple server groups. A server group is a set of server instances, which has JBoss EAP installed on it and are managed and configured as one. Since the domain controller manages the configuration and applications deployed onto server groups, each server in a server group shares the same configuration and deployments.
It is possible for a domain controller, a single host controller, and multiple servers to run within the same instance of the JBoss EAP, on the same physical system. Host controllers are tied to specific physical (or virtual) hosts. You can run multiple host controllers on the same hardware if you use different configurations, so that the ports and other resources do not conflict.
A managed domain with one domain controller, three host controllers, and three server groups. Servers are members of server groups, and may be located on any of the host controllers in the domain.

Figure 1.1. Graphical Representation of a Managed Domain

1.7. About the Domain Controller

A Domain Controller is JBoss EAP 6 server instance that acts as a central management point for a domain. One host controller instance is configured to act as a domain controller. The primary responsibilities of the domain controller are:
  • Maintain the domain's central management policy
  • Ensure all host controllers are aware of its current contents
  • Assist the host controllers in ensuring that all running JBoss EAP 6 instances are configured in accordance with this policy
The central management policy is stored by default in the domain/configuration/domain.xml file, in the unzipped JBoss EAP 6 installation file, on the domain controller's host's filesystem.
A domain.xml file must be located in the domain/configuration/ directory of the host controller that is meant to run as the domain controller. This file is not mandatory for installations on host controllers that are not meant to run as a domain controller though, the presence of a domain.xml file on such a server does no harm. The domain.xml file contains the configuration of the various profiles that can be configured to run on the server instances in a domain. A profile configuration includes the detailed configuration of the various subsystems that comprise a profile. The domain configuration also includes the definition of groups of sockets and the definition of server groups.

1.8. About Domain Controller Failover

If a domain controller fails due to some reason, you can configure and promote any of the host controllers to act as domain controller.

1.9. About Host Controller

A host controller is launched, when the script domain.sh or domain.bat script is run on a host. The primary responsibility of a host controller is server management. It delegates domain management tasks and is responsible for starting and stopping the individual application server processes that run on its host. It interacts with the domain controller to help manage the communication between the servers and the domain controller. Multiple host controllers of a domain can interact with only a single domain controller. Hence, all the host controllers and server instances running on a single domain mode can have a single domain controller and must belong to the same domain.
Each host controller by default reads its configuration from the domain/configuration/host.xml file located in the unzipped JBoss EAP 6 installation file on its host's filesystem. The host.xml file contains the following configuration information that is specific to the particular host:
  • List of the names of the actual JBoss EAP 6 instances that are meant to run from this installation
  • Any of the following configurations:
    • how the host controller contacts the domain controller to register itself and access the domain configuration
    • how to find and contact a remote domain controller
    • telling the host controller to itself act as the domain controller
  • Configuration of items that are specific to the local physical installation. For example, named interface definitions declared in domain.xml can be mapped to an actual machine-specific IP address in host.xml. Abstract path names in domain.xml can be mapped to actual filesystem paths in host.xml.

1.10. About Server Groups

A server group is a collection of server instances that are managed and configured as one. In a managed domain, every application server instance belongs to a server group, even if it is the only member. The server instances in a group share the same profile configuration and deployed content. A domain controller and a host controller enforces the standard configuration on all server instances of every server group in its domain. A domain can consist of multiple server groups. Different server groups can be configured with different profiles and deployments, for example in a domain with different tiers of servers providing different services. Different server groups can also have the same profile and deployments, for example to support rolling application upgrade scenarios where a complete service outage is avoided by first upgrading the application on one server group and then upgrading a second server group.
The following is an example of a server group definition:
     
<server-group name="main-server-group" profile="default">
 <socket-binding-group ref="standard-sockets"/>
  <deployments>
   <deployment name="foo.war_v1" runtime-name="foo.war"/>
   <deployment name="bar.ear" runtime-name="bar.ear"/>
  </deployments>
</server-group>

A server group includes the following mandatory attributes:
  • name: the name of the server group
  • profile: the name of the profile for the server group
A server group includes the following optional attributes:
  • socket-binding-group: the name of the default socket binding group to be used for servers in the group. This name can be overridden on a per-server basis in host.xml. If the socket-binding-group name is not provided in the server-group element, it must be provided for each server in the host.xml.
  • deployments: the deployment content to be deployed on the servers in the group
  • system-properties: the system properties to be set on servers in the group
  • jvm: the default jvm settings for all servers in the group. The host controller merges these settings with any other configuration provided in host.xml to derive the settings to be used to launch the server's JVM.

1.11. About JBoss EAP 6 Profiles

The concept of profiles that was used in previous versions of JBoss EAP is no longer used. JBoss EAP 6 now uses a small number of configuration files to hold all information about its configuration.
Modules and drivers are loaded on an as-needed basis, so the concept of a default profile which was used in previous versions of JBoss EAP 6, where profiles were used to make the server start more efficiently, does not apply. At deployment time, module dependencies are determined, ordered, and resolved by the server or domain controller, and loaded in the correct order. During undeployment, modules are unloaded when no deployment needs them any longer.
It is possible to disable modules or undeploy drivers or other services manually by removing the subsystems from the configuration. However, for most cases this is unnecessary. If none of your applications use a module, it will not be loaded.

Chapter 2. Application Server Management

2.1. Start JBoss EAP 6

2.1.2. Start JBoss EAP 6 as a Standalone Server

Summary

This topic covers the steps to start JBoss EAP 6 as a Standalone Server.

Procedure 2.1. Start the Platform Service as a Standalone Server

  1. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

    Run the command: EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.sh
  2. For Microsoft Windows Server.

    Run the command: EAP_HOME\bin\standalone.bat
  3. Optional: Specify additional parameters.

    To print a list of additional parameters to pass to the start-up scripts, use the -h parameter.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 Standalone Server instance starts.

2.1.3. Start JBoss EAP 6 as a Managed Domain

Order of Operations

The domain controller must be started before any slave servers in any server groups in the domain. Use this procedure first on the domain controller, and then on each associated host controller and each other host associated with the domain.

Procedure 2.2. Start the Platform Service as a Managed Domain

  1. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

    Run the command: EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh
  2. For Microsoft Windows Server.

    Run the command: EAP_HOME\bin\domain.bat
  3. Optional: Pass additional parameters to the start-up script.

    For a list of parameters you can pass to the start-up script, use the -h parameter.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 Managed Domain instance starts.

2.1.4. Start JBoss EAP 6 with an Alternative Configuration

If you do not specify a configuration file, the server starts with the default file. However, when you start the server, you can specify a configuration manually. The process varies slightly, depending on whether you are using a Managed Domain or Standalone Server, and depending on which operating system you are using.

Prerequisites

  • Before using an alternate configuration file, prepare it using the default configuration as a template. For a Managed Domain, the configuration file needs to be placed in the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/ directory. For a Standalone Server, the configuration file should be placed in the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/ directory.

Note

Several example configurations are included in the EAP_HOME/docs/examples/configs/ directory. Use these examples to enable extra features such as clustering or the Transactions XTS API.

Procedure 2.3. Start the Instance with an Alternative Configuration

  1. Managed Domain

    For a Managed Domain, provide the file name of the configuration file as an option to the --domain-config parameter. The file must be present in the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/ directory, and you need to specify the path relative to that directory.

    Example 2.1. Using an alternate configuration file for a Managed Domain in Red Hat Enterprise Linux

    [user@host bin]$ ./domain.sh --domain-config=domain-alternate.xml
    This example uses the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain-alternate.xml configuration file.

    Example 2.2. Using an alternate configuration file for a Managed Domain in Microsoft Windows Server

    C:\EAP_HOME\bin> domain.bat --domain-config=domain-alternate.xml
    
    
    This example uses the EAP_HOME\domain\configuration\domain-alternate.xml configuration file.
  2. Standalone server

    For a Standalone Server, provide the filename of the configuration file as an option to the --server-config parameter. The configuration file must be located in the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/ directory, and you need to specify the file path relative to that directory.

    Example 2.3. Using an alternate configuration file for a Standalone Server in Red Hat Enterprise Linux

    [user@host bin]$ ./standalone.sh --server-config=standalone-alternate.xml
    This example uses the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone-alternate.xml configuration file.

    Example 2.4. Using an alternate configuration file for a Standalone Server in Microsoft Windows Server

    C:\EAP_HOME\bin> standalone.bat --server-config=standalone-alternate.xml
    This example uses the EAP_HOME\standalone\configuration\standalone-alternative.xml configuration file.
Result

JBoss Enterprise Application Platform is now running, using your alternate configuration file.

2.1.5. Stop JBoss EAP 6

The way that you stop JBoss EAP 6 depends on how it was started. This task covers stopping an instance that was started interactively, stopping an instance that was started by a service, and stopping an instance that was forked into the background by a script.

Note

This task does not address stopping a server or server group in a Managed Domain. For those scenarios, see Section 2.2.3, “Stop a Server Using the Management Console”.

Procedure 2.4. Stop a standalone instance of JBoss EAP 6

  1. Stop an instance which was started interactively from a command prompt.

    Press Ctrl-C in the terminal where JBoss EAP 6 is running.
  2. Stop an instance which was started as an operating system service.

    Depending on your operating system, use one of the following procedures.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

      For Red Hat Enterprise Linux, if you have written a service script, use its stop facility. This needs to be written into the script. Then you can use service scriptname stop, where scriptname is the name of your script.
    • Microsoft Windows Server

      In Microsoft Windows, use the net service command, or stop the service from the Services applet in the Control Panel.
  3. Stop an instance which is running in the background (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)

    1. Locate the instance from the process list. One option is to run the command ps aux |grep "[j]ava -server". This returns one result for each JBoss EAP 6 instance that is running on the local machine.
    2. Send the process the TERM signal, by running kill process_ID, where process_ID is the number in the second field of the ps aux command above.
Result

Each of these alternatives shuts JBoss EAP 6 down cleanly so that data is not lost.

2.1.6. Reference of Switches and Arguments to pass at Server Runtime

The application server startup script accepts the addition of arguments and switches at runtime. The use of these parameters allows for the server to be started under alternative configurations to those defined in the standalone.xml, domain.xml and host.xml configuration files. This might include starting the server with an alternative set of socket bindings or a secondary configuration. A list of these available parameters can be accessed by passing the help switch at startup.

Example 2.5. 

The following example is similar to the server startup explained in Section 2.1.2, “Start JBoss EAP 6 as a Standalone Server”, with the addition of the -h or --help switches. The results of the help switch are explained in the table below.
[localhost bin]$ standalone.sh -h

Table 2.1. Table of runtime switches and arguments

Argument or Switch Description
--admin-only Set the server's running type to ADMIN_ONLY. This will cause it to open administrative interfaces and accept management requests, but not start other runtime services or accept end user requests.
-b=<value> Set system property jboss.bind.address to the given value.
-b <value> Set system property jboss.bind.address to the given value.
-b<interface>=<value> Set system property jboss.bind.address.<interface> to the given value.
-c=<config> Name of the server configuration file to use. The default is standalone.xml.
-c <config> Name of the server configuration file to use. The default is standalone.xml.
--debug [<port>] Activate debug mode with an optional argument to specify the port. Only works if the launch script supports it.
-D<name>[=<value>] Set a system property.
-h Display the help message and exit.
--help Display the help message and exit.
-P=<url> Load system properties from the given URL.
-P <url> Load system properties from the given URL.
--properties=<url> Load system properties from the given URL.
-S<name>[=<value>] Set a security property.
--server-config=<config> Name of the server configuration file to use. The default is standalone.xml.
-u=<value> Set system property jboss.default.multicast.address to the given value.
-u <value> Set system property jboss.default.multicast.address to the given value.
-V Display the application server version and exit.
-v Display the application server version and exit.
--version Display the application server version and exit.

2.2. Start and Stop Servers

2.2.1. Start and Stop Servers

You can start and stop servers with the Management CLI or the Management Console. Both management tools allow you to control a single Standalone Server instance, or selectively manage multiple servers across a Managed Domain deployment. If you are using the Management Console, please refer to Section 2.2.2, “Start a Server Using the Management Console” for instructions. If you are using the Management CLI, the process varies between Standalone Server and Managed Domain instances.
Start and Stop a Standalone Server with the Management CLI

A Standalone Server instance can be started by the command line scripts, and shut down from the Management CLI with the shutdown command. If you require the instance again, run the startup process again as described in Section 2.1.2, “Start JBoss EAP 6 as a Standalone Server”.

Example 2.6. Stop a Standalone Server instance via the Management CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] shutdown
Start and Stop a Managed Domain with the Management CLI

If you are running a Managed Domain, the Management Console allows you to selectively start or stop specific servers in the domain. This includes server groups across the whole of the domain, as well as specific server instances on a host.

Example 2.7. Stop a Server Host in a Managed Domain via the Management CLI

Similar to Standalone Server instance, the shutdown command is used to shut down a declared Managed Domain host. This example stops a server host named master by declaring the instance name before calling the shutdown operation. Use the tab key to assist with string completion and to expose visible variables such as available host values.
[domain@localhost:9999 /] /host=master:shutdown

Example 2.8. Start and Stop a Server Group in a Managed Domain via the Management CLI

This example starts a default server group named main-server-group by declaring the group before calling the start and stop operations. Use the tab key to assist with string completion and to expose visible variables such as available server group name values.
[domain@localhost:9999 /] /server-group=main-server-group:start-servers
[domain@localhost:9999 /] /server-group=main-server-group:stop-servers

Example 2.9. Start and Stop a Server Instance in a Managed Domain via the Management CLI

This example starts and then stops a server instance named server-one on the master host by declaring the host and server configuration before calling the start and stop operations. Use the tab key to assist with string completion and to expose visible variables such as available host and server configuration values.
[domain@localhost:9999 /] /host=master/server-config=server-one:start
[domain@localhost:9999 /] /host=master/server-config=server-one:stop

2.2.2. Start a Server Using the Management Console

Procedure 2.5. Start the Server

  1. Navigate to Server Instances in the Management Console

    1. Select the Runtime tab from the top-right of the console.
    2. Select Domain StatusServer Instances from the menu on the left of the console.
    Server Instances

    Figure 2.1. Server Instances

  2. Select a server

    From the list of Server Instances, select the server you want to start. Servers that are running are indicated by a check mark.
  3. Click the Start button

    Click on the Start button above the server list to open the confirmation dialogue box. Click the Confirm button to start the server.
    Confirm server modification

    Figure 2.2. Confirm server modification

Result

The selected server is started and running.

Started server

Figure 2.3. Started server

2.2.3. Stop a Server Using the Management Console

Procedure 2.6. Stop a Server Using the Management Console

  1. Navigate to Server Instances in the Management Console

    1. Select the Runtime tab from the top-right of the console.
    2. Select Domain StatusServer Instances from the menu on the left of the console.
    Server Instances

    Figure 2.4. Server Instances

  2. Select a server

    From the list of Server Instances, select the server you want to stop. Servers that are running are indicated by a check mark.
  3. Click the Stop button

    Click on the Stop button above the server list to open the confirmation dialogue box. Click the Confirm button to stop the server.
Result

The selected server is stopped.

Stopped server

Figure 2.5. Stopped server

2.3. Filesystem Paths

2.3.1. Filesystem Paths

JBoss EAP 6 uses logical names for a filesystem paths. The domain.xml, host.xml and standalone.xml configurations all include a section where paths can be declared. Other sections of the configuration can then reference those paths by their logical name, avoiding the declaration of the absolute path for each instance. This benefits configuration and administration efforts as it allows specific host configurations to resolve to universal logical names.
For example, the logging subsystem configuration includes a reference to the jboss.server.log.dir path that points to the server's log directory.

Example 2.10. Relative path example for the logging directory

<file relative-to="jboss.server.log.dir" path="server.log"/>

JBoss EAP 6 automatically provides a number of standard paths without any need for the user to configure them in a configuration file.

Table 2.2. Standard Paths

Value Description
jboss.home The root directory of the JBoss EAP 6 distribution.
user.home The user home directory.
user.dir The user's current working directory.
java.home The Java installation directory
jboss.server.base.dir The root directory for an individual server instance.
jboss.server.data.dir The directory the server will use for persistent data file storage.
jboss.server.log.dir The directory the server will use for log file storage.
jboss.server.tmp.dir The directory the server will use for temporary file storage.
jboss.domain.servers.dir The directory under which a host controller will create the working area for individual server instances in a managed domain.
Users can add their own paths or override all except the first five of the above by adding a path element to their configuration file. The following example shows a new relative path declaration relative to the root directory for the individual server instance.

Example 2.11. Format of a relative path

<path name="examplename" path="example/path" relative-to="jboss.server.data.dir"/>

The structure of a path declaration uses the following attributes.

Table 2.3. Path Attributes

Attribute Description
name The name of the path.
path The actual filesystem path. Treated as an absolute path, unless the relative-to attribute is specified, in which case the value is treated as relative to that path.
relative-to An optional attribute indicating the name of another previously named path, or of one of the standard paths provided by the system.
A path element in a domain.xml configuration file only requires the name attribute. It does not need to include any information indicating what the actual filesystem path is, as shown in the following example.

Example 2.12. Domain path example

<path name="example"/>

This configuration simply declares that there is a path named example that the other parts of the domain.xml configuration can reference. The actual filesystem location declared by example is specific to the respective host.xml configuration files of the host instances joining the domain groups. If this approach is used, there must be a path element in each machine's host.xml that specifies what the actual filesystem path is.

Example 2.13. Host path example

<path name="example" path="path/to/example" />

A path element in a standalone.xml must include the specification of the actual filesystem path.

2.4. Configuration File History

2.4.1. About JBoss EAP 6 Configuration Files

The configuration for JBoss EAP 6 has changed considerably from previous versions. One of the most obvious differences is the use of a simplified configuration file structure, which includes one or more of the files listed below.

Table 2.4. Configuration File Locations

Server mode Location Purpose
domain.xml EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml This is the main configuration file for a managed domain. Only the domain master reads this file. On other domain members, it can be removed.
host.xml EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host.xml This file includes configuration details specific to a physical host in a managed domain, such as network interfaces, socket bindings, the name of the host, and other host-specific details. The host.xml file includes all of the features of both host-master.xml and host-slave.xml, which are described below. This file is not present for standalone servers.
host-master.xml EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host-master.xml This file includes only the configuration details necessary to run a server as a managed domain master server. This file is not present for standalone servers.
host-slave.xml EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host-slave.xml This file includes only the configuration details necessary to run a server as a managed domain slave server. This file is not present for standalone servers.
standalone.xml EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml This is the default configuration file for a standalone server. It contains all information about the standalone server, including subsystems, networking, deployments, socket bindings, and other configurable details. This configuration is used automatically when you start your standalone server.
standalone-full.xml EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone-full.xml This is an example configuration for a standalone server. It includes support for every possible subsystem except for those required for high availability. To use it, stop your server and restart using the following command: EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.sh -c standalone-full.xml
standalone-ha.xml EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone-ha.xml This example configuration file enables all of the default subsystems and adds the mod_cluster and JGroups subsystems for a standalone server, so that it can participate in a high-availability or load-balancing cluster. This file is not applicable for a managed domain. To use this configuration, stop your server and restart using the following command: EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.sh -c standalone-ha.xml
standalone-full-ha.xml EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone-full-ha.xml This is an example configuration for a standalone server. It includes support for every possible subsystem, including those required for high availability. To use it, stop your server and restart using the following command: EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.sh -c standalone-full-ha.xml
These are only the default locations. You can specify a different configuration file at run-time.

2.4.2. Configuration File History

The application server configuration files include standalone.xml, as well as the domain.xml and host.xml files. While these files may be modified by direct editing, the recommended method is to configure the application server model with the available management operations, including the Management CLI and the Management Console.
To assist in the maintenance and management of the server instance, the application server creates a timestamped version of the original configuration file at the time of startup. Any additional configuration changes made by management operations result in the original file being automatically backed up, and a working copy of the instance being preserved for reference and rollback. This archival functionality extends to saving, loading and deleting snapshots of the server configuration to allow for recall and rollback scenarios.

2.4.3. Start the Server with a Previous Configuration

The following example shows how to start the application server with a previous configuration in a standalone server with standalone.xml. The same concept applies to a managed domain with domain.xml and host.xml respectively.
This example recalls a previous configuration saved automatically by the application server as management operations modify the server model.
  1. Identify the backed up version that you want to start. This example will recall the instance of the server model prior to the first modification after successfully booting up.
    EAP_HOME/configuration/standalone_xml_history/current/standalone.v1.xml 
  2. Start the server with this configuration of the backed up model by passing in the relative filename under jboss.server.config.dir.
    EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.sh --server-config=standalone_xml_history/current/standalone.v1.xml 
Result

The application server starts with the selected configuration.

2.4.4. Save a Configuration Snapshot Using the Management CLI

Summary

Configuration snapshots are a point-in-time copy of the current server configuration. These copies can be saved and loaded by the administrator.

The following example uses the standalone.xml configuration file, but the same process applies to the domain.xml and host.xml configuration files.

Procedure 2.7. Take a Configuration Snapshot and Save It

  • Save a snapshot

    Run the take-snapshot operation to capture a copy of the current server configuration.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] :take-snapshot
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => "/home/User/EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone_xml_history/snapshot/20110630-172258657standalone.xml"
    
Result

A snapshot of the current server configuration has been saved.

2.4.5. Load a Configuration Snapshot

Configuration snapshots are a point-in-time copy of the current server configuration. These copies can be saved and loaded by the administrator. The process of loading snapshots is similar to the method used to Section 2.4.3, “Start the Server with a Previous Configuration”, running from the command line rather than the Management CLI interface used to create, list and delete snapshots.
The following example uses the standalone.xml file, but the same process applies to the domain.xml and host.xml files.

Procedure 2.8. Load a Configuration Snapshot

  1. Identify the snapshot to be loaded. This example will recall the following file from the snapshot directory. The default path for the snapshot files is as follows.
    EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone_xml_history/snapshot/20110812-191301472standalone.xml
    The snapshots are expressed by their relative paths, by which the above example can be written as follows.
    jboss.server.config.dir/standalone_xml_history/snapshot/20110812-191301472standalone.xml
  2. Start the server with the selected configuration snapshot by passing in the filename.
    EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.sh --server-config=standalone_xml_history/snapshot/20110913-164449522standalone.xml
Result

The server restarts with the configuration selected in the loaded snapshot.

2.4.6. Delete a Configuration Snapshot Using Management CLI

Configuration snapshots are a point-in-time copy of the current server configuration. These copies can be saved and loaded by the administrator.
The following examples use the standalone.xml file, but the same process applies to the domain.xml and host.xml files.

Procedure 2.9. Delete a Specific Snapshot

  1. Identify the snapshot to be deleted. This example will delete the following file from the snapshot directory.
    EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone_xml_history/snapshot/20110630-165714239standalone.xml
  2. Run the :delete-snapshot command to delete a specific snapshot, specifying the name of the snapshot as in the example below.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] :delete-snapshot(name="20110630-165714239standalone.xml")
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
Result

The snapshot has been deleted.

Procedure 2.10. Delete All Snapshots

  • Run the :delete-snapshot(name="all") command to delete all snapshots as in the example below.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] :delete-snapshot(name="all")
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
Result

All snapshots have been deleted.

2.4.7. List All Configuration Snapshots Using Management CLI

Configuration snapshots are a point-in-time copy of the current server configuration. These copies can be saved and loaded by the administrator.
The following example uses the standalone.xml file, but the same process applies to the domain.xml and host.xml files.

Procedure 2.11. List All Configuration Snapshots

  • List all snapshots

    List all of the saved snapshots by running the :list-snapshots command.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] :list-snapshots
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "directory" => "/home/hostname/EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone_xml_history/snapshot",
            "names" => [
                "20110818-133719699standalone.xml",
                "20110809-141225039standalone.xml",
                "20110802-152010683standalone.xml",
                "20110808-161118457standalone.xml",
                "20110912-151949212standalone.xml",
                "20110804-162951670standalone.xml"
            ]
        }
    }
    
Result

The snapshots are listed.

Chapter 3. Management Interfaces

3.1. Manage the Application Server

JBoss EAP 6 offers you multiple management tools to configure and administer your implementation as you require. These include the new Management Console or the Management Command Line Interface (CLI), as examples of the underlying Management API that enables expert users to develop their own tools if they desire.

3.2. Management Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

Management clients

JBoss EAP 6 offers three different approaches to configure and manage servers, being a web interface, a command line client and a set of XML configuration files. While the recommended methods for editing the configuration file include the Management Console and Management CLI, edits made to the configuration by all three are always synchronized across the different views and finally persisted to the XML files. Note that edits made to the XML configuration files while a server instance is running will be overwritten by the server model.

HTTP API

The Management Console is an example of a web interface built with the Google Web Toolkit (GWT). The Management Console communicates with the server using the HTTP management interface. The HTTP API endpoint is the entry point for management clients that rely on the HTTP protocol to integrate with the management layer. It uses a JSON encoded protocol and a de-typed, RPC-style API to describe and execute management operations against a Managed Domain or Standalone Server. The HTTP API is used by the web console, but offers integration capabilities for a wide range of other clients too.

The HTTP API endpoint is co-located with either the domain controller or a Standalone Server instance. The HTTP API Endpoint serves two different contexts; one for executing management operations and the other to access the web interface. By default, it runs on port 9990.

Example 3.1. HTTP API Configuration File Example

<management-interfaces>
    [...]
    <http-interface interface="management" port="9990"/>
<management-interfaces>
The web console is served through the same port as the HTTP management API. It is important to distinguish between the Management Console accessed as on a default localhost, the Management Console as accessed remotely by a specific host and port combination, and the exposed domain API.

Table 3.1. URLs to access the Management Console

URL Description
http://localhost:9990/console The Management Console accessed on the local host, controlling the Managed Domain configuration.
http://hostname:9990/console The Management Console accessed remotely, naming the host and controlling the Managed Domain configuration.
http://hostname:9990/management The HTTP Management API runs on the same port as the Management Console, displaying the raw attributes and values exposed to the API.
Native API

An example of a Native API tool is the Management CLI. This management tool is available for a Managed Domain or Standalone Server instance, allowing the a user to connect to the domain controller or a Standalone Server instance and execute management operations available through the de-typed management model.

The Native API endpoint is the entry point for management clients that rely on the native protocol to integrate with the management layer. It uses an open binary protocol and an RPC-style API based on a very small number of Java types to describe and execute management operations. It's used by the Management CLI management tool, but offers integration capabilities for a wide range of other clients too.
The Native API endpoint is co-located with either a host controller or a Standalone Server. It must be enabled to use the Management CLI. By default, it runs on port 9999.

Example 3.2. Native API Configuration File Example

<management-interfaces>
    <native-interface interface="management" port="9999"/>
    [...]
<management-interfaces>

3.3. About the Management Console and Management CLI

In JBoss EAP 6, all server instances and configurations are managed through management interfaces rather than by editing XML files. While the configuration XML files are still available for editing, administration through the management interfaces provides extra validation and advanced features for the persistent management of server instances. Changes made to the XML configuration files while the server instance is running will be overwritten by the server model, and any XML comments added will be removed as well. Only the management interfaces should be used for modifying the configuration files while a server instance is running.
To manage servers through a graphical user-interface in a web browser, use the Management Console.
To manage servers through a command line interface, use the Management CLI.

3.4. The Management Console

3.4.1. Management Console

The Management Console is a web-based administration tool for JBoss EAP 6.
Use the Management Console to start and stop servers, deploy and undeploy applications, tune system settings, and make persistent modifications to the server configuration. The Management Console also has the ability to perform administrative tasks, with live notifications when any changes require the server instance to be restarted or reloaded.
In a Managed Domain, server instances and server groups in the same domain can be centrally managed from the Management Console of the domain controller.

3.4.2. Log in to the Management Console

Prerequisites

  • JBoss EAP 6 must be running.

Procedure 3.1. Log in to the Management Console

  1. Navigate to the Management Console start page

    Navigate to the Management Console in your web browser. The default location is http://localhost:9990/console/, where port 9990 is predefined as the Management Console socket binding.
  2. Log in to the Management Console

    Enter the username and password of the account that you created previously to log into the Management Console login screen.
    The login screen for the Management console.

    Figure 3.1. Log in screen for the Management Console

Result

Once logged in, one of the Management Console landing pages appears:
Managed domain
Standalone server

3.4.3. Change the Language of the Management Console

The language settings of web-based Management Console use English by default. You can choose to use one of the following languages instead.

Supported Languages

  • German (de)
  • Simplified Chinese (zh-Hans)
  • Brazilian Portuguese (pt-BR)
  • French (fr)
  • Spanish (es)
  • Japanese (ja)

Procedure 3.2. Change the Language of the Web-based Management Console

  1. Log into the Management Console.

    Log into the web-based Management Console.
  2. Open the Settings dialog.

    Near the bottom right of the screen is a Settings label. Click it to open the settings for the Management Console.
  3. Select the desired language.

    Select the desired language from the Locale selection box. Select Save. A confirmation box informs you that you need to reload the application. Click Confirm. Refresh your web browser to use the new locale.

3.4.4. Configure a Server Using the Management Console

Procedure 3.3. Configure the Server

  1. Navigate to the server's Server Configuration panel in the Management Console

    1. Select the Server tab from the top-right of the console.
    2. Expand the Server Configurations menu item on the left of the console and select the relevant server from the list.
    Server configuration

    Figure 3.2. Server configuration

  2. Edit the server configuration

    1. Select the Edit button beneath the server list.
    2. Make changes to the configuration attributes.
    3. Select the Save button beneath the server list.
Result

The server configuration is changed, and will take effect next time the server restarts.

3.4.5. Add a Deployment in the Management Console

Procedure 3.4. Add and Verify a Deployment

  1. Navigate to the Manage Deployments panel in the Management Console

    1. Select the Runtime tab from the top right of the console.
    2. For a standalone server, expand the Server menu item on the left of the console and select Manage Deployments. For a managed domain, expand the Domain menu item on the left of the console and select Manage Deployments.
    The Manage Deployments panel appears.
    Manage standalone deployments

    Figure 3.3. Manage standalone deployments

  2. Add deployment content

    Select the Add button in the top right of the Deployments panel. An Upload dialog box appears.
  3. Choose a file to deploy

    In the dialog box, select the Choose File button. Browse to the file you want to deploy and select it for upload. Select the Next button to proceed once a file has been selected.
    Deployment selection

    Figure 3.4. Deployment selection

  4. Verify deployment names

    Verify the deployment name and runtime name that appear in the Upload dialog box. Select the Save button to upload the file once the names are verified.
    Verify deployment names

    Figure 3.5. Verify deployment names

Result

The selected content is uploaded to the server and is now ready for deployment.

Uploaded deployment on a standalone server instance

Figure 3.6. Uploaded deployment on a standalone server instance

3.4.6. Create a New Server in the Management Console

Procedure 3.5. Create a New Server Configuration

  1. Navigate to the Server Configurations page in the Management Console

    Select the Server tab from the top-right of the console.
  2. Create a new configuration

    1. Select the Add button at the top of the Server Configuration panel.
    2. Edit the basic server settings in the Create Server Configuration dialog.
    3. Select the Save button to save the new server configuration.
Result

The new server is created and listed in the Server Configurations list.

3.4.7. Change the Default Log Levels Using the Management Console

Procedure 3.6. Edit the Logging Levels

  1. Navigate to the Logging panel in the Management Console

    1. If you are working with a managed domain, select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console, then select the relevant profile from the drop-down list on the left of the console.
    2. For either a managed domain or a standalone server, select the CoreLogging option from the menu on the left of the console.
    3. Click on the Log Categories tab in the top of the console.
    Logging panel

    Figure 3.7. Logging panel

  2. Edit logger details

    Edit the details for any of the entries in the Log Categories table.
    1. Select an entry in the Log Categories table, then select the Edit button in the Details section below.
    2. Set the log level for the category with the Log Level drop-down box. Select the Save button when done.
Result

The log levels for the relevant categories are now updated.

3.4.8. Create a New Server Group in the Management Console

Procedure 3.7. Configure and Add a new Server Group

  1. Navigate to the Server Groups view

    Select the Hosts tab in the top-right corner.
  2. Select the Group Configurations tab under the Server Groups menu in the left hand column.
    The Server Groups view

    Figure 3.8. The Server Groups view

  3. Add a server group

    Click the Add button to add a new server group.
  4. Configure the server group

    1. Enter a name for the server group.
    2. Select the profile you want to add the server group to.
    3. Select the socket binding you want to add the server group to.
    4. Select the Save button to save your new group.
    The Create Server Group dialog

    Figure 3.9. The Create Server Group dialog

Result

The new server group is visible in the Management Console.

3.5. The Management CLI

3.5.1. About the Management Command Line Interface (CLI)

The Management Command Line Interface (CLI) is a command line administration tool for JBoss EAP 6.
Use the Management CLI to start and stop servers, deploy and undeploy applications, configure system settings, and perform other administrative tasks. Operations can be performed in batch modes, allowing multiple tasks to be run as a group.

3.5.2. Launch the Management CLI

Prerequisites

Procedure 3.8. Launch CLI in Linux or Windows

    • Launch the CLI in Linux

      Run the EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh file by entering the following at a command line:
      $ EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh
    • Launch the CLI in Windows

      Run the EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat file by double-clicking it, or by entering the following at a command line:
      C:\>EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat

3.5.3. Quit the Management CLI

Procedure 3.9. Quit the Management CLI

  • Run the quit command

    From the Management CLI, enter the quit command:
    [domain@localhost:9999 /] quit
    Closed connection to localhost:9999

3.5.4. Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI

Procedure 3.10. Connect to a Managed Server Instance

  • Run the connect command

    From the Management CLI, enter the connect command:
    [disconnected /] connect
    Connected to domain controller at localhost:9999
    • Alternatively, to connect to a managed server when starting the Management CLI on a Linux system, use the --connect parameter:
      $ EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh --connect
    • The --connect parameter can be used to specify the host and port of the server. To connect to the address 192.168.0.1 with the port value 9999 the following would apply:
      $ EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh --connect --controller=192.168.0.1:9999

3.5.5. Get Help with the Management CLI

Summary

The Management CLI features a help dialog with general and context sensitive options. The help commands dependent on the operation context require an established connection to either a standalone or domain controller. These commands will not appear in the listing unless the connection has been established.

Procedure 3.11. General and Context-Sensitive Help

  1. Run the help command

    From the Management CLI, enter the help command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] help
  2. Get context sensitive help

    From the Management CLI, enter the help -commands extended command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] help --commands
  3. For a more detailed description of a specific command, execute the help command with '--help' as the argument.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]  deploy --help
Result

The CLI help information is displayed.

3.5.6. Use the Management CLI in Batch Mode

Summary

Batch processing allows a number of operation requests to be grouped in a sequence and executed together as a unit. If any of the operation requests in the sequence fail, the entire group of operations is rolled back.

Procedure 3.12. Batch Mode Commands and Operations

  1. Enter batch mode

    Enter batch mode with the batch command.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] batch
    [standalone@localhost:9999 / #]
    Batch mode is indicated by the hash symbol (#) in the prompt.
  2. Add operation requests to the batch

    Once in batch mode, enter operation requests as normal. The operation requests are added to the batch in the order they are entered.
    Refer to Section 3.5.8, “Use Operations and Commands in the Management CLI” for details on formatting operation requests.
  3. Run the batch

    Once the entire sequence of operation requests is entered, run the batch with the run-batch command.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 / #] run-batch
    The batch executed successfully.
    Refer to Section 3.5.7, “CLI Batch Mode Commands” for a full list of commands available for working with batches.
  4. Batch commands stored in external files

    Frequently run batch commands can be stored in an external text file and can either be loaded by passing the full path to the file as an argument to the batch command or executed directly by being an argument to the run-batch command.
    You can create a batch command file using a text editor. Each command must be on a line by itself and the CLI should be able to access it.
    The following command will load a myscript.txt file in the batch mode. All commands in this file will now be accessible to be edited or removed. New commands can be inserted. Changed made in this batch session do not persist to the myscript.txt file.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] batch --file=myscript.txt
    The following will instantly run the batch commands stored in the file myscript.txt
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] run-batch --file=myscript.txt
Result

The entered sequence of operation requests is completed as a batch.

3.5.7. CLI Batch Mode Commands

This table provides a list of valid batch commands that can be used in the JBoss EAP 6 CLI. These commands can only be used to work with batches.

Table 3.2. CLI Batch Mode Commands

Command Name Description
list-batch List of the commands and operations in the current batch.
edit-batch-line line-number edited-command Edit a line in the current batch by providing the line number to edit and the edited command. Example: edit-batch-line 2 data-source disable --name=ExampleDS.
move-batch-line fromline toline Re-order the lines in the batch by specifying the line number you want to move as the first argument and its new position as the second argument. Example: move-batch-line 3 1.
remove-batch-line linenumber Remove the batch command at the specified line. Example: remove-batch-line 3.
holdback-batch [batchname]
You can postpone or store a current batch by using this command. Use this if you want to suddenly execute something in the CLI outside the batch. To return to this heldback batch, simply type batch again at the CLI command line.
If you provide a batchname while using holdback-batch command the batch will be stored under that name. To return to the named batch, use the command batch batchname. Calling the batch command without a batchname will start a new (unnamed) batch. There can be only one unnamed heldback batch.
To see a list of all heldback batches, use the batch -l command.
discard-batch Dicards the currently active batch.

3.5.8. Use Operations and Commands in the Management CLI

Procedure 3.13. Create, Configure and Execute Requests

  1. Construct the operation request

    Operation requests allow for low-level interaction with the management model. They provide a controlled way to edit server configurations. An operation request consists of three parts:
    • an address, prefixed with a slash (/).
    • an operation name, prefixed with a colon (:).
    • an optional set of parameters, contained within parentheses (()).
    1. Determine the address

      The configuration is presented as a hierarchical tree of addressable resources. Each resource node offers a different set of operations. The address specifies which resource node to perform the operation on. An address uses the following syntax:
      /node-type=node-name
      • node-type is the resource node type. This maps to an element name in the configuration XML.
      • node-name is the resource node name. This maps to the name attribute of the element in the configuration XML.
      • Separate each level of the resource tree with a slash (/).
      Refer to the configuration XML files to determine the required address. The EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml file holds the configuration for a standalone server and the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml and EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host.xml files hold the configuration for a managed domain.

      Example 3.3. Example operation addresses

      To perform an operation on the logging subsystem, use the following address in an operation request:
      /subsystem=logging
      To perform an operation on the Java datasource, use the following address in an operation request:
      /subsystem=datasources/data-source=java
    2. Determine the operation

      Operations differ for each different type of resource node. An operation uses the following syntax:
      :operation-name
      • operation-name is the name of the operation to request.
      Use the read-operation-names operation on any resource address in a standalone server to list the available operations.

      Example 3.4. Available operations

      To list all available operations for the logging subsystem, enter the following request for a standalone server:
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging:read-operation-names
      {
          "outcome" => "success",
          "result" => [
              "add",
              "read-attribute",
              "read-children-names",
              "read-children-resources",
              "read-children-types",
              "read-operation-description",
              "read-operation-names",
              "read-resource",
              "read-resource-description",
              "remove",
              "undefine-attribute",
              "whoami",
              "write-attribute"
          ]
      }
      
    3. Determine any parameters

      Each operation may require different parameters.
      Parameters use the following syntax:
      (parameter-name=parameter-value)
      • parameter-name is the name of the parameter.
      • parameter-value is the value of the parameter.
      • Multiple parameters are separated by commas (,).
      To determine any required parameters, perform the read-operation-description command on a resource node, passing the operation name as a parameter. Refer to Example 3.5, “Determine operation parameters” for details.

      Example 3.5. Determine operation parameters

      To determine any required parameters for the read-children-types operation on the logging subsystem, enter the read-operation-description command as follows:
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging:read-operation-description(name=read-children-types)
      {
          "outcome" => "success",
          "result" => {
              "operation-name" => "read-children-types",
              "description" => "Gets the type names of all the children under the selected resource",
              "reply-properties" => {
                  "type" => LIST,
                  "description" => "The children types",
                  "value-type" => STRING
              },
              "read-only" => true
          }
      }
      
  2. Enter the full operation request

    Once the address, operation, and any parameters have been determined, enter the full operation request.

    Example 3.6. Example operation request

    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=web/connector=http:read-resource(recursive=true)
Result

The management interface performs the operation request on the server configuration.

3.5.9. Reference of Management CLI Commands

Summary

The topic Section 3.5.5, “Get Help with the Management CLI” describes how to access the Management CLI help features, including a help dialogue with general and context sensitive options. The help commands are dependent on the operation context and require an established connection to either a standalone or domain controller. These commands will not appear in the listing unless the connection has been established.

Table 3.3. 

Command Description
batch Starts the batch mode by creating a new batch or, depending on the existing held back batches, re-activates one. If there are no held back batches this command invoked w/o arguments will start a new batch. If there is an unnamed held back batch, this command will re-activate it. If there are named held back batches, they can be activated by executing this command with the name of the held back batch as the argument.
cd Changes the current node path to the argument. The current node path is used as the address for operation requests that do not contain the address part. If an operation request does include the address, the included address is considered relative to the current node path. The current node path may end on a node-type. In that case, to execute an operation specifying a node-name would be sufficient, such as logging:read-resource.
clear Clears the screen.
command Allows you to add new, remove and list existing generic type commands. A generic type command is a command that is assigned to a specific node type and which allows you to perform any operation available for an instance of that type. It can also modify any of the properties exposed by the type on any existing instance.
connect Connects to the controller on the specified host and port.
connection-factory Defines a connection factory.
data-source Manages JDBC datasource configurations in the datasource subsystem.
deploy Deploys the application designated by the file path or enables an application that is pre-existing but disabled in the repository. If executed without arguments, this command will list all the existing deployments.
help Displays the help message. Can be used with the --commands argument to provide context sensitive results for the given commands.
history Displays the CLI command history in memory and displays a status of whether the history expansion is enabled or disabled. Can be used with arguments to clear, disable and enable the history expansion as required.
jms-queue Defines a JMS queue in the messaging subsystem.
jms-topic Defines a JMS topic in the messaging subsystem.
ls List the contents of the node path. By default the result is printed in columns using the whole width of the terminal. Using the -l switch will print results on one name per line.
pwd Prints the full node path of the current working node.
quit Terminates the command line interface.
read-attribute Prints the value and, depending on the arguments, the description of the attribute of a managed resource.
read-operation Displays the description of a specified operation, or lists all available operations if none is specified.
undeploy Undeploys an application when run with the name of the intended application. Can be run with arguments to remove the application from the repository also. Prints the list of all existing deployments when executed without an application specified.
version Prints the application server version and environment information.
xa-data-source Manages JDBC XA datasource configuration in the datasource subsystem.

3.5.10. Reference of Management CLI Operations

Exposing operations in the Management CLI

Operations in the Management CLI can be exposed by using the read-operation-names operation described in the topic Section 3.6.5, “Display the Operation Names using the Management CLI”. The operation descriptions can be exposed by using the read-operation-descriptions operation described in the topic Section 3.6.4, “Display an Operation Description using the Management CLI”.

Table 3.4. Management CLI operations

Operation Name Description
add-namespace Adds a namespace prefix mapping to the namespaces attribute's map.
add-schema-location Adds a schema location mapping to the schema-locations attribute's map.
delete-snapshot Deletes a snapshot of the server configuration from the snapshots directory.
full-replace-deployment Add previously uploaded deployment content to the list of content available for use, replace existing content of the same name in the runtime, and remove the replaced content from the list of content available for use. Refer to link for further information.
list-snapshots Lists the snapshots of the server configuration saved in the snapshots directory.
read-attribute Displays the value of an attribute for the selected resource.
read-children-names Displays the names of all children under the selected resource with the given type.
read-children-resources Displays information about all of a resource's children that are of a given type.
read-children-types Displays the type names of all the children under the selected resource.
read-config-as-xml Reads the current configuration and displays it in XML format.
read-operation-description Displays the details of an operation on the given resource.
read-operation-names Displays the names of all the operations for the given resource.
read-resource Displays a model resource's attribute values along with either basic or complete information about any child resources.
read-resource-description Displays the description of a resource's attributes, types of children and operations.
reload Reloads the server by shutting all services down and restarting.
remove-namespace Removes a namespace prefix mapping from the namespaces attribute map.
remove-schema-location Removes a schema location mapping from the schema-locations attribute map.
replace-deployment Replace existing content in the runtime with new content. The new content must have been previously uploaded to the deployment content repository.
resolve-expression Operation that accepts an expression as input or a string that can be parsed into an expression, and resolves it against the local system properties and environment variables.
resolve-internet-address Takes a set of interface resolution criteria and finds an IP address on the local machine that matches the criteria, or fails if no matching IP address can be found.
server-set-restart-required Puts the server into a restart-required mode
shutdown Shuts down the server via a call to System.exit(0).
start-servers Starts all configured servers in a Managed Domain that are not currently running.
stop-servers Stops all servers currently running in a Managed Domain.
take-snapshot Takes a snapshot of the server configuration and saves it to the snapshots directory.
upload-deployment-bytes Indicates that the deployment content in the included byte array should be added to the deployment content repository. Note that this operation does not indicate the content should be deployed into the runtime.
upload-deployment-stream Indicates that the deployment content available at the included input stream index should be added to the deployment content repository. Note that this operation does not indicate the content should be deployed into the runtime.
upload-deployment-url Indicates that the deployment content available at the included URL should be added to the deployment content repository. Note that this operation does not indicate the content should be deployed into the runtime.
validate-address Validates the operation's address.
write-attribute Sets the value of an attribute for the selected resource.

3.6. Management CLI Operations

3.6.1. Display the Attributes of a Resource with the Management CLI

Summary

The read-attribute operation is a global operation used to read the current runtime value of a selected attribute. It can be used to expose only the values that have been set by the user, ignoring any default or undefined values. The request properties include the following parameters.

Request Properties

name
The name of the attribute to get the value for under the selected resource.
include-defaults
A Boolean parameter that can be set to false to restrict the operation results to only show attributes set by the user and ignore default values.

Procedure 3.14. Display the Current Runtime Value of a Selected Attribute

An advantage of the read-attribute operation is the ability to expose the current runtime value of a specific attribute. Similar results can be achieved with the read-resource operation, but only with the addition of the include-runtime request property, and only as part of a list of all available resources for that node. The read-attribute operation is intended for fine-grained attribute queries, as the following example shows.

Example 3.7. Run the read-attribute operation to expose the public interface IP

If you know the name of the attribute that you would like to expose, you can use the read-attribute to return the exact value in the current runtime.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /interface=public:read-attribute(name=resolved-address)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => "127.0.0.1"
}

The resolved-address attribute is a runtime value, so it is not displayed in the results of the standard read-resource operation.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /interface=public:read-resource                        
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "any" => undefined,
        "any-address" => undefined,
        "any-ipv4-address" => undefined,
        "any-ipv6-address" => undefined,
        "inet-address" => expression "${jboss.bind.address:127.0.0.1}",
        "link-local-address" => undefined,
        "loopback" => undefined,
        "loopback-address" => undefined,
        "multicast" => undefined,
        "name" => "public",
        "nic" => undefined,
        "nic-match" => undefined,
        "not" => undefined,
        "point-to-point" => undefined,
        "public-address" => undefined,
        "site-local-address" => undefined,
        "subnet-match" => undefined,
        "up" => undefined,
        "virtual" => undefined
    }
}

To display resolved-address and other runtime values, you must use the include-runtime request property.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /interface=public:read-resource(include-runtime=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "any" => undefined,
        "any-address" => undefined,
        "any-ipv4-address" => undefined,
        "any-ipv6-address" => undefined,
        "inet-address" => expression "${jboss.bind.address:127.0.0.1}",
        "link-local-address" => undefined,
        "loopback" => undefined,
        "loopback-address" => undefined,
        "multicast" => undefined,
        "name" => "public",
        "nic" => undefined,
        "nic-match" => undefined,
        "not" => undefined,
        "point-to-point" => undefined,
        "public-address" => undefined,
        "resolved-address" => "127.0.0.1",
        "site-local-address" => undefined,
        "subnet-match" => undefined,
        "up" => undefined,
        "virtual" => undefined
    }
}

Result

The current runtime attribute value is displayed.

3.6.2. Display the Active User in the Management CLI

Summary

The whoami operation is a global operation used to identify the attributes of the current active user. The operation exposes the identity of the username and the realm that they are assigned to. The whoami operation is useful for administrators managing multiple users accounts across multiple realms, or to assist in keeping track of active users across domain instances with multiple terminal session and users accounts.

Procedure 3.15. Display the Active User in the Management CLI Using the whoami Operation

  • Run the whoami operation

    From the Management CLI, use the whoami operation to display the active user account.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] :whoami
    The following example uses the whoami operation in a standalone server instance to show that the active user is username, and that the user is assigned to the ManagementRealm realm.

    Example 3.8. Use the whoami in a standalone instance

    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:whoami
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {"identity" => {
            "username" => "username",
            "realm" => "ManagementRealm"
        }}
    }
    
    
Result

Your current active user account is displayed.

3.6.3. Display System and Server Information in the Management CLI

Procedure 3.16. Display System and Server Information in the Management CLI

  • Run the version command

    From the Management CLI, enter the version command:
    [domain@localhost:9999 /] version
Result

Your application server version and environment information is displayed.

3.6.4. Display an Operation Description using the Management CLI

Procedure 3.17. Execute the Command in Management CLI

  • Run the read-operation-description operation

    From the Management CLI, use read-operation-description to display information about the operation. The operation requires additional parameters in the format of a key-value pair to indicate which operation to display. For more details on operation requests, refer to the topic Section 3.5.8, “Use Operations and Commands in the Management CLI”.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-operation-description(name=name-of-operation)

Example 3.9. Display the list-snapshots operation description

The following example shows the method for describing the list-snapshots operation.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] :read-operation-description(name=list-snapshots)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "operation-name" => "list-snapshots",
        "description" => "Lists the snapshots",
        "reply-properties" => {
            "type" => OBJECT,
            "value-type" => {
                "directory" => {
                    "type" => STRING,
                    "description" => "The directory where the snapshots are stored"
                },
                "names" => {
                    "type" => LIST,
                    "value-type" => STRING,
                    "description" => "The names of the snapshots within the snapshots directory"
                }
            }
        },
        "read-only" => false
    }
}
Result

The description is displayed for the chosen operation.

3.6.5. Display the Operation Names using the Management CLI

Procedure 3.18. Execute the Command in Management CLI

Example 3.10. Display the operation names using the Management CLI

The following example shows the method for describing the read-operation-names operation.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-operation-names
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => [
        "add-namespace",
        "add-schema-location",
        "delete-snapshot",
        "full-replace-deployment",
        "list-snapshots",
        "read-attribute",
        "read-children-names",
        "read-children-resources",
        "read-children-types",
        "read-config-as-xml",
        "read-operation-description",
        "read-operation-names",
        "read-resource",
        "read-resource-description",
        "reload",
        "remove-namespace",
        "remove-schema-location",
        "replace-deployment",
        "shutdown",
        "take-snapshot",
        "upload-deployment-bytes",
        "upload-deployment-stream",
        "upload-deployment-url",
        "validate-address",
        "write-attribute"
    ]
}
Result

The available operation names are displayed.

3.6.6. Display Available Resources using the Management CLI

Summary

The read-resource operation is a global operation used to read resource values. It can be used to expose either basic or complete information about the resources of the current or child nodes, along with a range of request properties to expand or limit the scope of the operation results. The request properties include the following parameters.

Request Properties

recursive
Whether to recursively include complete information about child resources.
recursive-depth
The depth to which information about child resources should be included.
proxies
Whether to include remote resources in a recursive query. For example including the host level resources from slave Host Controllers in a query of the Domain Controller.
include-runtime
Whether to include runtime attributes in the response, such as attribute values that do not come from the persistent configuration. This request property is set to false by default.
include-defaults
A boolean request property that serves to enable or disable the reading of default attributes. When set to false only the attributes set by the user are returned, ignoring any that remain undefined.

Procedure 3.19. Execute the Command in Management CLI

  1. Run the read-resource operation

    From the Management CLI, use the read-resource operation to display the available resources.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource
    The following example shows how you might use the read-resource operation on a standalone server instance to expose general resource information. The results resemble the standalone.xml configuration file, displaying the system resources, extensions, interfaces and subsystems installed or configured for the server instance. These can be further queried directly.

    Example 3.11. Using the read-resource operation at the root level

    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "deployment" => undefined,
            "deployment-overlay" => undefined,
            "management-major-version" => 1,
            "management-micro-version" => 0,
            "management-minor-version" => 4,
            "name" => "longgrass",
            "namespaces" => [],
            "product-name" => "EAP",
            "product-version" => "6.1.0.GA",
            "release-codename" => "Janus",
            "release-version" => "7.2.0.Final-redhat-3",
            "schema-locations" => [],
            "system-property" => undefined,
            "core-service" => {
                "management" => undefined,
                "service-container" => undefined,
                "server-environment" => undefined,
                "platform-mbean" => undefined
            },
            "extension" => {
                "org.jboss.as.clustering.infinispan" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.connector" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.deployment-scanner" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.ee" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.ejb3" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.jaxrs" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.jdr" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.jmx" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.jpa" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.jsf" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.logging" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.mail" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.naming" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.pojo" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.remoting" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.sar" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.security" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.threads" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.transactions" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.web" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.webservices" => undefined,
                "org.jboss.as.weld" => undefined
            },
            "interface" => {
                "management" => undefined,
                "public" => undefined,
                "unsecure" => undefined
            },
            "path" => {
                "jboss.server.temp.dir" => undefined,
                "user.home" => undefined,
                "jboss.server.base.dir" => undefined,
                "java.home" => undefined,
                "user.dir" => undefined,
                "jboss.server.data.dir" => undefined,
                "jboss.home.dir" => undefined,
                "jboss.server.log.dir" => undefined,
                "jboss.server.config.dir" => undefined,
                "jboss.controller.temp.dir" => undefined
            },
            "socket-binding-group" => {"standard-sockets" => undefined},
            "subsystem" => {
                "logging" => undefined,
                "datasources" => undefined,
                "deployment-scanner" => undefined,
                "ee" => undefined,
                "ejb3" => undefined,
                "infinispan" => undefined,
                "jaxrs" => undefined,
                "jca" => undefined,
                "jdr" => undefined,
                "jmx" => undefined,
                "jpa" => undefined,
                "jsf" => undefined,
                "mail" => undefined,
                "naming" => undefined,
                "pojo" => undefined,
                "remoting" => undefined,
                "resource-adapters" => undefined,
                "sar" => undefined,
                "security" => undefined,
                "threads" => undefined,
                "transactions" => undefined,
                "web" => undefined,
                "webservices" => undefined,
                "weld" => undefined
            }
        }
    }
    
    
  2. Run the read-resource operation against a child node

    The read-resource operation can be run to query child nodes from the root. The structure of the operation first defines the node to expose, and then appends the operation to run against it.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]/subsystem=web/connector=http:read-resource
    In the following example, specific resource information about a web subsystem component can be exposed by directing the read-resource operation towards the specific web subsystem node.

    Example 3.12. Expose child node resources from the root node

    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=web/connector=http:read-resource                      
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "configuration" => undefined,
            "enable-lookups" => false,
            "enabled" => true,
            "executor" => undefined,
            "max-connections" => undefined,
            "max-post-size" => 2097152,
            "max-save-post-size" => 4096,
            "name" => "http",
            "protocol" => "HTTP/1.1",
            "proxy-name" => undefined,
            "proxy-port" => undefined,
            "redirect-port" => 443,
            "scheme" => "http",
            "secure" => false,
            "socket-binding" => "http",
            "ssl" => undefined,
            "virtual-server" => undefined
        }
    }
    
    
    The same results are possible by using the cd command to navigate into the child nodes and run the read-resource operation directly.

    Example 3.13. Expose child node resources by changing directories

    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] cd subsystem=web
    
    [standalone@localhost:9999 subsystem=web] cd connector=http
    
    [standalone@localhost:9999 connector=http] :read-resource
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "configuration" => undefined,
            "enable-lookups" => false,
            "enabled" => true,
            "executor" => undefined,
            "max-connections" => undefined,
            "max-post-size" => 2097152,
            "max-save-post-size" => 4096,
            "name" => "http",
            "protocol" => "HTTP/1.1",
            "proxy-name" => undefined,
            "proxy-port" => undefined,
            "redirect-port" => 443,
            "scheme" => "http",
            "secure" => false,
            "socket-binding" => "http",
            "ssl" => undefined,
            "virtual-server" => undefined
        }
    }
    
    
  3. Use the recursive parameter to include active values in results

    The recursive parameter can be used to expose the values of all attributes, including non-persistent values, those passed at startup, or other attributes otherwise active in the runtime model.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]/interface=public:read-resource(include-runtime=true)
    Compared to the previous example, the inclusion of the include-runtime request property exposes additional active attributes, such as the bytes sent and bytes received by the HTTP connector.

    Example 3.14. Expose additional and active values with the include-runtime parameter

    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=web/connector=http:read-resource(include-runtime=true)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "any" => undefined,
            "any-address" => undefined,
            "any-ipv4-address" => undefined,
            "any-ipv6-address" => undefined,
            "inet-address" => expression "${jboss.bind.address:127.0.0.1}",
            "link-local-address" => undefined,
            "loopback" => undefined,
            "loopback-address" => undefined,
            "multicast" => undefined,
            "name" => "public",
            "nic" => undefined,
            "nic-match" => undefined,
            "not" => undefined,
            "point-to-point" => undefined,
            "public-address" => undefined,
            "resolved-address" => "127.0.0.1",
            "site-local-address" => undefined,
            "subnet-match" => undefined,
            "up" => undefined,
            "virtual" => undefined
        }
    }
    
    

3.6.7. Display Available Resource Descriptions using the Management CLI

Procedure 3.20. Execute the Command in Management CLI

  1. Run the read-resource-description operation

    From the Management CLI, use the read-resource-description operation to read and display the available resources. For more details on operation requests, refer to the topic Section 3.5.8, “Use Operations and Commands in the Management CLI”.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource-description
  2. Use optional parameters

    The read-resource-description operation allows the use of the additional parameters.
    1. Use the operations parameter to include descriptions of the resource's operations.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource-description(operations=true)
    2. Use the inherited parameter to include or exclude descriptions of the resource's inherited operations. The default state is true.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource-description(inherited=false)
    3. Use the recursive parameter to include recursive descriptions of the child resources.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource-description(recursive=true)
    4. Use the locale parameter to get the resource description in. If null, the default locale will be used.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:read-resource-description(locale=true)
Result

Descriptions of the available resources are displayed.

3.6.8. Reload the Application Server using the Management CLI

Procedure 3.21. Reload the Application Server

Result

The application server reloads by shutting down all services and starting the runtime again. The Management CLI automatically reconnects.

3.6.9. Shut the Application Server down using the Management CLI

Procedure 3.22. Shut down the Application Server

  • Run the shutdown operation

    • From the Management CLI, use the shutdown operation to shut the server down via the System.exit(0) system call. For more details on operation requests, refer to the topic Section 3.5.8, “Use Operations and Commands in the Management CLI”.
      • In the standalone mode, use the following command:
        [standalone@localhost:9999 /]:shutdown
      • In the domain mode, use the following command with the appropriate host name:
        [domain@localhost:9999 /]/host=master:shutdown
    • To connect to a detached CLI instance and shut down the server, execute the following command:
      jboss-cli.sh --connect command=:shutdown
      
    • To connect to a remote CLI instance and shut down the server, execute the following command:
      [disconnected /] connect IP_ADDRESS
      Connected to IP_ADDRESS:PORT_NUMBER
      [192.168.1.10:9999 /] :shutdown
      
      Replace IP_ADDRESS with the IP address of your instance.
Result

The application server is shut down. The Management CLI will be disconnected as the runtime is unavailable.

3.6.10. Configure an Attribute with the Management CLI

Summary

The write-attribute operation is a global operation used to write or modify a selected resource attribute. You can use the operation to make persistent changes and to modify the configuration settings of your managed server instances. The request properties include the following parameters.

Request Properties

name
The name of the attribute to set the value for under the selected resource.
value
The desired value of the attribute under the selected resource. May be null if the underlying model supports null values.

Procedure 3.23. Configure a Resource Attribute with the Management CLI

  • Run the write-attribute operation

    From the Management CLI, use the write-attribute operation to modify the value of a resource attribute. The operation can be run at the child node of the resource or at the root node of the Management CLI where the full resource path is specified.

Example 3.15. Disable the deployment scanner with the write-attribute operation

The following example uses the write-attribute operation to disable the deployment scanner. The operation is run from the root node, using tab completion to aid in populating the correct resource path.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=deployment-scanner/scanner=default:write-attribute(name=scan-enabled,value=false)
{"outcome" => "success"}

The results of the operation can be confirmed directly with the read-attribute operation.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=deployment-scanner/scanner=default:read-attribute(name=scan-enabled)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => false
}

The results can also be confirmed by listing all of the node's available resource attributes with the read-resource operation. In the following example, this particular configuration shows the scan-enabled attribute is now set to false.
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=deployment-scanner/scanner=default:read-resource                                 
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "auto-deploy-exploded" => false,
        "auto-deploy-xml" => true,
        "auto-deploy-zipped" => true,
        "deployment-timeout" => 600,
        "path" => "deployments",
        "relative-to" => "jboss.server.base.dir",
        "scan-enabled" => false,
        "scan-interval" => 5000
    }
}

Result

The resource attribute is updated.

3.7. The Management CLI Command History

3.7.1. Use the Management CLI Command History

The Management CLI features a command history functionality that is enabled by default in the application server installation. The history is kept both as a record in the volatile memory of the active CLI session, and appended to a log file that saves automatically in the user's home directory as .jboss-cli-history. This history file is configured by default to record up to a maximum of 500 CLI commands.
The history command by itself will return the history of the current session, or with additional arguments will disable, enable or clear the history from the session memory. The Management CLI also features the ability to use your keyboard's arrow keys to go back and forth in the history of commands and operations.

3.7.2. Show the Management CLI Command history

Procedure 3.24. Show the Management CLI Command History

  • Run the history command

    From the Management CLI, enter the history command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] history
Result

The CLI command history stored in memory since the CLI startup or the history clear command is displayed.

3.7.3. Clear the Management CLI Command history

Procedure 3.25. Clear the Management CLI Command history

  • Run the history --clear command

    From the Management CLI, enter the history --clear command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] history --clear
Result

The history of commands recorded since the CLI startup is cleared from the session memory. The command history is still present in the .jboss-cli-history file saved to the user's home directory.

3.7.4. Disable the Management CLI Command history

Procedure 3.26. Disable the Management CLI Command history

  • Run the history --disable command

    From the Management CLI, enter the history --disable command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] history --disable
Result

Commands made in the CLI will not be recorded either in memory or in the .jboss-cli-history file saved to the user's home directory.

3.7.5. Enable the Management CLI Command history

Procedure 3.27. Enable the Management CLI Command history

  • Run the history --enable command

    From the Management CLI, enter the history --enable command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] history --enable
Result

Commands made in the CLI are recorded in memory and in the .jboss-cli-history file saved to the user's home directory.

Chapter 4. User Management

4.1. User Creation

4.1.1. Add the Initial User for the Management Interfaces

Overview

The management interfaces in JBoss EAP 6 are secured by default as there are no user accounts initially available, unless you have installed the platform using the graphical installer. This is a security precaution to prevent security breaches from remote systems due to simple configuration errors. Local non-HTTP access is protected by a SASL mechanism, with a negotiation happening between the client and server each time the client connects for the first time from the localhost.

This task describes how to create the initial administrative user, which can use the web-based Management Console and remote instances of the Management CLI to configure and administer JBoss EAP 6 from remote systems. For more information about the default security configuration, refer to Section 10.7.1, “Default User Security Configuration”.

Note

HTTP communication with JBoss EAP 6 is considered to be remote access, even if the traffic originates on the localhost. Therefore, you must create at least one user in order to be able to use the management console. If you attempt to access the management console before adding a user, you will receive an error because it does not even deploy until the user is added.

Procedure 4.1. Create the Initial Administrative User for the Remote Management Interfaces

  1. Invoke the add-user.sh or add-user.bat script.

    Change to the EAP_HOME/bin/ directory. Invoke the appropriate script for your operating system.
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux
    [user@host bin]$ ./add-user.sh
    Microsoft Windows Server
    C:\bin>  add-user.bat
  2. Choose to add a Management user.

    Select option a to add a Management user. This user is added to the ManagementRealm and is authorized to perform management operations using the web-based Management Console or command-line based Management CLI. The other choice, b, adds a user to the ApplicationRealm, and provides no particular permissions. That realm is provided for use with applications.
  3. Choose the realm for the user.

    The next prompt refers to the realm where the user will be added. For a user with permissions to manage JBoss EAP 6, choose the default, which is ManagementRealm.
  4. Enter the desired username and password.

    When prompted, enter the security realm, username and password. Pressing ENTER selects the default realm of ManagementRealm, which allows the user to administer JBoss EAP 6 using the management interfaces. You must add at least one user to this realm. You are prompted to confirm the information. If you are satisfied, type yes .
  5. Choose whether the user represents a remote JBoss EAP 6 server instance.

    Besides administrators, the other type of user which occasionally needs to be added to JBoss EAP 6 in the ManagementRealm is a user representing another instance of JBoss EAP 6, which needs to be able to authenticate to join a cluster as a member. The next prompt allows you to designate your added user for this purpose. If you select yes, you will be given a hashed secret value, representing the user's password, which would need to be added to a different configuration file. For the purposes of this task, answer no to this question.
  6. Enter additional users.

    You can enter additional users if desired, by repeating the procedure. You can also add them at any time on a running system. Instead of choosing the default security realm, you can add users to other realms to fine-tune their authorizations.
  7. Create users non-interactively.

    You can create users non-interactively, by passing in each parameter at the command line. This approach is not recommended on shared systems, because the passwords will be visible in log and history files. The syntax for the command, using the management realm, is:
    [user@host bin]$ ./add-user.sh username password
    To use the application realm, use the -a parameter.
    [user@host bin]$ ./add-user.sh -a username password
  8. You can suppress the normal output of the add-user script by passing the --silent parameter. This applies only if the minimum parameters if username and password have been specified. Error messages will still be shown.
Result

Any users you add are activated within the security realms you have specified. Users active within the ManagementRealm realm are able to manage JBoss EAP 6 from remote systems.

4.1.2. Add a User to the Management Interface

Chapter 5. Network and Port Configuration

5.1. Interfaces

5.1.1. About Interfaces

The application server uses named interface references throughout the configuration. This gives the configuration the ability to reference the individual interface declarations with logical names, rather than the full details of the interface at each use. The use of logical names also allows for consistency in group references to named interfaces, where server instances on a managed domain may contain varying interface details across multiple machines. With this methodology, each server instance may correspond to a logical name group that allows for easier administration of the interface group as a whole.
A network interface is declared by specifying a logical name and a selection criteria for the physical interface. The application server ships with a default configuration for a management and a public interface name. In this configuration, the public interface group is intended for use by any application-related network communication such as Web or Messaging. The management interface group is intended for use for all components and services that are required by the management layer, including the HTTP Management Endpoint. The interface names themselves are provided as a suggestion only, where any name for any group can be substituted or created as required.
The domain.xml, host.xml and standalone.xml configuration files all include interface declarations. The declaration criteria can reference a wildcard address or specify a set of one of more characteristics that an interface or address must have in order to be a valid match. The following examples show multiple possible configurations of interface declarations, typically defined in either the standalone.xml or host.xml configuration files. This allows any remote host groups to maintain their own specific interface attributes, while still allowing reference to the any interface groups in the domain.xml configuration file of the domain controller.
The first example shows a specific inet-address value specified for both the management and public relative name groups.

Example 5.1. An interface group created with an inet-address value

<interfaces>
  <interface name="management">
   <inet-address value="127.0.0.1"/>
  </interface>
  <interface name="public">
   <inet-address value="127.0.0.1"/>
  </interface>
</interfaces>


In the following example a global interface group uses the any-address element to declare a wildcard address.

Example 5.2. A global group created with a wildcard declaration

<interface name="global">
   <!-- Use the wild-card address -->
   <any-address/>
</interface>


The following example declares a network interface card under a relative group with the name external.

Example 5.3. An external group created with an NIC value

        
<interface name="external">
   <nic name="eth0"/>
</interface>


In the following example a declaration is created as the default group for a specific requirement. In this instance, the characteristics of the additional elements set the condition for the interface to be a valid match. This allows for the creation of very specific interface declaration groups, with the ability to reference them in a preset manner, reducing the configuration and administration time across multiple server instances.

Example 5.4. A default group created with specific conditional values

<interface name="default">
   <!-- Match any interface/address on the right subnet if it's
        up, supports multicast, and isn't point-to-point -->
   <subnet-match value="192.168.0.0/16"/>
   <up/>
   <multicast/>
   <not>
      <point-to-point/>
   </not>
</interface>


While the interface declarations can be made and edited in the source configuration files, the Management CLI and Management Console provide a safe, controlled and persistent environment for configuration changes.

5.1.2. Configure Interfaces

The default interface configurations in the standalone.xml and host.xml configuration files offer three named interfaces with relative interface tokens for each. You can use the Management Console or Management CLI to configure additional attributes and values, as listed in the table below. You can also replace the relative interface bindings with specific values as required. Note that if you do so, you will be unable to pass an interface value at server runtime, as the -b switch can only override a relative value.

Example 5.5. Default Interface Configurations

        <interfaces>
            <interface name="management">
                <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address.management:127.0.0.1}"/>
            </interface>
            <interface name="public">
                <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address:127.0.0.1}"/>
            </interface>
            <interface name="unsecure">
                <inet-address value="${jboss.bind.address.unsecure:127.0.0.1}"/>
            </interface>
        </interfaces>

Table 5.1. Interface Attributes and Values

Interface Element Description
any Empty element of the address exclusion type, used to constrain the selection criteria.
any-address Empty element indicating that sockets using this interface should be bound to a wildcard address. The IPv6 wildcard address (::) will be used unless the java.net.preferIpV4Stack system property is set to true, in which case the IPv4 wildcard address (0.0.0.0) will be used. If a socket is bound to an IPv6 anylocal address on a dual-stack machine, it can accept both IPv6 and IPv4 traffic; if it is bound to an IPv4 (IPv4-mapped) anylocal address, it can only accept IPv4 traffic.
any-ipv4-address Empty element indicating that sockets using this interface should be bound to the IPv4 wildcard address (0.0.0.0).
any-ipv6-address Empty element indicating that sockets using this interface should be bound to the IPv6 wildcard address (::).
inet-address Either a IP address in IPv6 or IPv4 dotted decimal notation, or a hostname that can be resolved to an IP address.
link-local-address Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not an address associated with it is link-local.
loopback Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not it is a loopback interface.
loopback-address A loopback address that may not actually be configured on the machine's loopback interface. Differs from inet-addressType in that the given value will be used even if no NIC can be found that has the IP address associated with it.
multicast Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not it supports multicast.
nic The name of a network interface (e.g. eth0, eth1, lo).
nic-match A regular expression against which the names of the network interfaces available on the machine can be matched to find an acceptable interface.
not Empty element of the address exclusion type, used to constrain the selection criteria.
point-to-point Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not it is a point-to-point interface.
public-address Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not it has a publicly routable address.
site-local-address Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not an address associated with it is site-local.
subnet-match A network IP address and the number of bits in the address' network prefix, written in "slash notation"; e.g. "192.168.0.0/16".
up Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not it is currently up.
virtual Empty element indicating that part of the selection criteria for an interface should be whether or not it is a virtual interface.
  • Configure Interface Attributes

    Choose either the Management CLI or the Management Console to configure your interface attributes as required.
    • Configure Interface Attributes with the Management CLI

      Use the Management CLI to add new interfaces and write new values to the interface attributes.
      1. Add a New Interface

        Use the add operation to create a new interface if required. You can run this command from the root of the Management CLI session, which in the following example creates a new interface name title interfacename, with an inet-address declared as 12.0.0.2.
        /interface=interfacename/:add(inet-address=12.0.0.2)
      2. Edit Interface Attributes

        Use the write operation to write a new value to an attribute. you can use tab completion to help complete the command string as you type, as well as to expose the available attributes. The following example updates the inet-address value to 12.0.0.8
        /interface=interfacename/:write(inet-address=12.0.0.8)
      3. Edit Interface Attributes

        Confirm the values are changed by running the read-resource operation with the include-runtime=true parameter to expose all current values active in the server model.
        [standalone@localhost:9999 interface=public] :read-resource(include-runtime=true)
    • Configure Interface Attributes with the Management Console

      Use the Management Console to add new interfaces and write new values to the interface attributes.
      1. Log into the Management Console.

        Log into the Management Console of your Managed Domain or Standalone Server instance.
      2. If you use a Managed Domain, choose the correct profile.

        Select the Profiles tab at the top right, and then select the correct profile from the Profile menu at the top left of the next screen.
      3. Select the Interfaces item from the navigation menu.

        Select the Interfaces menu item from the navigation menu.
      4. Add a New Interface

        1. Click the Add button.
        2. Enter any required values for Name, Inet Address and Address Wildcard.
        3. Click the Save to finish.
      5. Edit Interface Attributes

        1. Select the Interface to edit and click the Edit button.
        2. Enter any required values for Name, Inet Address and Address Wildcard.
        3. Click the Save to finish.

5.2. Socket Binding Groups

5.2.1. About Socket Binding Groups

Socket bindings and socket binding groups allow you to define network ports and their relationship to the networking interfaces required for your JBoss EAP 6 configuration.
A socket binding is a named configuration for a socket. The declarations for these named configurations can be found in both the domain.xml and standalone.xml configuration files. Other sections of the configuration can then reference those sockets by their logical name, rather than having to include the full details of the socket configuration. This allows you to reference relative socket configurations which may otherwise vary on different machines.
Socket bindings are collected under a socket binding group. A socket binding group is a collection of socket binding declarations that are grouped under a logical name. The named group can then be referenced throughout the configuration. A standalone server contains only one such group, while a managed domain instance can contain multiple groups. You can create a socket binding group for each server group in the managed domain, or share a socket binding group between multiple server groups.
The naming groups allow for simplified references to be used for particular groups of socket bindings when configuring server groups in the case of a managed domain. Another common use is for the configuration and management of multiple instances of the standalone server on the one system. The following examples show the default socket binding groups in the configuration files for the standalone and domain instances.

Example 5.6. Default socket bindings for the standalone configuration

The default socket binding groups in the standalone.xml configuration file are grouped under standard-sockets. This group is also referenced to the public interface, using the same logical referencing methodology.
   
<socket-binding-group name="standard-sockets" default-interface="public">
    <socket-binding name="http" port="8080"/>
    <socket-binding name="https" port="8443"/>
    <socket-binding name="jacorb" port="3528"/>
    <socket-binding name="jacorb-ssl" port="3529"/>
    <socket-binding name="jmx-connector-registry" port="1090" interface="management"/>
    <socket-binding name="jmx-connector-server" port="1091" interface="management"/>
    <socket-binding name="jndi" port="1099"/>
    <socket-binding name="messaging" port="5445"/>
    <socket-binding name="messaging-throughput" port="5455"/>
    <socket-binding name="osgi-http" port="8090" interface="management"/>
    <socket-binding name="remoting" port="4447"/>
    <socket-binding name="txn-recovery-environment" port="4712"/>
    <socket-binding name="txn-status-manager" port="4713"/>
</socket-binding-group>

Example 5.7. Default socket bindings for the domain configuration

The default socket binding groups in the domain.xml configuration file contain four groups: the standard-sockets, ha-sockets, full-sockets and the full-ha-sockets groups. These groups are also referenced to an interface called public.
<socket-binding-groups>
    <socket-binding-group name="standard-sockets" default-interface="public">
        <!-- Needed for server groups using the 'default' profile  -->
        <socket-binding name="ajp" port="8009"/>
        <socket-binding name="http" port="8080"/>
        <socket-binding name="https" port="8443"/>
        <socket-binding name="osgi-http" interface="management" port="8090"/>
        <socket-binding name="remoting" port="4447"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-recovery-environment" port="4712"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-status-manager" port="4713"/>
        <outbound-socket-binding name="mail-smtp">
            <remote-destination host="localhost" port="25"/>
        </outbound-socket-binding>
    </socket-binding-group>
    <socket-binding-group name="ha-sockets" default-interface="public">
        <!-- Needed for server groups using the 'ha' profile  -->
        <socket-binding name="ajp" port="8009"/>
        <socket-binding name="http" port="8080"/>
        <socket-binding name="https" port="8443"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-mping" port="0" multicast-address="${jboss.default.multicast.address:230.0.0.4}" multicast-port="45700"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-tcp" port="7600"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-tcp-fd" port="57600"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-udp" port="55200" multicast-address="${jboss.default.multicast.address:230.0.0.4}" multicast-port="45688"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-udp-fd" port="54200"/>
        <socket-binding name="modcluster" port="0" multicast-address="224.0.1.105" multicast-port="23364"/>
        <socket-binding name="osgi-http" interface="management" port="8090"/>
        <socket-binding name="remoting" port="4447"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-recovery-environment" port="4712"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-status-manager" port="4713"/>
        <outbound-socket-binding name="mail-smtp">
            <remote-destination host="localhost" port="25"/>
        </outbound-socket-binding>
    </socket-binding-group>
    <socket-binding-group name="full-sockets" default-interface="public">
        <!-- Needed for server groups using the 'full' profile  -->
        <socket-binding name="ajp" port="8009"/>
        <socket-binding name="http" port="8080"/>
        <socket-binding name="https" port="8443"/>
        <socket-binding name="jacorb" interface="unsecure" port="3528"/>
        <socket-binding name="jacorb-ssl" interface="unsecure" port="3529"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging" port="5445"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging-group" port="0" multicast-address="${jboss.messaging.group.address:231.7.7.7}" multicast-port="${jboss.messaging.group.port:9876}"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging-throughput" port="5455"/>
        <socket-binding name="osgi-http" interface="management" port="8090"/>
        <socket-binding name="remoting" port="4447"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-recovery-environment" port="4712"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-status-manager" port="4713"/>
        <outbound-socket-binding name="mail-smtp">
            <remote-destination host="localhost" port="25"/>
        </outbound-socket-binding>
    </socket-binding-group>
    <socket-binding-group name="full-ha-sockets" default-interface="public">
        <!-- Needed for server groups using the 'full-ha' profile  -->
        <socket-binding name="ajp" port="8009"/>
        <socket-binding name="http" port="8080"/>
        <socket-binding name="https" port="8443"/>
        <socket-binding name="jacorb" interface="unsecure" port="3528"/>
        <socket-binding name="jacorb-ssl" interface="unsecure" port="3529"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-mping" port="0" multicast-address="${jboss.default.multicast.address:230.0.0.4}" multicast-port="45700"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-tcp" port="7600"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-tcp-fd" port="57600"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-udp" port="55200" multicast-address="${jboss.default.multicast.address:230.0.0.4}" multicast-port="45688"/>
        <socket-binding name="jgroups-udp-fd" port="54200"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging" port="5445"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging-group" port="0" multicast-address="${jboss.messaging.group.address:231.7.7.7}" multicast-port="${jboss.messaging.group.port:9876}"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging-throughput" port="5455"/>
        <socket-binding name="modcluster" port="0" multicast-address="224.0.1.105" multicast-port="23364"/>
        <socket-binding name="osgi-http" interface="management" port="8090"/>
        <socket-binding name="remoting" port="4447"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-recovery-environment" port="4712"/>
        <socket-binding name="txn-status-manager" port="4713"/>
        <outbound-socket-binding name="mail-smtp">
            <remote-destination host="localhost" port="25"/>
        </outbound-socket-binding>
    </socket-binding-group>
</socket-binding-groups>

The socket binding instances can be created and edited in the standalone.xml and domain.xml source files in the application server directory. The recommended method of managing bindings is to use either the Management Console or the Management CLI. The advantages of using the Management Console include a graphical user interface with a dedicated Socket Binding Group screen under the General Configuration section. The Management CLI offers an API and workflow based around a command line approach that allows for batch processing and the use of scripts across the higher and lower levels of the application server configuration. Both interfaces allow for changes to be persisted or otherwise saved to the server configuration.

5.2.2. Configure Socket Bindings

Socket bindings can be defined in unique socket binding groups. The Standalone Server contains one such group, the standard-sockets group, and is unable to create any further groups. Instead you can create alternate Standalone Server configuration files. For the Managed Domain however, you can create multiple socket binding groups and configure the socket bindings that they contain as you require. The following table shows the available attributes for each socket binding.

Table 5.2. Socket Binding Attributes

Component Description Role
Name Logical name of the socket configuration that should be used elsewhere in the configuration. Required
Port Base port to which a socket based on this configuration should be bound. Note that servers can be configured to override this base value by applying an increment or decrement to all port values. Required
Interface Logical name of the interface to which a socket based on this configuration should be bound. If not defined, the value of the "default-interface" attribute from the enclosing socket binding group will be used. Optional
Multicast Address If the socket will be used for multicast, the multicast address to use. Optional
Multicast Port Bound to the lifecycle of the conversation. The conversation scope is between the lengths of the request and the session, and is controlled by the application. Optional
Fixed Port If the above contexts do not meet your needs, you can define custom scopes. Optional
  • Configure Socket Bindings in Socket Binding Groups

    Choose either the Management CLI or the Management Console to configure your socket bindings as required.
    • Configure Socket Bindings Using the Management CLI

      Use the Management CLI to configure socket bindings.
      1. Add a New Socket Binding

        Use the add operation to create a new address setting if required. You can run this command from the root of the Management CLI session, which in the following examples creates a new socket binding titled newsocket, with a port attribute declared as 1234. The examples apply for both Standalone Server and a Managed Domain editing on the standard-sockets socket binding group as shown.
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /socket-binding-group=standard-sockets/socket-binding=newsocket/:add(port=1234)
      2. Edit Pattern Attributes

        Use the write operation to write a new value to an attribute. You can use tab completion to help complete the command string as you type, as well as to expose the available attributes. The following example updates the port value to 2020
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /socket-binding-group=standard-sockets/socket-binding=newsocket/:write-attribute(name=port,value=2020)
      3. Confirm Pattern Attributes

        Confirm the values are changed by running the read-resource operation with the include-runtime=true parameter to expose all current values active in the server model.
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /socket-binding-group=standard-sockets/socket-binding=newsocket/:read-resource
    • Configure Socket Bindings Using the Management Console

      Use the Management Console to configure socket bindings.
      1. Log into the Management Console.

        Log into the Management Console of your Managed Domain or Standalone Server.
      2. Select the Profile tab

        Select the Profiles tab at the top right.
      3. Select the Socket Binding item from the navigation menu.

        Select the Socket Binding menu item from the navigation menu. If you are using a Managed Domain, select the desired group in the Socket Binding Groups menu.
      4. Add a New Socket Binding

        1. Click the Add button.
        2. Enter any required values for Name, Port and Binding Group.
        3. Click the Save to finish.
      5. Edit Interface Attributes

        1. Select the Socket Binding to edit and click the Edit button.
        2. Enter any required values such as Name, Interface or Port.
        3. Click the Save to finish.

5.2.3. Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6

The ports used by the JBoss EAP 6 default configuration depend on several factors:
  • Whether your server groups use one of the default socket binding groups, or a custom group.
  • The requirements of your individual deployments.

Note

A numerical port offset can be configured, to alleviate port conflicts when you run multiple servers on the same physical server. If your server uses a numerical port offset, add the offset to the default port number for its server group's socket binding group. For instance, if the HTTP port of the socket binding group is 8080, and your server uses a port offset of 100, its HTTP port is 8180.
Unless otherwise stated, the ports use the TCP protocol.

The default socket binding groups

  • full-ha-sockets
  • full-sockets
  • ha-sockets
  • standard-sockets

Table 5.3. Reference of the default socket bindings

Name Port Mulicast Port Description full-ha-sockets full-sockets ha-socket standard-socket
ajp 8009 Apache JServ Protocol. Used for HTTP clustering and load balancing. Yes Yes Yes Yes
http 8080 The default port for deployed web applications. Yes Yes Yes Yes
https 8443 SSL-encrypted connection between deployed web applications and clients. Yes Yes Yes Yes
jacorb 3528 CORBA services for JTS transactions and other ORB-dependent services. Yes Yes No No
jacorb-ssl 3529 SSL-encrypted CORBA services. Yes Yes No No
jgroups-diagnostics 7500 Multicast. Used for peer discovery in HA clusters. Not configurable using the Management Interfaces. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-mping 45700 Multicast. Used to discover initial membership in a HA cluster. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-tcp 7600 Unicast peer discovery in HA clusters using TCP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-tcp-fd 57600 Used for HA failure detection over TCP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-udp 55200 45688 Unicast peer discovery in HA clusters using UDP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-udp-fd 54200 Used for HA failure detection over UDP. Yes No Yes No
messaging 5445 JMS service. Yes Yes No No
messaging-group Referenced by HornetQ JMS broadcast and discovery groups. Yes Yes No No
messaging-throughput 5455 Used by JMS Remoting. Yes Yes No No
mod_cluster 23364 Multicast port for communication between JBoss EAP 6 and the HTTP load balancer. Yes No Yes No
osgi-http 8090 Used by internal components which use the OSGi subsystem. Not configurable using the Management Interfaces. Yes Yes Yes Yes
remoting 4447 Used for remote EJB invocation. Yes Yes Yes Yes
txn-recovery-environment 4712 The JTA transaction recovery manager. Yes Yes Yes Yes
txn-status-manager 4713 The JTA / JTS transation manager. Yes Yes Yes Yes
Management Ports

In addition to the socket binding groups, each host controller opens two more ports for management purposes:

  • 9990 - The Web Management Console port
  • 9999 - The port used by the Management Console and Management API

5.2.4. About Port Offsets for Socket Binding Groups

Port offsets are a numeric offset added to the port values given by the socket binding group for that server. This allows a single server to inherit the socket bindings of the server group that is belongs, with an offset to ensure that it does not clash with the other servers in the group. For instance, if the HTTP port of the socket binding group is 8080, and your server uses a port offset of 100, its HTTP port is 8180.

5.2.5. Configure Port Offsets

  • Configure Port Offsets

    Choose either the Management CLI or the Management Console to configure your port offsets.
    • Configure Port Offsets Using the Management CLI

      Use the Management CLI to configure port offsets.
      1. Edit Port Offsets

        Use the write operation to write a new value to the port offset atttribute. The following example updates the socket-binding-port-offset value of server-two to 250. This server is a member of the default local host group. A restart is required for the changes to take affect.
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /host=master/server-config=server-two/:write-attribute(name=socket-binding-port-offset,value=250)
      2. Confirm Port Offset Attributes

        Confirm the values are changed by running the read-resource operation with the include-runtime=true parameter to expose all current values active in the server model.
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /host=master/server-config=server-two/:read-resource(include-runtime=true)
    • Configure Port Offsets Using the Management Console

      Use the Management Console to configure port offsets.
      1. Log into the Management Console.

        Log into the Management Console of your Managed Domain.
      2. Select the Hosts tab

        Select the Hosts tab at the top right.
      3. Edit Port Offset Attributes

        1. Select the server under the Configuration Name section and click the Edit button.
        2. Enter any desired values in the Port Offset field.
        3. Click the Save button to finish.

5.3. IPv6

5.3.1. Configure JVM Stack Preferences for IPv6 Networking

Summary
This topic covers enabling IPv6 networking for the JBoss EAP 6 installation.

Procedure 5.1. Disable the IPv4 Stack Java Property

  1. Open the relevant file for the installation:
    • For a Standalone Server:

      Open EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.conf.
    • For a Managed Domain:

      Open EAP_HOME/bin/domain.conf.
  2. Change the IPv4 Stack Java property to false:
    -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=false
    For example:
    # Specify options to pass to the Java VM.
    #
    if [ "x$JAVA_OPTS" = "x" ]; then
       JAVA_OPTS="-Xms64m -Xmx512m -XX:MaxPermSize=256m -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=false 
       -Dorg.jboss.resolver.warning=true -Dsun.rmi.dgc.client.gcInterval=3600000 
       -Dsun.rmi.dgc.server.gcInterval=3600000 -Djava.net.preferIPv6Addresses=true"
    fi
    

5.3.2. Configure the Interface Declarations for IPv6 Networking

Summary

Follow these steps to configure the interface inet address to the IPv6 default:

Procedure 5.2. Configure the Interface for IPv6 Networking

  1. Select the Profile tab, in the top right corner of the console.
  2. Select the Interfaces option under General Configuration.
  3. Select the named network interface to configure.
  4. Click the Edit button.
  5. Set the inet address to:
    ${jboss.bind.address.management:[ADDRESS]}
  6. Click the Save button to save the changes.
  7. Restart the server to implement the changes.

5.3.3. Configure JVM Stack Preferences for IPv6 Addresses

Summary
This topic covers configuring the JBoss EAP 6 installation to prefer IPv6 addresses through the configuration files.

Procedure 5.3. Configure the JBoss EAP 6 Installation to Prefer IPv6 Addresses

  1. Open the relevant file for the installation:
    • For a Standalone Server:

      Open EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.conf.
    • For a Managed Domain:

      Open EAP_HOME/bin/domain.conf.
  2. Append the following Java property to the Java VM options:
    -Djava.net.preferIPv6Addresses=true
    For example:
    # Specify options to pass to the Java VM.
    #
    if [ "x$JAVA_OPTS" = "x" ]; then
       JAVA_OPTS="-Xms64m -Xmx512m -XX:MaxPermSize=256m -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=false 
       -Dorg.jboss.resolver.warning=true -Dsun.rmi.dgc.client.gcInterval=3600000 
       -Dsun.rmi.dgc.server.gcInterval=3600000 -Djava.net.preferIPv6Addresses=true"
    fi
    

Chapter 6. Datasource Management

6.1. Introduction

6.1.1. About JDBC

The JDBC API is the standard that defines how databases are accessed by Java applications. An application configures a datasource that references a JDBC driver. Application code can then be written against the driver, rather than the database. The driver converts the code to the database language. This means that if the correct driver is installed, an application can be used with any supported database.
The JDBC 4.0 specification is defined here: http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=221.
To get started with JDBC and datasources, refer to the JDBC Driver section of the Administration and Configuration Guide for JBoss EAP 6.

6.1.2. JBoss EAP 6 Supported Databases

The list of JDBC compliant databases supported by JBoss EAP 6 is available here: http://www.redhat.com/resourcelibrary/articles/jboss-enterprise-application-platform-supported-configurations.

6.1.3. Types of Datasources

The two general types of resources are referred to as datasources and XA datasources.
Non-XA datasources are used for applications which do not use transactions, or applications which use transactions with a single database.
XA datasources are used by applications whose transactions are distributed across multiple databases. XA datasources introduce additional overhead.
You specify the type of your datasource when you create it in the Management Console or Management CLI.

6.1.4. The Example Datasource

JBoss EAP 6 includes a H2 database. It is a lightweight, relational database management system that provides developers with the ability to quickly build applications, and is the example datasource for the platform.

Warning

However, it should not be used in a production environment. It is a very small, self-contained datasource that supports all of the standards needed for testing and building applications, but is not robust or scalable enough for production use.
For a list of supported and certified datasources, refer here: Section 6.1.2, “JBoss EAP 6 Supported Databases”.

6.1.5. Deployment of -ds.xml files

In JBoss EAP 6, datasources are defined as a resource of the server subsystem. In previous versions, a *-ds.xml datasource configuration file was required in the deployment directory of the server configuration. *-ds.xml files can still be deployed in JBoss EAP 6, following the schema available here: http://docs.jboss.org/ironjacamar/schema/datasources_1_1.xsd.

Warning

This feature should only be used for development. It is not recommended for production environments, because it is not supported by the JBoss administrative and management tools.

Important

It is mandatory to use a reference to an already deployed / defined <driver> entry when deploying *-ds.xml files.

6.2. JDBC Drivers

6.2.1. Install a JDBC Driver with the Management Console

Summary

Before your application can connect to a JDBC datasource, your datasource vendor's JDBC drivers need to be installed in a location where JBoss EAP 6 can use them. JBoss EAP 6 allows you to deploy these drivers just like any other deployment. This means that you can deploy them across multiple servers in a server group, if you use a managed domain.

Note

The preferred installation method for JDBC drivers is to install them as a core module. To install the JDBC driver as a core module, refer here: Section 6.2.2, “Install a JDBC Driver as a Core Module”.
Prerequisites

Before performing this task, you need to meet the following prerequisites:

  • Download the JDBC driver from your database vendor.

Procedure 6.1. Deploy the JDBC Driver

  1. Access the Management Console.

  2. Deploy the JAR file to your server or server group.

    If you use a managed domain, deploy the JAR file to a server group. Otherwise, deploy it to your server. See Section 9.2.2, “Deploy an Application Using the Management Console”.
Result:

The JDBC driver is deployed, and is available for your applications to use.

6.2.2. Install a JDBC Driver as a Core Module

Prerequisites

Before performing this task, you need to meet the following prerequisites:

Procedure 6.2. Install a JDBC Driver as a Core Module

  1. Create a file path structure under the EAP_HOME/modules/ directory. For example, for a MySQL JDBC driver, create a directory structure as follows: EAP_HOME/modules/com/mysql/main/.
  2. Copy the JDBC driver JAR into the main/ subdirectory.
  3. In the main/ subdirectory, create a module.xml file similar to the example in Section 7.1.1, “Modules”. The module XSD is defined in the EAP_HOME/docs/schema/module-1_2.xsd file.
  4. Start the Server.
  5. Start the Management CLI.
  6. Run the following CLI command to add the JDBC driver module as a driver:
    /subsystem=datasources/jdbc-driver=DRIVER_NAME:add(driver-name=DRIVER_NAME,driver-module-name=MODULE_NAME,driver-xa-datasource-class-name=XA_DATASOURCE_CLASS_NAME)

    Example 6.1. Example CLI Command

    /subsystem=datasources/jdbc-driver=mysql:add(driver-name=mysql,driver-module-name=com.mysql,driver-xa-datasource-class-name=com.mysql.jdbc.jdbc2.optional.MysqlXADataSource)
Result

The JDBC driver is now installed and set up as a core module, and is available to be referenced by application datasources.

6.2.3. JDBC Driver Download Locations

The following table gives the standard download locations for JDBC drivers of common databases used with JBoss EAP 6. These links point to third-party websites which are not controlled or actively monitored by Red Hat. For the most up-to-date drivers for your database, check your database vendor's documentation and website.

6.2.4. Access Vendor Specific Classes

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to use the JDBC specific classes. This is necessary when an application needs to use vendor specific functionality that is not part of the JDBC API.

Warning

This is advanced usage. Only applications that need functionality not found in the JDBC API should implement this procedure.

Important

This process is required when using the reauthentication mechanism, and accessing vendor specific classes.

Important

Follow the vendor specific API guidelines closely, as the connection is being controlled by the IronJacamar container.

Procedure 6.3. Add a Dependency to the Application

    • Configure the MANIFEST.MF file

      1. Open the application's META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file in a text editor.
      2. Add a dependency for the JDBC module and save the file.
        Dependencies: MODULE_NAME

        Example 6.2. Example Dependency

        Dependencies: com.mysql
      1. Create a jboss-deployment-structure.xml file

        Create a file called jboss-deployment-structure.xml in the META-INF/ or WEB-INF folder of the application.

        Example 6.3. Example jboss-deployment-structure.xml file

        <jboss-deployment-structure>
          <deployment>
            <dependencies>
              <module name="com.mysql" />
            </dependencies>
          </deployment>
        </jboss-deployment-structure>
        
        

Example 6.4. Access the Vendor Specific API

The example below accesses the MySQL API.
import java.sql.Connection;
import org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.WrappedConnection;

  Connection c = ds.getConnection();
  WrappedConnection wc = (WrappedConnection)c;
  com.mysql.jdbc.Connection mc = wc.getUnderlyingConnection();

6.3. Non-XA Datasources

6.3.1. Create a Non-XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to create a non-XA datasource, using either the Management Console or the Management CLI.

Prerequisites

  • The JBoss EAP 6 server must be running.

Note

Prior to version 10.2 of the Oracle datasource, the <no-tx-separate-pools/> parameter was required, as mixing non-transactional and transactional connections would result in an error. This parameter may no longer be required for certain applications.

Procedure 6.4. Create a Datasource using either the Management CLI or the Management Console

    • Management CLI

      1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server.
      2. Run the following command to create a non-XA datasource, configuring the variables as appropriate:
        data-source add --name=DATASOURCE_NAME --jndi-name=JNDI_NAME --driver-name=DRIVER_NAME  --connection-url=CONNECTION_URL
      3. Enable the datasource:
        data-source enable --name=DATASOURCE_NAME
    • Management Console

      1. Login to the Management Console.
      2. Navigate to the Datasources panel in the Management Console

          • Standalone Mode

            Select the Profile tab from the top-right of the console.
          • Domain Mode

            1. Select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console.
            2. Select the appropriate profile from the drop-down box in the top left.
            3. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left of the console.
        1. Select ConnectorDatasources from the menu on the left of the console.
        Datasources panel

        Figure 6.1. Datasources panel

      3. Create a new datasource

        1. Select the Add button at the top of the Datasources panel.
        2. Enter the new datasource attributes in the Create Datasource wizard and proceed with the Next button.
        3. Enter the JDBC driver details in the Create Datasource wizard and proceed with the Next button.
        4. Enter the connection settings in the Create Datasource wizard and select the Done button.
Result

The non-XA datasource has been added to the server. It is now visible in either the standalone.xml or domain.xml file, as well as the management interfaces.

6.3.2. Modify a Non-XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to modify a non-XA datasource, using either the Management Console or the Management CLI.

Note

Non-XA datasources can be integrated with JTA transactions. To integrate the datasource with JTA, ensure that the jta parameter is set to true.

Procedure 6.5. Modify a Non-XA Datasource

    • Management CLI

      1. Use the write-attribute command to configure a datasource attribute:
        /subsystem=datasources/data-source=DATASOURCE_NAME:write-attribute(name=ATTRIBUTE_NAME,value=ATTRIBUTE_VALUE)
      2. Reload the server to confirm the changes:
        :reload
    • Management Console

      1. Navigate to the Datasources panel in the Management Console

          • Standalone Mode

            Select the Profile tab from the top-right of the console.
          • Domain Mode

            1. Select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console.
            2. Select the appropriate profile from the drop-down box in the top left.
            3. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left of the console.
        1. Select ConnectorDatasources from the menu on the left of the console.
        Datasources panel

        Figure 6.2. Datasources panel

      2. Edit the datasource

        1. Select the relevant datasource from the Available Datasources list. The datasource attributes are displayed in the Attributes panel below it.
        2. Select the Edit button to edit the datasource attributes.
        3. Edit the datasource attributes and select the Save button when done.
Result

The non-XA datasource has been configured. The changes are now visible in either the standalone.xml or domain.xml file, as well as the management interfaces.

6.3.3. Remove a Non-XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to remove a non-XA datasource from JBoss EAP 6, using either the Management Console or the Management CLI.

Procedure 6.6. Remove a Non-XA Datasource

    • Management CLI

      1. Run the following command to remove a non-XA datasource:
        data-source remove --name=DATASOURCE_NAME
    • Management Console

      1. Navigate to the Datasources panel in the Management Console

          • Standalone Mode

            Select the Profile tab from the top-right of the console.
          • Domain Mode

            1. Select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console.
            2. Select the appropriate profile from the drop-down box in the top left.
            3. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left of the console.
        1. Select ConnectorDatasources from the menu on the left of the console.
        Datasources panel

        Figure 6.3. Datasources panel

      2. Select the registered datasource to be deleted, and click the Remove button in the top right corner of the console.
Result

The non-XA datasource has been removed from the server.

6.4. XA Datasources

6.4.1. Create an XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to create an XA datasource, using either the Management Console or the Management CLI.

Note

Prior to version 10.2 of the Oracle datasource, the <no-tx-separate-pools/> parameter was required, as mixing non-transactional and transactional connections would result in an error. This parameter may no longer be required for certain applications.

Procedure 6.7. Create an XA Datasource, Using Either the Management CLI or the Management Console

    • Management CLI

      1. Run the following command to create an XA datasource, configuring the variables as appropriate:
        xa-data-source add --name=XA_DATASOURCE_NAME --jndi-name=JNDI_NAME --driver-name=DRIVER_NAME --xa-datasource-class=XA_DATASOURCE_CLASS
      2. Configure the XA datasource properties

        1. Set the server name

          Run the following command to configure the server name for the host:
          /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=XA_DATASOURCE_NAME/xa-datasource-properties=ServerName:add(value=HOSTNAME)
        2. Set the database name

          Run the following command to configure the database name:
          /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=XA_DATASOURCE_NAME/xa-datasource-properties=DatabaseName:add(value=DATABASE_NAME)
      3. Enable the datasource:
        xa-data-source enable --name=XA_DATASOURCE_NAME
    • Management Console

      1. Navigate to the Datasources panel in the Management Console

          • Standalone Mode

            Select the Profile tab from the top-right of the console.
          • Domain Mode

            1. Select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console.
            2. Select the appropriate profile from the drop-down box in the top left.
            3. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left of the console.
        1. Select ConnectorDatasources from the menu on the left of the console.
        Datasources panel

        Figure 6.4. Datasources panel

      2. Select the XA Datasource panel.
      3. Create a new XA datasource

        1. Select the Add button at the top of the XA Datasources panel.
        2. Enter the new XA datasource attributes in the Create XA Datasource wizard and proceed with the Next button.
        3. Enter the JDBC driver details in the Create XA Datasource wizard and proceed with the Next button.
        4. Edit the XA properties and proceed with the Next button.
        5. Enter the connection settings in the Create XA Datasource wizard and select the Done button.
Result

The XA datasource has been added to the server. It is now visible in either the standalone.xml or domain.xml file, as well as the management interfaces.

6.4.2. Modify an XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to modify an XA datasource, using either the Management Console or the Management CLI.

Procedure 6.8. Modify an XA Datasource, Using Either the Management CLI or the Management Console

    • Management CLI

      1. Configure XA datasource attributes

        Use the write-attribute command to configure a datasource attribute:
        /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=XA_DATASOURCE_NAME:write-attribute(name=ATTRIBUTE_NAME,value=ATTRIBUTE_VALUE)
      2. Configure XA datasource properties

        Run the following command to configure an XA datasource subresource:
        /subsystem=datasources/xa-data-source=DATASOURCE_NAME/xa-datasource-properties=PROPERTY_NAME:add(value=PROPERTY_VALUE)
      3. Reload the server to confirm the changes:
        :reload
    • Management Console

      1. Navigate to the Datasources panel in the Management Console

          • Standalone Mode

            Select the Profile tab from the top-right of the console.
          • Domain Mode

            1. Select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console.
            2. Select the appropriate profile from the drop-down box in the top left.
            3. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left of the console.
        1. Select ConnectorDatasources from the menu on the left of the console.
        Datasources panel

        Figure 6.5. Datasources panel

      2. Select the XA Datasource panel.
      3. Edit the datasource

        1. Select the relevant XA datasource from the Available XA Datasources list. The XA datasource attributes are displayed in the Attributes panel below it.
        2. Select the Edit button to edit the datasource attributes.
        3. Edit the XA datasource attributes and select the Save button when done.
Result

The XA datasource has been configured. The changes are now visible in either the standalone.xml or domain.xml file, as well as the management interfaces.

6.4.3. Remove an XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to remove an XA datasource from JBoss EAP 6, using either the Management Console or the Management CLI.

Procedure 6.9. Remove an XA Datasource Using Either the Management CLI or the Management Console

    • Management CLI

      1. Run the following command to remove an XA datasource:
        xa-data-source remove --name=XA_DATASOURCE_NAME
    • Management Console

      1. Navigate to the Datasources panel in the Management Console

          • Standalone Mode

            Select the Profile tab from the top-right of the console.
          • Domain Mode

            1. Select the Profiles tab from the top-right of the console.
            2. Select the appropriate profile from the drop-down box in the top left.
            3. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left of the console.
        1. Select ConnectorDatasources from the menu on the left of the console.
        Datasources panel

        Figure 6.6. Datasources panel

      2. Select the XA Datasource panel.
      3. Select the registered XA datasource to be deleted, and click the Remove button in the top right corner of the console.
Result

The XA datasource has been removed from the server.

6.4.4. XA Recovery

6.4.4.1. About XA Recovery Modules

Each XA resource needs a recovery module associated with its configuration. The recovery module must extend class com.arjuna.ats.jta.recovery.XAResourceRecovery.
JBoss EAP 6 provides recovery modules for JDBC and JMS XA resources. For these types of resources, recovery modules are automatically registered. If you need to use a custom module, you can register it in your datasource.

6.4.4.2. Configure XA Recovery Modules

For most JDBC and JMS resources, the recovery module is automatically associated with the resource. In these cases, you only need to configure the options that allow the recovery module to connect to your resource to perform recovery.
For custom resources which are not JDBC or JMS, contact Red Hat Global Support Services for information on supported configurations.
Each of these configuration attributes can be set either during datasource creation, or afterward. You can set them using either the web-based Management Console or the command-line Management CLI. Refer to Section 6.4.1, “Create an XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces” and Section 6.4.2, “Modify an XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces” for general information on configuring XA datasources.
Refer to the following tables for general datasource configuration attributes, and for information about configuration details relating to specific database vendors.

Table 6.2. General Configuration Attributes

Attribute Description
recovery-username
The username the recovery module should use to connect to the resource for recovery.
recovery-password
The password the recovery module should use to connect to the resource for recovery.
recovery-security-domain
The security domain the recovery module should use to connect to the resource for recovery.
recovery-plugin-class-name
If you need to use a custom recovery module, set this attribute to the fully-qualified class name of the module. The module should extend class com.arjuna.ats.jta.recovery.XAResourceRecovery.
recovery-plugin-properties
If you use a custom recovery module which requires properties to be set, set this attribute to the list of comma-separated key=value pairs for the properties.

Vendor-Specific Configuration Information

Oracle
If the Oracle datasource is configured incorrectly, you may see errors like the following in your log output:
WARN  [com.arjuna.ats.jta.logging.loggerI18N] [com.arjuna.ats.internal.jta.recovery.xarecovery1] Local XARecoveryModule.xaRecovery  got XA exception javax.transaction.xa.XAException, XAException.XAER_RMERR
To resolve this error, ensure that the Oracle user configured in recovery-username has access to the tables needed for recovery. The following SQL statement shows the correct grants for Oracle 11g or Oracle 10g R2 instances patched for Oracle bug 5945463.
GRANT SELECT ON sys.dba_pending_transactions TO recovery-username;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.pending_trans$ TO recovery-username;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.dba_2pc_pending TO recovery-username;
GRANT EXECUTE ON sys.dbms_xa TO recovery-username;
If you use an Oracle 11 version prior to 11g, change the final EXECUTE statement to the following:
	GRANT EXECUTE ON sys.dbms_system TO recovery-username;
PostgreSQL
See the PostgreSQL documentation for instructions on enabling prepared (i.e. XA) transactions. Version 8.4-701 of PostgreSQL's JDBC driver has a bug in org.postgresql.xa.PGXAConnection which breaks recovery in certain situations. This is fixed in newer versions.
MySQL
Based on http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=12161, XA transaction recovery did not work in some versions of MySQL 5. This is addressed in MySQL 6.1. Refer to the bug URL or to the MySQL documentation for more information.
IBM DB2
IBM DB2 expects method XAResource.recover to be called only during the designated resynchronization stage which occurs when the application server is restarted after a crash or failure. This is a design decision in the DB2 implementation, and out of the scope of this documentation.

6.5. Datasource Security

6.5.1. About Datasource Security

The preferred solution for datasource security is the use of either security domains or password vaults. Examples of each are included below. For more information, refer to:

Example 6.5. Security Domain Example

<security>
   <security-domain>mySecurityDomain</security-domain>
</security>

Example 6.6. Password Vault Example

<security>
  <user-name>admin</user-name>
  <password>${VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::N2NhZDYzOTMtNWE0OS00ZGQ0LWE4MmEtMWNlMDMyNDdmNmI2TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0}</password>
</security>

6.6. Datasource Configuration

6.6.1. Datasource Parameters

Table 6.3. Datasource parameters common to non-XA and XA datasources

Parameter Description
jndi-name The unique JNDI name for the datasource.
pool-name The name of the management pool for the datasource.
enabled Whether or not the datasource is enabled.
use-java-context
Whether to bind the datasource to global JNDI.
spy
Enable spy functionality on the JDBC layer. This logs all JDBC traffic to the datasource. The logging-category parameter must also be set to org.jboss.jdbc.
use-ccm Enable the cached connection manager.
new-connection-sql A SQL statement which executes when the connection is added to the connection pool.
transaction-isolation
One of the following:
  • TRANSACTION_READ_UNCOMMITTED
  • TRANSACTION_READ_COMMITTED
  • TRANSACTION_REPEATABLE_READ
  • TRANSACTION_SERIALIZABLE
  • TRANSACTION_NONE
url-delimiter The delimiter for URLs in a connection-url for High Availability (HA) clustered databases.
url-selector-strategy-class-name A class that implements interface org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.URLSelectorStrategy.
security
Contains child elements which are security settings. Refer to Table 6.8, “Security parameters”.
validation
Contains child elements which are validation settings. Refer to Table 6.9, “Validation parameters”.
timeout
Contains child elements which are timeout settings. Refer to Table 6.10, “Timeout parameters”.
statement
Contains child elements which are statement settings. Refer to Table 6.11, “Statement parameters”.

Table 6.4. Non-XA datasource parameters

Parameter Description
jta Enable JTA integration for non-XA datasources. Does not apply to XA datasources.
connection-url The JDBC driver connection URL.
driver-class The fully-qualified name of the JDBC driver class.
connection-property
Arbitrary connection properties passed to the method Driver.connect(url,props). Each connection-property specifies a string name/value pair. The property name comes from the name, and the value comes from the element content.
pool
Contains child elements which are pooling settings. Refer to Table 6.6, “Pool parameters common to non-XA and XA datasources”.

Table 6.5. XA datasource parameters

Parameter Description
xa-datasource-property
A property to assign to implementation class XADataSource. Specified by name=value. If a setter method exists, in the format setName, the property is set by calling a setter method in the format of setName(value).
xa-datasource-class
The fully-qualified name of the implementation class javax.sql.XADataSource.
driver
A unique reference to the classloader module which contains the JDBC driver. The accepted format is driverName#majorVersion.minorVersion.
xa-pool
recovery
Contains child elements which are recovery settings. Refer to Table 6.12, “Recovery parameters”.

Table 6.6. Pool parameters common to non-XA and XA datasources

Parameter Description
min-pool-size The minimum number of connections a pool holds.
max-pool-size The maximum number of connections a pool can hold.
prefill Whether to try to prefill the connection pool. An empty element denotes a true value. The default is false.
use-strict-min Whether the pool-size is strict. Defaults to false.
flush-strategy
Whether the pool should be flushed in the case of an error. Valid values are:
  • FailingConnectionOnly
  • IdleConnections
  • EntirePool
The default is FailingConnectionOnly.
allow-multiple-users Specifies if multiple users will access the datasource through the getConnection(user, password) method, and whether the internal pool type should account for this behavior.

Table 6.7. XA pool parameters

Parameter Description
is-same-rm-override Whether the javax.transaction.xa.XAResource.isSameRM(XAResource) class returns true or false.
interleaving Whether to enable interleaving for XA connection factories.
no-tx-separate-pools Whether to create separate sub-pools for each context. This is required for Oracle datasources, which do not allow XA connections to be used both inside and outside of a JTA transaction.
pad-xid Whether to pad the Xid.
wrap-xa-resource
Whether to wrap the XAResource in an org.jboss.tm.XAResourceWrapper instance.

Table 6.8. Security parameters

Parameter Description
user-name The username to use to create a new connection.
password The password to use to create a new connection.
security-domain Contains the name of a JAAS security-manager which handles authentication. This name correlates to the application-policy/name attribute of the JAAS login configuration.
reauth-plugin Defines a reauthentication plugin to use to reauthenticate physical connections.

Table 6.9. Validation parameters

Parameter Description
valid-connection-checker
An implementation of interface org.jboss.jca.adaptors.jdbc.ValidConnectionChecker which provides a SQLException.isValidConnection(Connection e) method to validate a connection. An exception means the connection is destroyed. This overrides the parameter check-valid-connection-sql if it is present.
check-valid-connection-sql An SQL statement to check validity of a pool connection. This may be called when a managed connection is taken from a pool for use.
validate-on-match
Indicates whether connection level validation is performed when a connection factory attempts to match a managed connection for a given set.
Specifying "true" for validate-on-match is typically not done in conjunction with specifying "true" for background-validation. Validate-on-match is needed when a client must have a connection validated prior to use. This parameter is true by default.
background-validation
Specifies that connections are validated on a background thread. Background validation is a performance optimization when not used with validate-on-match. If validate-on-match is true, using background-validation could result in redundant checks. Background validation does leave open the opportunity for a bad connection to be given to the client for use (a connection goes bad between the time of the validation scan and prior to being handed to the client), so the client application must account for this possibility.
background-validation-millis The amount of time, in milliseconds, that background validation runs.
use-fast-fail
If true, fail a connection allocation on the first attempt, if the connection is invalid. Defaults to false.
stale-connection-checker
An instance of org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.StaleConnectionChecker which provides a Boolean isStaleConnection(SQLException e) method. If this method returns true, the exception is wrapped in an org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.StaleConnectionException, which is a subclass of SQLException.
exception-sorter
An instance of org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.ExceptionSorter which provides a Boolean isExceptionFatal(SQLException e) method. This method validates whether an exception should be broadcast to all instances of javax.resource.spi.ConnectionEventListener as a connectionErrorOccurred message.

Table 6.10. Timeout parameters

Parameter Description
use-try-lock Uses tryLock() instead of lock(). This attempts to obtain the lock for the configured number of seconds, before timing out, rather than failing immediately if the lock is unavailable. Defaults to 60 seconds. As an example, to set a timeout of 5 minutes, set <use-try-lock>300</use-try-lock>.
blocking-timeout-millis The maximum time, in milliseconds, to block while waiting for a connection. After this time is exceeded, an exception is thrown. This blocks only while waiting for a permit for a connection, and does not throw an exception if creating a new connection takes a long time. Defaults to 30000, which is 30 seconds.
idle-timeout-minutes
The maximum time, in minutes, before an idle connection is closed. The actual maximum time depends upon the idleRemover scan time, which is half of the smallest idle-timeout-minutes of any pool.
set-tx-query-timeout
Whether to set the query timeout based on the time remaining until transaction timeout. Any configured query timeout is used if no transaction exists. Defaults to false.
query-timeout Timeout for queries, in seconds. The default is no timeout.
allocation-retry The number of times to retry allocating a connection before throwing an exception. The default is 0, so an exception is thrown upon the first failure.
allocation-retry-wait-millis
How long, in milliseconds, to wait before retrying to allocate a connection. The default is 5000, which is 5 seconds.
xa-resource-timeout
If non-zero, this value is passed to method XAResource.setTransactionTimeout.

Table 6.11. Statement parameters

Parameter Description
track-statements
Whether to check for unclosed statements when a connection is returned to a pool and a statement is returned to the prepared statement cache. If false, statements are not tracked.

Valid values

  • true: statements and result sets are tracked, and a warning is issued if they are not closed.
  • false: neither statements or result sets are tracked.
  • nowarn: statements are tracked but no warning is issued. This is the default.
prepared-statement-cache-size The number of prepared statements per connection, in a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache.
share-prepared-statements
Whether asking for the same statement twice without closing it uses the same underlying prepared statement. The default is false.

Table 6.12. Recovery parameters

Parameter Description
recover-credential A username/password pair or security domain to use for recovery.
recover-plugin
An implementation of the org.jboss.jca.core.spi.recoveryRecoveryPlugin class, to be used for recovery.

6.6.2. Datasource Connection URLs

Table 6.13. 

Datasource Connection URL
PostgreSQL jdbc:postgresql://SERVER_NAME:PORT/DATABASE_NAME
MySQL jdbc:mysql://SERVER_NAME:PORT/DATABASE_NAME
Oracle jdbc:oracle:thin:@ORACLE_HOST:PORT:ORACLE_SID
IBM DB2 jdbc:db2://SERVER_NAME:PORT/DATABASE_NAME
Microsoft SQLServer jdbc:microsoft:sqlserver://SERVER_NAME:PORT;DatabaseName=DATABASE_NAME

6.6.3. Datasource Extensions

Datasource deployments can use several extensions in the JDBC resource adapter to improve the connection validation, and check whether an exception should reestablish the connection. Those extensions are:

Table 6.14. Datasource Extensions

Datasource Extension Configuration Parameter Description
org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.spi.ExceptionSorter <exception-sorter> Checks whether an SQLException is fatal for the connection on which it was thrown
org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.spi.StaleConnection <stale-connection-checker> Wraps stale SQLExceptions in a org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.StaleConnectionException
org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.spi.ValidConnection <valid-connection-checker> Checks whether a connection is valid for use by the application
JBoss EAP 6 also features implementations of these extensions for several supported databases.

Extension Implementations

Generic
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.novendor.NullExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.novendor.NullStaleConnectionChecker
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.novendor.NullValidConnectionChecker
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.novendor.JDBC4ValidConnectionChecker
PostgreSQL
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.postgres.PostgreSQLExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.postgres.PostgreSQLValidConnectionChecker
MySQL
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLReplicationValidConnectionChecker
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLValidConnectionChecker
IBM DB2
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2ExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2StaleConnectionChecker
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2ValidConnectionChecker
Sybase
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.sybase.SybaseExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.sybase.SybaseValidConnectionChecker
Microsoft SQLServer
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mssql.MSSQLValidConnectionChecker
Oracle
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleExceptionSorter
  • org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleValidConnectionChecker

6.6.4. View Datasource Statistics

You can view statistics from defined datasources for both the jdbc and pool using appropriately modified versions of the commands below:

Procedure 6.10. 

  • /subsystem=datasources/data-source=ExampleDS/statistics=jdbc:read-resource(include-runtime=true)
    
    /subsystem=datasources/data-source=ExampleDS/statistics=pool:read-resource(include-runtime=true)
    

Note

Ensure you specify the include-runtime=true argument, as all statistics are runtime only information and the default is false.

6.6.5. Datasource Statistics

Core Statistics

The following table contains a list of the supported datasource core statistics:

Table 6.15. Core Statistics

Name Description
ActiveCount
The number of active connections. Each of the connections is either in use by an application or available in the pool
AvailableCount
The number of available connections in the pool.
AverageBlockingTime
The average time spent blocking on obtaining an exclusive lock on the pool. The value is in milliseconds.
AverageCreationTime
The average time spent creating a connection. The value is in milliseconds.
CreatedCount
The number of connections created.
DestroyedCount
The number of connections destroyed.
InUseCount
The number of connections currently in use.
MaxCreationTime
The maximum time it took to create a connection. The value is in milliseconds.
MaxUsedCount
The maximum number of connections used.
MaxWaitCount
The maximum number of requests waiting for a connection at the same time.
MaxWaitTime
The maximum time spent waiting for an exclusive lock on the pool.
TimedOut
The number of timed out connections.
TotalBlockingTime
The total time spent waiting for an exclusive lock on the pool. The value is in milliseconds.
TotalCreationTime
The total time spent creating connections. The value is in milliseconds.
WaitCount
The number of requests that had to wait for a connection.
JDBC Statistics

The following table contains a list of the supported datasource JDBC statistics:

Table 6.16. JDBC Statistics

Name Description
PreparedStatementCacheAccessCount
The number of times that the statement cache was accessed.
PreparedStatementCacheAddCount
The number of statements added to the statement cache.
PreparedStatementCacheCurrentSize
The number of prepared and callable statements currently cached in the statement cache.
PreparedStatementCacheDeleteCount
The number of statements discarded from the cache.
PreparedStatementCacheHitCount
The number of times that statements from the cache were used.
PreparedStatementCacheMissCount
The number of times that a statement request could not be satisfied with a statement from the cache.

6.7. Example Datasources

6.7.1. Example PostgreSQL Datasource

Example 6.7. 

The example below is a PostgreSQL datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/PostgresDS" pool-name="PostgresDS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/postgresdb</connection-url>
    <driver>postgresql</driver>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.postgres.PostgreSQLValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.postgres.PostgreSQLExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="postgresql" module="org.postgresql">
      <xa-datasource-class>org.postgresql.xa.PGXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the PostgreSQL datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="org.postgresql">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="postgresql-9.1-902.jdbc4.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.2. Example PostgreSQL XA Datasource

Example 6.8. 

The example below is a PostgreSQL XA datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <xa-datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/PostgresXADS" pool-name="PostgresXADS">
    <driver>postgresql</driver>
    <xa-datasource-property name="ServerName">localhost</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="PortNumber">5432</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="DatabaseName">postgresdb</xa-datasource-property>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.postgres.PostgreSQLValidConnectionChecker">
      </valid-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.postgres.PostgreSQLExceptionSorter">
      </exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </xa-datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="postgresql" module="org.postgresql">
      <xa-datasource-class>org.postgresql.xa.PGXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the PostgreSQL XA datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="org.postgresql">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="postgresql-9.1-902.jdbc4.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.3. Example MySQL Datasource

Example 6.9. 

The example below is a MySQL datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/MySqlDS" pool-name="MySqlDS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:mysql://mysql-localhost:3306/jbossdb</connection-url>
    <driver>mysql</driver>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security> 
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="mysql" module="com.mysql">
      <xa-datasource-class>com.mysql.jdbc.jdbc2.optional.MysqlXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the MySQL datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.mysql">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="mysql-connector-java-5.0.8-bin.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.4. Example MySQL XA Datasource

Example 6.10. 

The example below is a MySQL XA datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <xa-datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/MysqlXADS" pool-name="MysqlXADS">
  <driver>mysql</driver>
    <xa-datasource-property name="ServerName">localhost</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="DatabaseName">mysqldb</xa-datasource-property>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mysql.MySQLExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </xa-datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="mysql" module="com.mysql">
      <xa-datasource-class>com.mysql.jdbc.jdbc2.optional.MysqlXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the MySQL XA datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.mysql">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="mysql-connector-java-5.0.8-bin.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.5. Example Oracle Datasource

Note

Prior to version 10.2 of the Oracle datasource, the <no-tx-separate-pools/> parameter was required, as mixing non-transactional and transactional connections would result in an error. This parameter may no longer be required for certain applications.

Example 6.11. 

The example below is an Oracle datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:/OracleDS" pool-name="OracleDS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:oracle:thin:@localhost:1521:XE</connection-url>
    <driver>oracle</driver>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security> 
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <stale-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleStaleConnectionChecker"></stale-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="oracle" module="com.oracle">
      <xa-datasource-class>oracle.jdbc.xa.client.OracleXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the Oracle datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.oracle">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="ojdbc6.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.6. Example Oracle XA Datasource

Note

Prior to version 10.2 of the Oracle datasource, the <no-tx-separate-pools/> parameter was required, as mixing non-transactional and transactional connections would result in an error. This parameter may no longer be required for certain applications.

Important

The following settings must be applied for the user accessing an Oracle XA datasource in order for XA recovery to operate correctly. The value user is the user defined to connect from JBoss to Oracle:
  • GRANT SELECT ON sys.dba_pending_transactions TO user;
  • GRANT SELECT ON sys.pending_trans$ TO user;
  • GRANT SELECT ON sys.dba_2pc_pending TO user;
  • GRANT EXECUTE ON sys.dbms_xa TO user; (If using Oracle 10g R2 (patched) or Oracle 11g)
    OR
    GRANT EXECUTE ON sys.dbms_system TO user; (If using an unpatched Oracle version prior to 11g)

Example 6.12. 

The example below is an Oracle XA datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <xa-datasource jndi-name="java:/XAOracleDS" pool-name="XAOracleDS">
    <driver>oracle</driver>
    <xa-datasource-property name="URL">jdbc:oracle:oci8:@tc</xa-datasource-property>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <xa-pool>
      <is-same-rm-override>false</is-same-rm-override>
      <no-tx-separate-pools />
    </xa-pool>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <stale-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleStaleConnectionChecker"></stale-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.oracle.OracleExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </xa-datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="oracle" module="com.oracle">
      <xa-datasource-class>oracle.jdbc.xa.client.OracleXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the Oracle XA datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.oracle">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="ojdbc6.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.7. Example Microsoft SQLServer Datasource

Example 6.13. 

The example below is a Microsoft SQLServer datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:/MSSQLDS" pool-name="MSSQLDS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:microsoft:sqlserver://localhost:1433;DatabaseName=MyDatabase</connection-url>
    <driver>sqlserver</driver>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mssql.MSSQLValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
    </validation>
  </datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="sqlserver" module="com.microsoft">
      <xa-datasource-class>com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the Microsoft SQLServer datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.microsoft">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="sqljdbc4.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.8. Example Microsoft SQLServer XA Datasource

Example 6.14. 

The example below is a Microsoft SQLServer XA datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <xa-datasource jndi-name="java:/MSSQLXADS" pool-name="MSSQLXADS">
    <driver>sqlserver</driver>
    <xa-datasource-property name="ServerName">localhost</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="DatabaseName">mssqldb</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="SelectMethod">cursor</xa-datasource-property>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <xa-pool>
      <is-same-rm-override>false</is-same-rm-override>
    </xa-pool>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.mssql.MSSQLValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
    </validation>
  </xa-datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="sqlserver" module="com.microsoft">
      <xa-datasource-class>com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the Microsoft SQLServer XA datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.microsoft">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="sqljdbc4.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.9. Example IBM DB2 Datasource

Example 6.15. 

The example below is an IBM DB2 datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:/DB2DS" pool-name="DB2DS">
    <connection-url>jdbc:db2:ibmdb2db</connection-url>
    <driver>ibmdb2</driver>
    <pool>
      <min-pool-size>0</min-pool-size>
      <max-pool-size>50</max-pool-size>
    </pool>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security> 
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2ValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <stale-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2StaleConnectionChecker"></stale-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2ExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="ibmdb2" module="com.ibm">
      <xa-datasource-class>com.ibm.db2.jdbc.DB2XADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the IBM DB2 datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.ibm">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="db2jcc.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.10. Example IBM DB2 XA Datasource

Example 6.16. 

The example below is an IBM DB2 XA datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <xa-datasource jndi-name="java:/DB2XADS" pool-name="DB2XADS">
    <driver>ibmdb2</driver>
    <xa-datasource-property name="DatabaseName">ibmdb2db</xa-datasource-property>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <xa-pool>
      <is-same-rm-override>false</is-same-rm-override>
    </xa-pool>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2ValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <stale-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2StaleConnectionChecker"></stale-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.db2.DB2ExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
    <recovery>
      <recovery-plugin class-name="org.jboss.jca.core.recovery.ConfigurableRecoveryPlugin">
        <config-property name="EnableIsValid">false</config-property>
        <config-property name="IsValidOverride">false</config-property>
        <config-property name="EnableClose">false</config-property>
      </recovery-plugin>
    </recovery>
  </xa-datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="ibmdb2" module="com.ibm">
      <xa-datasource-class>com.ibm.db2.jcc.DB2XADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the IBM DB2 XA datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.ibm">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="db2jcc.jar"/>
    <resource-root path="db2jcc_license_cisuz.jar"/>
    <resource-root path="db2jcc_license_cu.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.11. Example Sybase Datasource

Example 6.17. 

The example below is a Sybase datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/SybaseDB" pool-name="SybaseDB" enabled="true">
    <connection-url>jdbc:sybase:Tds:localhost:5000/DATABASE?JCONNECT_VERSION=6</connection-url>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.sybase.SybaseValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.sybase.SybaseExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="sybase" module="com.sybase">
      <datasource-class>com.sybase.jdbc2.jdbc.SybDataSource</datasource-class>
      <xa-datasource-class>com.sybase.jdbc3.jdbc.SybXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the Sybase datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.sybase">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="jconn2.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

6.7.12. Example Sybase XA Datasource

Example 6.18. 

The example below is a Sybase XA datasource configuration. The datasource has been enabled, a user has been added, and validation options have been set.
<datasources>
  <xa-datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/SybaseXADS" pool-name="SybaseXADS" enabled="true">
    <xa-datasource-property name="NetworkProtocol">Tds</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="ServerName">myserver</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="PortNumber">4100</xa-datasource-property>
    <xa-datasource-property name="DatabaseName">mydatabase</xa-datasource-property>
    <security>
      <user-name>admin</user-name>
      <password>admin</password>
    </security>
    <validation>
      <valid-connection-checker class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.sybase.SybaseValidConnectionChecker"></valid-connection-checker>
      <exception-sorter class-name="org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.extensions.sybase.SybaseExceptionSorter"></exception-sorter>
    </validation>
  </xa-datasource>
  <drivers>
    <driver name="sybase" module="com.sybase">
      <datasource-class>com.sybase.jdbc2.jdbc.SybDataSource</datasource-class>
      <xa-datasource-class>com.sybase.jdbc3.jdbc.SybXADataSource</xa-datasource-class>
    </driver>
  </drivers>
</datasources>

The example below is a module.xml file for the Sybase XA datasource above.
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.1" name="com.sybase">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="jconn2.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

Chapter 7. Configuring Modules

7.1. Introduction

7.1.1. Modules

A Module is a logical grouping of classes used for class loading and dependency management. JBoss EAP 6 identifies two different types of modules, sometimes called static and dynamic modules. However the only difference between the two is how they are packaged. All modules provide the same features.
Static Modules
Static Modules are predefined in the EAP_HOME/modules/ directory of the application server. Each sub-directory represents one module and contains one or more JAR files and a configuration file (module.xml). The name of the module is defined in the module.xml file. All the application server provided APIs are provided as static modules, including the Java EE APIs as well as other APIs such as JBoss Logging.

Example 7.1. Example module.xml file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.0" name="com.mysql">
  <resources>
    <resource-root path="mysql-connector-java-5.1.15.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <dependencies>
    <module name="javax.api"/>
    <module name="javax.transaction.api"/>
  </dependencies>
</module>

The module name, com.mysql, should match the directory structure for the module.
Creating custom static modules can be useful if many applications are deployed on the same server that use the same third party libraries. Instead of bundling those libraries with each application, a module containing these libraries can be created and installed by the JBoss administrator. The applications can then declare an explicit dependency on the custom static modules.
Dynamic Modules
Dynamic Modules are created and loaded by the application server for each JAR or WAR deployment (or subdeployment in an EAR). The name of a dynamic module is derived from the name of the deployed archive. Because deployments are loaded as modules, they can configure dependencies and be used as dependencies by other deployments.
Modules are only loaded when required. This usually only occurs when an application is deployed that has explicit or implicit dependencies.

7.1.2. Global Modules

A global module is a module that JBoss EAP 6 provides as a dependency to every application. Any module can be made global by adding it to the application server's list of global modules. It does not require changes to the module.

7.1.3. Module Dependencies

A module dependency is a declaration that one module requires the classes of another module in order to function. Modules can declare dependencies on any number of other modules. When the application server loads a module, the modular class loader parses the dependencies of that module and adds the classes from each dependency to its class path. If a specified dependency cannot be found, the module will fail to load.
Deployed applications (JAR and WAR) are loaded as dynamic modules and make use of dependencies to access the APIs provided by JBoss EAP 6.
There are two types of dependencies: explicit and implicit.
Explicit dependencies are declared in configuration by the developer. Static modules can declare dependencies in the modules.xml file. Dynamic modules can have dependencies declared in the MANIFEST.MF or jboss-deployment-structure.xml deployment descriptors of the deployment.
Explicit dependencies can be specified as optional. Failure to load an optional dependency will not cause a module to fail to load. However if the dependency becomes available later it will NOT be added to the module's class path. Dependencies must be available when the module is loaded.
Implicit dependencies are added automatically by the application server when certain conditions or meta-data are found in a deployment. The Java EE 6 APIs supplied with JBoss EAP 6 are examples of modules that are added by detection of implicit dependencies in deployments.
Deployments can also be configured to exclude specific implicit dependencies. This is done with the jboss-deployment-structure.xml deployment descriptor file. This is commonly done when an application bundles a specific version of a library that the application server will attempt to add as an implicit dependency.
A module's class path contains only its own classes and that of it's immediate dependencies. A module is not able to access the classes of the dependencies of one of its dependencies. However a module can specify that an explicit dependency is exported. An exported dependency is provided to any module that depends on the module that exports it.

Example 7.2. Module dependencies

Module A depends on Module B and Module B depends on Module C. Module A can access the classes of Module B, and Module B can access the classes of Module C. Module A cannot access the classes of Module C unless:
  • Module A declares an explicit dependency on Module C, or
  • Module B exports its dependency on Module C.

7.1.4. Subdeployment Class Loader Isolation

Each subdeployment in an Enterprise Archive (EAR) is a dynamic module with its own class loader. By default a subdeployment can access the resources of other subdeployments.
If a subdeployment should not access the resources of other subdeployments (strict subdeployment isolation is required) then this can be enabled.

7.2. Disable Subdeployment Module Isolation for All Deployments

This task shows server administrators how to disable Subdeployment Module Isolation on the application server. This affects all deployments.

Warning

This task requires you to edit the XML configuration files of the server. The server must be halted before doing this. This is temporary as the final release administration tools will support this type of configuration.
  1. Stop the server

    Halt the JBoss EAP server.
  2. Open the server configuration file

    Open the server configuration file in a text editor.
    This file will be different for a managed domain or standalone server. In addition, non-default locations and file names may be used. The default configuration files are domain/configuration/domain.xml and standalone/configuration/standalone.xml for managed domains and standalone servers respectively.
  3. Locate the EE Subsystem Configuration

    Locate the EE Subsystem configuration element in the configuration file. The <profile> element of the configuration file contains several subsystem elements. The EE Subsystem element has the namespace of urn:jboss:domain:ee:1.0.
    <profile>
    
       ...
    
       <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ee:1.0" />
    
       ...
    The default configuration has a single self-closing tag but a custom configuration may have separate open and closing tags (possibly with other elements within) like this:
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ee:1.0" ></subsystem>
  4. Replace self-closing tags if necessary

    If the EE Subsystem element is a single self-closing tag then replace with appropriate opening and closing tags like this:
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ee:1.0" ></subsystem>
  5. Add ear-subdeployments-isolated element

    Add the ear-subdeployments-isolated element as a child of the EE Subsystem element and add the content of false like this:
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ee:1.0" ><ear-subdeployments-isolated>false</ear-subdeployments-isolated></subsystem>
  6. Start the server

    Relaunch the JBoss EAP server to start it running with the new configuration.
Result:

The server will now be running with Subdeployment Module Isolation disabled for all deployments.

7.3. Add a module to all deployments

This task shows how JBoss administrators can define a list of global modules.

Prerequisites

  1. You must know the name of the modules that are to be configured as global modules. Refer to Section 7.4.1, “Included Modules” for the list of static modules included with JBoss EAP 6. If the module is in another deployment, refer to Section 7.4.2, “Dynamic Module Naming” to determine the module name.

Procedure 7.1. Add a module to the list of global modules

  1. Navigate to the EE Subsystem panel.
    EE Subsystem Panel

    Figure 7.1. EE Subsystem Panel

  2. Click the Add button in the Global Modules section. The Create Module dialog appears.
  3. Type in the name of the module and optionally the module slot.
  4. Click the Save button to add the new global module, or click the Cancel link to abort.
    • If you click the Save button, the dialog will close and the specified module will be added to the list of global modules.
    • If you click Cancel, the dialog will close and no changes will be made.
Result

The modules added to the list of global modules will be added as dependencies to every deployment.

7.4. Reference

7.4.1. Included Modules

  • asm.asm
  • ch.qos.cal10n
  • com.google.guava
  • com.h2database.h2
  • com.sun.jsf-impl
  • com.sun.jsf-impl
  • com.sun.xml.bind
  • com.sun.xml.messaging.saaj
  • gnu.getopt
  • javaee.api
  • javax.activation.api
  • javax.annotation.api
  • javax.api
  • javax.ejb.api
  • javax.el.api
  • javax.enterprise.api
  • javax.enterprise.deploy.api
  • javax.faces.api
  • javax.faces.api
  • javax.inject.api
  • javax.interceptor.api
  • javax.jms.api
  • javax.jws.api
  • javax.mail.api
  • javax.management.j2ee.api
  • javax.persistence.api
  • javax.resource.api
  • javax.rmi.api
  • javax.security.auth.message.api
  • javax.security.jacc.api
  • javax.servlet.api
  • javax.servlet.jsp.api
  • javax.servlet.jstl.api
  • javax.transaction.api
  • javax.validation.api
  • javax.ws.rs.api
  • javax.wsdl4j.api
  • javax.xml.bind.api
  • javax.xml.jaxp-provider
  • javax.xml.registry.api
  • javax.xml.rpc.api
  • javax.xml.soap.api
  • javax.xml.stream.api
  • javax.xml.ws.api
  • jline
  • net.sourceforge.cssparser
  • net.sourceforge.htmlunit
  • net.sourceforge.nekohtml
  • nu.xom
  • org.antlr
  • org.apache.ant
  • org.apache.commons.beanutils
  • org.apache.commons.cli
  • org.apache.commons.codec
  • org.apache.commons.collections
  • org.apache.commons.io
  • org.apache.commons.lang
  • org.apache.commons.logging
  • org.apache.commons.pool
  • org.apache.cxf
  • org.apache.httpcomponents
  • org.apache.james.mime4j
  • org.apache.log4j
  • org.apache.neethi
  • org.apache.santuario.xmlsec
  • org.apache.velocity
  • org.apache.ws.scout
  • org.apache.ws.security
  • org.apache.ws.xmlschema
  • org.apache.xalan
  • org.apache.xerces
  • org.apache.xml-resolver
  • org.codehaus.jackson.jackson-core-asl
  • org.codehaus.jackson.jackson-jaxrs
  • org.codehaus.jackson.jackson-mapper-asl
  • org.codehaus.jackson.jackson-xc
  • org.codehaus.woodstox
  • org.dom4j
  • org.hibernate
  • org.hibernate.envers
  • org.hibernate.infinispan
  • org.hibernate.validator
  • org.hornetq
  • org.hornetq.ra
  • org.infinispan
  • org.infinispan.cachestore.jdbc
  • org.infinispan.cachestore.remote
  • org.infinispan.client.hotrod
  • org.jacorb
  • org.javassist
  • org.jaxen
  • org.jboss.as.aggregate
  • org.jboss.as.appclient
  • org.jboss.as.cli
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.api
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.common
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.ejb3.infinispan
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.impl
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.infinispan
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.jgroups
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.service
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.singleton
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.web.infinispan
  • org.jboss.as.clustering.web.spi
  • org.jboss.as.cmp
  • org.jboss.as.connector
  • org.jboss.as.console
  • org.jboss.as.controller
  • org.jboss.as.controller-client
  • org.jboss.as.deployment-repository
  • org.jboss.as.deployment-scanner
  • org.jboss.as.domain-add-user
  • org.jboss.as.domain-http-error-context
  • org.jboss.as.domain-http-interface
  • org.jboss.as.domain-management
  • org.jboss.as.ee
  • org.jboss.as.ee.deployment
  • org.jboss.as.ejb3
  • org.jboss.as.embedded
  • org.jboss.as.host-controller
  • org.jboss.as.jacorb
  • org.jboss.as.jaxr
  • org.jboss.as.jaxrs
  • org.jboss.as.jdr
  • org.jboss.as.jmx
  • org.jboss.as.jpa
  • org.jboss.as.jpa.hibernate
  • org.jboss.as.jpa.hibernate
  • org.jboss.as.jpa.hibernate.infinispan
  • org.jboss.as.jpa.openjpa
  • org.jboss.as.jpa.spi
  • org.jboss.as.jpa.util
  • org.jboss.as.jsr77
  • org.jboss.as.logging
  • org.jboss.as.mail
  • org.jboss.as.management-client-content
  • org.jboss.as.messaging
  • org.jboss.as.modcluster
  • org.jboss.as.naming
  • org.jboss.as.network
  • org.jboss.as.osgi
  • org.jboss.as.platform-mbean
  • org.jboss.as.pojo
  • org.jboss.as.process-controller
  • org.jboss.as.protocol
  • org.jboss.as.remoting
  • org.jboss.as.sar
  • org.jboss.as.security
  • org.jboss.as.server
  • org.jboss.as.standalone
  • org.jboss.as.threads
  • org.jboss.as.transactions
  • org.jboss.as.web
  • org.jboss.as.webservices
  • org.jboss.as.webservices.server.integration
  • org.jboss.as.webservices.server.jaxrpc-integration
  • org.jboss.as.weld
  • org.jboss.as.xts
  • org.jboss.classfilewriter
  • org.jboss.com.sun.httpserver
  • org.jboss.common-core
  • org.jboss.dmr
  • org.jboss.ejb-client
  • org.jboss.ejb3
  • org.jboss.iiop-client
  • org.jboss.integration.ext-content
  • org.jboss.interceptor
  • org.jboss.interceptor.spi
  • org.jboss.invocation
  • org.jboss.ironjacamar.api
  • org.jboss.ironjacamar.impl
  • org.jboss.ironjacamar.jdbcadapters
  • org.jboss.jandex
  • org.jboss.jaxbintros
  • org.jboss.jboss-transaction-spi
  • org.jboss.jsfunit.core
  • org.jboss.jts
  • org.jboss.jts.integration
  • org.jboss.logging
  • org.jboss.logmanager
  • org.jboss.logmanager.log4j
  • org.jboss.marshalling
  • org.jboss.marshalling.river
  • org.jboss.metadata
  • org.jboss.modules
  • org.jboss.msc
  • org.jboss.netty
  • org.jboss.osgi.deployment
  • org.jboss.osgi.framework
  • org.jboss.osgi.resolver
  • org.jboss.osgi.spi
  • org.jboss.osgi.vfs
  • org.jboss.remoting3
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-atom-provider
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-cdi
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-jackson-provider
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-jaxb-provider
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-jaxrs
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-jsapi
  • org.jboss.resteasy.resteasy-multipart-provider
  • org.jboss.sasl
  • org.jboss.security.negotiation
  • org.jboss.security.xacml
  • org.jboss.shrinkwrap.core
  • org.jboss.staxmapper
  • org.jboss.stdio
  • org.jboss.threads
  • org.jboss.vfs
  • org.jboss.weld.api
  • org.jboss.weld.core
  • org.jboss.weld.spi
  • org.jboss.ws.api
  • org.jboss.ws.common
  • org.jboss.ws.cxf.jbossws-cxf-client
  • org.jboss.ws.cxf.jbossws-cxf-factories
  • org.jboss.ws.cxf.jbossws-cxf-server
  • org.jboss.ws.cxf.jbossws-cxf-transports-httpserver
  • org.jboss.ws.jaxws-client
  • org.jboss.ws.jaxws-jboss-httpserver-httpspi
  • org.jboss.ws.native.jbossws-native-core
  • org.jboss.ws.native.jbossws-native-factories
  • org.jboss.ws.native.jbossws-native-services
  • org.jboss.ws.saaj-impl
  • org.jboss.ws.spi
  • org.jboss.ws.tools.common
  • org.jboss.ws.tools.wsconsume
  • org.jboss.ws.tools.wsprovide
  • org.jboss.xb
  • org.jboss.xnio
  • org.jboss.xnio.nio
  • org.jboss.xts
  • org.jdom
  • org.jgroups
  • org.joda.time
  • org.junit
  • org.omg.api
  • org.osgi.core
  • org.picketbox
  • org.picketlink
  • org.python.jython.standalone
  • org.scannotation.scannotation
  • org.slf4j
  • org.slf4j.ext
  • org.slf4j.impl
  • org.slf4j.jcl-over-slf4j
  • org.w3c.css.sac
  • sun.jdk

7.4.2. Dynamic Module Naming

All deployments are loaded as modules by JBoss EAP 6 and named according to the following conventions.
  1. Deployments of WAR and JAR files are named with the following format:
     deployment.DEPLOYMENT_NAME 
    For example, inventory.war and store.jar will have the module names of deployment.inventory.war and deployment.store.jar respectively.
  2. Subdeployments within an Enterprise Archive are named with the following format:
     deployment.EAR_NAME.SUBDEPLOYMENT_NAME 
    For example, the subdeployment of reports.war within the enterprise archive accounts.ear will have the module name of deployment.accounts.ear.reports.war.

Chapter 8. Global Valves

8.1. About Valves

A Valve is a Java class that gets inserted into the request processing pipeline for an application. It is inserted in the pipeline before servlet filters. Valves can make changes to the request before passing it on or perform any other processing such as authentication or even cancelling the request. Valves are usually packaged with an application.
Version 6.1.0 and later supports global valves.

8.2. About Global Valves

A Global Valve is a valve that is inserted into the request processing pipeline of all deployed applications. A valve is made global by being packaged and installed as a static module in JBoss EAP 6. Global valves are configured in the web subsystem.
Only version 6.1.0 and later supports global valves.

8.3. About Authenticator Valves

An authenticator valve is a valve that authenticates the credentials of a request. Such valve is a sub-class of org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase and overrides the authenticate() method.
This can be used to implement additional authentication schemes.

8.4. Install a Global Valve

Global valves must be packaged and installed as static modules in JBoss EAP 6. This task shows how to install the module.

Pre-requisities:

  • The valve must already be created and packaged in a JAR file.
  • A module.xml file must already be created for the module.
    Refer to Section 7.1.1, “Modules” for an example of module.xml file.

Procedure 8.1. Install a Global Module

  1. Create module installation directory

    A directory for the module to be installed in must be created in the modules directory of the application server.
    EAP_HOME/modules/system/layers/base/MODULENAME/main
    $ mkdir -P /usr/share/jboss/modules/system/layers/base/MyValveModule/main
  2. Copy files

    Copy the JAR and module.xml files to the directory created in step 1.
    $ cp MyValves.jar modules.xml /usr/share/jboss/modules/system/layers/base/MyValveModule/main
The valve classes declared in the module are now available to be configured in the web subsystem.

8.5. Configure a Global Valve

Global valves are enabled and configured in the web subsystem. This is done using the JBoss CLI tool.

Procedure 8.2. Configure a Global Valve

  1. Enable the Valve

    Use the add operation to add a new valve entry.
    /subsystem=web/valve=VALVENAME:add(module="MODULENAME",class-name="CLASSNAME")
    You need to specify the following values:
    • VALVENAME, the name that is used to refer to this valve in application configuration.
    • MODULENAME, the module that contains the value being configured.
    • CLASSNAME, the classname of the specific valve in the module.
    /subsystem=web/valve=clientlimiter:add(module="clientlimitermodule",class-name="org.jboss.samplevalves.restrictedUserAgentsValve")
  2. Optionally: Specify Parameters

    If the valve has configuration parameters, specify these with the add-param operation.
    /subsystem=web/valve=testvalve:add-param(param-name="NAME", param-value="VALUE")
    /subsystem=web/valve=testvalve:add-param(
       param-name="restricteduseragents", 
       param-value="^.*MS Web Services Client Protocol.*$"
    )
The valve is now enabled and configured for all deployed applications.

Chapter 9. Application Deployment

9.1. About Application Deployment

JBoss EAP 6 features a range of application deployment and configuration options to cater to both administrative and development environments. For administrators, the Management Console and the Management CLI offer the ideal graphical and command line interfaces to manage application deployments in a production environment. For developers, the range of application deployment testing options include a highly configurable filesystem deployment scanner, the use of an IDE such as JBoss Developer Studio, or deployment and undeployment via Maven.

9.2. Deploy with the Management Console

9.2.1. Manage Application Deployment in the Management Console

Deploying applications via the Management Console gives you the benefit of a graphical interface that is easy to use. You can see at a glance what applications are deployed to your server or server groups, and you can disable or delete applications from the content repository as required.

9.2.2. Deploy an Application Using the Management Console

Procedure 9.1. Deploy an Application using the Management Console

  1. Navigate to the Manage Deployments panel in the Management Console

    1. Select the Runtime tab from the top right of the console.
    2. Select the DeploymentsManage Deployments option from the menu on the left of the console.
  2. Deploy an application

    The deployment method will differ depending on whether you are deploying to a standalone server instance or a managed domain.
    • Deploy to a standalone server instance

      The Deployments table shows all available application deployments and their status.
      Available deployments

      Figure 9.1. Available deployments

      1. Enable the application in a standalone server instance

        Click on the Enable button in the Deployments table to enable the application deployment.
      2. Confirm

        Click on the confirm button to confirm that the application will be enabled on the server instance.
        Available deployments in a standalone server

        Figure 9.2. Available deployments in a standalone server

    • Deploy to a managed domain

      The Deployment Content section contains a Content Repository table showing all available application deployments and their status.
      Available deployments in a managed domain

      Figure 9.3. Available deployments in a managed domain

      1. Enable the application in a Managed Domain

        Click on the Add to Groups button in the Content Repository table.
      2. Select server groups

        Check the boxes for each of the server groups that you want the application to be added to and click on the Save button to continue.
        Select server groups for application deployment

        Figure 9.4. Select server groups for application deployment

      3. Confirm

        Click on the Server Group Deployments tab to view the Server Groups table. Your application is now deployed to the server groups that you have selected.
        Confirmation of application deployment to server groups

        Figure 9.5. Confirmation of application deployment to server groups

Result

The application is deployed on the relevant server or server group.

9.2.3. Undeploy an Application Using the Management Console

Procedure 9.2. Undeploy an Application using the Management Console

  1. Navigate to the Manage Deployments panel in the Management Console

    1. Select the Runtime tab from the top right of the console.
    2. Select the DeploymentsManage Deployments option from the menu on the left of the console.
  2. Undeploy an application

    The undeployment method will differ depending on whether you are deploying to a standalone server instance or a managed domain.
    • Undeploy from a standalone server instance

      The Deployments table shows all available application deployments and their status.
      Available deployments

      Figure 9.6. Available deployments

      1. Disable the application in a standalone server instance

        Click on the Disable button in the Deployments table to disable the application.
      2. Confirm that you wish to disable the application

        Click on the confirm button to confirm that the application will be disabled on the server instance.
        Confirm the application to disable

        Figure 9.7. Confirm the application to disable

    • Undeploy from a managed domain

      The Deployment Content section contains a Content Repository table showing all available application deployments and their status.
      Available deployments in a managed domain

      Figure 9.8. Available deployments in a managed domain

      1. Disable the application in a Managed Domain

        Click on the Server Group Deployments tab to view the server groups and the status of their deployed applications.
        Server group deployments

        Figure 9.9. Server group deployments

      2. Select server group

        Click on the name of the server in the Server Group table to undeploy an application from.
      3. Disable the application from the selected server

        Click on the disable button to disable the application for the selected server.
      4. Confirm that you wish to disable the application

        Click on the confirm button to confirm that the application will be disabled on the server instance.
        Confirm the application to disable

        Figure 9.10. Confirm the application to disable

      5. Repeat undeployment for remaining server groups

        Repeat as required for other server groups. The application status is confirmed for each server group in the Deployments table.
        Confirmation of application undeployment from a server group

        Figure 9.11. Confirmation of application undeployment from a server group

Result

The application is undeployed from the relevant server or server group.

9.3. Deploy with the Management CLI

9.3.1. Manage Application Deployment in the Management CLI

Deploying applications via the Management CLI gives you the benefit of single command line interface with the ability to create and run deployment scripts. You can use this scripting ability to configure specific application deployment and management scenarios. You can manage the deployment status of a single server in the case of a standalone instance, or an entire network of servers in the case of a managed domain.

9.3.2. Deploy an Application in a Managed Domain Using the Management CLI

Procedure 9.3. Deploy an Application in a Managed Domain

  • Run the deploy command

    From the Management CLI, enter the deploy command with the path to the application deployment. Include the --all-server-groups parameter to deploy to all server groups.
    [domain@localhost:9999 /] deploy /path/to/test-application.war --all-server-groups
    • Alternatively, define specific server groups for the deployment with the --server-groups parameter.
      [domain@localhost:9999 /] deploy /path/to/test-application.war --server-groups=server_group_1,server_group_2
    Note that a successful deploy does not produce any output to the CLI.
Result

The specified application is now deployed to a server group in your managed domain.

9.3.3. Undeploy an Application in a Managed Domain Using the Management CLI

Procedure 9.4. Undeploy an Application in a Managed Domain

  • Run the undeploy command

    From the Management CLI, enter the undeploy command with the filename of the application deployment. The application can be undeployed from any server group that it was originally deployed to with the addition of the --all-relevant-server-groups parameter.
    [domain@localhost:9999 /] undeploy test-application.war --all-relevant-server-groups
    Note that a successful undeploy does not produce any output to the CLI.
Result

The specified application is now undeployed.

9.3.4. Deploy an Application in a Standalone Server Using the Management CLI

Procedure 9.5. Deploy an Application in a Standalone Server

  • Run the deploy command

    From the Management CLI, enter the deploy command with the path to the application deployment.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] deploy /path/to/test-application.war
    Note that a successful deploy does not produce any output to the CLI.
Result

The specified application is now deployed in the standalone server.

9.3.5. Undeploy an Application in a Standalone Server Using the Management CLI

Procedure 9.6. Undeploy an Application in a Standalone Server

  • Run the undeploy command

    From the Management CLI, enter the undeploy command with the filename of the application deployment.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] undeploy test-application.war
    Note that a successful undeploy does not produce any output to the CLI.
Result

The specified application is now undeployed.

9.4. Deploy with the Deployment Scanner

9.4.1. Manage Application Deployment in the Deployment Scanner

Deploying applications to a standalone server instance via the deployment scanner allows you to build and test applications in a manner suited for rapid development cycles. You can configure the deployment scanner to suit your needs for deployment frequency and behaviour for a variety of application types.

9.4.2. Deploy an Application to a Standalone Server Instance with the Deployment Scanner

Summary

This task shows a method for deploying applications to a standalone server instance with the deployment scanner. As indicated in the Section 9.1, “About Application Deployment” topic, this method is retained for the convenience of developers, where the Management Console and Management CLI methods are recommended for application management under production environments.

Procedure 9.7. Use the Deployment Scanner to Deploy Applications

  1. Copy content to the deployment folder

    Copy the application file to the deployment folder found at EAP_HOME/standalone/deployments/.
  2. Deployment scanning modes

    The application deployment varies between automatic and manual deployment scanner modes.
    • Automatic deployment

      The deployment scanner picks up a change to the state of the folder and creates a marker file as defined in the Section 9.4.5, “Reference for Deployment Scanner Marker Files” topic.
    • Manual deployment

      The deployment scanner requires a marker file to trigger the deployment process. The following example uses the Unix touch command to create a new .dodeploy file.

      Example 9.1. Deploy with the touch command

      [user@host bin]$ touch $EAP_HOME/standalone/deployments/example.war.dodeploy
Result

The application file is deployed to the application server. A marker file is created in the deployment folder to indicate the successful deployment, and the application is flagged as Enabled in the Management Console.

Example 9.2. Deployment folder contents after deployment

example.war
example.war.deployed

9.4.3. Undeploy an Application to a Standalone Server Instance with the Deployment Scanner

Summary

This task shows a method for undeploying applications from a standalone server instance that have been deployed with the deployment scanner. As indicated in the Section 9.1, “About Application Deployment” topic, this method is retained for the convenience of developers, where the Management Console and Management CLI methods are recommended for application management under production environments.

Note

The deployment scanner should not be used in conjunction with other deployment methods for application management. Applications removed from the application server by the management console will be removed from the runtime without affecting the marker files or application contained in the deployment directory. To minimize the risk of accidental redployment or other errors, use the Management CLI and Management Console for administration in production environments.

Procedure 9.8. Undeploy an Application using one of these Methods

  • Undeploy the application

    There are two methods to undeploy the application depending on whether you want to delete the application from the deployment folder or only alter its deployment status.
    • Undeploy by deleting the marker file

      Delete the deployed application's example.war.deployed marker file to trigger the deployment scanner to begin undeploying the application from the runtime.
      Result
      The deployment scanner undeploys the application and creates a example.war.undeployed marker file. The application remains in the deployment folder.
    • Undeploy by removing the application

      Remove the application from the deployment directory to trigger the deployment scanner to begin undeploying the application from the runtime.
      Result
      The deployment scanner undeploys the application and creates a filename.filetype.undeployed marker file. The application is not present in the deployment folder.
Result

The application file is undeployed from the application server and is not visible in the Deployments screen of the Management Console.

9.4.4. Redeploy an Application to a Standalone Server Instance with the Deployment Scanner

Summary

This task shows a method for redeploying applications to a standalone server instance that have been deployed with the deployment scanner. As indicated in the Section 9.1, “About Application Deployment” topic, this method is retained for the convenience of developers, where the Management Console and Management CLI methods are recommended for application management under production environments.

Procedure 9.9. Redeploy an Application to a Standalone Server

  • Redeploy the application

    There are three possible methods to redeploy an application deployed with the deployment scanner. These methods trigger the deployment scanner to initiate a deployment cycle, and can be chosen to suit personal preference.
Result

The application file is redeployed.

9.4.5. Reference for Deployment Scanner Marker Files

Marker files

Marker files are a part of the deployment scanner subsystem. These files mark the status of an application within the deployment directory of the standalone server instance. A marker file has the same name as the application, with the file suffix indicating the state of the application's deployment. The following table defines the types and responses for each marker file.

Example 9.4. Marker file example

The following example shows the marker file for a successfully deployed instance of an application called testapplication.war.
testapplication.war.deployed

Table 9.1. Marker filetype definitions

Filename Suffix Origin Description
.dodeploy User generated Indicates that the content should be deployed or redeployed into the runtime.
.skipdeploy User generated Disables auto-deploy of an application while present. Useful as a method of temporarily blocking the auto-deployment of exploded content, preventing the risk of incomplete content edits pushing live. Can be used with zipped content, although the scanner detects in-progress changes to zipped content and waits until completion.
.isdeploying System generated Indicates the initiation of deployment. The marker file will be deleted when the deployment process completes.
.deployed System generated Indicates that the content has been deployed. The content will be undeployed if this file is deleted.
.failed System generated Indicates deployment failure. The marker file contains information about the cause of failure. If the marker file is deleted, the content will be visible to the auto-deployment again.
.isundeploying System generated Indicates a response to a .deployed file deletion. The content will be undeployed and the marker will be automatically deleted upon completion.
.undeployed System generated Indicates that the content has been undeployed. Deletion of the marker file has no impact to content redeployment.
.pending System generated Indicates that deployment instructions will be sent to the server pending resolution of a detected issue. This marker serves as a global deployment road-block. The scanner will not instruct the server to deploy or undeploy any other content while this condition exists.

9.4.6. Reference for Deployment Scanner Attributes

The deployment scanner contains the following attributes that are exposed to the Management CLI and able to be configured using the write-attribute operation. For more information on configuration options, refer to the topic Section 9.4.8, “Configure the Deployment Scanner with the Management CLI”.

Table 9.2. Deployment Scanner Attributes

Name Description Type default Value
auto-deploy-exploded Allows the automatic deployment of exploded content without requiring a .dodeploy marker file. Recommended for only basic development scenarios to prevent exploded application deployment from occurring during changes by the developer or operating system. Boolean False
auto-deploy-xml Allows the automatic deployment of XML content without requiring a .dodeploy marker file. Boolean True
auto-deploy-zipped Allows the automatic deployment of zipped content without requiring a .dodeploy marker file. Boolean True
deployment-timeout The time value in seconds for the deployment scanner to allow a deployment attempt before being cancelled. Long 60
path Defines the actual filesystem path to be scanned. If the relative-to attribute is specified, the path value acts as a relative addition to that directory or path. String Deployments
relative-to Reference to a filesystem path defined in the paths section of the server configuration XML file. String jboss.server.base.dir
scan-enabled Allows the automatic scanning for applications by scan-interval and at startup. Boolean True
scan-interval The time interval in milliseconds between scans of the repository. A value of less than 1 restricts the scanner to operate only at startup. Int 5000

9.4.7. Configure the Deployment Scanner

The deployment scanner can be configured using the Management Console or the Management CLI. You can create a new deployment scanner or manage the existing scanner attributes. These include the scanning interval, the location of the deployment folder, and the application file types that will trigger a deployment.

9.4.8. Configure the Deployment Scanner with the Management CLI

Summary

While there are multiple methods of configuring the deployment scanner, the Management CLI can be used to expose and modify the attributes by use of batch scripts or in real time. You can modify the behavior of the deployment scanner by use of the read-attribute and write-attribute global command line operations. Further information about the deployment scanner attributes are defined in the topic Section 9.4.6, “Reference for Deployment Scanner Attributes”.

The deployment scanner is a subsystem of JBoss EAP 6, and can be viewed in the standalone.xml.
<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:deployment-scanner:1.1">
    <deployment-scanner path="deployments" relative-to="jboss.server.base.dir" scan-interval="5000"/>
</subsystem>

Procedure 9.10. Configure the Deployment Scanner

  1. Determine the deployment scanner attributes to configure

    Configuring the deployment scanner via the Management CLI requires that you first expose the correct attribute names. You can do this with the read-resources operation at either the root node, or by using the cd command to change into the subsystem child node. You can also display the attributes with the ls command at this level.
    • Expose the deployment scanner attributes with the read-resource operation

      Use the read-resource operation to expose the attributes defined by the default deployment scanner resource.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /]/subsystem=deployment-scanner/scanner=default:read-resource
      {
          "outcome" => "success",
          "result" => {
              "auto-deploy-exploded" => false,
              "auto-deploy-xml" => true,
              "auto-deploy-zipped" => true,
              "deployment-timeout" => 60,
              "path" => "deployments",
              "relative-to" => "jboss.server.base.dir",
              "scan-enabled" => true,
              "scan-interval" => 5000
          }
      }
      
    • Expose the deployment scanner attributes with the ls command

      Use the ls command with the -l optional argument to display a table of results that include the subsystem node attributes, values, and type. You can learn more about the ls command and its arguments by exposing the CLI help entry by typing ls --help. For more information about the help menu in the Management CLI, refer to the topic Section 3.5.5, “Get Help with the Management CLI”.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /] ls -l /subsystem=deployment-scanner/scanner=default
      ATTRIBUTE            VALUE                 TYPE    
      auto-deploy-exploded false                 BOOLEAN 
      auto-deploy-xml      true                  BOOLEAN 
      auto-deploy-zipped   true                  BOOLEAN 
      deployment-timeout   60                    LONG    
      path                 deployments           STRING  
      relative-to          jboss.server.base.dir STRING  
      scan-enabled         true                  BOOLEAN 
      scan-interval        5000                  INT
      
  2. Configure the deployment scanner with the write-attribute operation

    Once you have determined the name of the attribute to modify, use the write-attribute to specify the attribute name and the new value to write to it. The following examples are all run at the child node level, which can be accessed by using the cd command and tab completion to expose and change into the default scanner node.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] cd subsystem=deployment-scanner/scanner=default
    
    1. Enable automatic deployment of exploded content

      Use the write-attribute operation to enable the automatic deployment of exploded application content.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=auto-deploy-exploded,value=true)
      {"outcome" => "success"}
      
    2. Disable the automatic deployment of XML content

      Use the write-attribute operation to disable the automatic deployment of XML application content.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=auto-deploy-xml,value=false)     
      {"outcome" => "success"}
      
    3. Disable the automatic deployment of zipped content

      Use the write-attribute command to disable the automatic deployment of zipped application content.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=auto-deploy-zipped,value=false)
      {"outcome" => "success"}
      
    4. Configure the path attribute

      Use the write-attribute operation to modify the path attribute, substituting the example newpathname value for the new path name for the deployment scanner to monitor. Note that the server will require a reload to take effect.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=path,value=newpathname)            
      {
          "outcome" => "success",
          "response-headers" => {
              "operation-requires-reload" => true,
              "process-state" => "reload-required"
          }
      }
      
    5. Configure the relative path attribute

      Use the write-attribute operation to modify the relative reference to the filesystem path defined in the paths section of the configuration XML file. Note that the server will require a reload to take effect.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=relative-to,value=new.relative.dir)
      {
          "outcome" => "success",
          "response-headers" => {
              "operation-requires-reload" => true,
              "process-state" => "reload-required"
          }
      }
      
    6. Disable the deployment scanner

      Use the write-attribute operation to disable the deployment scanner by setting the scan-enabled value to false.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=scan-enabled,value=false)        
      {"outcome" => "success"}
      
    7. Change the scan interval

      Use the write-attribute operation to modify the scan interval time from 5000 milliseconds to 10000 milliseconds.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 scanner=default] :write-attribute(name=scan-interval,value=10000)
      {"outcome" => "success"}
      
Result

Your configuration changes are saved to the deployment scanner.

9.5. Deploy with Maven

9.5.1. Manage Application Deployment with Maven

Deploying applications via Maven allows you to incorporate a deployment cycle as part of your existing development workflow.

9.5.2. Deploy an Application with Maven

Summary

This task shows a method for deploying applications with Maven. The example provided uses the jboss-as-helloworld.war application found in the JBoss EAP 6 Quick Starts collection. The helloworld project contains a POM file which initializes the jboss-as-maven-plugin. This plugin provides simple operations to deploy and undeploy applications to and from the application server.

Procedure 9.11. Deploy an application with Maven

  1. Run the Maven deploy command in a terminal session

    Open a terminal session and navigate to the directory containing the quickstart examples.
  2. Run the Maven deploy command to deploy the application. If the application is already running, it will be redeployed.
    [localhost]$ mvn package jboss-as:deploy
  3. Confirm the application deployment

    • View result in terminal window

      The deployment can be confirmed by viewing the operation logs in the terminal window.

      Example 9.5. Maven confirmation for helloworld application

                              
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      [INFO] BUILD SUCCESSFUL
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      [INFO] Total time: 3 seconds
      [INFO] Finished at: Mon Oct 10 17:22:05 EST 2011
      [INFO] Final Memory: 21M/343M
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
      
    • View results in server terminal window

      The deployment can also be confirmed in the status stream of the active application server instance.

      Example 9.6. Application server confirmation for helloworld application

      17:22:04,922 INFO  [org.jboss.as.server.deployment] (pool-1-thread-3) Content added at location /home/username/EAP_HOME/standalone/data/content/2c/39607b0c8dbc6a36585f72866c1bcfc951f3ff/content
      17:22:04,924 INFO  [org.jboss.as.server.deployment] (MSC service thread 1-1) Starting deployment of "jboss-as-helloworld.war"
      17:22:04,954 INFO  [org.jboss.weld] (MSC service thread 1-3) Processing CDI deployment: jboss-as-helloworld.war
      17:22:04,973 INFO  [org.jboss.weld] (MSC service thread 1-2) Starting Services for CDI deployment: jboss-as-helloworld.war
      17:22:04,979 INFO  [org.jboss.weld] (MSC service thread 1-4) Starting weld service
      17:22:05,051 INFO  [org.jboss.web] (MSC service thread 1-2) registering web context: /jboss-as-helloworld
      17:22:05,064 INFO  [org.jboss.as.server.controller] (pool-1-thread-3) Deployed "jboss-as-helloworld.war"
Result

The application is deployed to the application server.

9.5.3. Undeploy an Application with Maven

Summary

This task shows a method for undeploying applications with Maven. The example provided uses the jboss-as-helloworld.war application found in the Enterprise Application Server Quick Starts collection. The helloworld project contains a POM file which initializes the jboss-as-maven-plugin. This plug-in provides simple operations to deploy and undeploy applications to and from the application server.

Procedure 9.12. Undeploy an application with Maven

  1. Run the Maven deploy command in a terminal session

    Open a terminal session and navigate to the directory containing the quickstart examples.

    Example 9.7. Change into the helloworld application directory

    [localhost]$ cd /path/to/EAP_Quickstarts/helloworld
    
  2. Run the Maven undeploy command to undeploy the application.
    [localhost]$ mvn jboss-as:undeploy
  3. Confirm the application undeployment

    • View result in terminal window

      The undeployment can be confirmed by viewing the operation logs in the terminal window.

      Example 9.8. Maven confirmation for helloworld application

                              
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      [INFO] Building JBoss AS Quickstarts: Helloworld
      [INFO]    task-segment: [jboss-as:undeploy]
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      [INFO] [jboss-as:undeploy {execution: default-cli}]
      [INFO] Executing goal undeploy for /home/username/EAP_Quickstarts/helloworld/target/jboss-as-helloworld.war on server localhost (127.0.0.1) port 9999.
      Oct 10, 2011 5:33:02 PM org.jboss.remoting3.EndpointImpl <clinit>
      INFO: JBoss Remoting version 3.2.0.Beta2
      Oct 10, 2011 5:33:02 PM org.xnio.Xnio <clinit>
      INFO: XNIO Version 3.0.0.Beta2
      Oct 10, 2011 5:33:02 PM org.xnio.nio.NioXnio <clinit>
      INFO: XNIO NIO Implementation Version 3.0.0.Beta2
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      [INFO] BUILD SUCCESSFUL
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      [INFO] Total time: 1 second
      [INFO] Finished at: Mon Oct 10 17:33:02 EST 2011
      [INFO] Final Memory: 11M/212M
      [INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
      
    • View results in server terminal window

      The undeployment can also be confirmed in the status stream of the active application server instance.

      Example 9.9. Application server confirmation for helloworld application

           
      17:33:02,334 INFO  [org.jboss.weld] (MSC service thread 1-3) Stopping weld service
      17:33:02,342 INFO  [org.jboss.as.server.deployment] (MSC service thread 1-3) Stopped deployment jboss-as-helloworld.war in 15ms
      17:33:02,352 INFO  [org.jboss.as.server.controller] (pool-1-thread-5) Undeployed "jboss-as-helloworld.war"
      
      
Result

The application is undeployed from the application server.

9.6. Control the order of Deployed Applications on JBoss EAP 6

JBoss EAP 6 offers fine grained control over the order of deployment of applications when the server is started. Strict order of deployment of applications present in multiple ear files can be enabled along with persistence of the order after a restart.

Procedure 9.13. Control the order of deployment in EAP 6.0.X

  1. Create CLI scripts that will deploy and undeploy the applications in sequential order when the server is started/stopped.
  2. CLI also supports the concept of batch mode which allows you to group commands and operations and execute them together as an atomic unit. If at least one of the commands or operations fails, all the other successfully executed commands and operations in the batch are rolled back.

Procedure 9.14. Control the order of deployment in EAP 6.1.X

A new feature in EAP 6.1.X called Inter Deployment Dependencies allows you to declare dependencies between top level deployments.
  1. Create (if it doesn't exist) a jboss-all.xml file in the app.ear/META-INF folder, where app.ear is the application archive that depends on another application archive to be deployed before it is.
  2. Make a jboss-deployment-dependencies entry in this file as shown below. Note that in the listing below, framework.ear is the dependency application archive that should be deployed before app.ear application archive is.
    <jboss umlns="urn:jboss:1.0">
      <jboss-deployment-dependencies xmlns="urn:jboss:deployment-dependencies:1.0">
        <dependency name="framework.ear" />
      </jboss-deployment-dependencies>
    </jboss>
    

Chapter 10. Securing JBoss EAP 6

10.1. About the Security Subsystem

The security subsystem provides the infrastructure for all security functionality in JBoss EAP 6. Most configuration elements rarely need to be changed. The only configuration element which may need to be changed is whether to use deep-copy-subject-mode. In addition, you can configure system-wide security properties. Most of the configuration relates to security domains.
Deep Copy Mode

If deep copy subject mode is disabled (the default), copying a security data structure makes a reference to the original, rather than copying the entire data structure. This behavior is more efficient, but is prone to data corruption if multiple threads with the same identity clear the subject by means of a flush or logout operation.

Deep copy subject mode causes a complete copy of the data structure and all its associated data to be made, as long as they are marked cloneable. This is more thread-safe, but less efficient.
System-Wide Security Properties

You can set system-wide security properties, which are applied to java.security.Security class.

Security Domain

A security domain is a set of Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) declarative security configurations which one or more applications use to control authentication, authorization, auditing, and mapping. Three security domains are included by default: jboss-ejb-policy, jboss-web-policy, and other. You can create as many security domains as you need to accommodate the needs of your applications.

10.2. About the Structure of the Security Subsystem

The security subsystem is configured in the managed domain or standalone configuration file. Most of the configuration elements can be configured using the web-based management console or the console-based management CLI. The following is the XML representing an example security subsystem.

Example 10.1. Example Security Subsystem Configuration

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:security:1.2">
	<security-management>
		...
	</security-management>
	<security-domains>
        <security-domain name="other" cache-type="default">
            <authentication>
                <login-module code="Remoting" flag="optional">
                    <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                </login-module>
                <login-module code="RealmUsersRoles" flag="required">
                    <module-option name="usersProperties" value="${jboss.domain.config.dir}/application-users.properties"/>
                    <module-option name="rolesProperties" value="${jboss.domain.config.dir}/application-roles.properties"/>
                    <module-option name="realm" value="ApplicationRealm"/>
                    <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                </login-module>
            </authentication>
        </security-domain>
        <security-domain name="jboss-web-policy" cache-type="default">
            <authorization>
                <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
            </authorization>
        </security-domain>
        <security-domain name="jboss-ejb-policy" cache-type="default">
            <authorization>
                <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
            </authorization>
        </security-domain>
    </security-domains>
    <vault>
    	...
    </vault>
</subsystem>		
		

The <security-management>, <subject-factory> and <security-properties> elements are not present in the default configuration. The <subject-factory> and <security-properties> elements have been deprecated in JBoss EAP 6.1 onwards.

10.3. Configure the Security Subsystem

You can configure the security subsystem using the Management CLI or web-based Management Console.
Each top-level element within the security subsystem contains information about a different aspect of the security configuration. Refer to Section 10.2, “About the Structure of the Security Subsystem” for an example of security subsystem configuration.
<security-management>
This section overrides high-level behaviors of the security subsystem. Each setting is optional. It is unusual to change any of these settings except for deep copy subject mode.
Option Description
deep-copy-subject-mode
Specifies whether to copy or link to security tokens, for additional thread safety.
authentication-manager-class-name
Specifies an alternate AuthenticationManager implementation class name to use.
authorization-manager-class-name
Specifies an alternate AuthorizationManager implementation class name to use.
audit-manager-class-name
Specifies an alternate AuditManager implementation class name to use.
identity-trust-manager-class-name
Specifies an alternate IdentityTrustManager implementation class name to use.
mapping-manager-class-name
Specifies the MappingManager implementation class name to use.
<subject-factory>
The subject factory controls creation of subject instances. It may use the authentication manager to verify the caller. The main use of the subject factory is for JCA components to establish a subject.It is unusual to need to modify the subject factory.
<security-domains>
A container element which holds multiple security domains. A security domain may contain information about authentication, authorization, mapping, and auditing modules, as well as JASPI authentication and JSSE configuration. Your application would specify a security domain to manage its security information.
<security-properties>
Contains names and values of properties which are set on the java.security.Security class.

10.4. About Deep Copy Subject Mode

If deep copy subject mode is disabled (the default), copying a security data structure makes a reference to the original, rather than copying the entire data structure. This behavior is more efficient, but is prone to data corruption if multiple threads with the same identity clear the subject by means of a flush or logout operation.
Deep copy subject mode causes a complete copy of the data structure and all its associated data to be made, as long as they are marked cloneable. This is more thread-safe, but less efficient.
Deep copy subject mode is configured as part of the security subsystem.

10.5. Enable Deep Copy Subject Mode

You can enable deep copy security mode from the web-based management console or the management CLI.

Procedure 10.1. Enable Deep Copy Security Mode from the Management Console

  1. Log into the Management Console.

    The management console is usually available at a URL such as http://127.0.0.1:9990/. Adjust this value to suit your needs.
  2. Managed Domain: Select the appropriate profile.

    In a managed domain, the security subsystem is configured per profile, and you can enable or disable the deep copy security mode in each, independently.
    To select a profile, click the Profiles label at the top right of the console display, and then select the profile you wish to change from the Profile selection box at the top left.
  3. Open the Security Subsystem configuration menu.

    Expand the Security menu item at the right of the management console, then click the Security Subsystem link.
  4. Modify the deep-copy-subject-mode value.

    Click the Edit button. Check the box beside Deep Copy Subjects: to enable deep copy subject mode.
Enable Deep Copy Subject Mode Using the Management CLI

If you prefer to use the management CLI to enable this option, use one of the following commands.

Example 10.2. Managed Domain

/profile=full/subsystem=security:write-attribute(name=deep-copy-subject-mode,value=TRUE)

Example 10.3. Standalone Server

/subsystem=security:write-attribute(name=deep-copy-subject-mode,value=TRUE)

10.6. Security Domains

10.6.1. About Security Domains

Security domains are part of the JBoss EAP 6 security subsystem. All security configuration is now managed centrally, by the domain controller of a managed domain, or by the standalone server.
A security domain consists of configurations for authentication, authorization, security mapping, and auditing. It implements Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) declarative security.
Authentication refers to verifying the identity of a user. In security terminology, this user is referred to as a principal. Although authentication and authorization are different, many of the included authentication modules also handle authorization.
An authorization is a security policy, which contains information about actions which are allowed or prohibited. In security terminology, this is often referred to as a role.
Security mapping refers to the ability to add, modify, or delete information from a principal, role, or attribute before passing the information to your application.
The auditing manager allows you to configure provider modules to control the way that security events are reported.
If you use security domains, you can remove all specific security configuration from your application itself. This allows you to change security parameters centrally. One common scenario that benefits from this type of configuration structure is the process of moving applications between testing and production environments.

10.6.2. About Picketbox

Picketbox is the foundational security framework that provides the authentication, authorization, audit and mapping capabilities to Java applications running in JBoss EAP 6. It provides the following capabilities, in a single framework with a single configuration:

10.6.3. About Authentication

Authentication refers to identifying a subject and verifying the authenticity of the identification. The most common authentication mechanism is a username and password combination. Other common authentication mechanisms use shared keys, smart cards, or fingerprints. The outcome of a successful authentication is referred to as a principal, in terms of Java Enterprise Edition declarative security.
JBoss EAP 6 uses a pluggable system of authentication modules to provide flexibility and integration with the authentication systems you already use in your organization. Each security domain contains one or more configured authentication modules. Each module includes additional configuration parameters to customize its behavior. The easiest way to configure the authentication subsystem is within the web-based management console.
Authentication is not the same as authorization, although they are often linked. Many of the included authentication modules can also handle authorization.

10.6.4. Configure Authentication in a Security Domain

To configure authentication settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 10.2. Setup Authentication Settings for a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    Click the Profiles label at the top right of the management console. In a managed domain, select the profile to modify from the Profile selection box at the top left of the Profile view. Click the Security menu item at the left, and click Security Domains from the expanded menu. Click the View link for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Authentication subsystem configuration.

    Click the Authentication label at the top of the view if it is not already selected.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Login Modules and Details. The login module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several login modules, each of which can include several attributes and options.
  3. Add an authentication module.

    Click the Add button to add a JAAS authentication module. Fill in the details for your module. The Code is the class name of the module. The Flags controls how the module relates to other authentication modules within the same security domain.
    Explanation of the Flags

    The Java Enterprise Edition 6 specification provides the following explanation of the flags for security modules. The following list is taken from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/security/jaas/JAASRefGuide.html#AppendixA. Refer to that document for more detailed information.

    Flag Details
    required
    The LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authentication still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
    requisite
    LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds, authentication continues down the LoginModule list. If it fails, control immediately returns to the application (authentication does not proceed down the LoginModule list).
    sufficient
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it does succeed, control immediately returns to the application (authentication does not proceed down the LoginModule list). If it fails, authentication continues down the LoginModule list.
    optional
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authentication still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code or Flags by clicking the Edit button in the Details section of the screen. Be sure the Attributes tab is selected.
  4. Optional: Add or remove module options.

    If you need to add options to your module, click its entry in the Login Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click the Add button, and provide the key and value for the option. Use the Remove button to remove an option.
Result

Your authentication module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

The jboss.security.security_domain Module Option

By default, each login module defined in a security domain has the jboss.security.security_domain module option added to it automatically. This option causes problems with login modules which check to make sure that only known options are defined. The IBM Kerberos login module, com.ibm.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule is one of these.

You can disable the behavior of adding this module option by setting the system property to true when starting JBoss EAP 6. Add the following to your start-up parameters.
-Djboss.security.disable.secdomain.option=true
You can also set this property using the web-based Management Console. In a standalone server, you can set system properties in the Profile section of the configuration. In a managed domain, you can set system properties for each server group.

10.6.5. About Authorization

Authorization is a mechanism for granting or denying access to a resource based on identity. It is implemented as a set of declarative security roles which can be granted to principals.
JBoss EAP 6 uses a modular system to configure authorization. Each security domain can contain one or more authorization policies. Each policy has a basic module which defines its behavior. It is configured through specific flags and attributes. The easiest way to configure the authorization subsystem is by using the web-based management console.
Authorization is different from authentication, and usually happens after authentication. Many of the authentication modules also handle authorization.

10.6.6. Configure Authorization in a Security Domain

To configure authorization settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 10.3. Setup Authorization in a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    Click the Profiles label at the top right of the management console. In a managed domain, select the profile to modify from the Profile selection box at the top left of the Profile view. Click the Security menu item at the left, and click Security Domains from the expanded menu. Click the View link for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Authorization subsystem configuration.

    Click the Authorization label at the top of the view if it is not already selected.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Policies and Details. The login module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several authorization policies, each of which can include several attributes and options.
  3. Add a policy.

    Click the Add button to add a JAAS authorization policy module. Fill in the details for your module. The Code is the class name of the module. The Flags controls how the module relates to other authorization policy modules within the same security domain.
    Explanation of the Flags

    The Java Enterprise Edition 6 specification provides the following explanation of the flags for security modules. The following list is taken from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/security/jaas/JAASRefGuide.html#AppendixA. Refer to that document for more detailed information.

    Flag Details
    Required
    The LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authorization still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
    Requisite
    LoginModule is required to succeed. If it succeeds, authorization continues down the LoginModule list. If it fails, control immediately returns to the application (authorization does not proceed down the LoginModule list).
    Sufficient
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it does succeed, control immediately returns to the application (authorization does not proceed down the LoginModule list). If it fails, authorization continues down the LoginModule list.
    Optional
    The LoginModule is not required to succeed. If it succeeds or fails, authorization still continues to proceed down the LoginModule list.
    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code or Flags by clicking the Edit button in the Details section of the screen. Be sure the Attributes tab is selected.
  4. Optional: Add, edit, or remove module options.

    If you need to add options to your module, click its entry in the Login Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click the Add button, and provide the key and value for the option. To edit an option that already exists, click the key or to change it. Use the Remove button to remove an option.
Result

Your authorization policy module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

10.6.7. About Security Auditing

Security auditing refers to triggering events, such as writing to a log, in response to an event that happens within the security subsystem. Auditing mechanisms are configured as part of a security domain, along with authentication, authorization, and security mapping details.
Auditing uses provider modules. You can use one of the included ones, or implement your own.

10.6.8. Configure Security Auditing

To configure security auditing settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 10.4. Setup Security Auditing for a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    Click the Profiles label at the top right of the management console. In a standalone server, the tab is labeled Profile. In a managed domain, select the profile to modify from the Profile selection box at the top left of the Profile view. Click the Security menu item at the left, and click Security Domains from the expanded menu. Click the View link for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Auditing subsystem configuration.

    Click the Audit label at the top of the view if it is not already selected.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Provider Modules and Details. The provider module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several provider modules each of which can include attributes and options.
  3. Add a provider module.

    Click the Add button to add a provider module. Fill in the Code section with the classname of the provider module.
    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code by clicking the Edit button in the Details section of the screen. Be sure the Attributes tab is selected.
  4. Verify if your module is working

    The goal of an audit module is to provide a way to monitor the events in the security subsystem. This monitoring can be done by means of writing to a log file, email notifications or any other measurable auditing mechanism.
    For example, JBoss EAP 6 includes the LogAuditProvider module by default. If enabled following the steps above, this audit module writes security notifications to a audit.log file in the log subfolder within the EAP_HOME directory.
    To verify if the steps above have worked in the context of the LogAuditProvider, perform an action that is likely to trigger a notification and then check the audit log file.
    For a full list of included security auditing provider modules, see here: Section 11.4, “Included Security Auditing Provider Modules”
  5. Optional: Add, edit, or remove module options.

    If you need to add options to your module, click its entry in the Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click the Add button, and provide the key and value for the option. To edit an option that already exists, remove it by clicking the Remove label, and add it again with the correct options by clicking the Add button.
Result

Your security auditing module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

10.6.9. About Security Mapping

Security mapping allows you to combine authentication and authorization information after the authentication or authorization happens, but before the information is passed to your application. One example of this is using an X509 certificate for authentication, and then converting the principal from the certificate to a logical name which your application can display.
You can map principals (authentication), roles (authorization), or credentials (attributes which are not principals or roles).
Role Mapping is used to add, replace, or remove roles to the subject after authentication.
Principal mapping is used to modify a principal after authentication.
Attribute mapping is used to convert attributes from an external system to be used by your application, and vice versa.

10.6.10. Configure Security Mapping in a Security Domain

To configure security mapping settings for a security domain, log into the management console and follow this procedure.

Procedure 10.5. Setup Security Mapping Settings in a Security Domain

  1. Open the security domain's detailed view.

    Click the Profiles label at the top right of the management console. This tab is labeled Profile in a standalone server. In a managed domain, select the profile to modify from the Profile selection box at the top left of the Profile view. Click the Security menu item at the left, and click Security Domains from the expanded menu. Click the View link for the security domain you want to edit.
  2. Navigate to the Mapping subsystem configuration.

    Click the Mapping label at the top of the view if it is not already selected.
    The configuration area is divided into two areas: Modules and Details. The mapping module is the basic unit of configuration. A security domain can include several mapping modules, each of which can include several attributes and options.
  3. Add a module.

    Click the Add button to add a security mapping module. Fill in the details for your module. The Code is the class name of the module. The Type field refers to the type of mapping this module performs. Allowed values are principal, role, attribute or credential.
    After you have added your module, you can modify its Code or Type by clicking the Edit button in the Details section of the screen. Be sure the Attributes tab is selected.
  4. Optional: Add, edit, or remove module options.

    If you need to add options to your module, click its entry in the Modules list, and select the Module Options tab in the Details section of the page. Click the Add button, and provide the key and value for the option. To edit an option that already exists, click the Remove label key to remove it, and add it again with the new value. Use the Remove button to remove an option.
Result

Your security mapping module is added to the security domain, and is immediately available to applications which use the security domain.

10.6.11. Use a Security Domain in Your Application

Overview

To use a security domain in your application, first you must configure the domain in either the server's configuration file or the application's descriptor file. Then you must add the required annotations to the EJB that uses it. This topic covers the steps required to use a security domain in your application.

Warning

If an application is part of a security domain that uses an authentication cache, user authentications for that application will also be available to other applications in that security domain.

Procedure 10.6. Configure Your Application to Use a Security Domain

  1. Define the Security Domain

    You can define the security domain either in the server's configuration file or the application's descriptor file.
    • Configure the security domain in the server's configuration file

      The security domain is configured in the security subsystem of the server's configuration file. If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running in a managed domain, this is the domain/configuration/domain.xml file. If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running as a standalone server, this is the standalone/configuration/standalone.xml file.
      The other, jboss-web-policy, and jboss-ejb-policy security domains are provided by default in JBoss EAP 6. The following XML example was copied from the security subsystem in the server's configuration file.
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:security:1.2">
          <security-domains>
              <security-domain name="other" cache-type="default">
                  <authentication>
                      <login-module code="Remoting" flag="optional">
                          <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                      </login-module>
                      <login-module code="RealmDirect" flag="required">
                          <module-option name="password-stacking" value="useFirstPass"/>
                      </login-module>
                  </authentication>
              </security-domain>
              <security-domain name="jboss-web-policy" cache-type="default">
                  <authorization>
                      <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
                  </authorization>
              </security-domain>
              <security-domain name="jboss-ejb-policy" cache-type="default">
                  <authorization>
                      <policy-module code="Delegating" flag="required"/>
                  </authorization>
              </security-domain>
          </security-domains>
      </subsystem>
      
      You can configure additional security domains as needed using the Management Console or CLI.
    • Configure the security domain in the application's descriptor file

      The security domain is specified in the <security-domain> child element of the <jboss-web> element in the application's WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml file. The following example configures a security domain named my-domain.
      <jboss-web>
          <security-domain>my-domain</security-domain>
      </jboss-web>
      
      This is only one of many settings which you can specify in the WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml descriptor.
  2. Add the Required Annotation to the EJB

    You configure security in the EJB using the @SecurityDomain and @RolesAllowed annotations. The following EJB code example limits access to the other security domain by users in the guest role.
    package example.ejb3;
    
    import java.security.Principal;
    
    import javax.annotation.Resource;
    import javax.annotation.security.RolesAllowed;
    import javax.ejb.SessionContext;
    import javax.ejb.Stateless;
    
    import org.jboss.ejb3.annotation.SecurityDomain;
    
    /**
     * Simple secured EJB using EJB security annotations
     * Allow access to "other" security domain by users in a "guest" role.
     */
    @Stateless
    @RolesAllowed({ "guest" })
    @SecurityDomain("other")
    public class SecuredEJB {
    
       // Inject the Session Context
       @Resource
       private SessionContext ctx;
    
       /**
        * Secured EJB method using security annotations
        */
       public String getSecurityInfo() {
          // Session context injected using the resource annotation
          Principal principal = ctx.getCallerPrincipal();
          return principal.toString();
       }
    }
    For more code examples, see the ejb-security quickstart in the JBoss EAP 6 Quickstarts bundle, which is available from the Red Hat Customer Portal.

10.6.12. Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC)

10.6.12.1. About Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC)

Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC) is a standard which defines a contract between containers and authorization service providers, which results in the implementation of providers for use by containers. It was defined in JSR-115, which can be found on the Java Community Process website at http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=115. It has been part of the core Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) specification since Java EE version 1.3.
JBoss EAP 6 implements support for JACC within the security functionality of the security subsystem.

10.6.12.2. Configure Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC) Security

To configure Java Authorization Contract for Containers (JACC), you need to configure your security domain with the correct module, and then modify your jboss-web.xml to include the correct parameters.
Add JACC Support to the Security Domain

To add JACC support to the security domain, add the JACC authorization policy to the authorization stack of the security domain, with the required flag set. The following is an example of a security domain with JACC support. However, the security domain is configured in the Management Console or Management CLI, rather than directly in the XML.

<security-domain name="jacc" cache-type="default">
    <authentication>
        <login-module code="UsersRoles" flag="required">
        </login-module>
    </authentication>
    <authorization>
        <policy-module code="JACC" flag="required"/>
    </authorization>
</security-domain>

Configure a Web Application to use JACC

The jboss-web.xml is located in the META-INF/ or WEB-INF/ directory of your deployment, and contains overrides and additional JBoss-specific configuration for the web container. To use your JACC-enabled security domain, you need to include the <security-domain> element, and also set the <use-jboss-authorization> element to true. The following application is properly configured to use the JACC security domain above.

<jboss-web>
    <security-domain>jacc</security-domain>
    <use-jboss-authorization>true</use-jboss-authorization>
</jboss-web>

Configure an EJB Application to Use JACC

Configuring EJBs to use a security domain and to use JACC differs from Web Applications. For an EJB, you can declare method permissions on a method or group of methods, in the ejb-jar.xml descriptor. Within the <ejb-jar> element, any child <method-permission> elements contain information about JACC roles. Refer to the example configuration for more details. The EJBMethodPermission class is part of the Java Enterprise Edition 6 API, and is documented at http://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/security/jacc/EJBMethodPermission.html.

Example 10.4. Example JACC Method Permissions in an EJB

<ejb-jar>
  <method-permission>
    <description>The employee and temp-employee roles may access any method of the EmployeeService bean </description>
    <role-name>employee</role-name>
    <role-name>temp-employee</role-name>
    <method>
      <ejb-name>EmployeeService</ejb-name>
      <method-name>*</method-name>
    </method>
  </method-permission>
</ejb-jar>
	      

You can also constrain the authentication and authorization mechanisms for an EJB by using a security domain, just as you can do for a web application. Security domains are declared in the jboss-ejb3.xml descriptor, in the <security> child element. In addition to the security domain, you can also specify the run-as principal, which changes the principal the EJB runs as.

Example 10.5. Example Security Domain Declaration in an EJB


<security>
  <ejb-name>*</ejb-name>
  <security-domain>myDomain</security-domain>
  <run-as-principal>myPrincipal</run-as-principal>
</security>


10.6.13. Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI)

10.6.13.1. About Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI) Security

Java Application SPI for Containers (JASPI or JASPIC) is a pluggable interface for Java applications. It is defined in JSR-196 of the Java Community Process. Refer to http://www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=196 for details about the specification.

10.6.13.2. Configure Java Authentication SPI for Containers (JASPI) Security

To authenticate against a JASPI provider, add a <authentication-jaspi> element to your security domain. The configuration is similar to a standard authentication module, but login module elements are enclosed in a <login-module-stack> element. The structure of the configuration is:

Example 10.6. Structure of the authentication-jaspi element

<authentication-jaspi>
	<login-module-stack name="...">
	  <login-module code="..." flag="...">
	    <module-option name="..." value="..."/>
	  </login-module>
	</login-module-stack>
	<auth-module code="..." login-module-stack-ref="...">
	  <module-option name="..." value="..."/>
	</auth-module>
</authentication-jaspi>


The login module itself is configured in exactly the same way as a standard authentication module.
Because the web-based management console does not expose the configuration of JASPI authentication modules, you need to stop JBoss EAP 6 completely before adding the configuration directly to EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml or EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml.

10.7. Management Interface Security

10.7.1. Default User Security Configuration

Introduction

All management interfaces in JBoss EAP 6 are secured by default. This security takes two different forms:

  • Local interfaces are secured by a SASL contract between local clients and the server they connect to. This security mechanism is based on the client's ability to access the local filesystem. This is because access to the local filesystem would allow the client to add a user or otherwise change the configuration to thwart other security mechanisms. This adheres to the principle that if physical access to the filesystem is achieved, other security mechanisms are superfluous. The mechanism happens in four steps:

    Note

    HTTP access is considered to be remote, even if you connect to the localhost using HTTP.
    1. The client sends a message to the server which includes a request to authenticate with the local SASL mechanism.
    2. The server generates a one-time token, writes it to a unique file, and sends a message to the client with the full path of the file.
    3. The client reads the token from the file and sends it to the server, verifying that it has local access to the filesystem.
    4. The server verifies the token and then deletes the file.
  • Remote clients, including local HTTP clients, use realm-based security. The default realm with the permissions to configure the JBoss EAP 6 remotely using the management interfaces is ManagementRealm. A script is provided which allows you to add users to this realm (or realms you create). For more information on adding users, refer to the Getting Started chapter of the Installation guide for JBoss EAP 6. For each user, the username, a hashed password, and the realm are stored in a file.
    Standalone server
    JPP_HOME/standalone/configuration/mgmt-users.properties
    Even though the contents of the mgmt-users.properties are masked, the file should still be treated as a sensitive file. It is recommended that it be set to the file mode of 600, which gives no access other than read and write access by the file owner.

10.7.2. Overview of Advanced Management Interface Configuration

The Management interface configuration in the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/host.xml or EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml controls which network interfaces the host controller process binds to, which types of management interfaces are available at all, and which type of authentication system is used to authenticate users on each interface. This topic discusses how to configure the Management Interfaces to suit your environment.
The Management subsystem consists of a <management> element that includes several configurable attributes, and the following three configurable child elements. The security realms and outbound connections are each first defined, and then applied to the management interfaces as attributes.
  • <security-realms>
  • <outbound-connections>
  • <management-interfaces>
Security Realms

The security realm is responsible for the authentication and authorization of users allowed to administer JBoss EAP 6 via the Management API, Management CLI, or web-based Management Console.

Two different file-based security realms are included in a default installation: ManagementRealm and ApplicationRealm. Each of these security realms uses a -users.properties file to store users and hashed passwords, and a -roles.properties to store mappings between users and roles. Support is also included for an LDAP-enabled security realm.

Note

Security realms can also be used for your own applications. The security realms discussed here are specific to the management interfaces.
Outbound Connections

Some security realms connect to external interfaces, such as an LDAP server. An outbound connection defines how to make this connection. A pre-defined connection type, ldap-connection, sets all of the required and optional attributes to connect to the LDAP server and verify the credential.

Management Interfaces

A management interface includes properties about how connect to and configure JBoss EAP. Such information includes the named network interface, port, security realm, and other configurable information about the interface. Two interfaces are included in a default installation:

  • http-interface is the configuration for the web-based Management Console.
  • native-interface is the configuration for the command-line Management CLI and the REST-like Management API.
Each of the three main configurable elements of the host management subsystem are interrelated. A security realm refers to an outbound connection, and a management interface refers to a security realm.
Associated information can be found in Section 10.8.1, “Secure the Management Interfaces”.

10.7.3. About LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a protocol for storing and distributing directory information across a network. This directory information includes information about users, hardware devices, access roles and restrictions, and other information.
Some common implementations of LDAP include OpenLDAP, Microsoft Active Directory, IBM Tivoli Directory Server, Oracle Internet Directory, and others.
JBoss EAP 6 includes several authentication and authorization modules which allow you to use a LDAP server as the authentication and authorization authority for your Web and EJB applications.

10.7.4. Use LDAP to Authenticate to the Management Interfaces

To use an LDAP directory server as the authentication source for the Management Console, Management CLI, or Management API, you need to perform the following procedures:
  1. Create an outbound connection to the LDAP server.
  2. Create an LDAP-enabled security realm.
  3. Reference the new security domain in the Management Interface.
Create an Outbound Connection to an LDAP Server

The LDAP outbound connection allows the following attributes:

Table 10.1. Attributes of an LDAP Outbound Connection

Attribute Required Description
name yes
The name to identify this connection. This name is used in the security realm definition.
url yes
The URL address of the directory server.
search-dn yes
The fully distinguished name (DN) of the user authorized to perform searches.
search-credentials yes
The password of the user authorized to perform searches.
initial-context-factory no
The initial context factory to use when establishing the connection. Defaults to com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory.

Example 10.7. Add an LDAP Outbound Connection

This example adds an outbound connection with the following properties set:
  • Search DN: cn=search,dc=acme,dc=com
  • Search Credential: myPass
  • URL: ldap://127.0.0.1:389
/host=master/core-service=management/ldap-connection=ldap_connection/:add(search-credential=myPass,url=ldap://127.0.0.1:389,search-dn="cn=search,dc=acme,dc=com")

Example 10.8. XML Representing an LDAP Outbound Connection

<outbound-connections>
   <ldap name="ldap_connection" url="ldap://127.0.0.1:389" search-dn="cn=search,dc=acme,dc=com" search-credential="myPass" />
</outboundconnections>	
	

Create an LDAP-Enabled Security Realm

The Management Interfaces can authenticate against LDAP server instead of the property-file based security realms configured by default. The LDAP authenticator operates by first establishing a connection to the remote directory server. It then performs a search using the username which the user passed to the authentication system, to find the fully-qualified distinguished name (DN) of the LDAP record. A new connection is established, using the DN of the user as the credential, and password supplied by the user. If this authentication to the LDAP server is successful, the DN is verified to be valid.

The LDAP security realm needs the following configuration attributes and elements in order to perform its functions.
connection
The name of the connection defined in <outbound-connections> to use to connect to the LDAP directory.
base-dn
The distinguished name of the context to begin searching for the user.
recursive
Whether the search should be recursive throughout the LDAP directory tree, or only search the specified context. Defaults to false.
user-dn
The attribute of the user that holds the distinguished name. This is subsequently used to test authentication as the user can complete. Defaults to dn.
One of username-filter or advanced-filter, as a child element
The username-filter takes a single attribute called attribute, whose value is the name of the LDAP attribute which holds the username, such as userName or sambaAccountName.
The advanced-filter takes a single attribute called filter. This attribute contains a filter query in standard LDAP syntax. Be cautious to escape any & characters by changing them to &amp;. An example of a filter is:
(&(sAMAccountName={0})(memberOf=cn=admin,cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com))
After escaping the ampersand character, the filter appears as:
(&amp;(sAMAccountName={0})(memberOf=cn=admin,cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com))

Example 10.9. XML Representing an LDAP-enabled Security Realm

This example uses the following parameters:
  • connection - ldap_connection
  • base-dn - cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com.
  • username-filter - attribute="sambaAccountName"
<security-realm name="TestRealm">
   <authentication>
      <ldap connection="ldap_connection" base-dn="cn=users,dc=acme,dc=com">
         <username-filter attribute="sambaAccountName" />
      </ldap>
  </authentication>
</security-realm>	


Warning

It is important to ensure that you do not allow empty LDAP passwords; unless you specifically desire this in your environment, it is a serious security concern.
EAP 6.1 includes a patch for CVE-2012-5629, which sets the allowEmptyPasswords option for the LDAP login modules to false if the option is not already configured. For older versions, this option should be configured manually

Example 10.10. Add an LDAP Security Realm

The command below adds a security realm and sets its attributes for a standalone server.
/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ldap_security_realm/authentication=ldap:add(base-dn="DC=mycompany,DC=org", recursive=true, username-attribute="MyAccountName", connection="ldap_connection")
Apply the New Security Realm to the Management Interface

After you create a security realm, you need to reference it in the configuration of your management interface. The management interface will use the security realm for HTTP digest authentication.

Example 10.11. Apply the Security Realm to the HTTP Interface

After this configuration is in place, and you restart the host controller, the web-based Management Console will use LDAP to authenticate its users.
/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(name=security-realm,value=TestRealm)

10.7.5. Disable the HTTP Management Interface

In a managed domain, you only need access to the HTTP interface on the domain controller, rather than on domain member servers. In addition, on a production server, you may decide to disable the web-based Management Console altogether.

Note

Other clients, such as JBoss Operations Network, also operate using the HTTP interface. If you want to use these services, and simply disable the Management Console itself, you can set the console-enabled attribute of the HTTP interface to false, instead of disabling the interface completely.
/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(name=console-enabled,value=false)
To disable access to the HTTP interface, which also disables access to the web-based Management Console, you can delete the HTTP interface altogether.
The following JBoss CLI command allows you to read the current contents of your HTTP interface, in case you decide to add it again.

Example 10.12. Read the Configuration of the HTTP Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:read-resource(recursive=true,proxies=false,include-runtime=false,include-defaults=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "console-enabled" => true,
        "interface" => "management",
        "port" => expression "${jboss.management.http.port:9990}",
        "secure-port" => undefined,
        "security-realm" => "ManagementRealm"
    }
}
To remove the HTTP interface, issue the following command:

Example 10.13. Remove the HTTP Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:remove
To re-enable access, issue the following commands to re-create the HTTP Interface with the default values.

Example 10.14. Re-Create the HTTP Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface:add(console-enabled=true,interface=management,port="${jboss.management.http.port:9990}",security-realm=ManagementRealm)

10.7.6. Remove Silent Authentication from the Default Security Realm

Summary

The default installation of JBoss EAP 6 contains a method of silent authentication for a local Management CLI user. This allows the local user the ability to access the Management CLI without username or password authentication. This functionality is enabled as a convenience, and to assist local users running Management CLI scripts without requiring authentication. It is considered a useful feature given that access to the local configuration typically also gives the user the ability to add their own user details or otherwise disable security checks.

The convenience of silent authentication for local users can be disabled where greater security control is required. This can be achieved by removing the local element within the security-realm section of the configuration file. This applies to both the standalone.xml for a Standalone Server instance, or host.xml for a Managed Domain. You should only consider the removal of the local element if you understand the impact that it might have on your particular server configuration.
The preferred method of removing silent authentication is by use of the Management CLI, which directly removes the local element visible in the following example.

Example 10.15. Example of the local element in the security-realm

<security-realms>
    <security-realm name="ManagementRealm">
        <authentication>
            <local default-user="$local"/>
            <properties path="mgmt-users.properties" relative-to="jboss.server.config.dir"/>
        </authentication>
    </security-realm>
    <security-realm name="ApplicationRealm">
        <authentication>
            <local default-user="$local" allowed-users="*"/>
            <properties path="application-users.properties" relative-to="jboss.server.config.dir"/>
        </authentication>
        <authorization>
            <properties path="application-roles.properties" relative-to="jboss.server.config.dir"/>
        </authorization>
    </security-realm>
</security-realms>

Procedure 10.7. Remove Silent Authentication from the Default Security Realm

  • Remove silent authentication with the Management CLI

    Remove the local element from the Management Realm and Application Realm as required.
    1. Remove the local element from the Management Realm.
      • For Standalone Servers

        /core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/authentication=local:remove
      • For Managed Domains

        /host=HOST_NAME/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/authentication=local:remove
    2. Remove the local element from the Application Realm.
      • For Standalone Servers

        /core-service=management/security-realm=ApplicationRealm/authentication=local:remove
      • For Managed Domains

        /host=HOST_NAME/core-service=management/security-realm=ApplicationRealm/authentication=local:remove
Result

The silent authentication mode is removed from the ManagementRealm and the ApplicationRealm.

10.7.7. Disable Remote Access to the JMX Subsystem

Remote JMX connectivity allows you to trigger JDK and application management operations. In order to secure an installation, disable this function. You can do this either by removing the remote connection configuration, or removing the JMX subsystem entirely. The JBoss CLI commands reference the default profile in a managed domain configuration. To modify a different profile, modify the /profile=default part of the command. For a standalone server, remove that portion of the command completely.

Note

In a managed domain the remoting connector is removed from the JMX subsystem by default. This command is provided for your information, in case you add it during development.

Example 10.16. Remove the Remote Connector from the JMX Subsystem

/profile=default/subsystem=jmx/remoting-connector=jmx/:remove

Example 10.17. Remove the JMX Subsystem

Run this command for each profile you use, if you use a managed domain.
/profile=default/subsystem=jmx/:remove

10.7.8. Configure Security Realms for the Management Interfaces

The Management Interfaces use security realms to control authentication and access to the configuration mechanisms of JBoss EAP 6. This topic shows you how to read and configure security realms. These commands use the Management CLI.
Read a Security Realm's Configuration

This example shows the default configuration for the ManagementRealm security realm. It uses a file called mgmt-users.properties to store its configuration information.

Example 10.18. Default ManagementRealm

	/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=ManagementRealm/:read-resource(recursive=true,proxies=false,include-runtime=false,include-defaults=true)
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "authorization" => undefined,
        "server-identity" => undefined,
        "authentication" => {"properties" => {
            "path" => "mgmt-users.properties",
            "plain-text" => false,
            "relative-to" => "jboss.domain.config.dir"
        }}
    }
}
Write a Security Realm

The following commands create a new security realm called TestRealm and set the directory for the relevant properties file.

Example 10.19. Writing a Security Realm

/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=TestRealm/:add
/host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=TestRealm/authentication=properties/:add(path=TestUsers.properties, relative-to=jboss.domain.config.dir)
Apply a Security Realm to the Management Interface

After adding a security realm, supply it as a reference to the Management Interface.

Example 10.20. Add a Security Realm to a Management Interface

/host=master/core-service=management/management-interface=http-interface/:write-attribute(security-realm=TestRealm)

10.8. Network Security

10.8.1. Secure the Management Interfaces

Summary

In a test environment, it is typical to run JBoss EAP 6 with no security layer on the management interfaces, comprised of the Management Console, Management CLI, and any other API implementation. This allows for rapid development and configuration changes.

In addition, a silent authentication mode is present by default, allowing a local client on the host machine to connect to the Management CLI without requiring a username or password. This behavior is a convenience for local users and Management CLI scripts, but it can be disabled if required. The procedure is described in the topic Section 10.7.6, “Remove Silent Authentication from the Default Security Realm”.
When you begin testing and preparing your environment to move to production, it is vitally important to secure the management interfaces by at least the following methods:

10.8.2. Specify Which Network Interface JBoss EAP 6 Uses

Overview

Isolating services so that they are accessible only to the clients who need them increases the security of your network. JBoss EAP 6 includes two interfaces in its default configuration, both of which bind to the IP address 127.0.0.1, or localhost, by default. One of the interfaces is called management, and is used by the Management Console, CLI, and API. The other is called public, and is used to deploy applications. These interfaces are not special or significant, but are provided as a starting point.

The management interface uses ports 9990 and 9999 by default, and the public interface uses port 8080, or port 8443 if you use HTTPS.
You can change the IP address of the management interface, public interface, or both.

Warning

If you expose the management interfaces to other network interfaces which are accessible from remote hosts, be aware of the security implications. Most of the time, it is not advisable to provide remote access to the management interfaces.
  1. Stop JBoss EAP 6.

    Stop JBoss EAP 6 by sending an interrupt in the appropriate way for your operating system. If you are running JBoss EAP 6 as a foreground application, the typical way to do this is to press Ctrl+C.
  2. Restart JBoss EAP 6, specifying the bind address.

    Use the -b command-line switch to start JBoss EAP 6 on a specific interface.

    Example 10.21. Specify the public interface.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -b 10.1.1.1

    Example 10.22. Specify the management interface.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -bmanagement=10.1.1.1

    Example 10.23. Specify different addresses for each interface.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -bmanagement=127.0.0.1 -b 10.1.1.1

    Example 10.24. Bind the public interface to all network interfaces.

    EAP_HOME/bin/domain.sh -b 0.0.0.0
It is possible to edit your XML configuration file directly, to change the default bind addresses. However, if you do this, you will no longer be able to use the -bcommand-line switch to specify an IP address at run-time, so this is not recommended. If you do decide to do this, be sure to stop JBoss EAP 6 completely before editing the XML file.

10.8.3. Configure Network Firewalls to Work with JBoss EAP 6

Summary

Most production environments use firewalls as part of an overall network security strategy. If you need multiple server instances to communicate with each other or with external services such as web servers or databases, your firewall needs to take this into account. A well-managed firewall only opens the ports which are necessary for operation, and limits access to the ports to specific IP addresses, subnets, and network protocols.

A full discussion of firewalls is out of the scope of this documentation.

Prerequisites

  • Determine the ports you need to open. Refer to Section 10.8.4, “Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6” to determine the list of ports for your situation.
  • An understanding of your firewall software is required. This procedure uses the system-config-firewall command in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Microsoft Windows Server includes a built-in firewall, and several third-party firewall solutions are available for each platform.
Assumptions

This procedure configures a firewall in an environment with the following assumptions:

  • The operating system is Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
  • JBoss EAP 6 runs on host 10.1.1.2. Optionally, the server has its own firewall.
  • The network firewall server runs on host 10.1.1.1 on interface eth0, and has an external interface eth1.
  • You want traffic on port 5445 (a port used by JMS) forwarded to JBoss EAP 6. No other traffic should be allowed through the network firewall.

Procedure 10.8. Manage Network Firewalls and JBoss EAP 6 to work together

  1. Log into the Management Console.

    Log into the Management Console. By default, it runs on http://localhost:9990/console/.
  2. Determine the socket bindings used by the socket binding group.

    Click the Profiles label at the top right of the Management Console. At the left-hand side of the screen, a series of menus is shown. The bottom menu heading is General Configuration. Click the Socket Binding item below this heading. The Socket Binding Declarations screen appears. Initially, the standard-sockets group is shown. You can choose a different group by selecting it from the combo box on the right-hand side.

    Note

    If you use a standalone server, it has only one socket binding group.
    The list of socket names and ports is shown, eight values per page. You can go through the pages by using the arrow navigation below the table.
  3. Determine the ports you need to open.

    Depending on the function of the particular port and the needs of your environment, some of the ports may need to be accessible across your firewall. If you are unsure of the purpose of a socket binding, refer to Section 10.8.4, “Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6” for a list of the default socket bindings and their purposes.
  4. Configure your firewall to forward traffic to JBoss EAP 6.

    Perform these steps to configure your network firewall to allow traffic on the desired port.
    1. Log into your firewall machine and access a command prompt, as the root user.
    2. Issue the command system-config-firewall to launch the firewall configuration utility. A GUI or command-line utility launches, depending on the way you are logged into the firewall system. This task makes the assumption that you are logged in via SSH and using the command-line interface.
    3. Use the TAB key on your keyboard to navigate to the Customize button, and press the ENTER key. The Trusted Services screen appears.
    4. Do not change any values, but use the TAB key to navigate to the Forward button, and press ENTER to advanced to the next screen. The Other Ports screen appears.
    5. Use the TAB key to navigate to the <Add> button, and press ENTER. The Port and Protocol screen appears.
    6. Enter 5445 in the Port / Port Range field, then use the TAB key to move to the Protocol field, and enter tcp. Use the TAB key to navigate to the OK button, and press ENTER.
    7. Use the TAB key to navigate to the Forward button until you reach the Port Forwarding screen.
    8. Use the TAB key to navigate to the <Add> button, and press the ENTER key.
    9. Fill in the following values to set up port forwarding for port 5445.
      • Source interface: eth1
      • Protocol: tcp
      • Port / Port Range: 5445
      • Destination IP address: 10.1.1.2
      • Port / Port Range: 5445
      Use the TAB key to navigate to the OK button, and press ENTER.
    10. Use the TAB key to navigate to the Close button, and press ENTER.
    11. Use the TAB key to navigate to the OK button, and press ENTER. To apply the changes, read the warning and click Yes.
  5. Configure a firewall on your JBoss EAP 6 host.

    Some organizations choose to configure a firewall on the JBoss EAP 6 server itself, and close all ports that are not necessary for its operation. Consult Section 10.8.4, “Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6” and determine which ports to open, then close the rest. The default configuration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 closes all ports except 22 (used for Secure Shell (SSH) and 5353 (used for multicast DNS). While you are configuring ports, make sure you have physical access to your server so that you do not inadvertently lock yourself out.
Result

Your firewall is configured to forward traffic to your internal JBoss EAP 6 server in the way you specified in your firewall configuration. If you chose to enable a firewall on your server, all ports are closed except the ones needed to run your applications.

10.8.4. Network Ports Used By JBoss EAP 6

The ports used by the JBoss EAP 6 default configuration depend on several factors:
  • Whether your server groups use one of the default socket binding groups, or a custom group.
  • The requirements of your individual deployments.

Note

A numerical port offset can be configured, to alleviate port conflicts when you run multiple servers on the same physical server. If your server uses a numerical port offset, add the offset to the default port number for its server group's socket binding group. For instance, if the HTTP port of the socket binding group is 8080, and your server uses a port offset of 100, its HTTP port is 8180.
Unless otherwise stated, the ports use the TCP protocol.

The default socket binding groups

  • full-ha-sockets
  • full-sockets
  • ha-sockets
  • standard-sockets

Table 10.2. Reference of the default socket bindings

Name Port Mulicast Port Description full-ha-sockets full-sockets ha-socket standard-socket
ajp 8009 Apache JServ Protocol. Used for HTTP clustering and load balancing. Yes Yes Yes Yes
http 8080 The default port for deployed web applications. Yes Yes Yes Yes
https 8443 SSL-encrypted connection between deployed web applications and clients. Yes Yes Yes Yes
jacorb 3528 CORBA services for JTS transactions and other ORB-dependent services. Yes Yes No No
jacorb-ssl 3529 SSL-encrypted CORBA services. Yes Yes No No
jgroups-diagnostics 7500 Multicast. Used for peer discovery in HA clusters. Not configurable using the Management Interfaces. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-mping 45700 Multicast. Used to discover initial membership in a HA cluster. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-tcp 7600 Unicast peer discovery in HA clusters using TCP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-tcp-fd 57600 Used for HA failure detection over TCP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-udp 55200 45688 Unicast peer discovery in HA clusters using UDP. Yes No Yes No
jgroups-udp-fd 54200 Used for HA failure detection over UDP. Yes No Yes No
messaging 5445 JMS service. Yes Yes No No
messaging-group Referenced by HornetQ JMS broadcast and discovery groups. Yes Yes No No
messaging-throughput 5455 Used by JMS Remoting. Yes Yes No No
mod_cluster 23364 Multicast port for communication between JBoss EAP 6 and the HTTP load balancer. Yes No Yes No
osgi-http 8090 Used by internal components which use the OSGi subsystem. Not configurable using the Management Interfaces. Yes Yes Yes Yes
remoting 4447 Used for remote EJB invocation. Yes Yes Yes Yes
txn-recovery-environment 4712 The JTA transaction recovery manager. Yes Yes Yes Yes
txn-status-manager 4713 The JTA / JTS transation manager. Yes Yes Yes Yes
Management Ports

In addition to the socket binding groups, each host controller opens two more ports for management purposes:

  • 9990 - The Web Management Console port
  • 9999 - The port used by the Management Console and Management API

10.9. Java Security Manager

10.9.1. About the Java Security Manager

Java Security Manager
The Java Security Manager is a class that manages the external boundary of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) sandbox, controlling how code executing within the JVM can interact with resources outside the JVM. When the Java Security Manager is activated, the Java API checks with the security manager for approval before executing a wide range of potentially unsafe operations.
The Java Security Manager uses a security policy to determine whether a given action will be permitted or denied.

10.9.2. Run JBoss EAP 6 Within the Java Security Manager

To specify a Java Security Manager policy, you need to edit the Java options passed to the domain or server instance during the bootstrap process. For this reason, you cannot pass the parameters as options to the domain.sh or standalone.sh scripts. The following procedure guides you through the steps of configuring your instance to run within a Java Security Manager policy.

Prerequisites

  • Before you following this procedure, you need to write a security policy, using the policytool command which is included with your Java Development Kit (JDK). This procedure assumes that your policy is located at EAP_HOME/bin/server.policy.
  • The domain or standalone server must be completely stopped before you edit any configuration files.
Perform the following procedure for each physical host or instance in your domain, if you have domain members spread across multiple systems.

Procedure 10.9. Edit Configuration Files

  1. Open the configuration file.

    Open the configuration file for editing. This file is located in one of two places, depending on whether you use a managed domain or standalone server. This is not the executable file used to start the server or domain.
    • Managed Domain

      EAP_HOME/bin/domain.conf
    • Standalone Server

      EAP_HOME/bin/standalone.conf
  2. Add the Java options at the end of the file.

    Add the following line to a new line at the very end of the file. You can modify the -Djava.security.policy value to specify the exact location of your security policy. It should go onto one line only, with no line break. You can modify the -Djava.security.debug to log more or less information, by specifying the debug level. The most verbose is failure,access,policy.
    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Djava.security.manager -Djboss.home.dir=$PWD/.. -Djava.security.policy==$PWD/server.policy -Djava.security.debug=failure"
    
    
  3. Start the domain or server.

    Start the domain or server as normal.

10.9.3. About Java Security Manager Policies

Security Policy
A set of defined permissions for different classes of code. The Java Security Manager compares actions requested by applications against the security policy. If an action is allowed by the policy, the Security Manager will permit that action to take place. If the action is not allowed by the policy, the Security Manager will deny that action. The security policy can define permissions based on the location of code or on the code's signature.
The Java Security Manager and the security policy used are configured using the Java Virtual Machine options java.security.manager and java.security.policy.

10.9.4. Write a Java Security Manager Policy

Introduction

An application called policytool is included with most JDK and JRE distributions, for the purpose of creating and editing Java Security Manager security policies. Detailed information about policytool is linked from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/tools/.

Basic Information

A security policy consists of the following configuration elements:

CodeBase
The URL location (excluding the host and domain information) where the code originates from. This parameter is optional.
SignedBy
The alias used in the keystore to reference the signer whose private key was used to sign the code. This can be a single value or a comma-separated list of values. This parameter is optional. If omitted, presence or lack of a signature has no impact on the Java Security Manager.
Principals
A list of principal_type/principal_name pairs, which must be present within the executing thread's principal set. The Principals entry is optional. If it is omitted, it signifies "any principals".
Permissions
A permission is the access which is granted to the code. Many permissions are provided as part of the Java Enterprise Edition 6 (Java EE 6) specification. This document only covers additional permissions which are provided by JBoss EAP 6.

Procedure 10.10. Setup a new Java Security Manager Policy

  1. Start policytool.

    Start the policytool tool in one of the following ways.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

      From your GUI or a command prompt, run /usr/bin/policytool.
    • Microsoft Windows Server

      Run policytool.exe from your Start menu or from the bin\ of your Java installation. The location can vary.
  2. Create a new policy.

    To create a new policy, select Add Policy Entry. Add the parameters you need, then click Done.
  3. Edit an existing policy

    Select the policy from the list of existing policies, and select the Edit Policy Entry button. Edit the parameters as needed.
  4. Delete an existing policy.

    Select the policy from the list of existing policies, and select the Remove Policy Entry button.

Permission Specific to JBoss EAP 6

org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation.getPrincipalInfo
Provides access to the org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation getPrincipal() and getCredential() methods. The risk involved with using this runtime permission is the ability to see the current thread caller and credentials.
org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation.getSubject
Provides access to the org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation getSubject() method.
org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation.setPrincipalInfo
Provides access to the org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation setPrincipal(), setCredential(), setSubject(), pushSubjectContext(), and popSubjectContext() methods. The risk involved with using this runtime permission is the ability to set the current thread caller and credentials.
org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation.setServer
Provides access to the org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation setServer() method. The risk involved with using this runtime permission is the ability to enable or disable multi-thread storage of the caller principal and credential.
org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation.setRunAsRole
Provides access to the org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation pushRunAsRole(), popRunAsRole(), pushRunAsIdentity(), and popRunAsIdentity() methods. The risk involved with using this runtime permission is the ability to change the current caller run-as role principal.
org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation.accessContextInfo
Provides access to the org.jboss.security.SecurityAssociation accessContextInfo(), and accessContextInfo() getter and setter methods. This allows you to both set and get the current security context info.
org.jboss.naming.JndiPermission
Provides special permissions to files and directories in a specified JNDI tree path, or recursively to all files and subdirectories. A JndiPermission consists of a pathname and a set of valid permissions related to the file or directory.
The available permissions include:
  • bind
  • rebind
  • unbind
  • lookup
  • list
  • listBindings
  • createSubcontext
  • all
Pathnames ending in /* indicate that the specified permissions apply to all files and directories of the pathname. Pathnames ending in /- indicate recursive permissions to all files and subdirectories of the pathname. Pathnames consisting of the special token <<ALL BINDINGS>> matches any file in any directory.
org.jboss.security.srp.SRPPermission
A custom permission class for protecting access to sensitive SRP information like the private session key and private key. This permission does not have any actions defined. The getSessionKey() target provides access to the private session key which results from the SRP negotiation. Access to this key allows you to encrypt and decrypt messages that have been encrypted with the session key.
org.hibernate.secure.HibernatePermission
This permission class provides basic permissions to secure Hibernate sessions. The target for this property is the entity name. The available actions include:
  • insert
  • delete
  • update
  • read
  • * (all)
org.jboss.metadata.spi.stack.MetaDataStackPermission
Provides a custom permission class for controlling how callers interact with the metadata stack. The available permissions are:
  • modify
  • push (onto the stack)
  • pop (off the stack)
  • peek (onto the stack)
  • * (all)
org.jboss.config.spi.ConfigurationPermission
Secures setting of configuration properties. Defines only permission target names, and no actions. The targets for this property include:
  • <property name> (the property this code has permission to set)
  • * (all properties)
org.jboss.kernel.KernelPermission
Secures access to the kernel configuration. Defines only permission target names and no actions. The targets for this property include:
  • access (to the kernel configuration)
  • configure (implies access)
  • * (all)
org.jboss.kernel.plugins.util.KernelLocatorPermission
Secures access to the kernel. Defines only permission target names and no actions. The targets for this property include:
  • kernel
  • * (all)

10.9.5. Debug Security Manager Policies

You can enable debugging information to help you troubleshoot security policy-related issues. The java.security.debug option configures the level of security-related information reported. The command java -Djava.security.debug=help will produce help output with the full range of debugging options. Setting the debug level to all is useful when troubleshooting a security-related failure whose cause is completely unknown, but for general use it will produce too much information. A sensible general default is access:failure.

Procedure 10.11. Enable general debugging

  • This procedure will enable a sensible general level of security-related debug information.

    Add the following line to the server configuration file.
    • If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running in a managed domain, the line is added to the bin/domain.conf file for Linux or the bin/domain.conf.bat file for Windows.
    • If the JBoss EAP 6 instance is running as a standalone server, the line is added to the bin/standalone.conf file for Linux, or the bin\standalone.conf.bat file for Windows.
Linux
JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Djava.security.debug=access:failure"
Windows
JAVA_OPTS="%JAVA_OPTS% -Djava.security.debug=access:failure"
Result

A general level of security-related debug information has been enabled.

10.10. Application Security

10.10.1. Enabling/Disabling Descriptor Based Property Replacement

Summary

Finite control over descriptor property replacement was introduced in jboss-as-ee_1_1.xsd. This task covers the steps required to configure descriptor based property replacement.

Descriptor based property replacement flags have boolean values:
  • When set to true, property replacements are enabled.
  • When set to false, property replacements are disabled.

Procedure 10.12. jboss-descriptor-property-replacement

jboss-descriptor-property-replacement is used to enable or disable property replacement in the following descriptors:
  • jboss-ejb3.xml
  • jboss-app.xml
  • jboss-web.xml
  • *-jms.xml
  • *-ds.xml
The default value for jboss-descriptor-property-replacement is true.
  1. In the Management CLI, run the following command to determine the value of jboss-descriptor-property-replacement:
    /subsystem=ee:read-attribute(name="jboss-descriptor-property-replacement")
  2. Run the following command to configure the behavior:
    /subsystem=ee:write-attribute(name="jboss-descriptor-property-replacement",value=VALUE)

Procedure 10.13. spec-descriptor-property-replacement

spec-descriptor-property-replacement is used to enable or disable property replacement in the following descriptors:
  • ejb-jar.xml
  • persistence.xml
The default value for spec-descriptor-property-replacement is false.
  1. In the Management CLI, run the following command to confirm the value of spec-descriptor-property-replacement:
    /subsystem=ee:read-attribute(name="spec-descriptor-property-replacement")
  2. Run the following command to configure the behavior:
    /subsystem=ee:write-attribute(name="spec-descriptor-property-replacement",value=VALUE)
Result

The descriptor based property replacement tags have been successfully configured.

10.11. SSL Encryption

10.11.1. Implement SSL Encryption for the JBoss EAP 6 Web Server

Introduction

Many web applications require a SSL-encrypted connection between clients and server, also known as a HTTPS connection. You can use this procedure to enable HTTPS on your server or server group.

Prerequisites

  • You need a set of SSL encryption keys and a SSL encryption certificate. You may purchase these from a certificate-signing authority, or you can generate them yourself using command-line utilities. To generate encryption keys using Red Hat Enterprise Linux utilities, refer to Section 10.11.2, “Generate a SSL Encryption Key and Certificate”.
  • You need to know the following details about your specific environment and set-up:
    • The full directory name and path to your certificate files
    • The encryption password for your encryption keys.
  • You need to run the Management CLI and connect it to your domain controller or standalone server.

Note

This procedure uses commands appropriate for a JBoss EAP 6 configuration that uses a managed domain. If you use a standalone server, modify Management CLI commands by removing the /profile=default from the beginning of any Management CLI commands.

Procedure 10.14. Configure the JBoss Web Server to use HTTPS

  1. Add a new HTTPS connector.

    Execute the following Management CLI command, changing the profile as appropriate. This creates a new secure connector, called HTTPS, which uses the https scheme, the https socket binding (which defaults to 8443), and is set to be secure.

    Example 10.25. Management CLI Command

    /profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/:add(socket-binding=https,scheme=https,protocol=HTTP/1.1,secure=true)
    
  2. Configure the SSL encryption certificate and keys.

    Execute the following CLI commands to configure your SSL certificate, substituting your own values for the example ones. This example assumes that the keystore is copied to the server configuration directory, which is EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/ for a managed domain.

    Example 10.26. Management CLI Command

    /profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration:add(name=https,certificate-key-file="${jboss.server.config.dir}/keystore.jks",password=SECRET, key-alias=KEY_ALIAS)
    
    For a full listing of parameters you can set for the SSL properties of the connector, refer to Section 10.11.3, “SSL Connector Reference”.
  3. Deploy an application.

    Deploy an application to a server group which uses the profile you have configured. If you use a standalone server, deploy an application to your server. HTTP requests to it use the new SSL-encrypted connection.

10.11.2. Generate a SSL Encryption Key and Certificate

To use a SSL-encrypted HTTP connection (HTTPS), as well as other types of SSL-encrypted communication, you need a signed encryption certificate. You can purchase a certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA), or you can use a self-signed certificate. Self-signed certificates are not considered trustworthy by many third parties, but are appropriate for internal testing purposes.
This procedure enables you to create a self-signed certificate using utilities which are available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Prerequisites

  • You need the keytool utility, which is provided by any Java Development Kit implementation. OpenJDK on Red Hat Enterprise Linux installs this command to /usr/bin/keytool.
  • Understand the syntax and parameters of the keytool command. This procedure uses extremely generic instructions, because further discussion of the specifics of SSL certificates or the keytool command are out of scope for this documentation.

Procedure 10.15. Generate a SSL Encryption Key and Certificate

  1. Generate a keystore with public and private keys.

    Run the following command to generate a keystore named server.keystore with the alias jboss in your current directory.
    keytool -genkeypair -alias jboss -keyalg RSA -keystore server.keystore -storepass mykeystorepass --dname "CN=jsmith,OU=Engineering,O=mycompany.com,L=Raleigh,S=NC,C=US"
    The following table describes the parameters used in the keytool command:
    Parameter Description
    -genkeypair The keytool command to generate a key pair containing a public and private key.
    -alias The alias for the keystore. This value is arbitrary, but the alias jboss is the default used by the JBoss Web server.
    -keyalg The key pair generation algorithm. In this case it is RSA.
    -keystore The name and location of the keystore file. The default location is the current directory. The name you choose is arbitrary. In this case, the file will be named server.keystore.
    -storepass This password is used to authenticate to the keystore so that the key can be read. The password must be at least 6 characters long and must be provided when the keystore is accessed. In this case, we used mykeystorepass. If you omit this parameter, you will be prompted to enter it when you execute the command.
    -keypass
    This is the password for the actual key.

    Note

    Due to an implementation limitation this must be the same as the store password.
    --dname A quoted string describing the distinguished name for the key, for example: "CN=jsmith,OU=Engineering,O=mycompany.com,L=Raleigh,C=US". This string is a concatenation of the following components:
    • CN - The common name or host name. If the hostname is "jsmith.mycompany.com", the CN is "jsmith".
    • OU - The organizational unit, for example "Engineering"
    • O - The organization name, for example "mycompany.com".
    • L - The locality, for example "Raleigh" or "London"
    • S - The state or province, for example "NC". This parameter is optional.
    • C - The 2 letter country code, for example "US" or "UK",
    When you execute the above command, you are prompted for the following information:
    • If you did not use the -storepass parameter on the command line, you are asked to enter the keystore password. Re-enter the new password at the next prompt.
    • If you did not use the -keypass parameter on the command line, you are asked to enter the key password. Press Enter to set this to the same value as the keystore password.
    When the command completes, the file server.keystore now contains the single key with the alias jboss.
  2. Verify the key.

    Verify that the key works properly by using the following command.
    keytool -list -keystore server.keystore
    You are prompted for the keystore password. The contents of the keystore are displayed (in this case, a single key called jboss). Notice the type of the jboss key, which is keyEntry. This indicates that the keystore contains both a public and private entry for this key.
  3. Generate a certificate signing request.

    Run the following command to generate a certificate signing request using the public key from the keystore you created in step 1.
    keytool -certreq -keyalg RSA -alias jboss -keystore server.keystore -file certreq.csr
    You are prompted for the password in order to authenticate to the keystore. The keytool command then creates a new certificate signing request called certreq.csr in the current working directory.
  4. Test the newly generated certificate.

    Test the contents of the certificate by using the following command.
    openssl req -in certreq.csr -noout -text
    The certificate details are shown.
  5. Optional: Submit your certificate to a Certificate Authority (CA).

    A Certificate Authority (CA) can authenticate your certificate so that it is considered trustworthy by third-party clients. The CA supplies you with a signed certificate, and optionally with one or more intermediate certificates.
  6. Optional: Export a self-signed certificate from the keystore.

    If you only need it for testing or internal purposes, you can use a self-signed certificate. You can export one from the keystore you created in step 1 as follows:
    keytool -export -alias jboss -keystore server.keystore -file server.crt
    You are prompted for the password in order to authenticate to the keystore. A self-signed certificate, named server.crt, is created in the current working directory.
  7. Import the signed certificate, along with any intermediate certificates.

    Import each certificate, in the order that you are instructed by the CA. For each certificate to import, replace intermediate.ca or server.crt with the actual file name. If your certificates are not provided as separate files, create a separate file for each certificate, and paste its contents into the file.

    Note

    Your signed certificate and certificate keys are valuable assets. Be cautious with how you transport them between servers.
    keytool -import -keystore server.keystore -alias intermediateCA -file intermediate.ca
    keytool -import -alias jboss -keystore server.keystore -file server.crt
  8. Test that your certificates imported successfully.

    Run the following command, and enter the keystore password when prompted. The contents of your keystore are displayed, and the certificates are part of the list.
    keytool -list -keystore server.keystore
Result

Your signed certificate is now included in your keystore and is ready to be used to encrypt SSL connections, including HTTPS web server communications.

10.11.3. SSL Connector Reference

JBoss Web connectors may include the following SSL configuration attributes. The CLI commands provided are designed for a managed domain using profile default. Change the profile name to the one you wish to configure, for a managed domain, or omit the /profile=default portion of the command, for a standalone server.

Table 10.3. SSL Connector Attributes

Attribute Description CLI Command
Name
The display name of the SSL connector.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=name,value=https)
verify-client
Set to true to require a valid certificate chain from the client before accepting a connection. Set to want if you want the SSL stack to request a client Certificate, but not fail if one is not presented. Set to false (the default) to not require a certificate chain unless the client requests a resource protected by a security constraint that uses CLIENT-CERT authentication.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=verify-client,value=want)
verify-depth
The maximum number of intermediate certificate issuers checked before deciding that the clients do not have a valid certificate. The default value is 10.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=verify-depth,value=10)
certificate-key-file
The full file path and file name of the keystore file where the signed server certificate is stored. With JSSE encryption, this certificate file will be the only one, while OpenSSL uses several files. The default value is the .keystore file in the home directory of the user running JBoss EAP 6. If your keystoreType does not use a file, set the parameter to an empty string.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-key-file,value=../domain/configuration/server.keystore)
certificate-file
If you use OpenSSL encryption, set the value of this parameter to the path to the file containing the server certificate.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-file,value=server.crt)
password
The password for both the trustore and keystore. In the following example, replace PASSWORD with your own password.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=password,value=PASSWORD)
protocol
The version of the SSL protocol to use. Supported values include SLv2, SSLv3, TLSv1, SSLv2+SSLv3, and ALL. The default is ALL.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=protocol,value=ALL)
cipher-suite
A comma-separated list of the encryption ciphers which are allowed. The JVM default for JSSE contains weak ciphers which should not be used. The example only lists two possible ciphers, but real-world examples will likely use more.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=cipher-suite, value="TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA")
key-alias
The alias used to for the server certificate in the keystore. In the following example, replace KEY_ALIAS with your certificate's alias.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=key-alias,value=KEY_ALIAS)
truststore-type
The type of the truststore. Various types of keystores are available, including PKCS12 and Java's standard JKS.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=truststore-type,value=jks)
keystore-type
The type of the keystore, Various types of keystores are available, including PKCS12 and Java's standard JKS.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=keystore-type,value=jks)
ca-certificate-file
The file containing the CA certificates. This is the truststoreFile, in the case of JSSE, and uses the same password as the keystore. The ca-certificate-file file is used to validate client certificates.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-file,value=ca.crt)
ca-certificate-password
The Certificate password for the ca-certificate-file. In the following example, replace the MASKED_PASSWORD with your own masked password.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-certificate-password,value=MASKED_PASSWORD)
ca-revocation-url
A file or URL which contains the revocation list. It refers to the crlFile for JSSE or the SSLCARevocationFile for SSL.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-revocation-url,value=ca.crl)
session-cache-size
The size of the SSLSession cache. This attribute applies only to JSSE connectors. The default is 0, which specifies an unlimited cache size.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=session-cache-size,value=100)
session-timeout
The number of seconds before a cached SSLSession expires. This attribute applies only to JSSE connectors. The default is 86400 seconds, which is 24 hours.
/profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=HTTPS/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=session-timeout,value=43200)

10.12. Password Vaults for Sensitive Strings

10.12.1. About Securing Sensitive Strings in Clear-Text Files

Web applications and other deployments often include clear-text files, such as XML deployment descriptors, which include sensitive information such as passwords and other sensitive strings. JBoss EAP 6 includes a password vault mechanism which enables you to encrypt sensitive strings and store them in an encrypted keystore. The vault mechanism manages decrypting the strings for use with security domains, security realms, or other verification systems. This provides an extra layer of security. The mechanism relies upon tools that are included in all supported Java Development Kit (JDK) implementations.

10.12.2. Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings

Prerequisites

  • The keytool command must be available to use. It is provided by the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Locate the path for the file. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, it is installed to /usr/bin/keytool.

Procedure 10.16. Setup a Java Keystore

  1. Create a directory to store your keystore and other encrypted information.

    Create a directory to hold your keystore and other important information. The rest of this procedure assumes that the directory is /home/USER/vault/.
  2. Determine the parameters to use with keytool.

    Determine the following parameters:
    alias
    The alias is a unique identifier for the vault or other data stored in the keystore. The alias in the example command at the end of this procedure is vault. Aliases are case-insensitive.
    keyalg
    The algorithm to use for encryption. The default is DSA. The example in this procedure uses RSA. Check the documentation for your JRE and operating system to see which other choices may be available to you.
    keysize
    The size of an encryption key impacts how difficult it is to decrypt through brute force. The default size of keys is 1024. It must be between 512 and 2048, and a multiple of 64. The example in this procedure uses 2048.
    keystore
    The keystore is a database which holds encrypted information and the information about how to decrypt it. If you do not specify a keystore, the default keystore to use is a file called .keystore in your home directory. The first time you add data to a keystore, it is created. The example in this procedure uses the vault.keystore keystore.
    The keytool command has many other options. Refer to the documentation for your JRE or your operating system for more details.
  3. Determine the answers to questions the keystore command will ask.

    The keystore needs the following information in order to populate the keystore entry:
    Keystore password
    When you create a keystore, you must set a password. In order to work with the keystore in the future, you need to provide the password. Create a strong password that you will remember. The keystore is only as secure as its password and the security of the file system and operating system where it resides.
    Key password (optional)
    In addition to the keystore password, you can specify a password for each key it holds. In order to use such a key, the password needs to be given each time it is used. Usually, this facility is not used.
    First name (given name) and last name (surname)
    This, and the rest of the information in the list, helps to uniquely identify the key and place it into a hierarchy of other keys. It does not necessarily need to be a name at all, but it should be two words, and must be unique to the key. The example in this procedure uses Accounting Administrator. In directory terms, this becomes the common name of the certificate.
    Organizational unit
    This is a single word that identifies who uses the certificate. It may be the application or the business unit. The example in this procedure uses AccountingServices. Typically, all keystores used by a group or application use the same organizational unit.
    Organization
    This is usually a single-word representation of your organization's name. This typically remains the same across all certificates used by an organization. This example uses MyOrganization.
    City or municipality
    Your city.
    State or province
    Your state or province, or the equivalent for your locality.
    Country
    The two-letter code for your country.
    All of this information together will create a hierarchy for your keystores and certificates, ensuring that they use a consistent naming structure but are unique.
  4. Run the keytool command, supplying the information that you gathered.

    Example 10.27. Example input and output of keystore command

    $ keytool -genkey -alias vault -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -keystore /home/USER/vault/vault.keystore
    Enter keystore password: vault22 
    Re-enter new password:vault22 
    What is your first and last name?
      [Unknown]:  Accounting Administrator
    What is the name of your organizational unit?
      [Unknown]:  AccountingServices
    What is the name of your organization?
      [Unknown]:  MyOrganization
    What is the name of your City or Locality?
      [Unknown]:  Raleigh
    What is the name of your State or Province?
      [Unknown]:  NC
    What is the two-letter country code for this unit?
      [Unknown]:  US
    Is CN=Accounting Administrator, OU=AccountingServices, O=MyOrganization, L=Raleigh, ST=NC, C=US correct?
      [no]:  yes
    
    Enter key password for <vault>
            (RETURN if same as keystore password):
    
Result

A file named vault.keystore is created in the /home/USER/vault/ directory. It stores a single key, called vault, which will be used to store encrypted strings, such as passwords, for JBoss EAP 6.

10.12.3. Mask the Keystore Password and Initialize the Password Vault

Prerequisites

  1. Run the vault.sh command.

    Run EAP_HOME/bin/vault.sh. Start a new interactive session by typing 0.
  2. Enter the directory where encrypted files will be stored.

    This directory should be reasonably secure, but JBoss EAP 6 needs to be able to access it. If you followed Section 10.12.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings”, your keystore is in a directory called vault/ in your home directory. This example uses the directory /home/USER/vault/.

    Note

    Do not forget to include the trailing slash on the directory name. Either use / or \, depending on your operating system.
  3. Enter the path to the keystore.

    Enter the full path to the keystore file. This example uses /home/USER/vault/vault.keystore.
  4. Encrypt the keystore password.

    The following steps encrypt the keystore password, so that you can use it in configuration files and applications securely.
    1. Enter the keystore password.

      When prompted, enter the keystore password.
    2. Enter a salt value.

      Enter an 8-character salt value. The salt value, together with the iteration count (below), are used to create the hash value.
    3. Enter the iteration count.

      Enter a number for the iteration count.
    4. Make a note of the masked password information.

      The masked password, the salt, and the iteration count are printed to standard output. Make a note of them in a secure location. An attacker could use them to decrypt the password.
    5. Enter the alias of the vault.

      When prompted, enter the alias of the vault. If you followed Section 10.12.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings” to create your vault, the alias is vault.
  5. Exit the interactive console.

    Type 2 to exit the interactive console.
Result

Your keystore password has been masked for use in configuration files and deployments. In addition, your vault is fully configured and ready to use.

10.12.4. Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Use the Password Vault

Overview

Before you can mask passwords and other sensitive attributes in configuration files, you need to make JBoss EAP 6 aware of the password vault which stores and decrypts them. Follow this procedure to enable this functionality.

Procedure 10.17. Setup a Password Vault

  1. Determine the correct values for the command.

    Determine the values for the following parameters, which are determined by the commands used to create the keystore itself. For information on creating a keystore, refer to the following topics: Section 10.12.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings” and Section 10.12.3, “Mask the Keystore Password and Initialize the Password Vault”.
    Parameter Description
    KEYSTORE_URL
    The file system path or URI of the keystore file, usually called something like vault.keystore
    KEYSTORE_PASSWORD
    The password used to access the keystore. This value should be masked.
    KEYSTORE_ALIAS
    The name of the keystore.
    SALT
    The salt used to encrypt and decrypt keystore values.
    ITERATION_COUNT
    The number of times the encryption algorithm is run.
    ENC_FILE_DIR
    The path to the directory from which the keystore commands are run. Typically the directory containing the password vault.
    host (managed domain only)
    The name of the host you are configuring
  2. Use the Management CLI to enable the password vault.

    Run one of the following commands, depending on whether you use a managed domain or standalone server configuration. Substitute the values in the command with the ones from the first step of this procedure.

    Note

    If you use Microsoft Windows Server, replace each / character in a filename or directory path with four \ characters. This is because it should be two \ characters, each escaped. This does not need to be done for other / characters.
    • Managed Domain

      /host=YOUR_HOST/core-service=vault:add(vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "PATH_TO_KEYSTORE"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASKED_PASSWORD"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "ALIAS"), ("SALT" => "SALT"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "ITERATION_COUNT"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "ENC_FILE_DIR")])
      
    • Standalone Server

      /core-service=vault:add(vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "PATH_TO_KEYSTORE"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASKED_PASSWORD"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "ALIAS"), ("SALT" => "SALT"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "ITERATION_COUNT"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "ENC_FILE_DIR")])
      
    The following is an example of the command with hypothetical values:
    /core-service=vault:add(vault-options=[("KEYSTORE_URL" => "/home/user/vault/vault.keystore"), ("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" => "MASK-3y28rCZlcKR"), ("KEYSTORE_ALIAS" => "vault"), ("SALT" => "12438567"),("ITERATION_COUNT" => "50"), ("ENC_FILE_DIR" => "/home/user/vault/")])
    
Result

JBoss EAP 6 is configured to decrypt masked strings using the password vault. To add strings to the vault and use them in your configuration, refer to the following topic: Section 10.12.5, “Store and Retrieve Encrypted Sensitive Strings in the Java Keystore”.

10.12.5. Store and Retrieve Encrypted Sensitive Strings in the Java Keystore

Summary

Including passwords and other sensitive strings in plain-text configuration files is insecure. JBoss EAP 6 includes the ability to store and mask these sensitive strings in an encrypted keystore, and use masked values in configuration files.

Procedure 10.18. Setup the Java Keystore

  1. Run the vault.sh command.

    Run EAP_HOME/bin/vault.sh. Start a new interactive session by typing 0.
  2. Enter the directory where encrypted files will be stored.

    If you followed Section 10.12.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings”, your keystore is in a directory called vault/ in your home directory. In most cases, it makes sense to store all of your encrypted information in the same place as the key store. This example uses the directory /home/USER/vault/.

    Note

    Do not forget to include the trailing slash on the directory name. Either use / or \, depending on your operating system.
  3. Enter the path to the keystore.

    Enter the full path to the keystore file. This example uses /home/USER/vault/vault.keystore.
  4. Enter the keystore password, vault name, salt, and iteration count.

    When prompted, enter the keystore password, vault name, salt, and iteration count. A handshake is performed.
  5. Select the option to store a password.

    Select option 0 to store a password or other sensitive string.
  6. Enter the value.

    When prompted, enter the value twice. If the values do not match, you are prompted to try again.
  7. Enter the vault block.

    Enter the vault block, which is a container for attributes which pertain to the same resource. An example of an attribute name would be ds_ExampleDS. This will form part of the reference to the encrypted string, in your datasource or other service definition.
  8. Enter the attribute name.

    Enter the name of the attribute you are storing. An example attribute name would be password.
    Result

    A message such as the one below shows that the attribute has been saved.

    Attribute Value for (ds_ExampleDS, password) saved
  9. Make note of the information about the encrypted string.

    A message prints to standard output, showing the vault block, attribute name, shared key, and advice about using the string in your configuration. Make note of this information in a secure location. Example output is shown below.
    ********************************************
    Vault Block:ds_ExampleDS
    Attribute Name:password
    Shared Key:N2NhZDYzOTMtNWE0OS00ZGQ0LWE4MmEtMWNlMDMyNDdmNmI2TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0
    Configuration should be done as follows:
    VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::N2NhZDYzOTMtNWE0OS00ZGQ0LWE4MmEtMWNlMDMyNDdmNmI2TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0
    ********************************************
    
  10. Use the encrypted string in your configuration.

    Use the string from the previous step in your configuration, in place of a plain-text string. A datasource using the encrypted password above is shown below.
    ...
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:datasources:1.0">
        <datasources>
          <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS" enabled="true" use-java-context="true" pool-name="H2DS">
            <connection-url>jdbc:h2:mem:test;DB_CLOSE_DELAY=-1</connection-url>
            <driver>h2</driver>
            <pool></pool>
            <security>
              <user-name>sa</user-name>
              <password>${VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::N2NhZDYzOTMtNWE0OS00ZGQ0LWE4MmEtMWNlMDMyNDdmNmI2TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0}</password>
            </security>
          </datasource>
          <drivers>
             <driver name="h2" module="com.h2database.h2">
                <xa-datasource-class>org.h2.jdbcx.JdbcDataSource</xa-datasource-class>
             </driver>
          </drivers>
        </datasources>
      </subsystem>
    ...
    
    
    You can use an encrypted string anywhere in your domain or standalone configuration file where expressions are allowed.

    Note

    To check if expressions are allowed within a particular subsystem, run the following CLI command against that subsystem:
    /host=master/core-service=management/security-realm=TestRealm:read-resource-description(recursive=true)
    From the output of running this command, look for the value for the expressions-allowed parameter. If this is true, then you can use expressions within the configuration of this particular subsystem.
    After you store your string in the keystore, use the following syntax to replace any clear-text string with an encrypted one.
    ${VAULT::<replaceable>VAULT_BLOCK</replaceable>::<replaceable>ATTRIBUTE_NAME</replaceable>::<replaceable>ENCRYPTED_VALUE</replaceable>}
    
    Here is a sample real-world value, where the vault block is ds_ExampleDS and the attribute is password.
    <password>${VAULT::ds_ExampleDS::password::N2NhZDYzOTMtNWE0OS00ZGQ0LWE4MmEtMWNlMDMyNDdmNmI2TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0}</password>
    

10.12.6. Store and Resolve Sensitive Strings In Your Applications

Overview

Configuration elements of JBoss EAP 6 support the ability to resolve encrypted strings against values stored in a Java Keystore, via the Security Vault mechanism. You can add support for this feature to your own applications.

First, add the password to the vault. Second, replace the clear-text password with the one stored in the vault. You can use this method to obscure any sensitive string in your application.
Prerequisites

Before performing this procedure, make sure that the directory for storing your vault files exists. It does not matter where you place them, as long as the user who executes JBoss EAP 6 has permission to read and write the files. This example places the vault/ directory into the /home/USER/vault/ directory. The vault itself is a file called vault.keystore inside the vault/ directory.

Example 10.28. Adding the Password String to the Vault

Add the string to the vault using the EAP_HOME/bin/vault.sh command. The full series of commands and responses is included in the following screen output. Values entered by the user are emphasized. Some output is removed for formatting. In Microsoft Windows, the name of the command is vault.bat. Note that in Microsoft Windows, file paths use the \ character as a directory separator, rather than the / character.
[user@host bin]$ ./vault.sh 
**********************************
****  JBoss Vault ********
**********************************
Please enter a Digit::   0: Start Interactive Session  1: Remove Interactive Session  2: Exit
0
Starting an interactive session
Enter directory to store encrypted files:/home/user/vault/
Enter Keystore URL:/home/user/vault/vault.keystore
Enter Keystore password: ...
Enter Keystore password again: ...
Values match
Enter 8 character salt:12345678
Enter iteration count as a number (Eg: 44):25

Enter Keystore Alias:vault
Vault is initialized and ready for use
Handshake with Vault complete
Please enter a Digit::   0: Store a password  1: Check whether password exists  2: Exit
0
Task:  Store a password
Please enter attribute value: sa
Please enter attribute value again: sa
Values match
Enter Vault Block:DS
Enter Attribute Name:thePass
Attribute Value for (DS, thePass) saved

Please make note of the following:
********************************************
Vault Block:DS
Attribute Name:thePass
Shared Key:OWY5M2I5NzctYzdkOS00MmZhLWExZGYtNjczM2U5ZGUyOWIxTElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0
Configuration should be done as follows:
VAULT::DS::thePass::OWY5M2I5NzctYzdkOS00MmZhLWExZGYtNjczM2U5ZGUyOWIxTElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0
********************************************

Please enter a Digit::   0: Store a password  1: Check whether password exists  2: Exit
2
The string that will be added to the Java code is the last value of the output, the line beginning with VAULT.
The following servlet uses the vaulted string instead of a clear-text password. The clear-text version is commented out so that you can see the difference.

Example 10.29. Servlet Using a Vaulted Password

package vaulterror.web;
 
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.Writer;
 
import javax.annotation.Resource;
import javax.annotation.sql.DataSourceDefinition;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
 
/*@DataSourceDefinition(
        name = "java:jboss/datasources/LoginDS",
        user = "sa",
        password = "sa",
        className = "org.h2.jdbcx.JdbcDataSource",
        url = "jdbc:h2:tcp://localhost/mem:test"
)*/
@DataSourceDefinition(
        name = "java:jboss/datasources/LoginDS",
        user = "sa",
        password = "VAULT::DS::thePass::OWY5M2I5NzctYzdkOS00MmZhLWExZGYtNjczM2U5ZGUyOWIxTElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0",
        className = "org.h2.jdbcx.JdbcDataSource",
        url = "jdbc:h2:tcp://localhost/mem:test"
)
@WebServlet(name = "MyTestServlet", urlPatterns = { "/my/" }, loadOnStartup = 1)
public class MyTestServlet  extends HttpServlet {
 
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
 
    @Resource(lookup = "java:jboss/datasources/LoginDS")
    private DataSource ds;
 
    @Override
    protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse resp) throws ServletException, IOException {
        Writer writer = resp.getWriter();
        writer.write((ds != null) + "");
    }
}
Your servlet is now able to resolve the vaulted string.

10.13. FIPS 140-2 Compliant Encryption

10.13.1. About FIPS 140-2 Compliance

The Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) is a US government computer security standard for the accreditation of cryptographic software modules. FIPS 140-2 compliance is often a requirement of software systems used by government agencies and private sector business.
JBoss EAP 6 uses external modules encryption and can be configured to use a FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography module.

10.13.2. FIPS 140-2 Compliant Passwords

A FIPS compliant password must have the following characteristics:
  1. Must be at least seven (7) characters in length.
  2. Must include characters from at least three (3) of the following character classes:
    • ASCII digits,
    • lowercase ASCII,
    • uppercase ASCII,
    • non-alphanumeric ASCII, and
    • non-ASCII.
If the first character of the password is an uppercase ASCII letter, then it is not counted as an uppercase ASCII letter for restriction 2.
If the last character of the password is an ASCII digit, then it does not count as an ASCII digit for restriction 2.

10.13.3. Enable FIPS 140-2 Cryptography for SSL on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

This task describes how to configure the web container (JBoss Web) of JBoss EAP 6 to FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography for SSL. This task only covers the steps to do this on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
This task uses the Mozilla NSS library in FIPS mode for this feature.

Prerequisites

Procedure 10.19. Enable FIPS 140-2 Compliant Cryptography for SSL

  1. Create the database

    Create the NSS database in a directory own by the jboss user.
    $ mkdir -p  /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    $ chown jboss /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb 
    $ modutil -create -dbdir /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    
  2. Create NSS configuration file

    Create a new text file with the name nss_pkcsll_fips.cfg in the /usr/share/jboss-as directory with the following contents:
    name = nss-fips
    nssLibraryDirectory=/usr/lib64
    nssSecmodDirectory=/usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    nssModule = fips
    
    The NSS configuration file must specify:
    • a name,
    • the directory where the NSS library is located, and
    • the directory where the NSS database was created as per step 1.
    If you are not running a 64bit version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 then set nssLibraryDirectory to /usr/lib instead of /usr/lib64.
  3. Enable SunPKCS11 provider

    Edit the java.security configuration file for your JRE ($JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/java.security) and add the following line:
    security.provider.1=sun.security.pkcs11.SunPKCS11  /usr/share/jboss-as/nss_pkcsll_fips.cfg
    
    Note that the configuration file specified in this line is the file created in step 2.
    Any other security.provider.X lines in this file must have the value of their X increased by one to ensure that this provider is given priority.
  4. Enable FIPS mode for the NSS library

    Run the modutil command as shown to enable FIPS mode:
    modutil -fips true -dbdir /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    Note that the directory specified here is the one created in step 1.
    You may get a security library error at this point requiring you to regenerate the library signatures for some of the NSS shared objects.
  5. Change the password on the FIPS token

    Set the password on the FIPS token using the following command. Note that the name of the token must be NSS FIPS 140-2 Certificate DB.
    modutil -changepw "NSS FIPS 140-2 Certificate DB" -dbdir /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
    The password used for the FIPS token must be a FIPS compliant password.
  6. Create certificate using NSS tools

    Enter the following command to create a certificate using the NSS tools.
    certutil -S -k rsa -n jbossweb  -t "u,u,u" -x -s "CN=localhost, OU=MYOU, O=MYORG, L=MYCITY, ST=MYSTATE, C=MY" -d /usr/share/jboss-as/nssdb
  7. Configure the HTTPS connector to use the PKCS11 keystore

    Add a HTTPS connector using the following command in the JBoss CLI Tool:
    /subsystem=web/connector=https/:add(socket-binding=https,scheme=https,protocol=HTTP/1.1,secure=true)
    
    Then add the SSL configuration with the following command, replacing PASSWORD with the FIPS compliant password from step 5.
    /subsystem=web/connector=https/ssl=configuration:add(name=https,password=PASSWORD,keystore-type=PCKS11,
    cipher-suite="SSL_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,SSL_DHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
    TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA")
    
  8. Verify

    Verify that the JVM can read the private key from the PKCS11 keystore by running the following command:
    keytool -list -storetype pkcs11
    

Example 10.30. XML configuration for HTTPS connector using FIPS 140-2 compliance

<connector name="https" protocol="HTTP/1.1" scheme="https" socket-binding="https" secure="true">
  <ssl name="https" password="****" 
      cipher-suite="SSL_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,SSL_DHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
         TLS_ECDH_anon_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA"
      keystore-type="PKCS11"/>
</connector>
Note that the cipher-suite attribute has linebreaks inserted to make it easier to read.

Chapter 11. Security Administration Reference

11.1. Included Authentication Modules

The following authentication modules are included in JBoss EAP 6. Some of these handle authorization as well as authentication. These usually include the word Role within the Code name.
When you configure these modules, use the Code value or the full (package qualified) name to refer to the module.jaa

Table 11.1. Client

Code
Client
Class
org.jboss.security.ClientLoginModule
Description
This login module is designed to establish caller identity and credentials when JBoss EAP 6 is acting as a client. It should never be used as part of a security domain used for actual server authentication.

Table 11.2. Client Module Options

Option Type Default Description
multi-threaded
true or false
false
Set to true if each thread has its own principal and credential storage. Set to false to indicate that all threads in the VM share the same identity and credential.
password-stacking
useFirstPass or false
false
Set to useFirstPass to indicate that this login module should look for information stored in the LoginContext to use as the identity. This option can be used when stacking other login modules with this one.
restore-login-identity
true or false
false
Set to true if the identity and credential seen at the start of the login() method should be restored after the logout() method is invoked.

Table 11.3. Certificate

Code
Certificate
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.BaseCertLoginModule
Description
This login module is designed to authenticate users based on X509 Certificates. A use case for this is CLIENT-CERT authentication of a web application.

Table 11.4. Certificate Module Options

Option Type Default Description
securityDomain
string
none
Name of the security domain that has the JSSE configuration for the truststore holding the trusted certificates.
verifier
Class
none
The class name of the org.jboss.security.auth.certs.X509CertificateVerifier to use for verification of the login certificate.

Table 11.5. CertificateUsers

Code
CertificateUsers
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.UsersRolesLoginModule
Description
Uses a properties resources. The first maps usernames to passwords, and the second maps usernames to roles.

Table 11.6. CertificateUsers Module Options

Option Type Default Description
unauthenticatedIdentity
A string
none
Defines the principal name that should be assigned to requests which contain no authentication information. This can allow unprotected servlets to invoke methods on EJBs that do not require a specific role. Such a principal has no associated roles and can only access either unsecured EJBs or EJB methods that are associated with the unchecked permission constraint.
password-stacking
useFirstPass or false
false
Set to useFirstPass to indicate that this login module should look for information stored in the LoginContext to use as the identity. This option can be used when stacking other login modules with this one.
hashAlgorithm A string
none
The name of the java.security.MessageDigest algorithm to use to hash the password. There is no default so this option must be explicitly set to enable hashing. When hashAlgorithm is specified, the clear text password obtained from the CallbackHandler is hashed before it is passed to UsernamePasswordLoginModule.validatePassword as the inputPassword argument. The expectedPassword stored in the users.properties file must be comparably hashed. Refer to http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/security/MessageDigest.html for information on java.security.MessageDigest and the algorithms this class supports.
hashEncoding
base64 or hex
base64
The string format for the hashed password, if hashAlgorithm is also set.
hashCharset
A string
The default encoding set in the container's environment.
The encoding used to convert the clear-text password to a byte array.
usersProperties
The fully-qualified file path and name of a properties file or resource
users.properties
The file containing the mappings between users and passwords. Each property in the file has the format username=password.
rolesProperties
The fully-qualified file path and name of a properties file or resource
roles.properties
The file containing the mappings between users and roles. Each property in the file has the format username=role1,role2,...,roleN.
ignorePasswordCase
true or false
false
Whether the password comparison should ignore case. This is useful for hashed password encoding where the case of the hashed password is not significant.
principalClass
A fully-qualified classname.
none
A Principal implementation class which contains a constructor that takes a String argument for the princpal name.
roleGroupSeparator
A single character
. (a single period)
The character used to seperate the username from the role group name in the rolesGroup file.
defaultUsersProperties
string
defaultUsers.properties
Name of the resource or file to fall back to if the usersProperties file can't be found.
defaultRolesProperties
string
defaultRoles.properties
Name of the resource or file to fall back to if the rolesProperties file cannot be found.
hashUserPassword
true or false
true
Whether to hash the password entered by the user, when hashAlgorithm is specified. Defaults to true.
hashStorePassword
true or false
true
Whether the store password returned from getUsersPassword() should be hashed, when hashAlgorithm is specified.
digestCallback
A fully-qualified classname.
none
The class name of the org.jboss.crypto.digest.DigestCallback implementation that includes pre or post digest content such as salt values. Only used if hashAlgorithm is specified.
storeDigestCallback
A fully-qualified classname.
none
The class name of the org.jboss.crypto.digest.DigestCallback implementation that includes pre/post digest content like salts for hashing the store password. Only used if hashStorePassword is true and hashAlgorithm is specified.
callback.option.STRING
Various none
All options prefixed with callback.option. are passed to the DigestCallback.init(Map) method. The input username is always passed in via the javax.security.auth.login.name option, and the input/store password is passed in via the javax.security.auth.login.password option to the digestCallback or storeDigestCallback.

Table 11.7. CertificateRoles

Code
CertificateRoles
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.CertRolesLoginModule
Description
This login module extends the Certificate login module to add role mapping capabilities from a properties file. It takes all of the same options as the Certificate login module, and adds the following options.

Table 11.8. CertificateRoles Module Options

Option Type Default Description
rolesProperties
A string
roles.properties
The name of the resource or file containing the roles to assign to each user. The role properties file must be in the format username=role1,role2 where the username is the DN of the certificate, escaping any = (equals) and space characters. The following example is in the correct format:
CN\=unit-tests-client,\ OU\=Red\ Hat\ Inc.,\ O\=Red\ Hat\ Inc.,\ ST\=North\ Carolina,\ C\=US=JBossAdmin
defaultRolesProperties
A string
defaultRoles.properties
Name of the resource or file to fall back to if the rolesProperties file cannot be found.
roleGroupSeparator
A single character
. (a single period)
Which character to use as the role group separator in the roleProperties file.

Table 11.9. Database

Code Database
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.DatabaseServerLoginModule
Description
A JDBC-based login module that supports authentication and role mapping. It is based on two logical tables, with the following definitions.
  • Principals: PrincipalID (text), Password (text)
  • Roles: PrincipalID (text), Role (text), RoleGroup (text)

Table 11.10. Database Module Options

Option Type Default Description
dsJndiName
A JNDI resource
none
The name of the JNDI resource storing the authentication information. This option is required.
principalsQuery
A prepared SQL statement
select Password from Principals where PrincipalID=?
The prepared SQL query to obtain the information about the principal.
rolesQuery
A prepared SQL statement
select Role, RoleGroup from Roles where PrincipalID=?
The prepared SQL query to obtain the information about the roles. It should be equivalent to select Role, RoleGroup from Roles where PrincipalID=?, where Role is the role name and the RoleGroup column value should always be either Roles with a capital R or CallerPrincipal.

Table 11.11. DatabaseCertificate

Code
DatabaseCertificate
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.DatabaseCertLoginModule
Description
This login module extends the Certificate login module to add role mapping capabilities from a database table. It has the same options plus these additional options:

Table 11.12. DatabaseCertificate Module Options

Option Type Default Description
dsJndiName
A JNDI resource
The name of the JNDI resource storing the authentication information. This option is required.
rolesQuery
A prepared SQL statement
select Role,RoleGroup from Roles where PrincipalID=?
SQL prepared statement to be executed in order to map roles. It should be an equivalent to select Role, RoleGroup from Roles where PrincipalID=?, where Role is the role name and the RoleGroup column value should always be either Roles with a capital R or CallerPrincipal.
suspendResume
true or false
true
Whether any existing JTA transaction should be suspended during database operations.

Table 11.13. Identity

Code
Identity
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.IdentityLoginModule
Description
Associates the principal specified in the module options with any subject authenticated against the module. The type of Principal class used is org.jboss.security.SimplePrincipal.. If no principal option is specified a principal with the name of guest is used.

Table 11.14. Identity Module Options

Option Type Default Description
principal
A string
guest
The name to use for the principal.
roles
A comma-separated list of strings
none
A comma-delimited list of roles which will be assigned to the subject.

Table 11.15. Ldap

Code
Ldap
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.LdapLoginModule
Description
Authenticates against an LDAP server, when the username and password are stored in an LDAP server that is accessible using a JNDI LDAP provider. Many of the options are not required, because they are determined by the LDAP provider or the environment.

Table 11.16. Ldap Module Options

Option Type Default Description
java.naming.factory.initial
class name
com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory
InitialContextFactory implementation class name.
java.naming.provider.url
ldap:// URL
none
URL for the LDAP server.
java.naming.security.authentication
none, simple, or the name of a SASL mechanism
simple
The security level to use to bind to the LDAP server.
java.naming.security.protocol
A transport protocol
If unspecified, determined by the provider.
The transport protocol to use for secure access, such as SSL.
java.naming.security.principal
A string
none
The name of the principal for authenticating the caller to the service. This is built from other properties described below.
java.naming.security.credentials
A credential type
none
The type of credential used by the authentication scheme. Some examples include hashed password, clear-text password, key, or certificate. If this property is unspecified, the behavior is determined by the service provider.
principalDNPrefix
A string
none
Prefix added to the username to form the user DN. You can prompt the user for a username and build the fully-qualified DN by using the principalDNPrefix and principalDNSuffix.
principalDNSuffix
string
Suffix added to the username to form the user DN. You can prompt the user for a username and build the fully-qualified DN by using the principalDNPrefix and principalDNSuffix.
useObjectCredential
true or false
false
Whether the credential should be obtained as an opaque Object using the org.jboss.security.auth.callback.ObjectCallback type of Callback rather than as a char[] password using a JAAS PasswordCallback. This allows for passing non-char[] credential information to the LDAP server.
rolesCtxDN
A fully-qualified DN
none
The fully-qualified DN for the context to search for user roles.
userRolesCtxDNAttributeName
An attribute
none
The attribute in the user object that contains the DN for the context to search for user roles. This differs from rolesCtxDN in that the context to search for a user's roles may be unique for each user.
roleAttributeID
An attribute
roles
Name of the attribute containing the user roles.
roleAttributeIsDN
true or false
false
Whether or not the roleAttributeID contains the fully-qualified DN of a role object. If false, the role name is taken from the value of the roleNameAttributeId attribute of the context name. Certain directory schemas, such as Microsoft Active Directory, require this attribute to be set to true.
roleNameAttributeID
An attribute
group
Name of the attribute within the roleCtxDN context which contains the role name. If the roleAttributeIsDN property is set to true, this property is used to find the role object's name attribute.
uidAttributeID
An attribute
uid
Name of the attribute in the UserRolesAttributeDN that corresponds to the user ID. This is used to locate the user roles.
matchOnUserDN
true or false
false
Whether or not the search for user roles should match on the user's fully distinguished DN or the username only. If true, the full user DN is used as the match value. If false, only the username is used as the match value against the uidAttributeName attribute.
allowEmptyPasswords
true or false
true
Whether to allow empty passwords. Most LDAP servers treat empty passwords as anonymous login attempts. To reject empty passwords, set this to false.

Table 11.17. LdapExtended

Code
LdapExtended
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.LdapExtLoginModule
Description
An alternate LDAP login module implementation that uses searches to locate the bind user and associated roles. The roles query recursively follows DNs to navigate a hierarchical role structure. It uses the same java.naming options as the Ldap module, and uses the following options instead of the other options of the Ldap module.
The authentication happens in 2 steps:
  1. An initial bind to the LDAP server is done using the bindDN and bindCredential options. The bindDN is a LDAP user with the ability to search both the baseCtxDN and rolesCtxDN trees for the user and roles. The user DN to authenticate against is queried using the filter specified by the baseFilter attribute.
  2. The resulting user DN is authenticated by binding to the LDAP server using the user DN as the InitialLdapContext environment Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL. The Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS property is set to the String password obtained by the callback handler.

Table 11.18. LdapExtended Module Options

Option Type Default Description
baseCtxDN
A fully-qualified DN
none
The fixed DN of the top-level context to begin the user search.
bindDN
A fully-qualified DN
none
The DN used to bind against the LDAP server for the user and roles queries. This DN needs read and search permissions on the baseCtxDN and rolesCtxDN values.
bindCredential
A string, optionally encrypted
none
The password for the bindDN. This can be encrypted using the vault mechanism. Refer to the following topic to read more about encrypting sensitive strings: Section 10.12.2, “Create a Java Keystore to Store Sensitive Strings”
baseFilter
LDAP filter string
none
A search filter used to locate the context of the user to authenticate. The input username or userDN obtained from the login module callback is substituted into the filter anywhere a {0} expression is used. A common example for the search filter is (uid={0}).
rolesCtxDN
fully-qualified DN
none
The fixed DN of the context to search for user roles. This is not the DN where the actual roles are, but the DN where the objects containing the user roles are. For example, in a Microsoft Active Directory server, this is the DN where the user account is.
roleFilter
LDAP filter string
A search filter used to locate the roles associated with the authenticated user. The input username or userDN obtained from the login module callback is substituted into the filter anywhere a {0} expression is used. The authenticated userDN is substituted into the filter anywhere a {1} is used. An example search filter that matches on the input username is (member={0}). An alternative that matches on the authenticated userDN is (member={1}).
roleAttributeIsDN
true or false
false
Whether or not the roleAttributeID contains the fully-qualified DN of a role object. If false, the role name is taken from the value of the roleNameAttributeId attribute of the context name. Certain directory schemas, such as Microsoft Active Directory, require this attribute to be set to true.
defaultRole
Role name
none
A role included for all authenticated users
parseRoleNameFromDN
true or false
false
A flag indicating if the DN returned by a query contains the roleNameAttributeID. If set to true, the DN is checked for the roleNameATtributeID. If set to false, the DN is not checked for the roleNameAttributeID. This flag can improve the performance of LDAP queries.
parseUsername
true or false
false
A flag indicating if the DN is to be parsed for the username. If set to true, the DN is parsed for the username. If set to false the DN is not parsed for the username. This option is used together with usernameBeginString and usernameEndString.
usernameBeginString
a string
none
Defines the string which is to be removed from the start of the DN to reveal the username. This option is used together with usernameEndString.
usernameEndString
a string
none
Defines the string which is to be removed from the end of the DN to reveal the username. This option is used together with usernameBeginString.
roleNameAttributeID
An attribute
group
Name of the attribute within the roleCtxDN context which contains the role name. If the roleAttributeIsDN property is set to true, this property is used to find the role object's name attribute.
distinguishedNameAttribute
An attribute
distinguishedName
The name of the attribute in the user entry that contains the DN of the user. This may be necessary if the DN of the user itself contains special characters (backslash for example) that prevent correct user mapping. If the attribute does not exist, the entry's DN is used.
roleRecursion
An integer
0
The numbers of levels of recursion the role search will go below a matching context. Disable recursion by setting this to 0.
searchTimeLimit
An integer
10000 (10 seconds)
The timeout in milliseconds for user or role searches.
searchScope
One of: OBJECT_SCOPE, ONELEVEL_SCOPE, SUBTREE_SCOPE
SUBTREE_SCOPE
The search scope to use.
allowEmptyPasswords
true or false
true
Whether to allow empty passwords. Most LDAP servers treat empty passwords as anonymous login attempts. To reject empty passwords, set this to false.

Table 11.19. RoleMapping

Code
RoleMapping
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.RoleMappingLoginModule
Description
Maps a role which is the end result of the authentication process to a declarative role. This module must be flagged as optional when you add it to the security domain.

Table 11.20. RoleMapping Module Options

Option Type Default Description
rolesProperties
The fully-qualified file path and name of a properties file or resource
roles.properties
The fully-qualified file path and name of a properties file or resource which maps roles to replacement roles. The format is original_role=role1,role2,role3
replaceRole
true or false
false
Whether to add to the current roles, or replace the current roles with the mapped ones. Replaces if set to true.

Table 11.21. RunAs

Code
RunAs
Class
Class: org.jboss.security.auth.spi.RunAsLoginModule
Description
A helper module that pushes a run as role onto the stack for the duration of the login phase of authentication, and pops the run as role off the stack in either the commit or abort phase. This login module provides a role for other login modules that must access secured resources in order to perform their authentication, such as a login module which accesses a secured EJB. RunAsLoginModule must be configured before the login modules that require a run as role to be established.

Table 11.22. RunAs Options

Option Type Default Description
roleName
A role name.
nobody
The name of the role to use as the run as role during the login phase.

Table 11.23. Simple

Code
Simple
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.SimpleServerLoginModule
Description
A module for quick setup of security for testing purposes. It implements the following simple algorithm:
  • If the password is null, authenticate the user and assign an identity of guest and a role of guest.
  • Otherwise, if the password is equal to the user, assign an identity equal to the username and both admin and guest roles.
  • Otherwise, authentication fails.
Simple Module Options

The Simple module has no options.

Table 11.24. ConfiguredIdentity

Code
ConfiguredIdentity
Class
org.picketbox.datasource.security.ConfiguredIdentityLoginModule
Description
Associates the principal specified in the module options with any subject authenticated against the module. The type of Principal class used is org.jboss.security.SimplePrincipal.

Table 11.25. ConfiguredIdentity Module Options

Option Type Default Description
principal
Name of a principal.
none
The principal which will be associated with any subject authenticated against the module.

Table 11.26. SecureIdentity

Code
SecureIdentity
Class
org.picketbox.datasource.security.SecureIdentityLoginModule
Description
This module is provided for legacy purposes. It allows you to encrypt a password and then use the encrypted password with a static principal. If your application uses SecureIdentity, consider using a password vault mechanism instead.

Table 11.27. SecureIdentity Module Options

Option Type Default Description
username
string none The username for authentication.
password
encrypted string none
The password to use for authentication. To encrypt the password, use the module directly at the command line.
java org.picketbox.datasource.security.SecureIdentityLoginModule password_to_encrypt
Paste the result of this command into the module option's value field.
managedConnectionFactoryName
A JCA resource none
The name of the JCA connection factory for your datasource.

Table 11.28. PropertiesUsers

Code
PropertiesUsers
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.PropertiesUsersLoginModule
Description
Uses a properties file to store usernames and passwords for authentication. No authorization (role mapping) is provided. This module is only appropriate for testing.

Table 11.29. PropertiesUsers Module Options

Option Type Default Description
properties
The fully-qualified file path and name of a Java properties file or resource. none
The properties file containing the usernames and clear-text passwords to be used for authentication.

Table 11.30. SimpleUsers

Code
SimpleUsers
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.SimpleUsersLoginModule
Description
This login module stores the username and clear-text password in a Java properties file. It is included for testing only, and is not appropriate for a production environment.

Table 11.31. SimpleUsers Module Options

Option Type Default Description
username
string none The username to use for authentication.
password
string none The clear-text password to use for authentication.

Table 11.32. LdapUsers

Code
LdapUsers
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.LdapUsersLoginModule
Description
The LdapUsers module is superseded by the ExtendedLDAP and AdvancedLdap modules.

Table 11.33. Kerberos

Code
Kerberos
Class
com.sun.security.auth.module.Krb5LoginModule
Description
Performs Kerberos login authentication, using GSSAPI. This module is part of the security framework from the API provided by Sun Microsystems. Details can be found at http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/guide/security/jaas/spec/com/sun/security/auth/module/Krb5LoginModule.html. This module needs to be paired with another module which handles the authentication and roles mapping.

Table 11.34. Kerberos Module Options

Option Type Default Description
storekey
true or false
false
Whether or not to add the KerberosKey to the subject's private credentials.
doNotPrompt
true or false
false
If set to true, the user is not prompted for the password.
useTicketCache
Boolean value of true or false
.
false
If true, the GTG is obtained from the ticket cache. If false, the ticket cache is not used.
ticketcache
A file or resource representing a Kerberos ticket cache.
The default depends on which operating system you use.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux / Solaris: /tmp/krb5cc_uid, using the numeric UID value of the operating system.
  • Microsoft Windows Server: uses the Local Security Authority (LSA) API to find the ticketcache.
The location of the ticket cache.
useKeyTab
true or false
false Whether to obtain the principal's key from a key table file.
keytab
A file or resource representing a Kerberos keytab.
the location in the operating system's Kerberos configuration file, or /home/user/krb5.keytab
The location of the key table file.
principal
A string none
The name of the principal. This can either be a simple user name or a service name such as host/testserver.acme.com. Use this instead of obtaining the principal from the key table, or when the key table contains more than one principal.
useFirstPass
true or false
false
Whether to retrieve the username and password from the module's shared state, using javax.security.auth.login.name and javax.security.auth.login.password as the keys. If authentication fails, no retry attempt is made.
tryFirstPass
true or false
false
Same as useFirstPass, but if authentication fails, the module uses the CallbackHandler to retrieve a new username and password. If the second authentication fails, the failure is reported to the calling application.
storePass
true or false
false
Whether to store the username and password in the module's shared state. This does not happen if the keys already exist in the shared state, or if authentication fails.
clearPass
true or false
false
Set this to true to clear the username and password from the shared state after both phases of authentication complete.

Table 11.35. SPNEGOUsers

Code
SPNEGOUsers
Class
org.jboss.security.negotiation.spnego.SPNEGOLoginModule
Description
Allows SPNEGO authentication to a Microsoft Active Directory server or other environment which supports SPNEGO. SPNEGO can also carry Kerberos credentials. This module needs to be paired with another module which handles authentication and role mapping.

Table 11.36. SPNEGO Module Options

Option Type Default Description
storeKey
true or false
false
Whether or not to store the key.
useKeyTab
true or false
false
Whether to use a key table.
principal
String reperesenting a principal for Kerberos auhentication.
none
The name of the principal for authentication.
keyTab
A file or resource representing a keytab.
none
The location of a key table.
doNotPrompt
true or false
false
Whether to prompt for a password.
debug
true or false
false
Whether to record more verbose messages for debugging purposes.

Table 11.37. AdvancedLdap

Code AdvancedLdap
Class
org.jboss.security.negotiation.AdvancedLdapLoginModule
Description
A module which provides additional functionality, such as SASL and the use of a JAAS security domain.

Table 11.38. AdvancedLdap Module Options

Option Type Default Description
bindAuthentication
string
none
The type of SASL authentication to use for binding to the directory server.
java.naming.provider.url
string
none
The URI of the directory server.
baseCtxDN
A fully qualified Distinguished Name (DN).
none
The distinguished name to use as the base for searches.
baseFilter
String representing a LDAP search filter.
none
The filter to use to narrow down search results.
roleAttributeID
A string representing an LDAP attribute.
none
The LDAP attribute which contains the names of authorization roles.
roleAttributeIsDN
true or false
false
Whether the role attribute is a Distinguished Name (DN).
roleNameAttributeID
String representing an LDAP attribute.
none
The attribute contained within the RoleAttributeId which contains the actual role attribute.
recurseRoles
true or false
false
Whether to recorsively search the RoleAttributeId for roles.

Table 11.39. AdvancedADLdap

Code AdvancedADLdap
Class
org.jboss.security.negotiation.AdvancedADLoginModule
Description
This module extends the AdvancedLdap login module, and adds extra parameters that are relevant to Microsoft Active Directory.

Table 11.40. UsersRoles

Code UsersRoles
Class
org.jboss.security.auth.spi.UsersRolesLoginModul
Description
A simple login module that supports multiple users and user roles stored in two different properties files.

Table 11.41. UsersRoles Module Options

Option Type Default Description
usersProperties
Path to a file or resource.
users.properties
The file or resource which contains the user-to-password mappings. The format of the file is user=hashed-password
rolesProperties
Path to a file or resource.
roles.properties
The file or resource which contains the user-to-role mappings. The format of the file is username=role1,role2,role3
password-stacking
useFirstPass or false
false
A value of useFirstPass indicates that this login module should first look to the information stored in the LoginContext for the identity. This option can be used when stacking other login modules with this one.
hashAlgorithm
A string representing a password hashing algorithm.
none
The name of the java.security.MessageDigest algorithm to use to hash the password. There is no default so this option must be explicitly set to enable hashing. When hashAlgorithm is specified, the clear text password obtained from the CallbackHandler is hashed before it is passed to UsernamePasswordLoginModule.validatePassword as the inputPassword argument. The password stored in the users.properties file must be comparably hashed.
hashEncoding
base64 or hex
base64
The string format for the hashed password, if hashAlgorithm is also set.
hashCharset
A string
The default encoding set in the container's runtime environment
The encoding used to convert the clear-text password to a byte array.
unauthenticatedIdentity
A principal name
none
Defines the principal name assigned to requests which contain no authentication information. This can allow unprotected servlets to invoke methods on EJBs that do not require a specific role. Such a principal has no associated roles and can only access unsecured EJBs or EJB methods that are associated with the unchecked permission constraint.
Custom Authentication Modules

Authentication modules are implementations of javax.security.auth.spi.LoginModule. Refer to the API documentation for more information about creating a custom authentication module.

11.2. Included Authorization Modules

The following modules provide authorization services.
Code Class
DenyAll org.jboss.security.authorization.modules.AllDenyAuthorizationModule
PermitAll org.jboss.security.authorization.modules.AllPermitAuthorizationModule
Delegating org.jboss.security.authorization.modules.DelegatingAuthorizationModule
Web org.jboss.security.authorization.modules.WebAuthorizationModule
JACC org.jboss.security.authorization.modules.JACCAuthorizationModule

11.3. Included Security Mapping Modules

The following security mapping roles are provided in JBoss EAP 6.
Code Class
PropertiesRoles org.jboss.security.mapping.providers.role.PropertiesRolesMappingProvider
SimpleRoles org.jboss.security.mapping.providers.role.SimpleRolesMappingProvider
DeploymentRoles org.jboss.security.mapping.providers.DeploymentRolesMappingProvider
DatabaseRoles org.jboss.security.mapping.providers.role.DatabaseRolesMappingProvider
LdapRoles org.jboss.security.mapping.providers.role.LdapRolesMappingProvider

11.4. Included Security Auditing Provider Modules

JBoss EAP 6 provides one security auditing provider.
Code Class
LogAuditProvider org.jboss.security.audit.providers.LogAuditProvider

Chapter 12. Subsystem Configuration

12.1. Subsystem Configuration Overview

Introduction

JBoss EAP 6 uses a simplified configuration, with one configuration file per domain or per standalone server. In a standalone domain, a separate file exists for each host controller as well. Changes to the configuration persist automatically, so XML should not be edited by hand. The configuration is scanned and overwritten automatically by the Management API. The command-line based Management CLI and web-based Management Console allow you to configure each aspect of JBoss EAP 6.

JBoss EAP 6 is built on the concept of modular classloading. Each API or service provided by the Platform is implemented as a module, which is loaded and unloaded on demand. Most modules include a configurable element called a subsystem. Subsystem configuration information is stored in the unified configuration file EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml for a managed domain or EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml for a standalone server. Many of the subsystems include configuration details that were configured via deployment descriptors in previous versions of JBoss EAP.
Subsystem Configuration Schemas

Each subsystem's configuration is defined in an XML schema. The configuration schema are located in the EAP_HOME/docs/schema/ directory of your installation.

The following subsystems are known as simple subsystems, because they do not have any configurable attributes or elements. They are generally listed at the top of the configuration file.

Simple Subsystems

  • ee– the Java EE 6 API implementation
  • ejb– the Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) subsystem
  • jaxrs– the JAX-RS API, provided by RESTeasy.
  • sar– the subsystem which supports Service Archives.
  • threads– the subsystem which supports process threads.
  • weld– the Contexts and Dependency Injection API, provided by Weld.

Chapter 13. The Logging Subsystem

13.1. Introduction

13.1.1. Overview of Logging

JBoss EAP 6 provides highly configurable logging facilities for both its own internal use and for use by deployed applications. The logging subsystem is based on JBoss LogManager and it supports several third party application logging frameworks in addition to JBoss Logging.
The logging subsystem is configured using a system of log categories and log handlers. Log categories define what messages to capture, and log handlers define how to deal with those messages (write to disk, send to console etc).
Logging Profiles are a feature added in version 6.1.0 which allows uniquely named sets of logging configuration to be created and assigned to applications independent of any other logging configuration. The configuration of logging profiles is almost identical to the main logging subsystem.
All of this configuration can be performed in the Management Console or by using the CLI tool.

13.1.2. Application Logging Frameworks Supported By JBoss LogManager

JBoss LogManager supports the following logging frameworks:

13.1.3. Configure Boot Logging

Boot logging is the recording of events that occur while the server is starting up (or "booting").
Boot logging can be configured by editing the logging.properties file. This file is a standard Java properties file and can be edited in a text editor. Each line in the file has the format of property=value.
Depending on whether you run JBoss EAP 6 as a managed domain or standalone server, the full path to the logging.properties file is either EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/logging.properties or EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/logging.properties.

13.1.4. Default Log File Locations

These are the log files that get created for the default logging configurations. The default configuration writes the server log files using periodic log handlers

Table 13.1. Default Log File for a standalone server

Log File Description
EAP_HOME/standalone/log/server.log
The Server Log. Contains all server log messages, including server startup messages.

Table 13.2. Default Log Files for a managed domain

Log File Description
EAP_HOME/domain/log/host-controller.log
Host Controller boot log. Contains log messages related to the startup of the host controller.
EAP_HOME/domain/log/process-controller.log
Process controller boot log. Contains log messages related to the startup of the process controller.
EAP_HOME/domain/servers/SERVERNAME/log/server.log
The server log for the named server. Contains all log messages for that server, including server startup messages.

13.1.5. Filter Expressions for Logging

Table 13.3. Filter Expressions for Logging

Filter Type
expression
Description Parameters
Accept
accept
Accept all log messages
accept
Deny
deny
Deny all log messages
deny
Not
not[filter expression]
Returns the inverted value of the filter expression
Takes single filter expression as a parameter
not(match("JBAS"))
All
all[filter expression]
Returns concatenated value from multiple filter expressions.
Takes multiple filter expressions delimited by commas
all(match("JBAS"),match("WELD"))
Any
any[filter expression]
Returns one value from multiple filter expressions.
Takes multiple filter expressions delimited by commas
any(match("JBAS"),match("WELD"))
Level Change
levelChange[level]
Modifies the log record with the specified level
Takes single string-based level as an argument
levelChange("WARN")
Levels
levels[levels]
Filters log messages with a level listed in the list of levels
Takes multiple string-based levels delimited by commas as argument
levels("DEBUG","INFO","WARN","ERROR")
Level Range
levelRange[minLevel,maxLevel]
Filters log messages within the specified level range
The filter expression uses a "[" to indicate a minimum inclusive level and a "]" to indicate a maximum inclusive level. Alternatively, one can use "(" or ")" respectively to indicate exclusive. The first argument for the expression is the minimum level allowed, the second argument is the maximum level allowed.
  • minimum level must be less than ERROR and the maximum level must be greater than DEBUG
    levelRange("ERROR","DEBUG")
  • minimum level must be less than or equal to ERROR and the maximum level must be greater than DEBUG
    levelRange["ERROR","DEBUG")
  • minimum level must be less than or equal to ERROR and the maximum level must be greater or equal to INFO
    levelRange["ERROR","INFO"]
Match (match["pattern"]) A regular-expression based filter. The unformatted message is used against the pattern specified in the expression.
Takes a regular expression as argument
match("JBAS\d+")
Substitute (substitute["pattern","replacement value"]) A filter which replaces the first match to the pattern with the replacement value
The first argument for the expression is the pattern the second argument is the replacement text
substitute("JBAS","EAP")
Substitute All (substituteAll["pattern","replacement value"]) A filter which replaces all matches of the pattern with the replacement value
The first argument for the expression is the pattern the second argument is the replacement text
substituteAll("JBAS","EAP")

13.1.6. About Log Levels

Log levels are an ordered set of enumerated values that indicate the nature and severity of a log message. The level of a given log message is specified by the developer using the appropriate methods of their chosen logging framework to send the message.
JBoss EAP 6 supports all the log levels used by the supported application logging frameworks. The most commonly used six log levels are (in order of lowest to highest): TRACE, DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR and FATAL.
Log levels are used by log categories and handlers to limit the messages they are responsible for. Each log level has an assigned numeric value which indicates its order relative to other log levels. Log categories and handlers are assigned a log level and they only process log messages of that level or higher. For example a log handler with the level of WARN will only record messages of the levels WARN, ERROR and FATAL.

13.1.7. Supported Log Levels

Table 13.4. Supported Log Levels

Log Level Value Description
FINEST 300
-
FINER 400
-
TRACE 400
Use for messages that provide detailed information about the running state of an application. Log messages of TRACE are usually only captured when debugging an application.
DEBUG 500
Use for messages that indicate the progress individual requests or activities of an application. Log messages of DEBUG are usually only captured when debugging an application.
FINE 500
-
CONFIG 700
-
INFO 800
Use for messages that indicate the overall progress of the application. Often used for application startup, shutdown and other major lifecycle events.
WARN 900
Use to indicate a situation that is not in error but is not considered ideal. May indicate circumstances that may lead to errors in the future.
WARNING 900
-
ERROR 1000
Use to indicate an error that has occurred that could prevent the current activity or request from completing but will not prevent the application from running.
SEVERE 1000
-
FATAL 1100
Use to indicate events that could cause critical service failure and application shutdown and possibly cause JBoss EAP 6 to shutdown.

13.1.8. About Log Categories

Log categories define a set of log messages to capture and one or more log handlers which will process the messages.
The log messages to capture are defined by their Java package of origin and log level. Messages from classes in that package and of that log level or lower are captured by the log category and sent to the specified log handlers.
Log categories can optionally use the log handlers of the root logger instead of their own handlers.

13.1.9. About the Root Logger

The root logger captures all log messages sent to the server (of a specified level) that are not captured by a log category. These messages are then sent to one or more log handlers.
By default the root logger is configured to use a console and a periodic log handler. The periodic log handler is configured to write to the file server.log. This file is sometimes referred to as the server log.

13.1.10. About Log Handlers

Log handlers define how captured log messages are recorded by JBoss EAP 6. There are six types of log handler that can be configured: Console, File, Periodic, Size, Async and Custom.

13.1.11. Types of Log Handlers

Console
Console log handlers write log messages to either the host operating system's standard out (stdout) or standard error (stderr) stream. These messages are displayed when JBoss EAP 6 is run from a command line prompt. The messages from a Console log handler are not saved unless the operating system is configured to capture the standard out or standard error stream.
File
File log handlers are the simplest log handlers that write log messages to a specified file.
Periodic
Periodic log handlers write log messages to a named file until a specified period of time has elapsed. Once the time period has passed then the file is renamed by appending the specified timestamp and the handler continues to write into a newly created log file with the original name.
Size
Size log handlers write log messages to a named file until the file reaches a specified size. When the file reaches a specified size, it is renamed with a numeric prefix and the handler continues to write into a newly created log file with the original name. Each size log handler must specify the maximum number of files to be kept in this fashion.
Async
Async log handlers are wrapper log handlers that provide asynchronous behaviour for one or more other log handlers. These are useful for log handlers that may have high latency or other performance problems such as writing a log file to a network file system.
Custom
Custom log handlers enable to you to configure new types of log handlers that have been implemented. A custom handler must be implemented as a Java class that extends java.util.logging.Handler and be contained in a module.

13.1.12. About Log Formatters

A log formatter is the configuration property of a log handler that defines the appearance of log messages from that handler. It is a string that uses a syntax based on java.util.Formatter class.
For example the log formatter string from the default configuration, %d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n , creates log messages that look like:
15:53:26,546 INFO  [org.jboss.as] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS015951: Admin console listening on http://127.0.0.1:9990

13.1.13. Log Formatter Syntax

Table 13.5. Log Formatter Syntax

Symbol Description
%c The category of the logging event
%p The level of the log entry (info/debug/etc)
%P The localized level of the log entry
%d The current date/time (yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss,SSS form)
%r The relative time (milliseconds since the log was initialised)
%z The time zone
%k A log resource key (used for localization of log messages)
%m The log message (including exception trace)
%s The simple log message (no exception trace)
%e The exception stack trace (no extended module information)
%E The exception stack trace (with extended module information)
%t The name of the current thread
%n A newline character
%C The class of the code calling the log method (slow)
%F The filename of the class calling the log method (slow)
%l The source location of the code calling the log method (slow)
%L The line number of the code calling the log method (slow)
%M The method of the code calling the log method (slow)
%x The Log4J Nested Diagnostic Context
%X The Log4J Message Diagnostic Context
%% A literal percent character (escaping)

13.2. Configure Logging in the Management Console

The management console provides a graphical user interface for the configuration of the root logger, log handlers, and log categories. You can find the logger configuration in the management console by following these steps:
You can access this configuration by following steps below:
  1. Login to the Management Console
  2. Navigate to the logging subsystem configuration. This step varies between servers running as standalone servers and servers running in a managed domain.
    • Standalone Server

      Click on Profile, expand Core in the Profile pane, and then click on Logging.
    • Managed Domain

      Click on Profile, select the profile to edit, expand Core, and then click on Logging.
Logging Configuration in the Management Console

Figure 13.1. Logging Configuration in the Management Console

The tasks you can perform to configure the root logger are:
  • Edit the log level.
  • Add and remove log handlers.
The tasks you can perform to configure log categories are:
  • Add and remove log categories.
  • Edit log category properties.
  • Add and remove log handlers from a category.
The main tasks you can perform to configure log handlers are:
  • Adding new handlers.
  • Configuring handlers.
All six supported log handlers (including custom) can be configured in the management console.

13.3. Logging Configuration in the CLI

13.3.1. Configure the Root Logger with the CLI

The root logger configuration can be viewed and edited using the CLI.
The main tasks you will perform to configuration the root logger are:
  • Add log handlers to the root logger.
  • Display the root logger configuration.
  • Change the log level.
  • Remove log handlers from the root logger.

Important

When configuring a root logger in a logging profile the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a Log Handler to the Root Logger
Use the root-logger-assign-handler operation with the following syntax where HANDLER is the name of the log handler to be added.
 /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:root-logger-assign-handler(name="HANDLER") 
The log handler must already have been created before it can be added to the root logger.

Example 13.1. Root Logger root-logger-assign-handler operation

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:root-logger-assign-handler(name="AccountsNFSAsync")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display the Contents of the Root Logger Configuration
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:read-resource 

Example 13.2. Root Logger read-resource operation

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:read-resource                                  
{
   "outcome" => "success",
   "result" => {
      "filter" => {"match" => "names"},
      "handlers" => [
            "CONSOLE",
            "FILE"
      ],
      "level" => "INFO"
   }
}
Set the Log Level of the Root Logger
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax where LEVEL is one of the supported log levels.
 /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:write-attribute(name="level", value="LEVEL") 

Example 13.3. Root Logger write-attribute operation to set the log level

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:write-attribute(name="level", value="DEBUG")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a Log Handler from the Root Logger
Use the root-logger-unassign-handler with the following syntax, where HANDLER is the name of the log handler to be removed.
 /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:root-logger-unassign-handler(name="HANDLER") 

Example 13.4. Remove a Log Handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:root-logger-unassign-handler(name="AccountsNFSAsync")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

13.3.2. Configure a Log Category in the CLI

Log categories can be added, removed and edited in the CLI.
The main tasks you will perform to configure a log category are:
  • Add a new log category.
  • Display the configuration of a log category.
  • Set the log level.
  • Add log handlers to a log category.
  • Remove log handlers from a log category.
  • Remove a log category.

Important

When configuring a log category in a logging profile, the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a log category
Use the add operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the category to be added.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:add 

Example 13.5. Adding a new log category

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logger=com.company.accounts.rec:add   
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display a log category configuration
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the name of the category.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:read-resource 

Example 13.6. Log Category read-resource operation

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logger=org.apache.tomcat.util.modeler:read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "filter" => undefined,
        "handlers" => undefined,
        "level" => "WARN",
        "use-parent-handlers" => true
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the log level
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the name of the log category and LEVEL with the log level that is to be set.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:write-attribute(name="level", value="LEVEL") 

Example 13.7. Setting a log level

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logger=com.company.accounts.rec:write-attribute(name="level", value="DEBUG")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the log category to use the log handlers of the root logger.
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the name of the log category. Replace BOOLEAN with true for this log category to use the handlers of the root logger. Replace it with false if it is to use only its own assigned handlers.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:write-attribute(name="use-parent-handlers", value="BOOLEAN") 

Example 13.8. Setting use-parent-handlers

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logger=com.company.accounts.rec:write-attribute(name="use-parent-handlers", value="true")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Add a log handlers to a log category
Use the assign-handler operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the name of the category and HANDLER with the name of the handler to be added.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:assign-handler(name="HANDLER") 
The log handler must already have been created before it can be added to the root logger.

Example 13.9. Adding a log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logger=com.company.accounts.rec:assign-handler(name="AccountsNFSAsync")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a log handler from a log category
Use the unassign-handler operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the name of the category and HANDLER with the name of the log handler to be removed.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:unassign-handler(name="HANDLER") 

Example 13.10. Removing a log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/root-logger=ROOT:root-logger-unassign-handler(name="AccountsNFSAsync")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a category
Use the remove operation with the following syntax. Replace CATEGORY with the name of the category to be removed.
 /subsystem=logging/logger=CATEGORY:remove 

Example 13.11. Removing a log category

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logger=com.company.accounts.rec:remove   
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

13.3.3. Configure a Console Log Handler in the CLI

Console log handlers can be added, removed and edited in the CLI.
The main tasks you will perform to configure a console log handler are:
  • Add a new console log handler.
  • Display the configuration of a console log handler.
  • Set the handler's log level.
  • Set the target for the handler's output.
  • Set the encoding used for the handler's output.
  • Set the formatter used for the handler's output.
  • Set whether the handler uses autoflush or not.
  • Remove a console log handler.

Important

When configuring a log handler in a logging profile the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a Console Log Handler
Use the add operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the console log handler to be added.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:add 

Example 13.12. Add a Console Log Handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:add     
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display a console log handler configuration
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:read-resource 

Example 13.13. Display a console log handler configuration

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=CONSOLE:read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "autoflush" => true,
        "encoding" => undefined,
        "filter" => undefined,
        "formatter" => "%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n",
        "level" => "INFO",
        "target" => "System.out"
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Log Level
Use the change-log-level operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler and LEVEL with the log level that is to be set.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:change-log-level(level="LEVEL") 

Example 13.14. Set the Log Level

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:change-log-level(level="TRACE")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Target
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler. Replace TARGET with either System.err or System.out for the system error stream or standard out stream respectively.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="target", value="TARGET") 

Example 13.15. Set the Target

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:write-attribute(name="target", value="System.err")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Encoding
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler. Replace ENCODING with the name of the required character encoding system.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="ENCODING") 

Example 13.16. Set the Encoding

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="utf-8")     
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Formatter
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler. Replace FORMAT with the required formatter string.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="FORMAT") 

Example 13.17. Set the Formatter

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Auto Flush
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with true if this handler is to immediately write its output.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="BOOLEAN") 

Example 13.18. Set the Auto Flush

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="true")                                  
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a Console Log Handler
Use the remove operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the console log handler to be removed.
 /subsystem=logging/console-handler=HANDLER:remove 

Example 13.19. Remove a Console Log Handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/console-handler=ERRORCONSOLE:remove
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

13.3.4. Configure a File Log Handler in the CLI

File log handlers can be added, removed and edited in the CLI.
The main tasks you will perform to configure a file log handler are:
  • Add a new file log handler.
  • Display the configuration of a file log handler
  • Set the handler's log level.
  • Set the handler's appending behavior.
  • Set whether the handler uses autoflush or not.
  • Set the encoding used for the handler's output.
  • Specify the file to which the log handler will write.
  • Set the formatter used for the handler's output.
  • Remove a file log handler.

Important

When configuring a log handler in a logging profile the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a file log handler
Use the add operation with the following syntax. Replace PATH with the filename for the file that the log is being written to. Replace DIR with the name of the directory where the file is to be located. The value of DIR can be a path variable.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:add(file={"path"=>"PATH", "relative-to"=>"DIR"}) 

Example 13.20. Add a file log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:add(file={"path"=>"accounts.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"})
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display a file log handler configuration
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:read-resource 

Example 13.21. Using the read-resource operation

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "append" => true,
        "autoflush" => true,
        "encoding" => undefined,
        "file" => {
            "path" => "accounts.log",
            "relative-to" => "jboss.server.log.dir"
        },
        "filter" => undefined,
        "formatter" => "%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n",
        "level" => undefined
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Log level
Use the change-log-level operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler. Replace LEVEL with the log level that is to be set.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:change-log-level(level="LEVEL") 

Example 13.22. Changing the log level

/subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:change-log-level(level="DEBUG")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the append behaviour
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with false if you required that a new log file be created each time the application server is launched. Replace BOOLEAN with true if the application server should continue to use the same file.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="append", value="BOOLEAN") 

Example 13.23. Changing the append property

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:write-attribute(name="append", value="true")
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "response-headers" => {
        "operation-requires-reload" => true,
        "process-state" => "reload-required"
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
JBoss EAP 6 must be restarted for this change to take effect.
Set the Auto Flush
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with true if this handler is to immediately write its output.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="BOOLEAN") 

Example 13.24. Changing the autoflush property

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="false")
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "response-headers" => {"process-state" => "reload-required"}
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
JBoss EAP 6 must be restarted for this change to take effect.
Set the Encoding
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler. Replace ENCODING with the name of the required character encoding system.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="ENCODING") 

Example 13.25. Set the Encoding

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="utf-8")     
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Change the file to which the log handler writes
Use the change-file operation with the following syntax. Replace PATH with the filename for the file that the log is being written to. Replace DIR with the name of the directory where the file is to be located. The value of DIR can be a path variable.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:change-file(file={"path"=>"PATH", "relative-to"=>"DIR"}) 

Example 13.26. Change the file to which the log handler writes

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:change-file(file={"path"=>"accounts-debug.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"})
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Formatter
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler. Replace FORMAT with the required formatter string.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="FORMAT") 

Example 13.27. Set the Formatter

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts-log:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a File Log Handler
Use the remove operation with the following syntax. Replace HANDLER with the name of the file log handler to be removed.
 /subsystem=logging/file-handler=HANDLER:remove 

Example 13.28. Remove a File Log Handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/file-handler=accounts_log:remove
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
A log handler can only be removed if it is not being referenced by a log category or an async log handler.

13.3.5. Configure a Periodic Log Handler in the CLI

Periodic log handlers can be added, removed and edited in the CLI.
The main tasks you will perform to configure a periodic log handler are:
  • Add a new periodic log handler.
  • Display the configuration of a periodic log handler
  • Set the handler's log level.
  • Set the handler's appending behaviour.
  • Set whether the handler uses autoflush or not.
  • Set the encoding used for the handler's output.
  • Specify the file to which the log handler will write.
  • Set the formatter used for the handler's output.
  • Set the suffix for rotated logs
  • Remove a periodic log handler.
Each of those tasks are described below.

Important

When configuring a log handler in a logging profile the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a new Periodic Rotating File log handler
Use the add operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:add(file={"path"=>"PATH", "relative-to"=>"DIR"}, suffix="SUFFIX") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace PATH with the filename for the file that the log is being written to. Replace DIR with the name of the directory where the file is to be located. The value of DIR can be a path variable. Replace SUFFIX with the file rotation suffix to be used.

Example 13.29. Add a new handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:add(file={"path"=>"daily-debug.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"}, suffix=".yyyy.MM.dd")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display a Periodic Rotating File log handler configuration
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:read-resource 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler.

Example 13.30. Using the read-resource operation

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "append" => true,
        "autoflush" => true,
        "encoding" => undefined,
        "file" => {
            "path" => "daily-debug.log",
            "relative-to" => "jboss.server.log.dir"
        },
        "filter" => undefined,
        "formatter" => "%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n",
        "level" => undefined
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Log level
Use the change-log-level operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:change-log-level(level="LEVEL") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler. Replace LEVEL with the log level that is to be set.

Example 13.31. Set the log level

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:change-log-level(level="DEBUG")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the append behaviour
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="append", value="BOOLEAN") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with false if you required that a new log file be created each time the application server is launched. Replace BOOLEAN with true if the application server should continue to use the same file.
JBoss EAP 6 must be restarted for this change to take effect.

Example 13.32. Set the append behaviour

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:write-attribute(name="append", value="true")
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "response-headers" => {
        "operation-requires-reload" => true,
        "process-state" => "reload-required"
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Auto Flush
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="BOOLEAN") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with true if this handler is to immediately write its output.
JBoss EAP 6 must be restarted for this change to take effect.

Example 13.33. Set the Auto Flush behaviour

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="false")
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "response-headers" => {"process-state" => "reload-required"}
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Encoding
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="ENCODING") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler. Replace ENCODING with the name of the required character encoding system.

Example 13.34. Set the Encoding

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="utf-8")     
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Change the file to which the log handler writes
Use the change-file operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:change-file(file={"path"=>"PATH", "relative-to"=>"DIR"}) 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler. Replace PATH with the filename for the file that the log is being written to. Replace DIR with the name of the directory where the file is to be located. The value of DIR can be a path variable.

Example 13.35. Change the file to which the log handler writes

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:change-file(file={"path"=>"daily-debug.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"})
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the Formatter
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="FORMAT") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler. Replace FORMAT with the required formatter string.

Example 13.36. Set the Formatter

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the suffix for rotated logs
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="suffix", value="SUFFIX") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace SUFFIX with the required suffix string.

Example 13.37. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:write-attribute(name="suffix", value=".yyyy-MM-dd-HH")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a periodic log handler
Use the remove operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:remove 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the periodic log handler.

Example 13.38. Remove a periodic log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/periodic-rotating-file-handler=HOURLY_DEBUG:remove
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

13.3.6. Configure a Size Log Handler in the CLI

Size rotated file log handlers can be added, removed and edited in the CLI.
The tasks you will perform to configure a size rotated file log handler are:
  • Add a new log handler.
  • Display the configuration of the log handler
  • Set the handler's log level.
  • Set the handler's appending behavior.
  • Set whether the handler uses autoflush or not.
  • Set the encoding used for the handler's output.
  • Specify the file to which the log handler will write.
  • Set the formatter used for the handler's output.
  • Set the maximum size of each log file
  • Set the maximum number of backup logs to keep
  • Remove a log handler.
Each of these tasks are described below.

Important

When configuring a log handler in a logging profile the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a new log handler
Use the add operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:add(file={"path"=>"PATH", "relative-to"=>"DIR"}) 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace PATH with the filename for the file that the log is being written to. Replace DIR with the name of the directory where the file is to be located. The value of DIR can be a path variable.

Example 13.39. Add a new log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:add(file={"path"=>"accounts_trace.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"}) 
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display the configuration of the log handler
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:read-resource 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler.

Example 13.40. Display the configuration of the log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "append" => true,
        "autoflush" => true,
        "encoding" => undefined,
        "file" => {
            "path" => "accounts_trace.log",
            "relative-to" => "jboss.server.log.dir"
        },
        "filter" => undefined,
        "formatter" => "%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n",
        "level" => undefined,
        "max-backup-index" => 1,
        "rotate-size" => "2m"
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the handler's log level
Use the change-log-level operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:change-log-level(level="LEVEL") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace LEVEL with the log level that is to be set.

Example 13.41. Set the handler's log level

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:change-log-level(level="TRACE")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the handler's appending behavior
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="append", value="BOOLEAN") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with false if you required that a new log file be created each time the application server is launched. Replace BOOLEAN with true if the application server should continue to use the same file.
JBoss EAP 6 must be restarted for this change to take effect.

Example 13.42. Set the handler's appending behavior

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:write-attribute(name="append", value="true")
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "response-headers" => {
        "operation-requires-reload" => true,
        "process-state" => "reload-required"
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set whether the handler uses autoflush or not
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="BOOLEAN") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace BOOLEAN with true if this handler is to immediately write its output.

Example 13.43. Set whether the handler uses autoflush or not

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:write-attribute(name="autoflush", value="true")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the encoding used for the handler's output
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="ENCODING") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace ENCODING with the name of the required character encoding system.

Example 13.44. Set the encoding used for the handler's output

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:write-attribute(name="encoding", value="utf-8") 
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Specify the file to which the log handler will write
Use the change-file operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:change-file(file={"path"=>"PATH", "relative-to"=>"DIR"}) 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace PATH with the filename for the file that the log is being written to. Replace DIR with the name of the directory where the file is to be located. The value of DIR can be a path variable.

Example 13.45. Specify the file to which the log handler will write

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:change-file(file={"path"=>"accounts_trace.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"}) 
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the formatter used for the handler's output
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="FORMATTER") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace FORMAT with the required formatter string.

Example 13.46. Set the formatter used for the handler's output

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:write-attribute(name="formatter", value="%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p (%c) [%t] %s%E%n")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the maximum size of each log file
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="rotate-size", value="SIZE") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace SIZE with maximum file size.

Example 13.47. Set the maximum size of each log file

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:write-attribute(name="rotate-size", value="50m")  
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the maximum number of backup logs to keep
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="max-backup-index", value="NUMBER") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace NUMBER with the required number of log files to keep.

Example 13.48. Set the maximum number of backup logs to keep

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:write-attribute(name="max-backup-index", value="5")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove a log handler
Use the remove operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=HANDLER:remove 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler.

Example 13.49. Remove a log handler

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/size-rotating-file-handler=ACCOUNTS_TRACE:remove
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

13.3.7. Configure a Async Log Handler in the CLI

Async log handlers can be added, removed and edited in the CLI.
The tasks you will perform to configure an async log handler are:
  • Add a new async log handler
  • Display the configuration of an async log handler
  • Change the log level
  • Set the queue length
  • Set the overflow action
  • Add sub-handlers
  • Remove sub-handlers
  • Remove an async log handler
Each of these tasks are described below.

Important

When configuring a log handler in a logging profile the root of the configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME/ instead of /subsystem=logging/.
Add a new async log handler
Use the add operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:add(queue-length="LENGTH") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace LENGTH with value of the maximum number of log requests that can be held in queue.

Example 13.50. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:add(queue-length="10")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Display the configuration of an async log handler
Use the read-resource operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:read-resource 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler.

Example 13.51. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:read-resource
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "result" => {
        "encoding" => undefined,
        "filter" => undefined,
        "formatter" => "%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n",
        "level" => undefined,
        "overflow-action" => "BLOCK",
        "queue-length" => "50",
        "subhandlers" => undefined
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Change the log level
Use the change-log-level operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:change-log-level(level="LEVEL") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace LEVEL with the log level that is to be set.

Example 13.52. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:change-log-level(level="INFO")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the queue length
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="queue-length", value="LENGTH") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace LENGTH with value of the maximum number of log requests that can be held in queue.
JBoss EAP 6 must be restarted for this change to take effect.

Example 13.53. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:write-attribute(name="queue-length", value="150")
{
    "outcome" => "success",
    "response-headers" => {
        "operation-requires-reload" => true,
        "process-state" => "reload-required"
    }
}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Set the overflow action
Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:write-attribute(name="overflow-action", value="ACTION") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace ACTION with either DISCARD or BLOCK.

Example 13.54. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:write-attribute(name="overflow-action", value="DISCARD")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Add sub-handlers
Use the assign-subhandler operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:assign-subhandler(name="SUBHANDLER") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace SUBHANDLER with the name of the log handler that is to be added as a sub-handler of this async handler.

Example 13.55. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:assign-subhandler(name="NFS_FILE")       
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove sub-handlers
Use the unassign-subhandler operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:unassign-subhandler(name="SUBHANDLER") 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler. Replace SUBHANDLER with the name of the sub-handler to remove.

Example 13.56. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:unassign-subhandler(name="NFS_FILE")       
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]
Remove an async log handler
Use the remove operation with the following syntax.
 /subsystem=logging/async-handler=HANDLER:remove 
Replace HANDLER with the name of the log handler.

Example 13.57. 

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/async-handler=NFS_LOGS:remove       
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

13.4. Logging Profiles

13.4.1. About Logging Profiles

Important

Logging Profiles are only available in version 6.1.0 and later.
Logging Profiles are independent sets of logging configuration that can be assigned to deployed applications. A logging profile can define handlers, categories and a root logger just like the regular logging subsystem but cannot refer to configuration in other profiles or the main logging subsystem. The design of logging profiles mimics the logging subsystem for ease of configuration.
The use of logging profiles allows administrators to create logging configuration that is specific to one or more applications without affecting any other logging configuration. Because each profile is defined in the server configuration it means that the logging configuration can be changed without requiring that the affected applications be re-deployed.
Each logging profile can have the following configuration:
  • A unique name. This is required.
  • Any number of log handlers.
  • Any number of log categories.
  • Up to one root logger.
An application can specify a logging profile to use in it's MANIFEST.MF file, using the Logging-profile attribute.

Important

Logging profiles cannot be configured using the management console.

13.4.2. Create a new Logging Profile using the CLI

A new logging profile can be created using the CLI command below, replacing NAME with your required profile name:
/subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME:add
This will create a new empty profile to which handlers, categories and a root logger can be added.

13.4.3. Configuring a Logging Profile using the CLI

A logging profile can be configured with log handlers, categories and a root logger using almost exactly the same syntax as when using the main logging subsystem.
There are only two differences between configuring the main logging subsystem and the logging profile:
  1. The root configuration path is /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=NAME
  2. A logging profile cannot contain other logging profiles.
Refer to the appropriate logging management task:

Example 13.58. Creating and Configuring a Logging Profile

Creating a logging profile and adding a category and file log handler.
  1. Create the profile:
    /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile:add
  2. Create file handler
    /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/file-handler=ejb-trace-file:add(file={path=>"ejb-trace.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"})
    /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/file-handler=ejb-trace-file:change-log-level(level="DEBUG")
  3. Create logger category
    /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/logger=com.company.accounts.ejbs:add(level=TRACE)
  4. Assign file handler to category
    /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/logger=com.company.accounts.ejbs:assign-handler(name="ejb-trace-file")

13.4.4. Specify a Logging Profile in an Application

An application specifies the logging profile to use in its MANIFEST.MF file.

Prerequisites:

  1. You must know the name of the logging profile that has been setup on the server for this application to use. Ask your server administrator for the name of the profile to use.

Procedure 13.1. Add Logging Profile configuration to an Application

  • Edit MANIFEST.MF

    If your application does not have a MANIFEST.MF file: create one with the following content, replacing NAME with the required profile name.
    Manifest-Version: 1.0
          Logging-Profile: NAME
    
    If your application already has a MANIFEST.MF file: add the following line to it, replacing NAME with the required profile name.
    Logging-Profile: NAME
    

Note

If you are using Maven and the maven-war-plugin, you can put your MANIFEST.MF file in src/main/resources/META-INF/ and add the following configuration to your pom.xml file.
<plugin>
      <artifactId>maven-war-plugin</artifactId>
      <configuration>
        <archive>
          <manifestFile>src/main/resources/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF</manifestFile>  
        </archive>
      </configuration>
   </plugin>
When the application is deployed it will use the configuration in the specified logging profile for its log messages.

13.4.5. Example Logging Profile Configuration

This example shows the configuration of a logging profile and the application that makes use of it. The CLI session is shown, the XML configuration that is generated, and the MANIFEST.MF file of the application.
The logging profile example has the following characteristics:
  • The Name is accounts-app-profile.
  • The Log Category is com.company.accounts.ejbs.
  • The Log level TRACE.
  • The Log handler is a file handler using the file ejb-trace.log.

Example 13.59. CLI session

localhost:bin user$ ./jboss-cli.sh -c
[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile:add
{"outcome" => "success"}

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/file-handler=ejb-trace-file:add(file={path=>"ejb-trace.log", "relative-to"=>"jboss.server.log.dir"})
{"outcome" => "success"}

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/file-handler=ejb-trace-file:change-log-level(level="DEBUG")
{"outcome" => "success"}

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/logger=com.company.accounts.ejbs:add(level=TRACE)
{"outcome" => "success"}

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=logging/logging-profile=accounts-app-profile/logger=com.company.accounts.ejbs:assign-handler(name="ejb-trace-file")
{"outcome" => "success"}

[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

Example 13.60. XML Configuration

<logging-profiles>
   <logging-profile name="accounts-app-profile">
      <file-handler name="ejb-trace-file">
         <level name="DEBUG"/>
         <file relative-to="jboss.server.log.dir" path="ejb-trace.log"/>
      </file-handler>
      <logger category="com.company.accounts.ejbs">
         <level name="TRACE"/>
         <handlers>
            <handler name="ejb-trace-file"/>
         </handlers>
      </logger>
   </logging-profile>
</logging-profiles>

Example 13.61. Application MANIFEST.MF file

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Logging-Profile: accounts-app-profile

13.5. Logging Configuration Properties

13.5.1. Root Logger Properties

Table 13.6. Root Logger Properties

Property Datatype Description
level String
The maximum level of log message that the root logger records.
handlers String[]
A list of log handlers that are used by the root logger.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.5.2. Log Category Properties

Table 13.7. Log Category Properties

Property Datatype Description
level String
The maximum level of log message that the log category records.
handlers String[]
A list of log handlers that are used by the root logger.
use-parent-handlers Boolean
If set to true, this category will use the log handlers of the root logger in addition to any other assigned handlers.
category String
The log category from which log messages will be captured.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.5.3. Console Log Handler Properties

Table 13.8. Console Log Handler Properties

Property Datatype Description
level String
The maximum level of log message the log handler records.
encoding String
The character encoding scheme to be used for the output.
formatter String
The log formatter used by this log handler.
target String
The system output stream where the output of the log handler goes. This can be System.err or System.out for the system error stream or standard out stream respectively.
autoflush Boolean
If set to true the log messages will be sent to the handlers target immediately upon receipt.
name String
The unique identifier for this log handler.
enabled Boolean
If set to true, the handler is enabled and functioning as normal. If set to false, the handler is ignored when processing log messages.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.5.4. File Log Handler Properties

Table 13.9. File Log Handler Properties

Property Datatype Description
level String
The maximum level of log message the log handler records.
encoding String
The character encoding scheme to be used for the output.
formatter String
The log formatter used by this log handler.
append Boolean
If set to true then all messages written by this handler will be appended to the file if it already exists. If set to false a new file will be created each time the application server launches. Changes to append require a server reboot to take effect.
autoflush Boolean
If set to true the log messages will be sent to the handlers assigned file immediately upon receipt. Changes to autoflush require a server reboot to take effect.
name String
The unique identifier for this log handler.
file Object
The object that represents the file where the output of this log handler is written to. It has two configuration properties, relative-to and path.
relative-to String
This is a property of the file object and is the directory where the log file is written to. JBoss EAP 6 file path variables can be specified here. The jboss.server.log.dir variable points to the log/ directory of the server.
path String
This is a property of the file object and is the name of the file where the log messages will be written. It is a relative path name that is appended to the value of the relative-to property to determine the complete path.
enabled Boolean
If set to true, the handler is enabled and functioning as normal. If set to false, the handler is ignored when processing log messages.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.5.5. Periodic Log Handler Properties

Table 13.10. Periodic Log Handler Properties

Property Datatype Description
append Boolean
If set to true then all messages written by this handler will be appended to the file if it already exists. If set to false a new file will be created each time the application server launches. Changes to append require a server reboot to take effect.
autoflush Boolean
If set to true the log messages will be sent to the handlers assigned file immediately upon receipt. Changes to autoflush require a server reboot to take effect.
encoding String
The character encoding scheme to be used for the output.
formatter String
The log formatter used by this log handler.
level String
The maximum level of log message the log handler records.
name String
The unique identifier for this log handler.
file Object
Object that represents the file where the output of this log handler is written to. It has two configuration properties, relative-to and path.
relative-to String
This is a property of the file object and is the directory where the log file is written to. File path variables can be specified here. The jboss.server.log.dir variable points to the log/ directory of the server.
path String
This is a property of the file object and is the name of the file where the log messages will be written. It is a relative path name that is appended to the value of the relative-to property to determine the complete path.
suffix String
This String is appended to the filename of the rotated logs and is used to determine the frequency of rotation. The format of the suffix is a dot (.) followed by a date String which is parsable by the java.text.SimpleDateFormat class. The log is rotated on the basis of the smallest time unit defined by the suffix. For example, the suffix .yyyy-MM-dd will result in daily log rotation.
enabled Boolean
If set to true, the handler is enabled and functioning as normal. If set to false, the handler is ignored when processing log messages.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.5.6. Size Log Handler Properties

Table 13.11. Size Log Handler Properties

Property Datatype Description
append Boolean
If set to true then all messages written by this handler will be appended to the file if it already exists. If set to false a new file will be created each time the application server launches. Changes to append require a server reboot to take effect.
autoflush Boolean
If set to true the log messages will be sent to the handlers assigned file immediately upon receipt. Changes to append require a server reboot to take effect.
encoding String
The character encoding scheme to be used for the output.
formatter String
The log formatter used by this log handler.
level String
The maximum level of log message the log handler records.
name String
The unique identifier for this log handler.
file Object
Object that represents the file where the output of this log handler is written to. It has two configuration properties, relative-to and path.
relative-to String
This is a property of the file object and is the directory where the log file is written to. File path variables can be specified here. The jboss.server.log.dir variable points to the log/ directory of the server.
path String
This is a property of the file object and is the name of the file where the log messages will be written. It is a relative path name that is appended to the value of the relative-to property to determine the complete path.
rotate-size Integer
The maximum size that the log file can reach before it is rotated. A single character appended to the number indicates the size units: b for bytes, k for kilobytes, m for megabytes, g for gigabytes. Eg. 50m for 50 megabytes.
max-backup-index Integer
The maximum number of rotated logs that are kept. When this number is reached, the oldest log is reused.
enabled Boolean
If set to true, the handler is enabled and functioning as normal. If set to false, the handler is ignored when processing log messages.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.5.7. Async Log Handler Properties

Table 13.12. Async Log Handler Properties

Property Datatype Description
level String
The maximum level of log message the log handler records.
name String
The unique identifier for this log handler.
queue-length Integer
Maximum number of log messages that will be held by this handler while waiting for sub-handlers to respond.
overflow-action String
How this handler responds when its queue length is exceeded. This can be set to BLOCK or DISCARD. BLOCK makes the logging application wait until there is available space in the queue. This is the same behaviour as an non-async log handler. DISCARD allows the logging application to continue but the log message is deleted.
subhandlers String[]
This is the list of log handlers to which this async handler passes its log messages.
enabled Boolean
If set to true, the handler is enabled and functioning as normal. If set to false, the handler is ignored when processing log messages.
filter-spec String
An expression value that defines a filter. The following expression defines a filter that does not match a pattern: not(match("JBAS.*"))

13.6. Sample XML Configuration for Logging

13.6.1. Sample XML Configuration for the Root Logger

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:logging:1.2">

   <root-logger>
      <level name="INFO"/>
      <handlers>
         <handler name="CONSOLE"/>
         <handler name="FILE"/>
      </handlers>
   </root-logger>

</subsystem>

13.6.2. Sample XML Configuration for a Log Category

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:logging:1.2">

   <logger category="com.company.accounts.rec">
      <handlers>
         <handler name="accounts-rec"/>
      </handlers>
   </logger>

</subsystem>

13.6.3. Sample XML Configuration for a Console Log Handler

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:logging:1.2">

   <console-handler name="CONSOLE">
      <level name="INFO"/>
      <formatter>
         <pattern-formatter pattern="%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n"/>
      </formatter>
   </console-handler>

</subsystem>

13.6.4. Sample XML Configuration for a File Log Handler

<file-handler name="accounts-rec-trail" autoflush="true">
    <level name="INFO"/>
    <file relative-to="jboss.server.log.dir" path="accounts-rec-trail.log"/>
    <append value="true"/>
</file-handler>

13.6.5. Sample XML Configuration for a Periodic Log Handler

<periodic-rotating-file-handler name="FILE">
   <formatter>
      <pattern-formatter pattern="%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %-5p [%c] (%t) %s%E%n"/>
   </formatter>
   <file relative-to="jboss.server.log.dir" path="server.log"/>
   <suffix value=".yyyy-MM-dd"/>
   <append value="true"/>
</periodic-rotating-file-handler>

13.6.6. Sample XML Configuration for a Size Log Handler

<size-rotating-file-handler name="accounts_debug" autoflush="false">
   <level name="DEBUG"/>
   <file relative-to="jboss.server.log.dir" path="accounts-debug.log"/>
   <rotate-size value="500k"/>
   <max-backup-index value="5"/>
   <append value="true"/>
</size-rotating-file-handler>

13.6.7. Sample XML Configuration for a Async Log Handler

<async-handler name="Async_NFS_handlers">
   <level name="INFO"/>
   <queue-length value="512"/>
   <overflow-action value="block"/>
   <subhandlers>
      <handler name="FILE"/>
      <handler name="accounts-record"/>
   </subhandlers>
</async-handler>

Chapter 14. JVM

14.1. About JVM

14.1.1. About JVM Settings

Configuration of Java Virtual Machine (JVM) settings varies between the managed domain and standalone server instances. In a managed domain, the JVM settings are declared in host.xml and domain.xml configuration files, and determined by the domain controller components responsible for starting and stopping server processes. In a standalone server instance, the server startup processes can pass command line settings at startup. These can be declared from the command line or via the System Properties screen in the Management Console.
Managed Domain

An important feature of the managed domain is the ability to define JVM settings at multiple levels. You can configure custom JVM settings at the host level, by server group, or by server instance. The more specialized child elements will override the parent configuration, allowing for the declaration of specific server configurations without requiring exclusions at the group or host level. This also allows the parent configuration to be inherited by the other levels until settings are either declared in the configuration files or passed at runtime.

Example 14.1. JVM settings in the domain configuration file

The following example shows a JVM declaration for a server group in the domain.xml configuration file.
<server-groups>
       <server-group name="main-server-group" profile="default">
           <jvm name="default">
               <heap size="64m" max-size="512m"/>
           </jvm>
           <socket-binding-group ref="standard-sockets"/>
       </server-group>
       <server-group name="other-server-group" profile="default">
           <jvm name="default">
               <heap size="64m" max-size="512m"/>
           </jvm>
           <socket-binding-group ref="standard-sockets"/>
       </server-group>
</server-groups>

In this instance a server group called main-server-group is declaring a heap size of 64 megabytes, and a maximum heap size of 512 megabytes. Any server that belongs to this group will inherit these settings. You can change these settings for the group as a whole, by the host, or the individual server.

Example 14.2. Domain settings in the host configuration file

The following example shows a JVM declaration for a server group in the host.xml configuration file.
<servers>
       <server name="server-one" group="main-server-group" auto-start="true">
           <jvm name="default"/>
       </server>
       <server name="server-two" group="main-server-group" auto-start="true">
           <jvm name="default">
               <heap size="64m" max-size="256m"/>
           </jvm>
           <socket-binding-group ref="standard-sockets" port-offset="150"/>
       </server>
       <server name="server-three" group="other-server-group" auto-start="false">
           <socket-binding-group ref="standard-sockets" port-offset="250"/>
       </server>
</servers>

In this instance, a server named server-two belongs to the server group named main-server-group, inheriting the JVM settings from the default JVM group. In the previous example, the main heap size for main-server-group was set at 512 megabytes. By declaring the lower maximum heap size of 256 megabytes, server-two can override the domain.xml settings to fine-tune performance as desired.
Standalone server settings at runtime

The JVM settings for standalone server instances can be declared at runtime by setting the JAVA_OPTS environment variable before starting the server. An example of setting the JAVA_OPTS environment variable at the Linux command-line is:

[user@host bin]$ export JAVA_OPTS="-Xmx1024M"
The same setting can be used in a Microsoft Windows environment, as follows:
C:\> set JAVA_OPTS="Xmx1024M"
Alternatively, JVM settings can be added to the standalone.conf file found in the EAP_HOME/bin folder, which contains examples of options to pass to the JVM.

14.1.2. Display the JVM Status in the Management Console

Java Virtual Machine (JVM) status can be displayed in the Management Console for either the standalone server or a managed domain. The console shows the heap usage, non heap usage, and thread usage of the server in units of megabytes. While the statistics are not displayed in real-time, you can refresh the console display to provide an up-to-date overview of JVM resources.
The JVM status shows the following values.

Table 14.1. JVM Status Attributes

Type Description
Max The maximum amount of memory in bytes that can be used for memory management.
Used The amount of used memory in mega bytes.
Committed The amount of memory in bytes that is committed for the Java virtual machine to use.
Init The amount of memory in bytes that the Java virtual machine initially requests from the operating system for memory management.

Procedure 14.1. Display the JVM Status in the Management Console

  • Display the JVM status

    You can view the JVM status in either the standalone server instance or a managed domain.
    • Display the JVM status for a standalone server instance

      Select JVM Status from the Server Status menu on the Runtime screen.
      JVM status for a standalone server instance

      Figure 14.1. JVM status for a standalone server instance

    • Display the JVM status for a managed domain

      Select JVM Status from the Domain Status menu on the Runtime screen.
    • The managed domain can provide visibility of all server instances in the server group, but will only allow you to view one server at a time by selecting from the server menu. To view the status of other servers in your server group, click on the drop-down box at the top left of the screen to select from the host and servers displayed in your group and click the Done button to load the results.
Result

The status of the JVM settings for the server instance are displayed.

Chapter 15. Web Subsystem

15.1. Configure the Web Subsystem

You can configure most aspects of the Web subsystem using the web-based Management Console or the command-line Management CLI. Each setting is explained in the order it appears in the Management Console, and Management CLI commands are also provided.
View the Web Subsystem Using the Management Console

To configure the Web Subsystem using the web-based Management Console, click the Profile(s) tab at the top right. For a managed domain, select the server profile you wish to configure from the Profile selection box at the top left. Expand the Subsystems menu, then expand the Web menu. Each configurable part of the Web subsystem is shown.

Note

The mod_cluster component is only available if your profile is ha or full-ha, in a managed domain, or if you start your standalone server with the standalone-ha or standalone-full-ha profile. mod_cluster configuration is covered in Section 16.5.2, “Configure the mod_cluster Subsystem”.
Configure the JSP Container, HTTP Connectors, and Virtual HTTP Servers

To configure the JSP Container, HTTP connectors, and virtual HTTP servers, click the Servlet/HTTP menu entry. Click the Edit button to change any values. Click the Advanced button to view advanced options. The options are explained below. Options for HTTP connectors and virtual servers are shown in separate tables.

Table 15.1. Servlet/HTTP Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Disabled?
If true, disables the Java ServerPages (JSP) container. Defaults to false. This is useful if you do not use any Java ServerPages (JSPs).
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/configuration=jsp-configuration/:write-attribute(name=disabled,value=false)
Development?
If true, enables Development Mode, which produces more verbose debugging information. Defaults to false.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/configuration=jsp-configuration/:write-attribute(name=development,value=false)
Keep Generated?
Click Advanced to see this option, if it is hidden. If true keeps generated Servlets. Enabled by default.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/configuration=jsp-configuration/:write-attribute(name=keep-generated,value=true)
Check Interval?
Click Advanced to see this option, if it is hidden. A value in seconds, which determines how often to check for JSP updates using a background process. Defaults to 0.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/configuration=jsp-configuration/:write-attribute(name=check-interval,value=0)
Display Source?
Click Advanced to see this option, if it is hidden. If true, the JSP source fragment is displayed when a runtime error occurs. Defaults to true.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/configuration=jsp-configuration/:write-attribute(name=display-source-fragment,value=true)
AJP and HTTP connectors use mod_cluster, mod_jk, mod_proxy, ISAPI, and NSAPI for load balancing and HA clustering. To configure a connector, select the Connectors tab and click Add. To remove a connector, select its entry and click Remove. To edit a connector, select its entry and click Edit.
When you create a new connector using the Management CLI, its options are all set at once, as in the following command:

Example 15.1. Create a New Connector

/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/connector=ajp/:add(socket-binding=ajp,scheme=http,protocol=AJP/1.3,secure=false,name=ajp,max-post-size=2097152,enabled=true,enable-lookups=false,redirect-port=8433,max-save-post-size=4096)

Table 15.2. Connector Options

Option Description CLI Command
Name
A unique name for the connector, for display purposes.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/connector=ajp/:read-attribute(name=name)
Socket Binding
The named socket binding the connector should bind to. A socket binding is a mapping between a socket name and a network port. Socket bindings are configured for each standalone server, or via socket binding groups in a managed domain. A socket binding group is applied to a server group.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/connector=ajp/:write-attribute(name=socket-binding,value=ajp)
Scheme
The web connector scheme, such as HTTP or HTTPS.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/connector=ajp/:write-attribute(name=scheme,value=http)
Protocol
The web connector protocol to use, such as AJP or HTTP.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/connector=ajp/:write-attribute(name=protocol,value=AJP/1.3)
Enabled
Whether or not this web connector is enabled.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/connector=ajp/:write-attribute(name=enabled,value=true)
To configure virtual servers, click the Virtual Servers tab. Use the Add button to add a new virtual server. To edit or remove a virtual server, select its entry and click the Edit or Remove button.
When you add a new virtual server using the Management CLI, all required options are set at once, as in the following command.

Example 15.2. Add a New Virtual Server

/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host/:add(enable-welcome-root=true,default-web-module=ROOT.war,alias=["localhost","example.com"],name=default-host)

Table 15.3. Virtual Servers Options

Option Description CLI Command
Name
A unique name for the virtual server, for display purposes.
Alias
A list of hostnames which should match this virtual server. In the Management Console, use one hostname per line.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host/:write-attribute(name=alias,value=["localhost","example.com"])
Default Module
The module whose web application should be deployed at the root node of this virtual server, and will be displayed when no directory is given in the HTTP request.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host/:write-attribute(name=default-web-module,value=ROOT.war)
Configure Web Services Options

To configure Web Services options, click the Web Services menu item. The options are explained in the table below.

Table 15.4. Web Services Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Modify WSDL Address
Whether the WSDL address can be modified by applications. Defaults to true.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=webservices/:write-attribute(name=modify-wsdl-address,value=true)
WSDL Host
The WSDL contract of a JAX-WS Web Service includes a <soap:address> element which points to the location of the endpoint. If the value of <soap:address> is a valid URL, it is not overwritten unless modify-wsdl-address is set to true. If the value of <soap:address> is not a valid URL, it is overwritten using the values of wsdl-host and either wsdl-port or wsdl-secure-port. If wsdl-host is set to jbossws.undefined.host, the requester's host address is used when the <soap-address> is rewritten. Defaults to ${jboss.bind.address:127.0.0.1}, which uses 127.0.0.1 if no bind address is specified when JBoss EAP 6 is started.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=webservices/:write-attribute(name=wsdl-host,value=127.0.0.1)
WSDL Port
The non-secure port that is used to rewrite the SOAP address. If this is set to 0 (the default), the port is identified by querying the list of installed connectors.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=webservices/:write-attribute(name=wsdl-port,value=80)
WSDL Secure Port
The secure port that is used to rewrite the SOAP address. If this is set to 0 (the default), the port is identified by querying the list of installed connectors.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=webservices/:write-attribute(name=wsdl-secure-port,value=443)

15.2. Replace the Default Welcome Web Application

JBoss EAP 6 includes a Welcome application, which displays when you open the URL of the server at port 8080. You can replace this application with your own web application by following this procedure.

Procedure 15.1. Replace the Default Welcome Web Application With Your Own Web Application

  1. Disable the Welcome application.

    Use the Management CLI script EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh to run the following command. You may need to change the profile to modify a different managed domain profile, or remove the /profile=default portion of the command for a standalone server.
    /profile=default/subsystem=web/virtual-server=default-host:write-attribute(name=enable-welcome-root,value=false)
  2. Configure your Web application to use the root context.

    To configure your web application to use the root context (/) as its URL address, modify its jboss-web.xml, which is located in the META-INF/ or WEB-INF/ directory. Replace its <context-root> directive with one that looks like the following.
    <jboss-web>
        <context-root>/</context-root>
    </jboss-web>		
    		
    
    
  3. Deploy your application.

    Deploy your application to the server group or server you modified in the first step. The application is now available on http://SERVER_URL:PORT/.

Chapter 16. HTTP Clustering and Load Balancing

16.1. Introduction

16.1.1. About High-Availability and Load Balancing Clusters

Clustering refers to using multiple resources, such as servers, as though they were a single entity. The two main types of clustering are Load balancing (LB) and High-availability (HA). In a LB cluster, all resources run at the same time, and a management layer spreads the work load across them.
In HA clustering, one resource runs, and another is available to step in if the first one becomes unavailable. The purpose of HA clustering is to reduce the consequences of hardware, software, or network outages.
JBoss EAP 6 supports clustering at several different levels. Some of the components of the runtime and your applications that can be made highly available are:
  • Instances of the Application Server
  • Web applications, when used in conjunction with the internal JBoss Web server, Apache HTTPD, Microsoft IIS, or Oracle iPlanet Web Server.
  • Stateful, stateless, and entity Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs)
  • Single Sign On (SSO) Mechanisms
  • Distributed cache
  • HTTP sessions
  • JMS services and Message-driven beans (MDBs)

16.1.2. Components Which Can Benefit from High Availability

High Availability (HA) falls into a few broad categories in JBoss EAP 6.
The Container

Several instances of JBoss EAP 6 (running as a standalone server) or a server group's members (running as part of a managed domain) can be configured to be highly available. This means that if one instance or member is stopped or disappears from the cluster, its work load is moved to a peer. The work load can be managed in such a way to provide load-balancing functionality as well, so that servers or server groups with more or better resources can take on a larger portion of the work load, or additional capacity can be added during times of high load.

The Web Server

The web server itself can be clustered for HA, using one of several compatible load balancing mechanisms. The most flexible is mod_cluster connector, which is tightly integrated with the JBoss EAP 6 container. Other choices include Apache mod_jk or mod_proxy connectors, or the ISAPI and NSAPI connectors.

The Application

Deployed applications can be made highly-available because of the Java Enterprise Edition 6 (Java EE 6) specification. Stateless or stateful session EJBs can be clustered so that if the node which is involved in the work disappears, another node can take over, and in the case of stateful session beans, preserve the state.

16.1.3. Overview of HTTP Connectors

JBoss EAP 6 has the ability to use load-balancing and high-availability mechanisms built into external HTTPD web servers, such as Apache Web Server, Microsoft IIS, and Oracle iPlanet. JBoss EAP 6 communicates with the external web server using a HTTP Connector. These HTTP connectors are configured within the web subsystem of JBoss EAP 6.
The HTTPD servers include software modules which control the way that HTTP requests are routed to JBoss EAP 6 worker nodes. Each of these modules varies in how it works and how it is configured. The modules are configured to balance work loads across multiple JBoss EAP 6 server nodes, to move work loads to alternate servers in case of a failure event, or both. These two abilities are called Load Balancing and High Availability (HA).
JBoss EAP 6 supports several different HTTP connectors. The one you choose depends on the HTTPD you connect to and the other functionality you need.
The table below lists the differences between the different HTTP connectors which are compatible with JBoss EAP 6. For the most up-to-date information about supported configurations for HTTP connectors, refer to https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/111663.

Table 16.1. HTTP connector features and constraints

Connector Web server Supported operating systems Supported protocols Adapts to deployment status Supports sticky session
mod_cluster JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD, Native HTTPD (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX) Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Microsoft Windows Server, Oracle Solaris, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX HTTP, HTTPS, AJP Yes. Detects deployment and undeployment of applications and dynamically decides whether to direct client requests to a server based on whether the application is deployed on that server. Yes
mod_jk JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD, Native HTTPD (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX) Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Microsoft Windows Server, Oracle Solaris, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX AJP No. Directs client requests to the container as long as the container is available, regardless of application status. Yes
mod_proxy JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Microsoft Windows Server, Oracle Solaris HTTP, HTTPS, AJP No. Directs client requests to the container as long as the container is available, regardless of application status. Yes
ISAPI Microsoft IIS Microsoft Windows Server AJP No. Directs client requests to the container as long as the container is available, regardless of application status. Yes
NSAPI Oracle iPlanet Web Server Oracle Solaris AJP No. Directs client requests to the container as long as the container is available, regardless of application status. Yes
JBoss EAP 6 supported configurations are available here: https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/111663.

16.1.4. Worker Node

HTTP connector node

A worker node, sometimes referred to as simply a node, is a JBoss EAP 6 server which accepts requests from one or more client-facing HTTPD servers. JBoss EAP 6 can accept requests from its own HTTPD, the HTTPD shipped with JBoss Enterprise Web Server, Apache HTTPD, Microsoft IIS, or Oracle iPlanet Web Server (Formerly Netscape Web Server).

For an overview of HTTP connectors supported by JBoss EAP 6 and how to configure them, refer to Section 16.1.3, “Overview of HTTP Connectors”.
Cluster node

A cluster node is a member of a cluster of servers. Such a cluster may be load-balancing, high-availability, or both. In a load-balancing cluster, a central manager distributes work loads amongst its nodes equally, by some situation-specific measurement of equality. In a high-availability cluster, some nodes are actively doing work, and others are waiting to step in if one of the active nodes leaves the cluster.

16.2. Connector Configuration

16.2.1. Define Thread Pools for HTTP Connector in JBoss EAP 6

Summary

Thread Pools in JBoss EAP 6 can be shared between different components using the Executor model. These pools can be shared not only by different (HTTP) connectors, but also by other components within JBoss EAP 6 that support the Executor model. Getting the HTTP connector thread pool to match your current web performance requirements is a tricky art and requires close monitoring of the current thread pool and the current and anticipated web load demands. In this task, you will learn how to set the a thread pool for an HTTP Connector using the Executor model. You will learn how to set this using both the Command Line Interface and by modifying the XML configuration file.

Procedure 16.1. Setup a thread pool for an HTTP Connector

  1. Define a thread factory

    Open up your configuration file (standalone.xml if modifying for a standalone server or domain.xml if modifying for a domain based configuration. This file will be in the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration or the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration folder).
    Add the following subsystem entry, changing the values to suit your server needs.
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:threads:1.0">
        <thread-factory name="http-connector-factory" thread-name-pattern="HTTP-%t" priority="9" group-name="uq-thread-pool"/>
    </subsystem>	
    
    
    If you prefer to use the CLI to do this task, then execute the following command in a CLI command prompt:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] ./subsystem=threads/thread-factory=http-connector-factory:add(thread-name-pattern="HTTP-%t", priority="9", group-name="uq-thread-pool")
  2. Create an executor

    You can use one of six in-built executor classes to act as the executor for this factory. The six executors are: unbounded-queue-thread-pool, bounded-queue-thread-pool, blocking-bounded-queue-thread-pool, queueless-thread-pool, blocking-queueless-thread-pool and scheduled-thread-pool.
    In this example, we will use the unbounded-queue-thread-pool to act as the executor. Modify the values of max-threads and keepalive-time parameters to suit your server needs.
    <unbounded-queue-thread-pool name="uq-thread-pool">
      <thread-factory name="http-connector-factory" />
      <max-threads count="10" />
      <keepalive-time time="30" unit="seconds" />
    </unbounded-queue-thread-pool>			
    
    
    Or if you prefer to use the CLI:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] ./subsystem=threads/unbounded-queue-thread-pool=uq-thread-pool:add(thread-factory="http-connector-factory", keepalive-time={time=30, unit="seconds"}, max-threads=30)
  3. Make the HTTP web connector use this thread pool

    In the same configuration file, locate the HTTP connector element under the web subsystem and modify it to use the thread pool defined in the previous steps.
    <connector name="http" protocol="HTTP/1.1" scheme="http" socket-binding="http" executor="uq-thread-pool" />
    
    Again, if you prefer to use the CLI:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] ./subsystem=web/connector=http:write-attribute(name=executor, value="uq-thread-pool")
  4. Restart the server

    Restart the server (standalone or domain) so that the changes can take effect. Use the following CLI commands to confirm if the changes from the steps above have taken place:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] ./subsystem=threads:read-resource(recursive=true)
    {                  
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "blocking-bounded-queue-thread-pool" => undefined,
            "blocking-queueless-thread-pool" => undefined,
            "bounded-queue-thread-pool" => undefined,
            "queueless-thread-pool" => undefined,
            "scheduled-thread-pool" => undefined,
            "thread-factory" => {"http-connector-factory" => {
                "group-name" => "uq-thread-pool",
                "name" => "http-connector-factory",
                "priority" => 9,
                "thread-name-pattern" => "HTTP-%t"
            }},
            "unbounded-queue-thread-pool" => {"uq-thread-pool" => {
                "keepalive-time" => {
                    "time" => 30L,
                    "unit" => "SECONDS"
                },
                "max-threads" => 30,
                "name" => "uq-thread-pool",
                "thread-factory" => "http-connector-factory"
            }}
        }
    }
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] ./subsystem=web/connector=http:read-resource(recursive=true)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "configuration" => undefined,
            "enable-lookups" => false,
            "enabled" => true,
            "executor" => "uq-thread-pool",
            "max-connections" => undefined,
            "max-post-size" => 2097152,
            "max-save-post-size" => 4096,
            "name" => "http",
            "protocol" => "HTTP/1.1",
            "proxy-name" => undefined,
            "proxy-port" => undefined,
            "redirect-port" => 443,
            "scheme" => "http",
            "secure" => false,
            "socket-binding" => "http",
            "ssl" => undefined,
            "virtual-server" => undefined
        }
    }
    
Result

You have successfully created a thread factory and an executor and modified your HTTP Connector to use this thread pool.

16.3. HTTPD Configuration

16.3.1. About the Stand-Alone HTTPD

JBoss EAP 6 is tested and supported with the Apache HTTPD which is included with certified versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Apache HTTPD is also available for other configurations, such as Microsoft Windows Server. However, since Apache HTTPD is a separate product produced by the Apache Foundation, it used to be difficult to be sure that the version of Apache HTTPD a customer used was compatible with JBoss EAP.
A stand-alone Apache HTTPD bundle is now included as a separate download with JBoss EAP 6. This simplifies installation and configuration in environments other than Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or on systems which already have a configured HTTPD and want to use a separate instance for web applications. You can download this HTTPD as a separate download in the Customer Service Portal, listed under the available JBoss EAP 6 downloads for your installation platform.

16.3.2. Install the Apache HTTPD included with JBoss EAP 6

Prerequisites

  • You need root or administrator access to complete this task.
  • The Apache Portability Runtime (APR) must be installed. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, install one of the following packages: apr-devel or apr-util-devel. If you use a different operating system, refer to the Apache Portability Runtime website at http://apr.apache.org/ to fulfill this requirement.

Procedure 16.2. Install the Apache HTTPD

  1. Navigate to the JBoss EAP downloads list for your platform, on the Red Hat Customer Service Portal.

    Log in to the Red Hat Customer Service Portal at https://access.redhat.com. Using the menus at the top, choose Downloads, JBoss Enterprise Middleware, Downloads. Select Application Platform from the Product list. Select the version of JBoss EAP to see available downloads for that version.
  2. Choose the HTTPD binary from the list.

    Find the HTTPD binary for your operating system and architecture. Click the Download link. A ZIP file containing the HTTPD distribution downloads to your computer.
  3. Extract the ZIP to the system where the HTTPD binary will run.

    Extract the ZIP file on your preferred server, to a temporary location. The ZIP file will contain the httpd directory under a jboss-ews-version-number folder. Copy the httpd folder and place it inside the directory where you installed the JBoss EAP 6, commonly referred to as EAP_HOME.
    Your HTTPD would now be located in EAP_HOME/httpd/ directory. You can now use this location for HTTPD_HOME, as found in other JBoss EAP 6 documentation.
  4. Run the Post-Installation script and create apache user and group accounts

    On a shell prompt, switch to the root user account, navigate to the EAP_HOME/httpd directory and execute the following command.
    ./.postinstall
    Next, check to see if a user called apache exists on the system by running the following command:
    id apache
    If the user does not exist then it will need to be added, along with the appropriate usergroup. In order to achieve this, execute the following:
    /usr/sbin/groupadd -g 91 -r apache 2> /dev/null || :
    /usr/sbin/useradd -c "Apache" -u 48 \ -s /sbin/nologin -r apache 2>
    /dev/null || :
    Once this is completed, if the apache user will be running the httpd service, then the ownership of the HTTP directories will need to be changed to reflect this:
    chown -R apache:apache httpd
    To test that the above commands have been successful, check that the apache user has execution permission to the HTTP server install path.
    ls -l
    The output should be similar to:
    drwxrwxr-- 11 apache apache 4096 Feb 14 06:52 httpd
  5. Configure the HTTPD.

    Switch to the new user account using the following command
    sudo su apache
    and then configure HTTPD as the apache user to meet the needs of your organization. You can use the documentation available from the Apache Foundation at http://httpd.apache.org/ for general guidance.
  6. Start the HTTPD.

    Start the HTTPD using the following command:
    EAP_HOME/httpd/sbin/apachectl start
  7. Stop the HTTPD.

    To stop the HTTPD, issue the following command:
    EAP_HOME/httpd/sbin/apachectl stop

16.3.3. mod_cluster Configuration on httpd

Summary

mod_cluster is an httpd-based load balancer. It uses a communication channel to forward requests from httpd to one of a set of application server nodes. The following derivatives can be set to configure mod_cluster on httpd.

Note

There is no need to use ProxyPass directives because mod_cluster automatically configures the URLs that must be forwarded to JBossWEB.

Table 16.2. mod_cluster Derivatives

Derivative Description Values
CreateBalancers Defines how the balancers are created in the httpd VirtualHosts. This allows directives like: ProxyPass /balancer://mycluster1/.
0: Create all VirtualHosts defined in httpd
1: Do not create balancers (at least one ProxyPass or ProxyMatch is required to define the balancer names)
2: Create only the main server
Default: 2
While using the value 1, do not forget to configure the balancer in the ProxyPass directive, because the default is an empty stickysession and nofailover=Off and the values received via the MCMP CONFIG message are ignored.
UseAlias Check that the alias corresponds to the server name.
0: Ignore aliases
1: Check aliases
Default: 0
LBstatusRecalTime Time interval in seconds for loadbalancing logic to recalculate the status of a node.
Default: 5 seconds
WaitForRemove Time in seconds before a removed node is forgotten by httpd.
Default: 10 seconds
ProxyPassMatch/ProxyPass
ProxyPassMatch and ProxyPass are mod_proxy directives which, when using ! (instead of the back-end url), prevent reverse-proxy in the path. This is used to allow httpd to serve static information like images. For example,
ProxyPassMatch ^(/.*\.gif)$ !
The above example allows httpd to serve the .gif files directly.
mod_manager

The context of a mod_manger directive is VirtualHost in all cases, except when mentioned otherwise. server config context implies that the directive must be outside a VirtualHost configuration. If not, an error message is displayed and httpd does not start.

Table 16.3. mod_manager Derivatives

Derivative Description Values
EnableMCPMReceive Allow the VirtualHost to receive the MCPM from the nodes. Include EnableMCPMReceive in the httpd configuration to allow mod_cluster to work. Save it in the VirtualHost where you configure advertise.
MemManagerFile
The base name for the names that mod_manager uses to store configuration, generate keys for shared memory or locked files. This must be an absolute path name; the directories are created if needed. It is recommended that these files are placed on a local drive and not an NFS share.
Context: server config
$server_root/logs/
Maxcontext The maximum number of contexts supported by mod_cluster
Context: server config
Default: 100
Maxnode The maximum number of nodes supported by mod_cluster.
Context: server config
Default: 20
Maxhost The maximum number of hosts (aliases) supported by mod_cluster. It also includes the maximum number of balancers.
Context: server config
10
Maxsessionid
The number of active sessionid stored to provide the number of active sessions in the mod_cluster-manager handler. A session is inactive when mod_cluster does not receive any information from the session within 5 minutes.
Context: server config
This field is for demonstration and debugging purposes only.
0: the logic is not activated.
MaxMCMPMaxMessSize The maximum size of MCMP messages from other Max directives Calculated from other Max directives. Min: 1024
ManagerBalancerName The name of balancer to use when the JBoss AS/JBossWeb/Tomcat does not provide a balancer name.
mycluster
PersistSlots Tells mod_slotmem to persist nodes, aliases and contexts in files.
Context: server config
Off
CheckNonce Switch check of nonce when using mod_cluster-manager handler.
on/off
Default: on - Nonce checked
AllowDisplay Switch additional display on mod_cluster-manager main page.
on/off
Default: off - only version is displayed
AllowCmd Allow commands using mod_cluster-manager URL.
on/off
Default: on - Commands allowed
ReduceDisplay Reduce the information displayed on the main mod_cluster-manager page, so that more number of nodes can be displayed on the page.
on/off
Default: off - full information is displayed
SetHandler mod_cluster-manager
Displays information about the node that mod_cluster sees from the cluster. The information includes generic information and additionally counts the number of active sessions.
						
							<Location /mod_cluster-manager>
							SetHandler mod_cluster-manager
							Order deny,allow
							Allow from 127.0.0.1
							</Location>
						

on/off
Default: off

Note

When accessing the location defined in httpd.conf:
Transferred: Corresponds to the POST data send to the back-end server.
Connected: Corresponds to the number of requests that have been processed when the mod_cluster status page was requested.
Num_sessions: Corresponds to the number of sessions mod_cluster report as active (on which there was a request during the past 5 minutes). That field is not present when Maxsessionid is zero. This field is for demonstration and debugging purposes only.

16.3.4. Use an External HTTPD as the Web Front-end for JBoss EAP 6 Applications

Overview

For reasons to use an external HTTPD as the web front-end, as well as advantages and disadvantages of the different HTTP connectors supported by JBoss EAP 6, refer to Section 16.1.3, “Overview of HTTP Connectors”. In some situations, you can use the HTTPD that comes with your operating system. Otherwise, you can use the HTTPD that ships as part of JBoss Enterprise Web Server.

After you have decided which HTTPD and HTTP connector to use, refer to one of the following procedures:

16.3.5. Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Accept Requests From an External HTTPD

Overview

JBoss EAP 6 does not need to know which proxy it is accepting requests from, only the port and protocol to look for. This is not true of mod_cluster, which is more tightly coupled to the configuration of JBoss EAP 6. But the following task works for mod_jk, mod_proxy, ISAPI, and NSAPI. Substitute the protocols and ports you need to configure with the ones in the examples.

To configure JBoss EAP 6 for mod_cluster, refer to Section 16.5.5, “Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node”.

Prerequisites

Procedure 16.3. Edit Configuration and add Socket Bindings

  1. Configure the jvmRoute and useJK system properties.

    By default, the jvmRoute is set to the same value as the server name. If you need to customize it, you can use a command like the following. Replace or remove the /profile=ha portion of the command, depending on which profile you use or whether you use a standalone server. Replace the string CUSTOM_ROUTE_NAME with your custom jvmRoute name.
    [user@localhost:9999 /] /profile=ha/subsystem=web:write-attribute(name="instance-id",value="CUSTOM_ROUTE_NAME")
    Enable the useJK value by setting it to true by using the following command:
    [user@localhost:9999 /] /system-property=UseJK/:add(value=true)
  2. List the connectors available in the web subsystem.

    Note

    This step is only necessary if you are not using the standalone-ha.xml configuration for a standalone server, or the ha or full-ha profiles for a server group in a managed domain. Those configurations already include all of the necessary connectors.
    In order for an external HTTPD to be able to connect to JBoss EAP 6's web server, the web subsystem needs a connector. Each protocol needs its own connector, which is tied to a socket group.
    To list the connectors currently available, issue the following command:
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=web:read-children-names(child-type=connector)
    If there is no line indicating the connector your need (HTTP, HTTPS, AJP), you need to add the connector.
  3. Read the configuration of a connector.

    To see the details of how a connector is configured, you can read its configuration. The following command reads the configuration of the AJP connector. The other connectors have similar configuration output.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=web/connector=ajp:read-resource(recursive=true)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "enable-lookups" => false,
            "enabled" => true,
            "max-post-size" => 2097152,
            "max-save-post-size" => 4096,
            "protocol" => "AJP/1.3",
            "redirect-port" => 8443,
            "scheme" => "http",
            "secure" => false,
            "socket-binding" => "ajp",
            "ssl" => undefined,
            "virtual-server" => undefined
        }
    }		
    
    
  4. Add the necessary connectors to the web subsystem.

    To add a connector to the web subsystem, it needs to have a socket binding. The socket binding is added to the socket binding group used by your server or server group. The following steps assume that your server group is server-group-one and that your socket binding group is standard-sockets.
    1. Add a socket to the socket binding group.

      To add a socket to the socket binding group, issue the following command, replacing the protocol and port with the ones you need.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /socket-binding-group=standard-sockets/socket-binding=ajp:add(port=8009)
    2. Add the socket binding to the web subsystem.

      Issue the following command to add a connector to the web subsystem, substituting the socket binding name and protocol with the ones you need.
      [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=web/connector=ajp:add(socket-binding=ajp, protocol="AJP/1.3", enabled=true, scheme="http")

16.4. Clustering

16.4.1. Use TCP Communication for the Clustering Subsystem

By default, cluster nodes monitor each other's status using the UDP protocol. Some networks only allow TCP to be used. In this situation, you can add the TCPPING protocol stack to your configuration and use it as the default mechanism. These configuration options are available in the command-line based Management CLI.
The mod_cluster subsystem also uses UDP communication by default, and you can choose to use TCP here as well.
Refer to the following two procedures to configure JGroups and mod_cluster subsystems to use TCP for network communication:

16.4.2. Configure the JGroups Subsystem to Use TCP

By default, the JGroups subsystem communicates using multicast UDP. Use the following procedure to configure the JGroups subsystem to use unicast TCP instead.
To configure the mod_cluster subsystem to use TCP as well, refer to Section 16.4.3, “Disable Advertising for the mod_cluster Subsystem”.
  1. Run the Management CLI.

    Launch the Management CLI, using the EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh command in Linux or the EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat command in Microsoft Windows Server. Type connect to connect to the domain controller on the localhost, or connect IP_ADDRESS to connect to a domain controller on a remote server.
  2. Modify the following script to suit your environment.

    Copy the following script into a text editor. If you use a different profile on a managed domain, change the profile name. If you use a standalone server, remove the /profile=full-ha portion of the commands. Modify the properties listed at the bottom of the command as follows. Each of these properties is optional.
    initial_hosts
    A comma-separated list of the hosts which are considered well-known, and will be available to look up the initial membership.
    port_range
    If desired, you can assign a port range. If you assign a port range of 2, and the initial port is 7600, then TCPPING will attempt to contact each host on ports 7600-7601. This property is optional.
    timeout
    An optional timeout value, in milliseconds, for cluster members.
    num_initial_members
    The number of nodes before the cluster is considered to be complete. This property is optional.
    cd /profile=full-ha/subsystem=jgroups
    ./stack=tcpping:add
    cd stack=tcpping
    ./transport=TRANSPORT:add(type=TCP,socket-binding=jgroups-tcp)
    :add-protocol(type=TCPPING)
    :add-protocol(type=MERGE2)
    :add-protocol(type=FD_SOCK,socket-binding=jgroups-tcp-fd)
    :add-protocol(type=FD)
    :add-protocol(type=VERIFY_SUSPECT)
    :add-protocol(type=BARRIER)
    :add-protocol(type=pbcast.NAKACK)
    :add-protocol(type=UNICAST2)
    :add-protocol(type=pbcast.STABLE)
    :add-protocol(type=pbcast.GMS)
    :add-protocol(type=UFC)
    :add-protocol(type=MFC)
    :add-protocol(type=FRAG2)
    :add-protocol(type=RSVP)
    cd protocol=TCPPING
    ./property=initial_hosts/:add(value="HostA[7600],HostB[7600]")
    ./property=port_range/:add(value=0)
    ./property=timeout/:add(value=3000)
    ./property=num_initial_members/:add(value=3) 
    cd ../..
    :write-attribute(name=default-stack,value=tcpping)
    
  3. Run the script in batch mode.

    Warning

    The servers runnning the profile have to be shutdown before executing the batch file.
    At the Management CLI prompt, type batch and press the Enter key. The prompt changes to include a hash (#) symbol to indicate that you are in batch mode. This allows you to enter a series of commands. If any one of them fails, the entire operation will be rolled back.
    Paste the modified script from the previous step, adding an extra newline at the end. Type run-batch to run the batch. After all commands have run, the message The batch executed successfully appears.
Result

The TCPPING stack is now available to the JGroups subsystem. If it is used, the JGroups subsystem uses TCP for all network communication. To configure the mod_cluster subsystem to use TCP as well, refer to Section 16.4.3, “Disable Advertising for the mod_cluster Subsystem”.

16.4.3. Disable Advertising for the mod_cluster Subsystem

By default, the mod_cluster subsystem's balancer uses multicast UDP to advertise its availability to the background workers. If you wish, you can disable advertisement. Use the following procedure to configure this behavior.

Procedure 16.4. 

  1. Modify the HTTPD configuration.

    Modify the HTTPD configuration to disable server advertising and to use a proxy list instead. The proxy list is configured on the worker, and contains all of the mod_cluster-enabled HTTPD servers the worker can talk to.
    The mod_cluster configuration for the HTTPD server is typically located in /etc/httpd/ or the etc/httpd/ directory within the HTTPD installation, if it is installed in a non-standard location. Refer to Section 16.5.3, “Install the mod_cluster Module Into Apache HTTPD or JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD” and Section 16.5.4, “Configure Server Advertisement Properties for Your mod_cluster-enabled HTTPD” for more information about the file itself. Open the file containing the virtual host which listens for MCPM requests (using the EnableMCPMReceive directive), and disable server advertising by changing the ServerAdvertise directive as follows.
    ServerAdvertise Off
  2. Disable advertising within the mod_cluster subsystem of JBoss EAP 6, and provide a list of proxies.

    You can disable advertising for the mod_cluster subsystem and provide a list of proxies, by using the web-based Management Console or the command-line Management CLI. The list of proxies is necessary because the mod_cluster subsystem will not be able to automatically discover proxies if advertising is disabled.
    • Management Console

      1. If you use a managed domain, you can only configure mod_cluster in profiles where it is enabled, such as the ha and full-ha profiles.
      2. Log in to the Management Console and select the Profiles label at the top right of the screen. If you use a managed domain, select either the ha or full-ha profile from the Profiles selection box at the top left of the Profiles page.
      3. Click the Subsystems menu to expand it. Expand the Web sub-menu, and select Modcluster.
      4. Click the Edit button at the top, to edit the options which pertain to the entire mod_cluster subsystem. Change the value of Advertise to false. Use the Save button to save the settings.
      5. Click the tab labeled Proxies near the bottom of the screen. Click the Edit button in the Proxies sub-page, and enter a list of proxy servers. The correct syntax is a comma-separated list of HOSTNAME:PORT strings, like the following.
        10.33.144.3:6666,10.33.144.1:6666
        Click the Save button to save your changes.
    • Management CLI

      The following two Management CLI commands create the same configuration as the Management Console instructions above. They assume that you run a managed domain and that your server group uses the full-ha profile. If you use a different profile, change its name in the commands. If you use a standalone server using the standalone-ha profile, remove the /profile=full-ha portion of the commands.
      /profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=advertise,value=false)
      
      /profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=proxy-list,value="10.33.144.3:6666,10.33.144.1:6666")
      
Result

The HTTPD balancer no longer advertises its presence to worker nodes and UDP multicast is no longer used.

16.5. Web, HTTP Connectors, and HTTP Clustering

16.5.1. About the mod_cluster HTTP Connector

mod_cluster is the module which enables load balancing in the JBoss Web container. It is referred to as a connector. Which connector you use depends on which web container you choose to use with JBoss EAP 6. To learn about other connectors, refer to one of the following:
The mod_cluster connector has several advantages.
  • mod_cluster Management Protocol (MCMP) is an additional connection between the application server nodes and httpd, used by application server nodes to transmit server-side load balance factors and lifecycle events back to the web container via a custom set of HTTP methods.
  • Dynamic configuration of HTTPD proxies allows JBoss EAP 6 to adapt on the fly, with no additional configuration.
  • The application servers perform the load-balancing factor calculations. This makes load balancing metrics more accurate than other connectors.
  • mod_cluster gives fine-grained application lifecycle control. Each server forwards any web application context lifecycle events to the proxy, informing it to start or stop routing requests for a given context in the server. This prevents end users from seeing 404 errors due to unavailable resources.
  • AJP, HTTP or HTTPS with mod_cluster and Apache HTTP can be used.

16.5.2. Configure the mod_cluster Subsystem

In the web-based Management Console, the mod_cluster options are available as part of the Web subsystem configuration area. Click the Profiles tab at the top left. If you use a managed domain, select the correct profile to configure from the Profile selection box at the upper right. By default, the ha and full-ha profiles have the mod_cluster subsystem enabled. If you use a standalone server, you need to use the standalone-ha or standalone-full-ha profile to start the server. Click the Web item in the left-hand menu, and choose mod_cluster from the sub-menu. The options are explained in the tables below. Overall configuration is shown first, followed by configuration of sessions, web contexts, proxies, SSL, and Networking. Each of these has its own tab within the mod_cluster configuration screen.

Note

The mod_cluster configuration page is only visible for profiles with the HA Clustering subsystem enabled. These profiles are ha and full-ha for a managed domain, or standalone-ha and standalone-full-ha for a standalone server.

Table 16.4. mod_cluster Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Load Balancing Group
If this is not null, requests are sent to a specific load balancing group on the load balancer. Leave this blank if you do not want to use load balancing groups. This is unset by default.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=load-balancing-group,value=myGroup)
Balancer
The name of the balancer. This should match the configuration of the HTTPD proxy.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=balancer,value=myBalancer)
Advertise Socket
The name of the socket binding to use for cluster advertising.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=advertise-socket,value=modcluster)
Advertise Security Key
A string containing the security key for advertising.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=advertise-security-key,value=myKey)
Advertise
Whether or not advertising is enabled. Defaults to true.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=advertise,value=true)

Table 16.5. mod_cluster Session Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Sticky Session
Whether to use sticky sessions for requests. This means that after the client makes a connection to a specific cluster node, further communication is routed to that same node unless it becomes unavailable. This defaults to true, which is the recommended setting.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=sticky-session,value=true)
Sticky Session Force
If true, a request is not redirected to a new cluster node if its initial node becomes unavailable. Instead, it fails. This defaults to false.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=sticky-session-force,value=false)
Sticky Session Remove
Remove session information on failover. Disabled by default.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=sticky-session-remove,value=false)

Table 16.6. mod_cluster Web Context Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Auto Enable Contexts
Whether to add new contexts to mod_cluster by default or not. This defaults to true. If you change the default and need to enable context manually, the Web Application can enable its context using the enable() MBean method, or via the mod_cluster manager, which is a web application which runs on the HTTPD proxy on a named virtual host or port which is specified in that HTTPD's configuration.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=auto-enable-contexts,value=true)
Excluded Contexts
A comma-separated list of contexts that mod_cluster should ignore. If no host is indicated, the host is assumed to be localhost. ROOT indicates the root context of the Web Application. The default value is ROOT,invoker,jbossws,juddi,console.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=excluded-contexts,value="ROOT,invoker,jbossws,juddi,console")

Table 16.7. mod_cluster Proxy Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Proxy URL
If defined, this value will be prepended to the URL of MCMP commands.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=proxy-url,value=myhost)
Proxy List
A comma-separated list of HTTPD proxy addresses, in the format hostname:port. This indicates the list of proxies that the mod_cluster process will attempt to communicate with initially.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=proxy-list,value="127.0.0.1,127.0.0.2")
Configure SSL Communication for mod_cluster

By default, mod_cluster communication happens over an unencrypted HTTP link. If you set the connector scheme to HTTPS (refer to Table 16.5, “mod_cluster Session Configuration Options”), the settings below tell mod_cluster where to find the information to encrypt the connection.

Table 16.8. mod_cluster SSL Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
ssl
Whether to enable SSL. Defaults to false.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ssl,value=true)
Key Alias
The key alias, which was chosen when the certificate was created.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=key-alias,value=jboss)
Key Store
TThe location of the key store containing client certificates
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=key-store,value=System.getProperty("user.home") + "/.keystore")
Key Store Type
TThe key store type
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=key-store-type,value=JKS)
Key Store Provider
The key store provider
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=key-store-provider,value=IBMJCE)
Password
The password, which was chosen when the certificate was created.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=password,value=changeit)
Trust Algorithm
The algorithm of the trust manager factory.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=trust-algorithm,value=PKIX)
Cert File
The location of the certificate file.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-certificate-file,value=${user.home}/jboss.crt)
CRL File
Certificate revocation list file.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-crl-file,value=${user.home}/jboss.crl)
Max Certificate Length
The maximum length of a certificate held in the trust store. Defaults to 5.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=trust-max-cert-length,value=5)
Key File
The location of the key file for the certificate.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=certificate-key-file,value=${user.home}/.keystore)
Cipher Suite
The allowed encryption cipher suite.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=cipher-suite,value=ALL)
Certificate Encoding Algorithms
The algorithm of the key manager factory.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=encoding-algorithms,value=ALL)
Revocation URL
The URL of the Certificate Authority revocation list.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ca-revocation-url,value=jboss.crl)
Protocol
The SSL protocols which are enabled.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/ssl=configuration/:write-attribute(name=protocol,value=SSLv3)
Configure mod_cluster Networking Options

The available mod_cluster networking options control several different timeout behaviors for different types of services that the mod_cluster service communicates with.

Table 16.9. mod_cluster Networking Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Node Timeout
Timeout (in seconds) for proxy connections to a node. That is the time mod_cluster will wait for the back-end response before returning error. That corresponds to timeout in the worker mod_proxy documentation. A value of -1 indicates no timeout. Note that mod_cluster always uses a cping/cpong before forwarding a request and the connectiontimeout value used by mod_cluster is the ping value.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=node-timeout,value=-1)
Socket Timeout
Number of milliseconds to wait for a response from an httpd proxy to MCMP commands before timing out, and flagging the proxy as in error.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=socket-timeout,value=20)
Stop Context Timeout
The amount of time, measure in units specified by stopContextTimeoutUnit, for which to wait for clean shutdown of a context (completion of pending requests for a distributable context; or destruction/expiration of active sessions for a non-distributable context).
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=stop-context-timeout,value=10)
Session Draining Strategy
Whether to drain sessions before undeploying a web application.
DEFAULT
Drain sessions before web application undeploy only if the web application is non-disributable.
ALWAYS
Always drain sessions before web application undeploy, even for distributable web applications.
NEVER
Do not drain sessions before web application undeploy, even for non-distributable web application.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=session-draining-strategy,value=DEFAULT)
Max Attempts
Number of times an HTTPD proxy will attempt to send a given request to a worker before giving up. The minimum value is 1, meaning try only once. The mod_proxy default is also 1, which means that no retry occurs.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=max-attempts,value=1)
Flush Packets
Whether or not to enable packet flushing to the HTTPD server. Defaults to false.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=flush-packets,value=false)
Flush Wait
How long, in seconds, to wait before flushing packets to the HTTPD server. Defaults to -1. A value of -1 means to wait forever before flushing packets.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=flush-wait,value=-1)
Ping
How long, in seconds, to wait for a response to a ping from a cluster node. Defaults to 10 seconds.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ping,value=10)
SMAX
Soft maximum idle connection count (the same as smax in worker mod_proxy documentation). The maximum value depends on the httpd thread configuration, and can be either ThreadsPerChild or 1.
profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=smax,value=ThreadsPerChild)
TTL
Time to live (in seconds) for idle connections above smax, default is 60
When nodeTimeout is not defined the ProxyTimeout directive Proxy is used. If ProxyTimeout is not defined the server timeout Timeout is used. This defaults to 300 seconds. nodeTimeout, ProxyTimeout, and Timeout are set at the socket level.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=ttl,value=-1)
Node Timeout
How long, in seconds, to wait for an available worker process from the external HTTPD server to process a request. Defaults to -1, which means that mod_cluster waits indefinitely for the HTTPD worker to process the request.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=node-timeout,value=-1)
mod_cluster Load Provider Configuration Options

The following mod_cluster configuration options are not available in the web-based Management Console, but can only be set using the command-line Management CLI.

The simple load processor is used if no dynamic load processor is present. It gives each cluster member a load factor of 1, and distributes work evenly without taking any sort of load balancing algorithm into account. To add it, use the following CLI command: /profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/simple-load-provider:add
A dynamic load provider can be configured to use a variety of different algorithms, in combination, to determine which cluster node receives the next request. The default dynamic load provider uses busyness as the determining factor. The list of possible factors is shown below. You can create your own load provider to suit your own environment, as well. The following options of the dynamic load provider can be changed. Note that you can have more than one of these factors (metric) at anytime by simply adding them via the CLI.
:add-metric(type=cpu)

Table 16.10. mod_cluster Dynamic Load Provider Options

Option Description CLI Command
Decay
The factor by which historical metrics should decay in significance.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/dynamic-load-provider=configuration/:write-attribute(name=decay,value=2)
History
The number of historic load metric records to consider when determining the load.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/dynamic-load-provider=configuration/:write-attribute(name=history,value=9)
Load Metric
The only load metric included with the dynamic load provider in JBoss EAP 6 is busyness, which tries to send each new request to the least busy worker. You can set the capacity of your worker (1 means 100% capacity) and the weight assigned to the busyness metric overall.
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/dynamic-load-provider=configuration/load-metric=busyness/:write-attribute(name=capacity,value=1.0)
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/dynamic-load-provider=configuration/load-metric=busyness/:write-attribute(name=type,value=busyness)
/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/dynamic-load-provider=configuration/load-metric=busyness/:write-attribute(name=weight,value=1)

Load Metric Algorithms

cpu
The cpu load metric uses average CPU load to determine which cluster node receives the next work load.
mem
The mem load metric uses free native RAM as a load factor. Usage of this metric is discouraged because it provides a value that includes buffers and cache, so it is always a very low figure on every decent system with a good memory management.
heap
The heap load metric uses the heap usage to determine which cluster receives the next work load.
sessions
The session load metric uses the number of active sessions as a metric.
requests
The requests load metric uses the number of client requests to determine which cluster node receives the next work load. For instance, capacity 1000 means that 1000 requests/sec is considered to be a "full load".
send-traffic
The send-traffic load metric uses the amount of traffic sent from the worker node to the clients. E.g. the default capacity of 512 indicates that the node should be considered under full load if the average outbound traffic is 512 KB/s or higher.
receive-traffic
The receive-traffic load metric uses the amount of traffic sent to the worker node from the clients.E.g. the default capacity of 1024 indicates that the node should be considered under full load if the average inbound traffic is 1024 KB/s or higher.
busyness
This metric represents the amount of threads from the thread pool being busy serving requests.

Example 16.1. Set a Load Balancer Metric

/profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/dynamic-load-provider=configuration/load-metric=cpu/:write-attribute(name="weight",value="3")

16.5.3. Install the mod_cluster Module Into Apache HTTPD or JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD

Prerequisites

  • To perform this task, you must be using Apache HTTPD installed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, or JBoss Enterprise Web Server, or the stand-alone HTTPD included as a separate downloadable component of JBoss EAP 6.
  • If you need to install Apache HTTPD in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, use the instructions from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Deployment Guide, available from https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.
  • If you need to install the stand-alone HTTPD included as a separate downloadable component of JBoss EAP 6, refer to Section 16.3.2, “Install the Apache HTTPD included with JBoss EAP 6”.
  • If you need to install JBoss Enterprise Web Server, use the instructions from the JBoss Enterprise Web Server Installation Guide, available from https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.
  • Download the Webserver Connecter Natives package for your operating system and architecture from the Red Hat Customer Portal at https://access.redhat.com. This package contains the mod_cluster binary HTTPD modules precompiled for your operating system. After you extract the archive, the modules are located in the modules/native/lib/httpd/modules/ directory.
    The etc/ directory contains some example configuration files, and the share/ directory contains some supplemental documentation.
  • You must be logged in with administrative (root) privileges.

Procedure 16.5. Install the mod_cluster Module

  1. Determine your HTTPD configuration location.

    Your HTTPD configuration location will be different depending on whether you are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux's Apache HTTPD, the stand-alone HTTPD included as a separate downloadable component with JBoss EAP 6, or the HTTPD available in JBoss Enterprise Web Server. It is one of the following three options, and is referred to in the rest of this task as HTTPD_HOME.
    • Apache HTTPD - /etc/httpd/
    • JBoss EAP 6 HTTPD - This location is chosen by you, based on the requirements of your infrastructure.
    • JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD - EWS_HOME/httpd/
  2. Copy the modules to the HTTPD modules directory.

    Copy the four modules (the files ending in .so) from the modules/native/lib/httpd/modules/ directory of the extracted Webserver Natives archive to the HTTPD_HOME/modules/ directory.
  3. For JBoss Enterprise Web Server, disable the mod_proxy_balancer module.

    If you use JBoss Enterprise Web Server, the mod_proxy_balancer module is enabled by default. It is incompatible with mod_cluster. To disable it, edit the HTTPD_HOME/conf/httpd.conf and comment out the following line by placing a # (hash) symbol before the line which loads the module. The line is shown without the comment and then with it, below.
    LoadModule proxy_balancer_module modules/mod_proxy_balancer.so
    # LoadModule proxy_balancer_module modules/mod_proxy_balancer.so
    Save and close the file.
  4. Configure the mod_cluster module.

    The Webserver Natives archive contains a sample mod_cluster.conf file (modules/system/layers/base/native/etc/httpd/conf). This file can be used as a guide or copied and edited to create a HTTPD_HOME/httpd/conf.d/JBoss_HTTP.conf file.

    Note

    Using the name JBoss_HTTP.conf is an arbitrary convention in this document. The configuration file will be loaded, regardless of its name, if it is saved in the conf.d/ directory with the .conf extension.
    Add the following to your configuration file:
    LoadModule slotmem_module modules/mod_slotmem.so
    LoadModule manager_module modules/mod_manager.so
    LoadModule proxy_cluster_module modules/mod_proxy_cluster.so
    LoadModule advertise_module modules/mod_advertise.so
    
    This causes Apache HTTPD to automatically load the modules that mod_cluster needs in order to function.
  5. Create a proxy server listener.

    Continue editing HTTPD_HOME/httpd/conf.d/JBoss_HTTP.conf and add the following minimal configuration, replacing the values in capital letters with sensible ones for your system.
    Listen IP_ADDRESS:PORT
    <VirtualHost IP_ADDRESS:PORT>  
    	  <Location />
              Order deny,allow
              Deny from all
              Allow from *.MYDOMAIN.COM
    	  </Location>
    	  
    	  KeepAliveTimeout 60
    	  MaxKeepAliveRequests 0
    	  EnableMCPMReceive On
    	  
    	  ManagerBalancerName mycluster
    	  ServerAdvertise On
    	  
    </VirtualHost>
    
    These directives create a new virtual server which listens on IP_ADDRESS:PORT, allows connections from MYDOMAIN.COM, and advertises itself as a balancer called mycluster. These directives are covered in detail in the documentation for Apache Web Server. To learn more about the ServerAdvertise and EnableMCPMReceive directives, and the implications of server advertisement, refer to Section 16.5.4, “Configure Server Advertisement Properties for Your mod_cluster-enabled HTTPD”.
    Save the file and exit.
  6. Restart the HTTPD.

    The way to restart the HTTPD depends on whether you are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux's Apache HTTPD or the HTTPD included in JBoss Enterprise Web Server. Choose one of the two methods below.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Apache HTTPD

      Issue the following command:
      [root@host]# service httpd restart
    • JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD

      JBoss Enterprise Web Server runs on both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Microsoft Windows Server. The method for restarting the HTTPD is different for each.
      • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

        In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, JBoss Enterprise Web Server installs its HTTPD as a service. To restart the HTTPD, issue the following two commands:
        [root@host ~]# service httpd stop
        [root@host ~]# service httpd start
      • Microsoft Windows Server

        Issue the following commands in a command prompt with administrative privileges:
        C:\> net stop httpd
        C:\> net start httpd
Result

The Apache HTTPD is now configured as a load balancer, and can work with the mod_cluster subsystem running JBoss EAP 6. To configure JBoss EAP 6 to be aware of mod_cluster, refer to Section 16.5.5, “Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node”.

16.5.4. Configure Server Advertisement Properties for Your mod_cluster-enabled HTTPD

Summary

For instructions on configuring your HTTPD to interact with the mod_cluster load balancer, refer to Section 16.5.3, “Install the mod_cluster Module Into Apache HTTPD or JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD”. One aspect of the configuration which needs more explanation is server advertisement.

When server advertisement is active, the HTTPD broadcasts messages containing the IP address and port number specified in the mod_cluster virtual host. To configure these values, refer to Section 16.5.3, “Install the mod_cluster Module Into Apache HTTPD or JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD”. If UDP multicast is not available on your network, or you prefer to configure worker nodes with a static list of proxy servers, you can disable server advertisement and manually configure the worker nodes. Refer to Section 16.5.5, “Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node” for information on configuring a worker node.
The changes in this procedure need to be made to the httpd.conf associated with your Apache HTTPD instance. This is often /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or may be in the etc/ directory of your stand-alone Apache HTTPD instance.

Procedure 16.6. Edit the httpd.conf file and implement the changes

  1. Disable the AdvertiseFrequency parameter, if it exists.

    If you have a line like the following in your <VirtualHost> statement, comment it out by putting a # (hash) character before the first character. The value may be different from 5.
    AdvertiseFrequency 5
  2. Add the directive to disable server advertisement.

    Add the following directive inside the <VirtualHost> statement, to disable server advertisement.
    ServerAdvertise Off
  3. Enable the ability to receive MCPM messages.

    Add the following directive to allow the HTTPD server to receive MCPM messages from the worker nodes.
    EnableMCPMReceive On
  4. Restart the HTTPD server.

    Restart the HTTPD server by issuing one of the following, depending on whether you use Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Microsoft Windows Server.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

      [root@host ]# service httpd restart
    • Microsoft Windows Server

      C:\> net service http
      C:\> net service httpd start
      
Result

The HTTPD no longer advertises the IP address and port of your mod_cluster proxy. To reiterate, you need to configure your worker nodes to use a static address and port to communicate with the proxy. Refer to Section 16.5.5, “Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node” for more details.

16.5.5. Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node

Summary

A mod_cluster worker node consists of a JBoss EAP server. This server can be part of a server group in a Managed Domain, or a standalone server. A separate process runs within JBoss EAP, which manages all of the nodes of the cluster. This is called the master. For more conceptual information about worker nodes, refer to Section 16.1.4, “Worker Node”. For an overview of HTTPD load balancing, refer to Section 16.1.3, “Overview of HTTP Connectors”.

The master is only configured once, via the mod_cluster subsystem. To configure the mod_cluster subsystem, refer to Configure the mod_cluster Subsystem in the Administration and Configuration Guide. Each worker node is configured separately, so repeat this procedure for each node you wish to add to the cluster.
If you use a managed domain, each server in a server group is a worker node which shares an identical configuration. Therefore, configuration is done to an entire server group. In a standalone server, configuration is done to a single JBoss EAP 6 instance. The configuration steps are otherwise identical.

Worker Node Configuration

  • If you use a standalone server, it must be started with the standalone-ha profile.
  • If you use a managed domain, your server group must use the ha or full-ha profile, and the ha-sockets or full-ha-sockets socket binding group. JBoss EAP 6 ships with a cluster-enabled server group called other-server-group which meets these requirements.

Note

Where Management CLI commands are given, they assume you use a managed domain. If you use a standalone server, remove the /profile=full-ha portion of the commands.

Procedure 16.7. Configure a Worker Node

  1. Configure the network interfaces.

    By default, the network interfaces all default to 127.0.0.1. Every physical host which hosts either a standalone server or one or more servers in a server group needs its interfaces to be configured to use its public IP address, which the other servers can see.
    To change the IP address of a JBoss EAP 6 host, you need to shut it down and edit its configuration file directly. This is because the Management API which drives the Management Console and Management CLI relies on a stable management address.
    Follow these steps to change the IP address on each server in your cluster to the master's public IP address.
    1. Shut down the server completely.
    2. Edit either the host.xml, which is in EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/ for a managed domain, or the standalone-ha.xml file, which is in EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/ for a standalone server.
    3. Locate the <interfaces> element. Three interfaces are configured, management, public, and unsecured. For each of these, change the value 127.0.0.1 to the external IP address of the host.
    4. For hosts that participate in a managed domain but are not the master, locate the <host element. Note that it does not have the closing > symbol, because it contains attributes. Change the value of its name attribute from master to a unique name, a different one per slave. This name will also be used for the slave to identify to the cluster, so make a note of it.
    5. For newly-configured hosts which need to join a managed domain, find the <domain-controller> element. Comment out or remove the <local /> element, and add the following line, changing the IP address (X.X.X.X) to the address of the domain controller. This step does not apply for a standalone server.
      <remote host="X.X.X.X" port="${jboss.domain.master.port:9999}" security-realm="ManagementRealm"/>
      
    6. Save the file and exit.
  2. Configure authentication for each slave server.

    Each slave server needs a username and password created in the domain controller's or standalone master's ManagementRealm. On the domain controller or standalone master, run the EAP_HOME/add-user.sh command. Add a user with the same username as the slave, to the ManagementRealm. When asked if this user will need to authenticate to an external JBoss AS instance, answer yes. An example of the input and output of the command is below, for a slave called slave1, with password changeme.
    user:bin user$ ./add-user.sh
    
    What type of user do you wish to add? 
     a) Management User (mgmt-users.properties) 
     b) Application User (application-users.properties)
    (a): a
    
    Enter the details of the new user to add.
    Realm (ManagementRealm) : 
    Username : slave1
    Password : changeme
    Re-enter Password : changeme
    About to add user 'slave1' for realm 'ManagementRealm'
    Is this correct yes/no? yes
    Added user 'slave1' to file '/home/user/jboss-eap-6.0/standalone/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
    Added user 'slave1' to file '/home/user/jboss-eap-6.0/domain/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
    Is this new user going to be used for one AS process to connect to another AS process e.g. slave domain controller?
    yes/no? yes
    To represent the user add the following to the server-identities definition <secret value="Y2hhbmdlbWU=" />
    
  3. Copy the Base64-encoded <secret> element from the add-user.sh output.

    If you plan to specify the Base64-encoded password value for authentication, copy the <secret> element value from the last line of the add-user.sh output as you will need it in the step below.
  4. Modify the slave host's security realm to use the new authentication.

    1. Re-open the slave host's host.xml or standalone-ha.xml file.
    2. Locate the <security-realms> element. This is where you configure the security realm.
    3. You can specify the secret value in one of the following ways:
      • Specify the Base64-encoded password value in the configuration file.

        1. Add the following block of XML code directly below the <security-realm name="ManagementRealm"> line,
          <server-identities>
              <secret value="Y2hhbmdlbWU="/>
          </server-identities>
                          
          
          
        2. Replace the "Y2hhbmdlbWU=" with the secret value returned from the add-user.sh output in the previous step.
      • Configure the host to get the password from the vault.

        1. Use the vault.sh script to generate a masked password. It will generate a string like the following: VAULT::secret::password::ODVmYmJjNGMtZDU2ZC00YmNlLWE4ODMtZjQ1NWNmNDU4ZDc1TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0.
          You can find more information on the vault in the Password Vaults for Sensitive Strings section of this guide starting here: Section 10.12.1, “About Securing Sensitive Strings in Clear-Text Files”.
        2. Add the following block of XML code directly below the <security-realm name="ManagementRealm"> line.
          <server-identities>
              <secret value="${VAULT::secret::password::ODVmYmJjNGMtZDU2ZC00YmNlLWE4ODMtZjQ1NWNmNDU4ZDc1TElORV9CUkVBS3ZhdWx0}"/>
          </server-identities>
                          
          
          
          Be sure to replace the secret value with the masked password generated in the previous step.

          Note

          When creating a password in the vault, it must be specified in plain text, not Base64-encoded.
      • Specify the password as a system property.

        1. Add the following block of XML code directly below the <security-realm name="ManagementRealm"> line
          <server-identities>
              <secret value=${server.identity.password}/>
          </server-identities>
                          
          
          
        2. When you specify the password as a system property, you can configure the host in either of the following ways:
          • Start the server entering the password in plain text as a command line argument, for example:
            -Dserver.identity.password=changeme

            Note

            The password must be entered in plain text and will be visible to anyone who issues a ps -ef command.
          • Place the password in a properties file and pass the properties file URL as a command line argument.
            1. Add the key/value pair to a properties file. For example:
              server.identity.password=changeme
              
            2. Start the server with the command line arguments
              --properties=URL_TO_PROPERTIES_FILE
              .
    4. Save and exit the file.
  5. Restart the server.

    The slave will now authenticate to the master using its host name as the username and the encrypted string as its password.
Result

Your standalone server, or servers within a server group of a managed domain, are now configured as mod_cluster worker nodes. If you deploy a clustered application, its sessions are replicated to all cluster nodes for failover, and it can accept requests from an external HTTPD server or load balancer. Each node of the cluster discovers the other nodes using automatic discovery, by default.To configure automatic discovery, and the other specific settings of the mod_cluster subsystem, refer to Section 16.5.2, “Configure the mod_cluster Subsystem”. To configure the Apache HTTPD server, refer to Section 16.3.4, “Use an External HTTPD as the Web Front-end for JBoss EAP 6 Applications”.

16.5.6. Migrate Traffic between Clusters

Summary

After creating a new cluster using JBoss EAP 6, you may want to migrate traffic from a previous cluster to the new one as part of an upgrade process. In this task, you will see the strategy that can be used to migrate this traffic with minimal outage or downtime.

Prerequisites

Procedure 16.8. Upgrade Process for Clusters

  1. Setup your new cluster using the steps described in the prerequisites.
  2. In both Cluster NEW and Cluster OLD, make sure that the configuration option sticky-session is set to true (this is true by default). Enabling this option means that all new requests made to a cluster node in either cluster will continue to go to that node.
    /profile=full-ha/subsystem=modcluster/mod-cluster-config=configuration/:write-attribute(name=sticky-session,value=true)
    
  3. Add the nodes in Cluster NEW to the mod_cluster configuration individually using the process described here: Section 16.5.5, “Configure a mod_cluster Worker Node”
  4. Configure the load balancer (mod_cluster) to stop the individual contexts in Cluster OLD. Stopping contexts (as opposed to disabling them) in Cluster OLD will allow the individual contexts to shutdown gracefully (and eventually shutdown the whole node). Existing sessions will still be served, but no new sessions will be directed to those nodes. The stopped contexts may take several minutes to several hours to stop.
    You can use the following CLI command to stop a context. Replace the parameter values with values that are relevant in your environment.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 subsystem=modcluster] :stop-context(context=/myapp, virtualhost=default-host, waittime=50)
Result

You have successfully upgraded a JBoss EAP 6 Cluster.

16.6. Apache mod_jk

16.6.1. About the Apache mod_jk HTTP Connector

Apache mod_jk is a HTTP connector which is provided for customers who need it for compatibility purposes. Apache mod_jk provides load balancing, and is a part of the jboss-eap-native-webserver-connectors that is contained in JBoss Web Container. For supported platforms, see https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/111663. The mod_jk connector is maintained by Apache, and its documentation is located at http://tomcat.apache.org/connectors-doc/.
JBoss EAP 6 can accept workloads from an Apache HTTPD proxy server. The proxy server accepts client requests from the web front-end, and passes the work to participating JBoss EAP 6 servers. If sticky sessions are enabled, the same client request always goes to the same JBoss EAP 6 server, unless the server is unavailable.
Unlike the JBoss mod_cluster HTTP connector, an Apache proxy server does not know the status of deployments on servers or server groups, and cannot adapt where it sends its work accordingly.
Just like mod_cluster, mod_jk communicates over the AJP 1.3 protocol.

Note

mod_cluster is a more advanced load balancer than mod_jk. mod_cluster provides all of the functionality of mod_jk plus many additional features. For more information about mod_cluster, see Section 16.5.1, “About the mod_cluster HTTP Connector”.

16.6.2. Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Communicate with Apache Mod_jk

Overview

The mod_jk HTTP connector has a single component, the mod_jk.so module loaded by the HTTPD. This module receives client requests and forwards them to the container, in this case JBoss EAP 6. JBoss EAP 6 also needs to be configured to accept these requests and send replies back to the HTTPD.

In order for JBoss EAP 6 to be able to communicate with the Apache HTTPD, it needs to have the AJP/1.3 HTTPD connector enabled. This connector is present by default in the following configurations:
  • In a managed domain, in server groups using the ha and full-ha profiles, and the ha or full-ha socket binding group. The other-server-group server group is configured correctly in a default installation.
  • In a standalone server, the standalone-ha and standalone-full-ha profiles are configured for clustered configurations. To start the standalone server with one of these profiles, issue the following command, from the EAP_HOME/ directory. Substitute the appropriate profile name.
    [user@host bin]$ ./bin/standalone.sh --server-config=standalone-ha.xml

16.6.3. Install the Mod_jk Module Into Apache HTTPD or JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD

Prerequisites

  • To perform this task, you must be using Apache HTTPD installed on a supported environment or the HTTPD installed in JBoss Enterprise Web Server. Note that the HTTPD installed in JBoss Enterprise Web Server is part of the JBoss EAP 6 distribution.
  • If you need to install Apache HTTPD, use the instructions from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Deployment Guide, available from https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.
  • If you need to install JBoss Enterprise Web Server, use the instructions from the JBoss Enterprise Web Server Installation Guide, available from https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/.
  • If you are using Apache HTTPD, download the JBoss EAP 6 Native Components package for your platform from the Red Hat Customer Service Portal at https://access.redhat.com. This package contains both the mod_jk and mod_cluster binaries precompiled for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. If you are using JBoss Enterprise Web Server, it already includes the binary for mod_jk.
  • You must be logged in with administrative (root) privileges.

Procedure 16.9. Install the mod_jk Module

  1. Determine your HTTPD configuration location.

    Your HTTPD configuration location will be different depending on whether you are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux's Apache HTTPD or the HTTPD available in JBoss Enterprise Web Server. It is one of the following options, and is referred to in the rest of this task as HTTPD_HOME.
    • Apache HTTPD - /etc/httpd/
    • JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD on RHEL - EWS_HOME/httpd
    • JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD on Solaris - EWS_HOME/etc/httpd
    • JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD on Windows - EWS_HOME/etc/httpd
  2. Configure the mod_jk module.

    1. Create a new file called HTTPD_HOME/conf.d/mod-jk.conf and add the following to it:

      Note

      The JkMount directive specifies which URLs Apache should forward to the mod_jk module. Based on the directive's configuration, mod_jk forwards the received URL to the correct Servlet containers.
      To serve static content directly, and only use the load balancer for Java applications, the URL path should be /application/*. To use mod_jk as a load balancer, use the value /*, to forward all URLs to mod_jk.
      # Load mod_jk module
      # Specify the filename of the mod_jk lib
      LoadModule jk_module modules/mod_jk.so
      
      # Where to find workers.properties
      JkWorkersFile conf/workers.properties
      
      # Where to put jk logs
      JkLogFile logs/mod_jk.log
      
      # Set the jk log level [debug/error/info]
      JkLogLevel info 
      
      # Select the log format
      JkLogStampFormat  "[%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y]"
      
      # JkOptions indicates to send SSK KEY SIZE
      JkOptions +ForwardKeySize +ForwardURICompat -ForwardDirectories
      
      # JkRequestLogFormat
      JkRequestLogFormat "%w %V %T"
      
      # Mount your applications
      # The default setting only sends Java application data to mod_jk.
      # Use the commented-out line to send all URLs through mod_jk.
      # JkMount /* loadbalancer
      JkMount /application/* loadbalancer
      
      # Add shared memory.
      # This directive is present with 1.2.10 and
      # later versions of mod_jk, and is needed for
      # for load balancing to work properly
      JkShmFile logs/jk.shm 
      
      # Add jkstatus for managing runtime data
      <Location /jkstatus/>
      JkMount status
      Order deny,allow
      Deny from all
      Allow from 127.0.0.1
      </Location>
      
      
      Look over the values and make sure they are reasonable for your set-up. When you are satisfied, save the file.
    2. Specify a JKMountFile directive

      In addition to the JKMount directive in the mod-jk.conf, you can specify a file which contains multiple URL patterns to be forwarded to mod_jk.
      1. Add the following to the HTTPD_HOME/conf/mod-jk.conf file:
        # You can use external file for mount points.
        # It will be checked for updates each 60 seconds.
        # The format of the file is: /url=worker
        # /examples/*=loadbalancer
        JkMountFile conf/uriworkermap.properties
        
      2. Create a new file called HTTPD_HOME/conf/uriworkermap.properties, with a line for each URL pattern to be matched. The following example shows examples of the syntax of the file.
        # Simple worker configuration file
        /*=loadbalancer
        
    3. Copy the mod_jk.so file to the HTTPD's modules directory

      Note

      This is only necessary if your HTTPD does not have mod_jk.so in its modules/ directory. You can skip this step if you are using the Apache HTTPD server included as a download as part of JBoss EAP 6.
      Extract the Native Web Server Connectors ZIP package. Locate the mod_jk.so file in either the EAP_HOME/modules/native/lib/httpd/modules/ or the EAP_HOME/modules/native/lib64/httpd/modules/ directories, depending on whether your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit.
      Copy the file to the HTTPD_HOME/modules/ directory.
  3. Configure the mod_jk worker nodes.

    1. Create a new file called HTTPD_HOME/conf/workers.properties. Use the following example as your starting point, and modify the file to suit your needs.
      # Define list of workers that will be used
      # for mapping requests
      worker.list=loadbalancer,status
      
      # Define Node1
      # modify the host as your host IP or DNS name.
      worker.node1.port=8009
      worker.node1.host=node1.mydomain.com
      worker.node1.type=ajp13
      worker.node1.ping_mode=A
      worker.node1.lbfactor=1 
      
      # Define Node2
      # modify the host as your host IP or DNS name.
      worker.node2.port=8009
      worker.node2.host=node2.mydomain.com
      worker.node2.type=ajp13
      worker.node2.ping_mode=A
      worker.node2.lbfactor=1
      
      # Load-balancing behavior
      worker.loadbalancer.type=lb
      worker.loadbalancer.balance_workers=node1,node2
      worker.loadbalancer.sticky_session=1
      
      # Status worker for managing load balancer
      worker.status.type=status
      
      For a detailed description of the syntax of the workers.properties file, and advanced configuration options, refer to Section 16.6.4, “Configuration Reference for Apache Mod_jk Workers”.
  4. Restart the HTTPD.

    The way to restart the HTTPD depends on whether you are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux's Apache HTTPD or the HTTPD included in JBoss Enterprise Web Server. Choose one of the two methods below.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux's Apache HTTPD

      Issue the following command:
      [root@host]# service httpd restart
    • JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD

      JBoss Enterprise Web Server runs on both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Microsoft Windows Server. The method for restarting the HTTPD is different for each.
      • Red Hat Enterprise Linux, installed from RPM

        In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, JBoss Enterprise Web Server installs its HTTPD as a service. To restart the HTTPD, issue the following two commands:
        [root@host ~]# service httpd stop
        [root@host ~]# service httpd start
        
      • Red Hat Enterprise Linux, installed from ZIP

        If you have installed the JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD from a ZIP archive, use the apachectl command to restart the HTTPD. Replace EWS_HOME with the directory where you unzipped JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD.
        [root@host ~]# EWS_HOME/httpd/sbin/apachectl restart
        
      • Microsoft Windows Server

        Issue the following commands in a command prompt with administrative privileges:
        C:\> net stop Apache2.2
        C:\> net start Apache2.2
        
      • Solaris

        Issue the following commands in a command prompt with administrative privileges. Replace EWS_HOME with the directory where you unzipped JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD.
        [root@host ~] EWS_HOME/httpd/sbin/apachectl restart
        
Result

The Apache HTTPD is now configured to use the mod_jk load balancer. To configure JBoss EAP 6 to be aware of mod_jk, refer to Section 16.3.5, “Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Accept Requests From an External HTTPD”.

16.6.4. Configuration Reference for Apache Mod_jk Workers

The workers.properties file defines the behavior of the worker nodes which mod_jk passes client requests to. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the file resides in /etc/httpd/conf/workers.properties. The workers.properties file defines where the different servlet containers are located, and the way the work load should be balanced across them.
The configuration is divided into three sections. The first section deals with global properties, which apply to all worker nodes. The second section contains settings which apply to a specific worker. The third section contains settings which apply to a specific node balanced by the worker.
The general structure of a property is worker.WORKER_NAME.DIRECTIVE, where WORKER_NAME is a unique name for the worker, and DIRECTIVE is the setting to be applied to the worker.
Configuration reference for Apache mod_jk workers

Node templates specify default per-node settings. You can override the template within the node settings itself. You can see an example of node templates in Example 16.2, “Example workers.properties file”.

Table 16.11. Global properties

Property Description
worker.list The list of worker names used by mod_jk. These workers are available to receive requests.

Table 16.12. Per-worker properties

Property Description
type
The type of the worker. The default type is ajp13. Other possible values are ajp14, lb, status.
For more information on these directives, refer to the Apache Tomcat Connector AJP Protocol Reference at http://tomcat.apache.org/connectors-doc/ajp/ajpv13a.html.
balance_workers
Specifies the worker nodes that the load balancer must manage. You can use the directive multiple times for the same load balancer. It consists of a comma-separated list of worker names. This is set per worker, not per node. It affects all nodes balanced by that worker type.
sticky_session
Specifies whether requests from the same session are always routed to the same worker. The default is 0, meaning that sticky sessions are disabled. To enable sticky sessions, set it to 1. Sticky sessions should usually be enabled, unless all of your requests are truly stateless. This is set per worker, not per node. It affects all nodes balanced by that worker type.

Table 16.13. Per-node properties

Property Description
host
The hostname or IP address of the worker. The worker node must support the ajp protocol stack. The default value is localhost.
port
The port number of the remote server instance listening for defined protocol requests. The default value is 8009, which is the default listening port for AJP13 workers. The default value for AJP14 workers is 8011.
ping_mode
The conditions under which connections are probed for network status. The probe uses an empty AJP13 packet for CPing, and expects a CPong in response. Specify the conditions by using a combination of directive flags. The flags are not separated by a comma or any white-space. The ping_mode can be any combination of C, P, I, and A.
  • C - Connect. Probe the connection one time after connecting to the server. Specify the timeout using the value of connect_timeout. Otherwise, the value of ping_timeout is used.
  • P - Prepost. Probe the connection before sending each request to the server. Specify the timeout using the prepost_timeout directive. Otherwise, the value of ping_timeout is used.
  • I - Interval. Probe the connection at an interval specified by connection_ping_interval, if present. Otherwise, the value of ping_timeout is used.
  • A - All. A shortcut for CPI, which specifies that all connection probes are used.
ping_timeout, connect_timeout, prepost_timeout, connection_ping_interval
The timeout values for the connection probe settings above. The value is specified in milliseconds, and the default value for ping_timeout is 10000.
lbfactor
Specifies the load-balancing factor for an individual worker, and only applies to a member worker of a load balancer. This is useful to give a more powerful server more of the work load. To give a worker 3 times the default load, set this to 3: worker.my_worker.lbfactor=3

Example 16.2. Example workers.properties file

worker.list=node1, node2, node3
     
worker.balancer1.sticky_sessions=1
worker.balancer1.balance_workers=node1
worker.balancer2.sticky_session=1
worker.balancer2.balance_workers=node2,node3

worker.nodetemplate.type=ajp13
worker.nodetemplate.port=8009

worker.node1.template=nodetemplate
worker.node1.host=localhost
worker.node1.ping_mode=CI
worker.node1.connection_ping_interval=9000
worker.node1.lbfactor=1

worker.node2.template=nodetemplate
worker.node2.host=192.168.1.1
worker.node2.ping_mode=A

worker.node3.template=nodetemplate
worker.node3.host=192.168.1.2
Further configuration details for Apache mod_jk are out of the scope of this document. Refer to the Apache documentation at http://tomcat.apache.org/connectors-doc/ for further instructions.

16.7. Apache mod_proxy

16.7.1. About the Apache mod_proxy HTTP Connector

Apache provides two different proxying and load balancing modules for its HTTPD: mod_proxy and mod_jk. To learn more about mod_jk, refer to Section 16.6.1, “About the Apache mod_jk HTTP Connector”. JBoss EAP 6 supports use of either of these, although mod_cluster, the JBoss HTTP connector, more closely couples JBoss EAP 6 and the external HTTPD, and is the recommended HTTP connector. Refer to Section 16.1.3, “Overview of HTTP Connectors” for an overview of all supported HTTP connectors, including advantages and disadvantages.
Unlike mod_jk, mod_proxy supports connections over HTTP and HTTPS protocols. Each of them also support the AJP protocol.
mod_proxy can be configured in standalone or load-balanced configurations, and it supports the notion of sticky sessions.
The mod_proxy module requires JBoss EAP 6 to have the HTTP, HTTPS or AJP web connector configured. This is part of the Web subsystem. Refer to Section 15.1, “Configure the Web Subsystem” for information on configuring the Web subsystem.

16.7.2. Install the Mod_proxy HTTP Connector Into Apache HTTPD

Overview

mod_proxy is a load-balancing module provided by Apache. This task presents a basic configuration. For more advanced configuration, or additional details, refer to Apache's mod_proxy documentation at https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_proxy.html. For more details about mod_proxy from the perspective of JBoss EAP 6, refer to Section 16.7.1, “About the Apache mod_proxy HTTP Connector” and Section 16.1.3, “Overview of HTTP Connectors”.

Prerequisites

  • Either JBoss Enterprise Web Server HTTPD or Apache HTTPD needs to be installed. A standalone HTTPD is provided as a separate download in the Red Hat Customer Portal at https://access.redhat.com, in the JBoss EAP 6 download area. Refer to Section 16.3.2, “Install the Apache HTTPD included with JBoss EAP 6” for information about this HTTPD if you wish to use it.
  • The mod_proxy modules need to be installed. Apache HTTPD typically comes with the mod_proxy modules already included. This is the case on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the HTTPD that comes with the JBoss Enterprise Web Server.
  • You need root or administrator privileges to modify the HTTPD configuration.
  • Determine the HTTPD configuration directory. This is the directory containing the conf/ and modules/ directories for Apache HTTPD. This will be referred to as HTTPD_HOME for the remainder of this task. Typical values include the following:
    • /etc/httpd/
    • EWS_HOME/httpd/, starting from where JBoss Enterprise Web Server is installed
  • In our example we assume that JBoss EAP 6 is configured with the HTTP or HTTPS web connector. This is part of the Web subsystem configuration. Refer to Section 15.1, “Configure the Web Subsystem” for information about configuring the Web subsystem.
  1. Enable the mod_proxy modules in the HTTPD

    Look for the following lines in your HTTPD_HOME/conf/httpd.conf file. If they are not present, add them to the bottom. If they are present but the lines begin with a comment (#) character, remove the character. Save the file afterward. Usually, the modules are already present and enabled.
    LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so
    LoadModule proxy_balancer_module modules/mod_proxy_balancer.so
    LoadModule proxy_http_module modules/mod_proxy_http.so
    # Uncomment these to proxy FTP or HTTPS
    #LoadModule proxy_ftp_module modules/mod_proxy_ftp.so
    #LoadModule proxy_connect_module modules/mod_proxy_connect.so
    
  2. Add a non-load-balancing proxy.

    Add the following configuration to your HTTPD_HOME/conf/httpd.conf file, directly beneath any other <VirtualHost> directives you may have. Replace the values with ones appropriate to your set-up.
    This example uses a virtual host. See the next step to use the default HTTPD configuration.
    <VirtualHost *:80>
    # Your domain name
    ServerName Domain_NAME_HERE
    
    ProxyPreserveHost On
    
    # The IP and port of JBoss EAP 6
    # These represent the default values, if your HTTPD is on the same host
    # as your JBoss EAP 6 managed domain or server
    
    ProxyPass / http://localhost:8080/
    ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8080/
    
    # The location of the HTML files, and access control information
    DocumentRoot /var/www
    <Directory /var/www>
    Options -Indexes
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
    </Directory>
    </VirtualHost>
    
    After making your changes, save the file.
  3. Add a load-balancing proxy.

    To use mod_proxy as a load balancer, and send work to multiple JBoss EAP 6 servers, add the following configuration to your HTTPD_HOME/conf/httpd.conf file. The example IP addresses are fictional. Replace them with the appropriate values for your environment.
    <Proxy balancer://mycluster>
    
    Order deny,allow
    Allow from all
    
    # Add each JBoss Enterprise Application Server by IP address and port.
    # If the route values are unique like this, one node will not fail over to the other.
    BalancerMember http://192.168.1.1:8080 route=node1
    BalancerMember http://192.168.1.2:8180 route=node2
    </Proxy>
    
    <VirtualHost *:80>
     # Your domain name
     ServerName YOUR_DOMAIN_NAME
    
     ProxyPreserveHost On
     ProxyPass / balancer://mycluster/
    
     # The location of the HTML files, and access control information DocumentRoot /var/www
     <Directory /var/www>
      Options -Indexes
      Order allow,deny
      Allow from all
     </Directory>
    
    </VirtualHost>
    
    
    The examples above all communicate using the HTTP protocol. You can use AJP or HTTPS protocols instead, if you load the appropriate mod_proxy modules. Refer to Apache's mod_proxy documentation http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_proxy.html for more details.
  4. Enable sticky sessions.

    Sticky sessions mean that if a client request originally goes to a specific JBoss EAP 6 node, all future requests will be sent to the same node, unless the node becomes unavailable. This is almost always the correct behavior.
    To enable sticky sessions for mod_proxy, add the stickysession parameter to the ProxyPass statement. This example also shows some other parameters which you can use. Refer to Apache's mod_proxy documentation at http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_proxy.html for more information on them.
    ProxyPass /MyApp balancer://mycluster stickysession=JSESSIONID lbmethod=bytraffic nofailover=Off
  5. Restart the HTTPD.

    Restart the HTTPD server for your changes to take effect.
Result

Your HTTPD is configured to use mod_proxy to send client requests to JBoss EAP 6 servers or clusters, either in a standard or load-balancing configuration. To configure JBoss EAP 6 to respond to these requests, refer to Section 16.3.5, “Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Accept Requests From an External HTTPD”.

16.8. Microsoft ISAPI

16.8.1. About the Internet Server API (ISAPI) HTTP Connector

Internet Server API (ISAPI) is the HTTP connector for Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) web server. You can use JBoss EAP 6 as a worker node within an IIS cluster.
To configure JBoss EAP 6 to participate in an IIS cluster, refer to Section 16.8.2, “Configure Microsoft IIS to Use the ISAPI Redirector”. For more information about ISAPI, refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms524911(v=VS.90).aspx.

16.8.2. Configure Microsoft IIS to Use the ISAPI Redirector

Prerequisites

  • Make sure you are using a supported operating system and install the IIS server. Refer to https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/111663 for the list of supported configurations.
  • Download the JBoss Native Components package for Microsoft Windows, from the Customer Support Portal at https://access.redhat.com. Navigate to Downloads, then JBoss Enterprise Middleware, then Application Platform. Choose either i386 or x86_64. Unzip the file, which includes the ISAPI redirect DLL in the jboss-eap-6.0/modules/native/sbin/ directory.
    Extract the Native Components zip file and copy the contents of the sbin\ directory to a location on your server. The rest of this task assumes that you used C:\connectors\.

Procedure 16.10. Configure the IIS Redirector Using the IIS Manager (IIS 7)

  1. Open the IIS manager by clicking StartRun , and typing inetmgr.
  2. In the tree view pane at the left, expand IIS 7.
  3. Double-click ISAPI and CGI Registrations to open it in a new window.
  4. In the Actions pane, click Add. The Add ISAPI or CGI Restriction window opens.
  5. Specify the following values:
    • ISAPI or CGI Path: c:\connectors\isapi_redirect.dll
    • Description: jboss
    • Allow extension path to execute: select the check box.
  6. Click OK to close the Add ISAPI or CGI Restriction window.
  7. Define a JBoss Native virtual directory

    1. Right-click Default Web Site, and click Add Virtual Directory. The Add Virtual Directory window opens.
    2. Specify the following values to add a virtual directory:
      • Alias: jboss
      • Physical Path: C:\connectors\
    3. Click OK to save the values and close the Add Virtual Directory window.
  8. Define a JBoss Native ISAPI Redirect Filter

    1. In the tree view pane, expand SitesDefault Web Site.
    2. Double-click ISAPI Filters. The ISAPI Filters Features view appears.
    3. In the Actions pane, click Add. The Add ISAPI Filter window appears.
    4. Specify the following values in the Add ISAPI Filter window:
      • Filter name: jboss
      • Executable: C:\connectors\isapi_redirect.dll
    5. Click OK to save the values and close the Add ISAPI Filters window.
  9. Enable the ISAPI-dll handler

    1. Double-click the IIS 7 item in the tree view pane. The IIS 7 Home Features View opens.
    2. Double-click Handler Mappings. The Handler Mappings Features View appears.
    3. In the Group by combo box, select State. The Handler Mappings are displayed in Enabled and Disabled Groups.
    4. Find ISAPI-dll. If it is in the Disabled group, right-click it and select Edit Feature Permissions.
    5. Enable the following permissions:
      • Read
      • Script
      • Execute
    6. Click OK to save the values, and close the Edit Feature Permissions window.

16.8.3. Configure the ISAPI Redirector to Send Client Requests to JBoss EAP 6

Overview

This task configures a group of JBoss EAP 6 servers to accept requests from the ISAPI redirector. It does not include configuration for load-balancing or high-availability failover. If you need these capabilities, refer to Section 16.8.4, “Configure ISAPI to Balance Client Requests Across Multiple JBoss EAP 6 Servers”.

This configuration is done on the IIS server, and assumes that JBoss EAP 6 is already configured as per Section 16.3.5, “Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Accept Requests From an External HTTPD”.

Procedure 16.11. Edit Property Files and Setup Redirection

  1. Create a directory to store logs, property files, and lock files.

    The rest of this procedure assumes that you are using the directory C:\connectors\ for this purpose. If you use a different directory, modify the instructions accordingly.
  2. Create the isapi_redirect.properties file.

    Create a new file called C:\connectors\isapi_redirect.properties. Copy the following contents into the file.
    # Configuration file for the ISAPI Redirector
    # Extension uri definition
    extension_uri=c:\connectors\isapi_redirect.dll
    
    # Full path to the log file for the ISAPI Redirector
    log_file=c:\connectors\isapi_redirect.log
    
    # Log level (debug, info, warn, error or trace)
    # Use debug only testing phase, for production switch to info
    log_level=debug
    
    # Full path to the workers.properties file
    worker_file=c:\connectors\workers.properties
    
    # Full path to the uriworkermap.properties file
    worker_mount_file=c:\connectors\uriworkermap.properties
    
    #Full path to the rewrite.properties file 
    rewrite_rule_file=c:\connectors\rewrite.properties
    
    If you do not want to use a rewrite.properties file, comment out the last line by placing a # character at the beginning of the line. See Step 5 for more information.
  3. Create the uriworkermap.properties file

    The uriworkermap.properties file contains mappings between deployed application URLs and which worker handles requests to them. The following example file shows the syntax of the file. Place your uriworkermap.properties file into C:\connectors\.
    # images and css files for path /status are provided by worker01
    /status=worker01
    /images/*=worker01
    /css/*=worker01
    
    # Path /web-console is provided by worker02
    # IIS (customized) error page is used for http errors with number greater or equal to 400
    # css files are provided by worker01
    /web-console/*=worker02;use_server_errors=400
    /web-console/css/*=worker01
    
    # Example of exclusion from mapping, logo.gif won't be displayed  
    # !/web-console/images/logo.gif=*
    
    # Requests to /app-01 or /app-01/something will be routed to worker01
    /app-01|/*=worker01
    
    # Requests to /app-02 or /app-02/something will be routed to worker02
    /app-02|/*=worker02
    
  4. Create the workers.properties file.

    The workers.properties file contains mapping definitions between worker labels and server instances. The following example file shows the syntax of the file. Place this file into the C:\connectors\ directory.
    # An entry that lists all the workers defined
    worker.list=worker01, worker02
    
    # Entries that define the host and port associated with these workers
    
    # First JBoss EAP 6 server definition, port 8009 is standard port for AJP in EAP 
    worker.worker01.host=127.0.0.1
    worker.worker01.port=8009
    worker.worker01.type=ajp13
    
    # Second JBoss EAP 6 server definition
    worker.worker02.host= 127.0.0.100
    worker.worker02.port=8009
    worker.worker02.type=ajp13
    
  5. Create the rewrite.properties file.

    The rewrite.properties file contains simple URL rewriting rules for specific applications. The rewritten path is specified using name-value pairs, as shown in the example below. Place this file into the C:\connectors\ directory.
    #Simple example
    # Images are accessible under abc path
    /app-01/abc/=/app-01/images/
    
  6. Restart the IIS server.

    Restart your IIS server by using the net stop and net start commands.
    C:\> net stop was /Y
    C:\> net start w3svc
    
Result

The IIS server is configured to send client requests to the specific JBoss EAP 6 servers you have configured, on an application-specific basis.

16.8.4. Configure ISAPI to Balance Client Requests Across Multiple JBoss EAP 6 Servers

Overview

This configuration balances client requests across the JBoss EAP 6 servers you specify. If you prefer to send client requests to specific JBoss EAP 6 servers on a per-deployment basis, refer to Section 16.8.3, “Configure the ISAPI Redirector to Send Client Requests to JBoss EAP 6” instead.

This configuration is done on the IIS server, and assumes that JBoss EAP 6 is already configured as per Section 16.3.5, “Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Accept Requests From an External HTTPD”.

Procedure 16.12. Balance Client Requests Across Multiple Servers

  1. Create a directory to store logs, property files, and lock files.

    The rest of this procedure assumes that you are using the directory C:\connectors\ for this purpose. If you use a different directory, modify the instructions accordingly.
  2. Create the isapi_redirect.properties file.

    Create a new file called C:\connectors\isapi_redirect.properties. Copy the following contents into the file.
    # Configuration file for the ISAPI Redirector
    # Extension uri definition
    extension_uri=C:\connectors\isapi_redirect.dll
    
    # Full path to the log file for the ISAPI Redirector
    log_file==c:\connectors\isapi_redirect.log
    
    # Log level (debug, info, warn, error or trace)
    # Use debug only testing phase, for production switch to info
    log_level=debug
    
    # Full path to the workers.properties file
    worker_file=c:\connectors\workers.properties
    
    # Full path to the uriworkermap.properties file
    worker_mount_file=c:\connectors\uriworkermap.properties
    
    #OPTIONAL: Full path to the rewrite.properties file 
    rewrite_rule_file=c:\connectors\rewrite.properties
    
    If you do not want to use a rewrite.properties file, comment out the last line by placing a # character at the beginning of the line. See Step 5 for more information.
  3. Create the uriworkermap.properties file.

    The uriworkermap.properties file contains mappings between deployed application URLs and which worker handles requests to them. The following example file shows the syntax of the file, with a load-balanced configuration. The wildcard (*) character sends all requests for various URL sub-directories to the load-balancer called router. The configuration of the load-balancer is covered in Step 4.
    Place your uriworkermap.properties file into C:\connectors\.
    # images, css files, path /status and /web-console will be
    # provided by nodes defined in the load-balancer called "router"
    /css/*=router
    /images/*=router
    /status=router
    /web-console|/*=router
    
    # Example of exclusion from mapping, logo.gif won't be displayed  
    !/web-console/images/logo.gif=*
    
    # Requests to /app-01 and /app-02 will be routed to nodes defined
    # in the load-balancer called "router"
    /app-01|/*=router
    /app-02|/*=router
    
    # mapping for management console, nodes in cluster can be enabled or disabled here
    /jkmanager|/*=status
    
  4. Create the workers.properties file.

    The workers.properties file contains mapping definitions between worker labels and server instances. The following example file shows the syntax of the file. The load balancer is configured near the end of the file, to comprise workers worker01 and worker02. The workers.properties file follows the syntax of the same file used for Apache mod_jk configuration. For more information about the syntax of the workers.properties file, refer to Section 16.6.4, “Configuration Reference for Apache Mod_jk Workers”.
    Place this file into the C:\connectors\ directory.
    # The advanced router LB worker
    worker.list=router,status
    
    # First EAP server definition, port 8009 is standard port for AJP in EAP
    #
    # lbfactor defines how much the worker will be used. 
    # The higher the number, the more requests are served
    # lbfactor is useful when one machine is more powerful 
    # ping_mode=A – all possible probes will be used to determine that
    # connections are still working
    
    worker.worker01.port=8009
    worker.worker01.host=127.0.0.1
    worker.worker01.type=ajp13
    worker.worker01.ping_mode=A
    worker.worker01.socket_timeout=10
    worker.worker01.lbfactor=3
    
    # Second EAP server definition
    worker.worker02.port=8009
    worker.worker02.host= 127.0.0.100
    worker.worker02.type=ajp13
    worker.worker02.ping_mode=A
    worker.worker02.socket_timeout=10
    worker.worker02.lbfactor=1
    
    # Define the LB worker
    worker.router.type=lb
    worker.router.balance_workers=worker01,worker02
    
    # Define the status worker for jkmanager
    worker.status.type=status
    
  5. Create the rewrite.properties file.

    The rewrite.properties file contains simple URL rewriting rules for specific applications. The rewritten path is specified using name-value pairs, as shown in the example below. Place this file into the C:\connectors\ directory.
    #Simple example
    # Images are accessible under abc path
    /app-01/abc/=/app-01/images/
    
  6. Restart the IIS server.

    Restart your IIS server by using the net stop and net start commands.
    C:\> net stop was /Y
    C:\> net start w3svc
    
Result

The IIS server is configured to send client requests to the JBoss EAP 6 servers referenced in the workers.properties file, balancing the load equally across the servers.

16.9. Oracle NSAPI

16.9.1. About the Netscape Server API (NSAPI) HTTP Connector

The Netscape Server API (NSAPI) is the HTTP connector that allows JBoss EAP 6 to participate as a node in Oracle iPlanet Web Server (formerly Netscape Web Server). To configure this connector, refer to Section 16.9.4, “Configure NSAPI as a Load-balancing Cluster”.

16.9.2. Configure the NSAPI Connector on Oracle Solaris

Summary

The NSAPI connector is a module that runs within Oracle iPlanet Web Server.

Prerequisites

  • Your server is running Oracle Solaris 10 or greater, on either a 32-bit or 64-bit architecture.
  • Oracle iPlanet Web Server 7.0.15 or later for Intel architectures, or or 7.0.14 or later for SPARC architectures, is installed and configured, aside from the NSAPI connector.
  • JBoss EAP 6 is installed and configured on each server which will serve as a worker node. Refer to Section 16.3.5, “Configure JBoss EAP 6 to Accept Requests From an External HTTPD”.
  • The JBoss Native Components ZIP package is downloaded from the Customer Service Portal at https://access.redhat.com.

Procedure 16.13. Extract and Setup the NSAPI Connector

  1. Extract the JBoss Native Components package.

    The rest of this procedure assumes that directory lib/ or lib64/ from the Native Components package is extracted to a directory called connectors/ in /opt/oracle/webserver7/config/. For the rest of this procedure, this directory will be referred to as IPLANET_CONFIG. If your Oracle iPlanet configuration directory is different, or you are running Oracle iPlanet Web Server 6, modify the procedure accordingly.
  2. Disable servlet mappings.

    Open the IPLANET_CONFIG/default.web.xml file and locate the section with the heading Built In Server Mappings. Disable the mappings to the following three servlets, by wrapping them in XML comment characters (<!-- and -->).
    • default
    • invoker
    • jsp
    The following example configuration shows the disabled mappings.
    <!-- ============== Built In Servlet Mappings =============== -->
    <!-- The servlet mappings for the built in servlets defined above. -->
    <!-- The mapping for the default servlet -->
    <!--servlet-mapping>
     <servlet-name>default</servlet-name>
     <url-pattern>/</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping-->
    <!-- The mapping for the invoker servlet -->
    <!--servlet-mapping>
     <servlet-name>invoker</servlet-name>
     <url-pattern>/servlet/*</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping-->
    <!-- The mapping for the JSP servlet -->
    <!--servlet-mapping>
     <servlet-name>jsp</servlet-name>
     <url-pattern>*.jsp</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping-->
    
    Save and exit the file.
  3. Configure the iPlanet Web Server to load the NSAPI connector module.

    Add the following lines to the end of the IPLANET_CONFIG/magnus.conf file, modifying file paths to suit your configuration. These lines define the location of the nsapi_redirector.so module, as well as the workers.properties file, which lists the worker nodes and their properties.
    Init fn="load-modules" funcs="jk_init,jk_service" shlib="IPLANET_CONFIG/connectors/lib/nsapi_redirector.so" shlib_flags="(global|now)"
    Init fn="jk_init" worker_file="IPLANET_CONFIG/connectors/workers.properties" log_level="debug" log_file="IPLANET_CONFIG/config/connectors/nsapi.log" shm_file="IPLANET_CONFIG/conf/connectors/jk_shm"
    
    The configuration above is for a 32-bit architecture. If you use 64-bit Solaris, change the string lib/nsapi_redirector.so to lib64/nsapi_redirector.so.
    Save and exit the file.
  4. Configure the NSAPI connector.

    You can configure the NSAPI connector for a basic configuration, with no load balancing, or a load-balancing configuration. Choose one of the following options, after which your configuration will be complete.

16.9.3. Configure NSAPI as a Basic HTTP Connector

Overview

This task configures the NSAPI connector to redirect client requests to JBoss EAP 6 servers with no load-balancing or fail-over. The redirection is done on a per-deployment (and hence per-URL) basis. For a load-balancing configuration, refer to Section 16.9.4, “Configure NSAPI as a Load-balancing Cluster” instead.

Prerequisites

Procedure 16.14. Setup the Basic HTTP Connector

  1. Define the URL paths to redirect to the JBoss EAP 6 servers.

    Note

    In IPLANET_CONFIG/obj.conf, spaces are not allowed at the beginning of a line, except when the line is a continuation of the previous line.
    Edit the IPLANET_CONFIG/obj.conf file. Locate the section which starts with <Object name="default">, and add each URL pattern to match, in the format shown by the example file below. The string jknsapi refers to the HTTP connector which will be defined in the next step. The example shows the use of wildcards for pattern matching.
    <Object name="default">
    [...]
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/status" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/images(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/css(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/nc(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/jmx-console(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    </Object>
    
    
  2. Define the worker which serves each path.

    Continue editing the IPLANET_CONFIG/obj.conf file. Add the following directly after the closing tag of the section you have just finished editing: </Object>.
    <Object name="jknsapi">
    ObjectType fn=force-type type=text/plain
    Service fn="jk_service" worker="worker01" path="/status"
    Service fn="jk_service" worker="worker02" path="/nc(/*)"
    Service fn="jk_service" worker="worker01"
    </Object>
    
    
    The example above redirects requests to the URL path /status to the worker called worker01, and all URL paths beneath /nc/ to the worker called worker02. The third line indicates that all URLs assigned to the jknsapi object which are not matched by the previous lines are served to worker01.
    Save and exit the file.
  3. Define the workers and their attributes.

    Create a file called workers.properties in the IPLANET_CONFIG/connectors/ directory. Paste the following contents into the file, and modify them to suit your environment.
    # An entry that lists all the workers defined
    worker.list=worker01, worker02
    
    # Entries that define the host and port associated with these workers
    worker.worker01.host=127.0.0.1
    worker.worker01.port=8009
    worker.worker01.type=ajp13
    
    worker.worker02.host=127.0.0.100
    worker.worker02.port=8009
    worker.worker02.type=ajp13
    
    The workers.properties file uses the same syntax as Apache mod_jk. For information about which options are available, refer to Section 16.6.4, “Configuration Reference for Apache Mod_jk Workers”.
    Save and exit the file.
  4. Restart the iPlanet Web Server.

    Issue the following command to restart the iPlanet Web Server.
    IPLANET_CONFIG/../bin/stopserv
    IPLANET_CONFIG/../bin/startserv
    
Result

iPlanet Web Server now sends client requests to the URLs you have configured to deployments on JBoss EAP 6.

16.9.4. Configure NSAPI as a Load-balancing Cluster

Overview

This task configures the NSAPI connector to redirect client requests to JBoss EAP 6 servers in a load-balancing configuration. To use NSAPI as a simple HTTP connector with no load-balancing, refer to Section 16.9.3, “Configure NSAPI as a Basic HTTP Connector” instead.

Prerequisites

Procedure 16.15. Configure the Connector for Load-Balancing

  1. Define the URL paths to redirect to the JBoss EAP 6 servers.

    Note

    In IPLANET_CONFIG/obj.conf, spaces are not allowed at the beginning of a line, except when the line is a continuation of the previous line.
    Edit the IPLANET_CONFIG/obj.conf file. Locate the section which starts with <Object name="default">, and add each URL pattern to match, in the format shown by the example file below. The string jknsapi refers to the HTTP connector which will be defined in the next step. The example shows the use of wildcards for pattern matching.
    <Object name="default">
    [...]
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/status" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/images(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/css(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/nc(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/jmx-console(|/*)" name="jknsapi"
    NameTrans fn="assign-name" from="/jkmanager/*" name="jknsapi"   
    </Object>
    
    
  2. Define the worker that serves each path.

    Continue editing the IPLANET_CONFIG/obj.conf file. Directly after the closing tag for the section you modified in the previous step (</Object>), add the following new section and modify it to your needs:
    <Object name="jknsapi">
    ObjectType fn=force-type type=text/plain
    Service fn="jk_service" worker="status" path="/jkmanager(/*)"
    Service fn="jk_service" worker="router"
    </Object>	  
    
    
    This jksnapi object defines the worker nodes used to serve each path that was mapped to the name="jksnapi" mapping in the default object. Everything except for URLs matching /jkmanager/* is redirected to the worker called router.
  3. Define the workers and their attributes.

    Create a file called workers.properties in IPLANET_CONFIG/connector/. Paste the following contents into the file, and modify them to suit your environment.
    # The advanced router LB worker
    # A list of each worker
    worker.list=router,status
    
    # First JBoss EAP server
    # (worker node) definition.
    # Port 8009 is the standard port for AJP
    #
    
    worker.worker01.port=8009
    worker.worker01.host=127.0.0.1
    worker.worker01.type=ajp13
    worker.worker01.ping_mode=A
    worker.worker01.socket_timeout=10
    worker.worker01.lbfactor=3
    
    # Second JBoss EAP server
    worker.worker02.port=8009
    worker.worker02.host=127.0.0.100
    worker.worker02.type=ajp13
    worker.worker02.ping_mode=A
    worker.worker02.socket_timeout=10
    worker.worker02.lbfactor=1
    
    # Define the load-balancer called "router"
    worker.router.type=lb
    worker.router.balance_workers=worker01,worker02
    
    # Define the status worker
    worker.status.type=status
    
    The workers.properties file uses the same syntax as Apache mod_jk. For information about which options are available, refer to Section 16.6.4, “Configuration Reference for Apache Mod_jk Workers”.
    Save and exit the file.
  4. Restart the iPlanet Web Server.

    Choose one of the following procedures, depending on whether you run iPlanet Web Server 6.1 or 7.0.
    • iPlanet Web Server 6.1

      IPLANET_CONFIG/../stop
      IPLANET_CONFIG/../start
      
    • iPlanet Web Server 7.0

      IPLANET_CONFIG/../bin/stopserv
      IPLANET_CONFIG/../bin/startserv
      
Result

The iPlanet Web Server redirects the URL patterns you have configured to your JBoss EAP 6 servers in a load-balancing configuration.

Chapter 17. Messaging

17.1. Introduction

17.1.1. HornetQ

HornetQ is a multi-protocol, asynchronous messaging system developed by Red Hat. HornetQ provides high availability (HA) with automatic client failover to guarantee message reliability in the event of a server failure. HornetQ also supports flexible clustering solutions with load-balanced messages.

17.1.2. About Java Messaging Service (JMS)

Messaging systems allow you to loosely couple heterogeneous systems together with added reliability. Java Messaging Service (JMS) providers use a system of transactions, to commit or roll back changes atomically. Unlike systems based on a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) pattern, messaging systems primarily use an asynchronous message passing pattern with no tight relationship between requests and responses. Most messaging systems also support a request-response mode but this is not a primary feature of messaging systems.
Messaging systems decouple the senders of messages from the consumers of messages. The senders and consumers of messages are completely independent and know nothing of each other. This allows you to create flexible, loosely coupled systems. Often, large enterprises use a messaging system to implement a message bus which loosely couples heterogeneous systems together. Message buses often form the core of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). Using a message bus to decouple disparate systems can allow the system to grow and adapt more easily. It also allows more flexibility to add new systems or retire old ones since they don't have brittle dependencies on each other.

17.1.3. Supported Messaging Styles

HornetQ supports the following messaging styles:
Message Queue pattern
The Message Queue pattern involves sending a message to a queue. Once in the queue, the message is usually made persistent to guarantee delivery. Once the message has moved through the queue, the messaging system delivers it to a message consumer. The message consumer acknowledges the delivery of the message once it is processed.
When used with point-to-point messaging, the Message Queue pattern allows multiple consumers for a queue, but each message can only be received by a single consumer.
Publish-Subscribe pattern
The Publish-Subscribe pattern allows multiple senders to send messages to a single entity on the server. This entity is often known as a "topic". Each topic can be attended by multiple consumers, known as "subscriptions".
Each subscription receives a copy of every message sent to the topic. This differs from the Message Queue pattern, where each message is only consumed by a single consumer.
Subscriptions that are durable retain copies of each message sent to the topic until the subscriber consumes them. These copies are retained even in the event of a server restart. Non-durable subscriptions last only as long as the connection that created them.

17.2. About Acceptors and Connectors

HornetQ uses the concept of connectors and acceptors as a key part of the messaging system.

Acceptors and Connectors

Acceptor
An acceptor defines which types of connections are accepted by the HornetQ server.
Connector
A connector defines how to connect to a HornetQ server, and is used by the HornetQ client.
There are two types of connectors and acceptors, relating to whether the matched connector and acceptor pair occur within same JVM or not.

Invm and Netty

Invm
Invm is short for Intra Virtual Machine. It can be used when both the client and the server are running in the same JVM.
Netty
The name of a JBoss project. It must be used when the client and server are running in different JVMs.
A HornetQ client must use a connector that is compatible with one of the server's acceptors. Only an Invm connector can connect to an Invm acceptor, and only a netty connector can connect to a netty acceptor. The connectors and acceptors are both configured on the server in a standalone.xml and domain.xml. You can use either the Management Console or the Management CLI to define them.

Example 17.1. Example of the Default Acceptor and Connector Configuration

<connectors>
    <netty-connector name="netty" socket-binding="messaging"/>
    <netty-connector name="netty-throughput" socket-binding="messaging-throughput">
        <param key="batch-delay" value="50"/>
    </netty-connector>
    <in-vm-connector name="in-vm" server-id="0"/>
</connectors>
<acceptors>
    <netty-acceptor name="netty" socket-binding="messaging"/>
    <netty-acceptor name="netty-throughput" socket-binding="messaging-throughput">
        <param key="batch-delay" value="50"/>
        <param key="direct-deliver" value="false"/>
    </netty-acceptor>
    <in-vm-acceptor name="in-vm" server-id="0"/>
</acceptors>

The example configuration also shows how the JBoss EAP 6 implementation of HornetQ uses socket bindings in the acceptor and connector configuration. This differs from the standalone version of HornetQ, which requires you to declare the specific hosts and ports.

17.3. About Bridges

The function of a bridge is to consume messages from a source queue, and forward them to a target address, typically on a different HornetQ server. Bridges cope with unreliable connections, automatically reconnecting when the connections become available again. HornetQ bridges can be configured with filter expressions to only forward certain messages.

17.4. About Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI)

The Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) is a standard Java API for naming and directory services. It allows Java-based technologies to discover and organize named components in a distributed computing environment.

17.5. Work with Large Messages

HornetQ supports the use of large messages even when either the client or server has limited amounts of memory. Large messages can be streamed as they are, or compressed further for more efficient transferral.

17.6. Configuration

17.6.1. Configure the JMS Server

To configure the JMS Server for HornetQ, edit the server configuration file. The server configuration is contained in the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml file for domain servers, or in the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml file for standalone servers.
The <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:messaging:1.3"> element contains all JMS configuration. Add any JMS ConnectionFactory, Queue, or Topic instances required for the JNDI.
  1. Enable the JMS subsystem in JBoss EAP 6.

    In the <extensions> element, verify that the following line is present and is not commented out:
    <extension module="org.jboss.as.messaging"/>
  2. Add the basic JMS subsystem.

    If the Messaging subsystem is not present in your configuration file, add it.
    1. Look for the <profile> which corresponds to the profile you use, and locate its <subsystems> tag.
    2. Add a new line just beneath the <subsystems> tag. Paste the following into it:
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:messaging:1.3">
      
      </subsystem>
      
      All further configuration will be added to the empty line above.
  3. Add basic configuration for JMS.

    <journal-file-size>102400</journal-file-size>
    <journal-min-files>2</journal-min-files>
    <journal-type>NIO</journal-type>
    <!-- disable messaging persistence -->
    <persistence-enabled>false</persistence-enabled>
    
    Customize the values above to meet your needs.

    Warning

    The value of journal-file-size must be higher than the size of message sent to server, or the server won't be able to store the message.
  4. Add connection factory instances to HornetQ

    The client uses a JMS ConnectionFactory object to make connections to the server. To add a JMS connection factory object to HornetQ, include a single <jms-connection-factories> tag and <connection-factory> element for each connection factory as follows:
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:messaging:1.3">
      ...
      <jms-connection-factories>
        <connection-factory name="myConnectionFactory">
          <connectors>
            <connector-ref connector-name="netty"/>
          </connectors>
          <entries>
            <entry name="/ConnectionFactory"/>           
          </entries>
        </connection-factory>
      </jms-connection-factories>
      ...
    </subsystem>
    
  5. Configure the netty connector

    This JMS connection factory uses a netty connector. This is a reference to a connector object deployed in the server configuration file. The connector object defines the transport and parameters used to actually connect to the server.
    To configure the netty connector, include the following settings:
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:messaging:1.3">
      ...
      <connectors>
        <netty-connector name="netty" socket-binding="messaging"/>
        <netty-connector name="netty-throughput" socket-binding="messaging-throughput">
          <param key="batch-delay" value="50"/>
        </netty-connector>
        <in-vm-connector name="in-vm" server-id="0"/>
      </connectors>
      ...
    </subsystem>
    
    The connector references the messaging and messaging-throughput socket bindings. The messaging socket binding uses port 5445, and the messaging-throughput socket binding uses port 5455. Ensure the following socket bindings are present in the <socket-binding-groups> element:
    <socket-binding-groups>
      ...
      <socket-binding-group ... >
        <socket-binding name="messaging" port="5445"/>
        <socket-binding name="messaging-throughput" port="5455"/>
        ...
      </socket-binding-group>
      ...
    </socket-binding-groups>
    
  6. Add queue instances to HornetQ

    There are 4 ways to setup the queue instances (or JMS destinations) for HornetQ.
    • Use the Management Console
      To use the Management Console, the server must have been started in the Message-Enabled mode. You can do this by using the -c option and forcing the use of the standalone-full.xml (for standalone servers) configuration file. For example, in the standalone mode, the following will start the server in a message enabled mode
      ./standalone.sh -c standalone-full.xml
      Once the server has started, logon to the Management Console and navigate to: Profile → Messaging → Destinations → default → View, and then click the add button to enter details of the JMS destination.
    • Use the Management CLI:
      First, connect to the Management CLI:
       bin/jboss-cli.sh --connect
      Next, change into the messaging subsystem:
      cd /subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default
      Finally, execute an add operation, replacing the examples values given below with your own:
      ./jms-queue=testQueue:add(durable=false,entries=["java:jboss/exported/jms/queue/test"])
    • Create a JMS configuration file and add it to the deployments folder
      Start by creating a JMS configuration file: example-jms.xml. Add the following entries to it, replacing the values with your own:
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>				  	  <messaging-deployment xmlns="urn:jboss:messaging-deployment:1.0">
          <hornetq-server>
              <jms-destinations>
                  <jms-queue name="testQueue">
                      <entry name="queue/test"/>
                      <entry name="java:jboss/exported/jms/queue/test"/>
                  </jms-queue>
                  <jms-topic name="testTopic">
                      <entry name="topic/test"/>
                      <entry name="java:jboss/exported/jms/topic/test"/>
                  </jms-topic>
              </jms-destinations>
          </hornetq-server>
      </messaging-deployment>
      
      Save this file in the deployments folder and do a deployment.
    • Add entries in the JBoss EAP 6 configuration file.
      Using the standalone-full.xml as an example, find the messaging subsystem in this file.
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:messaging:1.3">
      
      Add the following entries in it, again, replacing the example values with your own. You will need to add these entries in after the </jms-connection-factories> end tag but before the </hornetq-server> element:
      <jms-destinations>
              <jms-queue name="testQueue">
                  <entry name="queue/test"/>
                  <entry name="java:jboss/exported/jms/queue/test"/>
              </jms-queue>
              <jms-topic name="testTopic">
                  <entry name="topic/test"/>
                  <entry name="java:jboss/exported/jms/topic/test"/>
              </jms-topic>
          </jms-destinations>
      
  7. Perform additional configuration

    If you need additional settings, review the DTD in EAP_HOME/docs/schema/jboss-messaging_1_3.xsd.

17.6.2. Configure JMS Address Settings

The JMS subsystem has several configurable options which control aspects of how and when a message is delivered, how many attempts should be made, and when the message expires. These configuration options all exist within the <address-settings> configuration element.
A common feature of address configurations is the syntax for matching multiple addresses, also known as wild cards.
Wildcard Syntax

Address wildcards can be used to match multiple similar addresses with a single statement, similar to how many systems use the asterisk ( *) character to match multiple files or strings with a single search. The following characters have special significance in a wildcard statement.

Table 17.1. JMS Wildcard Syntax

Character Description
. (a single period) Denotes the space between words in a wildcard expression.
# (a pound or hash symbol) Matches any sequence of zero or more words.
* (an asterisk) Matches a single word.

Table 17.2. JMS Wildcard Examples

Example Description
news.europe.#
Matches news.europe, news.europe.sport, news.europe.politic, but not news.usa or europe.
news.
Matches news.europe but not news.europe.sport.
news.*.sport
Matches news.europe.sport and news.usa.sport, but not news.europe.politics.

Example 17.2. Default Address Setting Configuration

The values in this example are used to illustrate the rest of this topic.
<address-settings>
    <!--default for catch all-->
    <address-setting match="#">
        <dead-letter-address>jms.queue.DLQ</dead-letter-address>
        <expiry-address>jms.queue.ExpiryQueue</expiry-address>
        <redelivery-delay>0</redelivery-delay>
        <max-size-bytes>10485760</max-size-bytes>
        <address-full-policy>BLOCK</address-full-policy>
        <message-counter-history-day-limit>10</message-counter-history-day-limit>
    </address-setting>
</address-settings>

Table 17.3. Description of JMS Address Settings

Element Description Default Value Type
address-full-policy
Determines what happens when an address where max-size-bytes is specified becomes full.
PAGE
STRING
dead-letter-address
If a dead letter address is specified, messages are moved to the dead letter address if max-delivery-attempts delivery attempts have failed. Otherwise, these undelivered messages are discarded. Wildcards are allowed.
jms.queue.DLQ
STRING
expiry-address
If the expiry address is present, expired messages are sent to the address or addresses matched by it, instead of being discarded. Wildcards are allowed.
jms.queue.ExpiryQueue
STRING
last-value-queue
Defines whether a queue only uses last values or not.
false
BOOLEAN
max-delivery-attempts
The maximum number of times to attempt to re-deliver a message before it is sent to dead-letter-address or discarded.
10
INT
max-size-bytes
The maximum bytes size.
10485760L
LONG
message-counter-history-day-limit
Day limit for the message counter history.
10
INT
page-max-cache-size
The number of page files to keep in memory to optimize IO during paging navigation.
5
INT
page-size-bytes
The paging size.
5
INT
redelivery-delay
Time to delay between re-delivery attempts of messages, expressed in milliseconds. If set to 0, re-delivery attempts occur indefinitely.
0L
LONG
redistribution-delay
Defines how long to wait when the last consumer is closed on a queue before redistributing any messages.
-1L
LONG
send-to-dla-on-no-route
A parameter for an address that sets the condition of a message not routed to any queues to instead be sent the to the dead letter address (DLA) indicated for that address.
false
BOOLEAN
  • Configure Address Setting and Pattern Attributes

    Choose either the Management CLI or the Management Console to configure your pattern attributes as required.
    • Configure the Address Settings Using the Management CLI

      Use the Management CLI to configure address settings.
      1. Add a New Pattern

        Use the add operation to create a new address setting if required. You can run this command from the root of the Management CLI session, which in the following examples creates a new pattern titled patternname, with a max-delivery-attempts attribute declared as 5. The examples for both Standalone Server and a Managed Domain editing on the full profile are shown.
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /profile=full/subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default/address-setting=patternname/:add(max-delivery-attempts=5)
        [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default/address-setting=patternname/:add(max-delivery-attempts=5)
      2. Edit Pattern Attributes

        Use the write operation to write a new value to an attribute. You can use tab completion to help complete the command string as you type, as well as to expose the available attributes. The following example updates the max-delivery-attempts value to 10
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /profile=full/subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default/address-setting=patternname/:write-attribute(name=max-delivery-attempts,value=10)
        [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default/address-setting=patternname/:write-attribute(name=max-delivery-attempts,value=10)
      3. Confirm Pattern Attributes

        Confirm the values are changed by running the read-resource operation with the include-runtime=true parameter to expose all current values active in the server model.
        [domain@localhost:9999 /] /profile=full/subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default/address-setting=patternname/:read-resource
        [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default/address-setting=patternname/:read-resource
    • Configure the Address Settings Using the Management Console

      Use the Management Console to configure address settings.
      1. Log into the Management Console.

        Log into the Management Console of your Managed Domain or Standalone Server.
      2. If you use a Managed Domain, choose the correct profile.

        Select the Profiles tab at the top right, and then select the correct profile from the Profile menu at the top left of the next screen. Only the full and full-ha profiles have the messaging subsystem enabled.
      3. Select the Messaging item from the navigation menu.

        Expand the Messaging menu item from the navigation menu, and click Destinations.
      4. View the JMS Provider.

        A list of JMS Providers is shown. In the default configuration, only one provider, called default, is shown. Click the View link to view the detailed settings for this provider.
      5. View the Address Settings.

        Click the Addressing tab. Either add a new pattern by clicking the Add button, or edit an existing one by clicking its name and clicking the Edit button.
      6. Configure the options.

        If you are adding a new pattern, the Pattern field refers to the match parameter of the address-setting element. You can also edit the Dead Letter Address, Expiry Address, Redelivery Delay, and Max Delivery Attempts. Other options need to be configured using the Management CLI.

17.6.3. Configure Messaging with HornetQ

The recommended method of configuring messaging in JBoss EAP 6 is in either the Management Console or Management CLI. You can make persistent changes with either of these management tools without needing to manually edit the standalone.xml or domain.xml configuration files. It is useful however to familiarize yourself with the messaging components of the default configuration files, where documentation examples using management tools give configuration file snippets for reference.

17.6.4. Configure Delayed Redelivery

Introduction

Delayed redelivery is defined in the <redelivery-delay> element, which is a child element of the <address-setting> configuration element in the Java Messaging Service (JMS) subsystem configuration.

<!-- delay redelivery of messages for 5s -->
<address-setting match="jms.queue.exampleQueue">
  <redelivery-delay>5000</redelivery-delay>
</address-setting>
If a redelivery delay is specified, the JMS system waits for the duration of this delay before redelivering the messages. If <redelivery-delay> is set to 0, there is no redelivery delay. Address wildcards can be used on the <address-setting-match> element to configure the redelivery delay for addresses which match the wildcard.

17.6.5. Configure Dead Letter Addresses

Introduction

A dead letter address is defined in the <address-setting> element of the Java Messaging Service (JMS) subsystem configuration.

<!-- undelivered messages in exampleQueue will be sent to the dead letter address 
deadLetterQueue after 3 unsuccessful delivery attempts
-->
<address-setting match="jms.queue.exampleQueue">
  <dead-letter-address>jms.queue.deadLetterQueue</dead-letter-address>
  <max-delivery-attempts>3</max-delivery-attempts>
</address-setting>
If a <dead-letter-address> is not specified, messages are removed after trying to deliver <max-delivery-attempts> times. By default, messages delivery is attempted 10 times. Setting <max-delivery-attempts> to -1 allows infinite redelivery attempts. For example, a dead letter can be set globally for a set of matching addresses and you can set <max-delivery-attempts> to -1 for a specific address setting to allow infinite redelivery attempts only for this address. Address wildcards can also be used to configure dead letter settings for a set of addresses.

17.6.6. Configure Message Expiry Addresses

Introduction

Message expiry addresses are defined in the address-setting configuration of the Java Messaging Service (JMS). For example:

<!-- expired messages in exampleQueue will be sent to the expiry address expiryQueue -->
<address-setting match="jms.queue.exampleQueue">
  <expiry-address>jms.queue.expiryQueue</expiry-address>
</address-setting>
If messages are expired and no expiry address is specified, messages are simply removed from the queue and dropped. Address wildcards can also be used to configure specific ranges of an expiry address for a set of addresses.
Address Wildcards

Address wildcards can be used to match multiple similar addresses with a single statement, similar to how many systems use the asterisk (*) character to match multiple files or strings with a single search. The following characters have special significance in a wildcard statement.

Table 17.4. JMS Wildcard Syntax

Character Description
. (a single period) Denotes the space between words in a wildcard expression.
# (a pound or hash symbol) Matches any sequence of zero or more words.
* (an asterisk) Matches a single word.

Table 17.5. JMS Wildcard Examples

Example Description
news.europe.#
Matches news.europe, news.europe.sport, news.europe.politic, but not news.usa or europe.
news.
Matches news.europe but not news.europe.sport.
news.*.sport
Matches news.europe.sport and news.usa.sport, but not news.europe.politics.

17.6.7. Reference for HornetQ Configuration Attributes

The JBoss EAP 6 implementation of HornetQ exposes the following attributes for configuration. You can use the Management CLI in particular to exposure the configurable or viewable attributes with the read-resource operation.

Example 17.3. Example

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=messaging/hornetq-server=default:read-resource

Table 17.6. HornetQ Attributes

Attribute Example Value Type
allow-failback true BOOLEAN
async-connection-execution-enabled true BOOLEAN
backup false BOOLEAN
cluster-password somethingsecure STRING
cluster-user HORNETQ.CLUSTER.ADMIN.USER STRING
clustered false BOOLEAN
connection-ttl-override -1 LONG
create-bindings-dir true BOOLEAN
create-journal-dir true BOOLEAN
failback-delay 5000 LONG
failover-on-shutdown false BOOLEAN
id-cache-size 2000 INT
jmx-domain org.hornetq STRING
jmx-management-enabled false BOOLEAN
journal-buffer-size 100 LONG
journal-buffer-timeout 100 LONG
journal-compact-min-files 10 INT
journal-compact-percentage 30 INT
journal-file-size 102400 LONG
journal-max-io 1 INT
journal-min-files 2 INT
journal-sync-non-transactional true BOOLEAN
journal-sync-transactional true BOOLEAN
journal-type ASYNCIO STRING
live-connector-ref reference STRING
log-journal-write-rate false BOOLEAN
management-address jms.queue.hornetq.management STRING
management-notification-address hornetq.notifications STRING
memory-measure-interval -1 LONG
memory-warning-threshold 25 INT
message-counter-enabled false BOOLEAN
message-counter-max-day-history 10 INT
message-counter-sample-period 10000 LONG
message-expiry-scan-period 30000 LONG
message-expiry-thread-priority 3 INT
page-max-concurrent-io 5 INT
perf-blast-pages -1 INT
persist-delivery-count-before-delivery false BOOLEAN
persist-id-cache true BOOLEAN
persistence-enabled true BOOLEAN
remoting-interceptors undefined LIST
run-sync-speed-test false BOOLEAN
scheduled-thread-pool-max-size 5 INT
security-domain other STRING
security-enabled true BOOLEAN
security-invalidation-interval 10000 LONG
server-dump-interval -1 LONG
shared-store true BOOLEAN
started true BOOLEAN
thread-pool-max-size 30 INT
transaction-timeout 300000 LONG
transaction-timeout-scan-period 1000 LONG
version 2.2.16.Final (HQ_2_2_16_FINAL, 122) STRING
wild-card-routing-enabled true BOOLEAN

Warning

The value of journal-file-size must be higher than the size of message sent to server, or the server won't be able to store the message.

17.6.8. Set Message Expiry

Introduction

Using HornetQ Core API, the expiration time can be set directly on the message. For example:

// message will expire in 5000ms from now
message.setExpiration(System.currentTimeMillis() + 5000);
JMS MessageProducer

JMS MessageProducer includes a TimeToLive parameter which controls message expiry for the messages it sends:

// messages sent by this producer will be retained for 5s (5000ms) before expiration           
producer.setTimeToLive(5000);
Expired messages which are consumed from an expiry address have the following properties:
  • _HQ_ORIG_ADDRESS
A string property containing the original address of the expired message.
  • _HQ_ACTUAL_EXPIRY
A long property containing the actual expiration time of the expired message.

17.7. Persistence

17.7.1. About Persistence in HornetQ

HornetQ handles its own persistence. It ships with a high-performance journal, which is optimized for messaging-specific use cases.
The HornetQ journal is append only with a configurable file size, which improves performance by enabling single write operations. It consists of a set of files on disk, which are initially pre-created to a fixed size and filled with padding. As server operations (add message, delete message, update message, etc.) are performed, records of the operations are appended to the journal until the journal file is full, at which point the next journal file is used.
A sophisticated garbage collection algorithm determines whether journal files can be reclaimed and re-used when all of their data has been deleted. A compaction algorithm removes dead space from journal files and compresses the data.
The journal also fully supports both local and XA transactions.
The majority of the journal is written in Java, but interaction with the file system has been abstracted to allow different pluggable implementations. The two implementations shipped with HornetQ are:
  • Java New I/O (NIO)
    Uses standard Java NIO to interface with the file system. This provides extremely good performance and runs on any platform with a Java 6 or later runtime.
  • Linux Asynchronous IO (AIO)
    Uses a native code wrapper to talk to the Linux asynchronous IO library (AIO). With AIO, HornetQ receives a message when data has been persisted. This removes the need for explicit syncs. AIO will typically provide better performance than Java NIO, but requires Linux kernel 2.6 or later and the libaio package.
    AIO also requires ext2, ext3, ext4, jfs or xfs type file systems.
The standard HornetQ core server uses the following journal instances:
  • bindings journal
    Stores bindings-related data, including the set of queues deployed on the server and their attributes. It also stores data such as ID sequence counters. The bindings journal is always a NIO journal, as it typically has low throughput in comparison to the message journal.
    The files on this journal are prefixed as hornetq-bindings. Each file has a bindings extension. File size is 1048576 bytes, and it is located in the bindings folder.
  • JMS journal
    Stores all JMS-related data, for example, any JMS queues, topics or connection factories and any JNDI bindings for these resources. Any JMS resources created with the management API are persisted to this journal. Any resources configured with configuration files are not. This journal is created only if JMS is in use.
  • message journal
    Stores all message-related data, including messages themselves and duplicate-id caches. By default, HornetQ uses AIO for this journal. If AIO is not available, it will automatically fall back to NIO.
Large messages are persisted outside the message journal. In low memory situations, configure HornetQ to page messages to disk. If persistence is not required, HornetQ can be configured not to persist any data.

17.8. High Availability

17.8.1. About HornetQ Shared Stores

When using a shared store, both the live and backup servers share the same, entire data directory, using a shared file system. This includes the paging directory, journal directory, large messages, and the binding journal. When failover occurs and the backup server takes over, it will load the persistent storage from the shared file system. Clients can then connect to it.

Important

HornetQ supports two different configurations for shared stores:
  • GFS2 on a SAN, using the ASYNCIO journal type.
  • NFSv4, using either the ASYNCIO or NIO journal type.

Important

HornetQ supports NFS, under strict configuration guidelines that are outlined below.
This form of high availability differs from data replication, as it requires a shared file system accessible by both the live and backup nodes. This will usually be a high performance Storage Area Network (SAN) of some kind.

Warning

Do not use NFS mounts to store any shared journal when using NIO (non-blocking I/O), unless you are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This is due to the NFS implementation used.
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFS implementation supports both direct I/O (opening files with the O_DIRECT flag set), and kernel based asynchronous I/O. With both of these features present, it is possible to use NFS as a shared storage option, under strict configuration rules:
  • HornetQ must be configured to use one of the following journal types: ASYNCIO/AIO or NIO.
  • The Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFS client cache must be disabled.

Important

The server log should be checked after JBoss EAP 6 is started, to ensure that the native library successfully loaded, and that the ASYNCIO journal type is being used. If the native library fails to load, HornetQ will gracefully fail to the NIO journal type, and this will be stated in the server log.

Important

The native library that implements asynchronous I/O requires that libaio is installed on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux system where JBoss EAP 6 is running.

Note

It is recommended that, if using NFS under the above stipulations, a highly-available NFS configuration is used.
The advantage of shared-store high availability is that no replication occurs between the live and backup nodes. This means it does not suffer any performance penalties due to the overhead of replication during normal operation.
The disadvantage of shared store replication is that it requires a shared file system, and when the backup server activates it needs to load the journal from the shared store. This can take some time, depending on the amount of data in the store.
If the highest performance during normal operation is required, there is access to a fast SAN, and a slightly slower fail-over rate is acceptable (depending on the amount of data), shared store high availability is recommended.

17.8.2. About High-availability (HA) Failover

High-availability failover is available with either automatic client failover, or application-level failover, through a live-backup structure. Each live server has a backup server, which can also be backed up by as many servers as necessary.
The backup server only takes over if the live server crashes and there is a failover. Simulteneously, one of the secondary backup servers takes over as the passive backup server, from the new live server. After the failover, and after the former live server has been restarted, it becomes a secondary backup server, or the backup server if there are only two.

Important

Clustering should be enabled even if you are not using the clustering capabilities. This is because each node of the HA cluster must have a cluster-connection to all of the other nodes, in order to negotiate roles with the other servers.

Important

A shared file-system-directory is required, in order for the backup server to send/receive messages as a response to the messages received by the previous live server.
High availability cluster topology is achieved by the live and backup server as they send information about their connection details by using IP multicasts. If IP multicasts can not be used, it is also possible to use a static configuration of the initial connections. After the initial connection, the client is informed about the topology. If the current connection is stale, the client establishes a new connection to another node.

17.9. Message Replication

17.9.1. HornetQ Message Replication

HornetQ supports the ability to continue functioning after failure of one or more of the servers. Part of this is achieved through failover support where client connections migrate from the live server to a backup server in the event of the live server failing. To keep the backup server current, messages are replicated from the live server to the backup server continuously through two strategies: shared store and replication. This section covers the replication strategy.

Warning

Only persistent messages are replicated. Any non-persistent messages do not survive failover.
Message replication between a live and a backup server is achieved via network traffic as the live and backup servers do not share the same data stores. All the journals are replicated between the two servers as long as the two servers are within the same cluster and have the same cluster username and password. All (persistent) data traffic received by the live server gets replicated to the backup server.
When the backup server comes online, it looks for, and connects to a live server to attempt synchronization. While it is synchronizing, it is unavailable as a backup server. Synchronization can take a long time depending on the amount of data to be synchronized and the network speed.
How a backup server looks for a live server to replicate data from depends on whether the backup-group-name parameter has been defined in the hornetq-configuration.xml file. A backup server will only connect to a live server that shares the same group name. In the absence of this parameter, a backup server will try and connect to any live server.
In the event of a live server failing, the correctly configured and synchronized backup server will take over its duties. The backup server will establish if the live server has failed if it is unable to connect to it but is still able to connect to more than half of the other servers within its cluster. If more than half of the other servers in the cluster also fail to respond it would indicate a general network failure and the backup server will wait to retry the connection to the live server.

17.9.2. Configuring the HornetQ Servers for Replication

To configure the live and backup servers to be a replicating pair, configure both hornetq-configuration.xml files to have:
<shared-store>false</shared-store>
.
.
.
<cluster-connections>
   <cluster-connection name="my-cluster">
      ...
   </cluster-connection>
</cluster-connections>
The backup server must also be flagged explicitly as a backup.
<backup>true</backup>
<connectors>
   <connector name="nameOfConfiguredLiveServerConnector">
      <factory-class>
         org.hornetq.core.remoting.impl.netty.NettyConnectorFactory
      </factory-class>
   <param key="port" value="5445"/>
   </connector>
<!-- a real configuration could have more connectors here -->
<connectors>

Chapter 18. Transaction Subsystem

18.1. Transaction Subsystem Configuration

18.1.2. Configure the Transaction Manager

You can configure the Transaction Manager (TM) using the web-based Management Console or the command-line Management CLI. For each command or option given, the assumption is made that you are running JBoss EAP 6 as a Managed Domain. If you use a Standalone Server or you want to modify a different profile than default, you may need to modify the steps and commands in the following ways.

Notes about the Example Commands

  • For the Management Console, the default profile is the one which is selected when you first log into the console. If you need to modify the Transaction Manager's configuration in a different profile, select your profile instead of default, in each instruction.
    Similarly, substitute your profile for the default profile in the example CLI commands.
  • If you use a Standalone Server, only one profile exists. Ignore any instructions to choose a specific profile. In CLI commands, remove the /profile=default portion of the sample commands.

Note

In order for the TM options to be visible in the Management Console or Management CLI, the transactions subsystem must be enabled. It is enabled by default, and required for many other subsystems to function properly, so it is very unlikely that it would be disabled.
Configure the TM Using the Management Console

To configure the TM using the web-based Management Console, select the Runtime tab from the list in the upper left side of the Management Console screen. If you use a managed domain, you have the choice of several profiles. Choose the correct one from the Profile selection box at the upper right of the Profiles screen. Expand the Container menu and select Transactions.

Most options are shown in the Transaction Manager configuration page. The Recovery options are hidden by default. Click the Recovery header to expand them. Click the Edit button to edit any of the options. Changes take effect immediately.
Click the Need Help? label to display in-line help text.
Configure the TM using the Management CLI

In the Management CLI, you can configure the TM using a series of commands. The commands all begin with /profile=default/subsystem=transactions/ for a managed domain with profile default, or /subsystem=transactions for a Standalone Server.

Table 18.1. TM Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
Enable Statistics
Whether to enable transaction statistics. These statistics can be viewed in the Management Console in the Subsystem Metrics section of the Runtime tab.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=enable-statistics,value=true)
Default Timeout
The default transaction timeout. This defaults to 300 seconds. You can override this programmatically, on a per-transaction basis.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=default-timeout,value=300)
Path
The relative or absolute filesystem path where the transaction manager core stores data. By default the value is a path relative to the value of the relative-to attribute. The path is used to save the process ID when the process-id tag (or the process-id-uuid CLI attribute) is used.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=path,value=var)
Relative To
References a global path configuration in the domain model. The default value is the data directory for JBoss EAP 6, which is the value of the property jboss.server.data.dir, and defaults to EAP_HOME/domain/data/ for a Managed Domain, or EAP_HOME/standalone/data/ for a Standalone Server instance. The value of the path TM attribute is relative to this path.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=relative-to,value=jboss.server.data.dir)
Object Store Path
A relative or absolute filesystem path where the TM object store stores data. By default relative to the object-store-relative-to parameter's value.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=object-store-path,value=tx-object-store)
Object Store Path Relative To
References a global path configuration in the domain model. The default value is the data directory for JBoss EAP 6, which is the value of the property jboss.server.data.dir, and defaults to EAP_HOME/domain/data/ for a Managed Domain, or EAP_HOME/standalone/data/ for a Standalone Server instance. The value of the object store path TM attribute is relative to this path.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=object-store-relative-to,value=jboss.server.data.dir)
Socket Binding
Specifies the name of the socket binding used by the Transaction Manager for recovery and generating transaction identifiers, when the socket-based mechanism is used. Refer to process-id-socket-max-ports for more information on unique identifier generation. Socket bindings are specified per server group in the Server tab of the Management Console.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=socket-binding,value=txn-recovery-environment)
Recovery Listener
Whether or not the Transaction Recovery process should listen on a network socket. Defaults to false.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=recovery-listener,value=false)
The following options are for advanced use and can only be modified using the Management CLI. Be cautious when changing them from the default configuration. Contact Red Hat Global Support Services for more information.

Table 18.2. Advanced TM Configuration Options

Option Description CLI Command
jts
Whether to use Java Transaction Service (JTS) transactions. Defaults to false, which uses JTA transactions only.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=jts,value=false)
node-identifier
The node identifier for the JTS service. This should be unique per JTS service, because the Transaction Manager uses this for recovery.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=node-identifier,value=1)
process-id-socket-max-ports
The Transaction Manager creates a unique identifier for each transaction log. Two different mechanisms are provided for generating unique identifiers: a socket-based mechanism and a mechanism based on the process identifier of the process.
In the case of the socket-based identifier, a socket is opened and its port number is used for the identifier. If the port is already in use, the next port is probed, until a free one is found. The process-id-socket-max-ports represents the maximum number of sockets the TM will try before failing. The default value is 10.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=process-id-socket-max-ports,value=10)
process-id-uuid
Set to true to use the process identifier to create a unique identifier for each transaction. Otherwise, the socket-based mechanism is used. Defaults to true. Refer to process-id-socket-max-ports for more information.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=process-id-uuid,value=true)
use-hornetq-store
Use HornetQ's journaled storage mechanisms instead of file-based storage, for the transaction logs. This is disabled by default, but can improve I/O performance. It is not recommended for JTS transactions on separate Transaction Managers. .
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/:write-attribute(name=use-hornetq-store,value=false)

18.1.3. Configure Your Datasource to Use JTA Transactions

Summary

This task shows you how to enable Java Transactions API (JTA) on your datasource.

Prerequisites

You must meet the following conditions before continuing with this task:

Procedure 18.1. Configure the Datasource to use JTA Transactions

  1. Open the configuration file in a text editor.

    Depending on whether you run JBoss EAP 6 in a managed domain or standalone server, your configuration file will be in a different location.
    • Managed domain

      The default configuration file for a managed domain is in EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and EAP_HOME\domain\configuration\domain.xml for Microsoft Windows Server.
    • Standalone server

      The default configuration file for a standalone server is in EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and EAP_HOME\standalone\configuration\standalone.xml for Microsoft Windows Server.
  2. Locate the <datasource> tag that corresponds to your datasource.

    The datasource will have the jndi-name attribute set to the one you specified when you created it. For example, the ExampleDS datasource looks like this:
    <datasource jndi-name="java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS" pool-name="H2DS" enabled="true" jta="true" use-java-context="true" use-ccm="true">
  3. Set the jta attribute to true.

    Add the following to the contents of your <datasource> tag, as they appear in the previous step: jta="true"
  4. Save the configuration file.

    Save the configuration file and exit the text editor.
  5. Start JBoss EAP 6.

    Relaunch the JBoss EAP 6 server.
Result:

JBoss EAP 6 starts, and your datasource is configured to use JTA transactions.

18.1.4. Configure an XA Datasource

Prerequisites

In order to add an XA Datasource, you need to log into the Management Console. See Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console” for more information.

  1. Add a new datasource.

    Add a new datasource to JBoss EAP 6. Follow the instructions in Section 6.3.1, “Create a Non-XA Datasource with the Management Interfaces”, but click the XA Datasource tab at the top.
  2. Configure additional properties as appropriate.

    All datasource parameters are listed in Section 6.6.1, “Datasource Parameters”.
Result

Your XA Datasource is configured and ready to use.

18.1.5. About Transaction Log Messages

To track transaction status while keeping the log files readable, use the DEBUG log level for the transaction logger. For detailed debugging, use the TRACE log level. Refer to Section 18.1.6, “Configure Logging for the Transaction Subsystem” for information on configuring the transaction logger.
The transaction manager can generate a lot of logging information when configured to log in the TRACE log level. Following are some of the most commonly-seen messages. This list is not comprehensive, so you may see other messages than these.

Table 18.3. Transaction State Change

Transaction Begin
When a transaction begins, the following code is executed:
com.arjuna.ats.arjuna.coordinator.BasicAction::Begin:1342
tsLogger.logger.trace("BasicAction::Begin() for action-id "+ get_uid());
Transaction Commit
When a transaction commits, the following code is executed:
com.arjuna.ats.arjuna.coordinator.BasicAction::End:1342
tsLogger.logger.trace("BasicAction::End() for action-id "+ get_uid());
Transaction Rollback
When a transaction rolls back, the following code is executed:
com.arjuna.ats.arjuna.coordinator.BasicAction::Abort:1575
tsLogger.logger.trace("BasicAction::Abort() for action-id "+ get_uid());
Transaction Timeout
When a transaction times out, the following code is executed:
com.arjuna.ats.arjuna.coordinator.TransactionReaper::doCancellations:349
tsLogger.logger.trace("Reaper Worker " + Thread.currentThread() + " attempting to cancel " + e._control.get_uid());
You will then see the same thread rolling back the transaction as shown above.

18.1.6. Configure Logging for the Transaction Subsystem

Summary

Use this procedure to control the amount of information logged about transactions, independent of other logging settings in JBoss EAP 6. The main procedure shows how to do this in the web-based Management Console. The Management CLI command is given afterward.

Procedure 18.2. Configure the Transaction Logger Using the Management Console

  1. Navigate to the Logging configuration area.

    In the Management Console, click the Profiles tab at the top left of the screen. If you use a managed domain, choose the server profile you wish to configure, from the Profile selection box at the top right.
    Expand the Core menu, and click the Logging label.
  2. Edit the com.arjuna attributes.

    Click the Edit button in the Details section, toward the bottom of the page. This is where you can add class-specific logging information. The com.arjuna class is already present. You can change the log level and whether to use parent handlers.
    Log Level
    The log level is WARN by default. Because transactions can produce a large quantity of logging output, the meaning of the standard logging levels is slightly different for the transaction logger. In general, messages tagged with levels at a lower severity than the chosen level are discarded.

    Transaction Logging Levels, from Most to Least Verbose

    • TRACE
    • DEBUG
    • INFO
    • WARN
    • ERROR
    • FAILURE
    Use Parent Handlers
    Whether the logger should send its output to its parent logger. The default behavior is true.
  3. Changes take effect immediately.

18.2. Transaction Administration

18.2.1. Browse and Manage Transactions

The command-line based Management CLI supports the ability to browse and manipulate transaction records. This functionality is provided by the interaction between the Transaction Manager and the Management API of JBoss EAP 6.
The transaction manager stores information about each pending transaction and the participants involved the transaction, in a persistent storage called the object store. The Management API exposes the object store as a resource called the log-store. An API operation called probe reads the transaction logs and creates a node for each log. You can call the probe command manually, whenever you need to refresh the log-store. It is normal for transaction logs to appear and disappear quickly.

Example 18.1. Refresh the Log Store

This command refreshes the Log Store for server groups which use the profile default in a managed domain. For a standalone server, remove the profile=default from the command.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/log-store=log-store/:probe

Example 18.2. View All Prepared Transactions

To view all prepared transactions, first refresh the log store (see Example 18.1, “Refresh the Log Store”), then run the following command, which functions similarly to a filesystem ls command.
ls /profile=default/subsystem=transactions/log-store=log-store/transactions
Each transaction is shown, along with its unique identifier. Individual operations can be run against an individual transaction (see Manage a Transaction).

Manage a Transaction

View a transaction's attributes.
To view information about a transaction, such as its JNDI name, EIS product name and version, or its status, use the :read-resource CLI command.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/log-store=log-store/transactions=0\:ffff7f000001\:-b66efc2\:4f9e6f8f\:9:read-resource
View the participants of a transaction.
Each transaction log contains a child element called participants. Use the read-resource CLI command on this element to see the participants of the transaction. Participants are identified by their JNDI names.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/log-store=log-store/transactions=0\:ffff7f000001\:-b66efc2\:4f9e6f8f\:9/participants=java\:\/JmsXA:read-resource
The result may look similar to this:
{
   "outcome" => "success",
   "result" => {
       "eis-product-name" => "HornetQ",
       "eis-product-version" => "2.0",
       "jndi-name" => "java:/JmsXA",
       "status" => "HEURISTIC",
       "type" => "/StateManager/AbstractRecord/XAResourceRecord"
   }
}
The outcome status shown here is in a HEURISTIC state and is eligible for recover. Refer to Recover a transaction. for more details.
Delete a transaction.
Each transaction log supports a :delete operation, to delete the transaction log representing the transaction.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/log-store=log-store/transactions=0\:ffff7f000001\:-b66efc2\:4f9e6f8f\:9:delete
Recover a transaction.
Each transaction log supports recovery via the :recover CLI command.

Recovery of Heuristic Transactions and Participants

  • If the transaction's status is HEURISTIC, the recovery operation changes the state to PREPARE and triggers a recovery.
  • If one of the transaction's participants is heuristic, the recovery operation tries to replay the commit operation. If successful, the participant is removed from the transaction log. You can verify this by re-running the :probe operation on the log-store and checking that the participant is no longer listed. If this is the last participant, the transaction is also deleted.
Refresh the status of a transaction which needs recovery.
If a transaction needs recovery, you can use the :refresh CLI command to be sure it still requires recovery, before attempting the recovery.
/profile=default/subsystem=transactions/log-store=log-store/transactions=0\:ffff7f000001\:-b66efc2\:4f9e6f8f\:9:refresh

Note

For JTS transactions, if participants are on remote servers, a limited amount of information may be available to the Transaction Manager. In this case, it is recommended that you use the file-based object store, rather than the HornetQ storage mode. This is the default behavior. To use the HornetQ storage mode, you can set the value of the use-hornetq-store option to true, in the Transaction Manager configuration. Refer to Section 18.1.2, “Configure the Transaction Manager” for information on configuring the Transaction Manager.
View Transaction Statistics

If Transaction Manager (TM) statistics are enabled, you can view statistics about the Transaction Manager and transaction subsystem. Refer to Section 18.1.2, “Configure the Transaction Manager” for information about how to enable TM statistics.

You can view statistics either via the web-based Management Console or the command-line Management CLI. In the web-based Management Console, Transaction statistics are available via RuntimeSubsystem MetricsTransactions. Transaction statistics are available for each server in a managed domain, as well. You can specify the server in the Server selection box at the top left.
The following table shows each available statistic, its description, and the CLI command to view the statistic.

Table 18.4. Transaction Subsystem Statistics

Statistic Description CLI Command
Total
The total number of transactions processed by the Transaction Manager on this server.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-transactions,include-defaults=true)
Committed
The number of committed transactions processed by the Transaction Manager on this server.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-committed-transactions,include-defaults=true)
Aborted
The number of aborted transactions processed by the Transaction Manager on this server.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-aborted-transactions,include-defaults=true)
Timed Out
The number of timed out transactions processed by the Transaction Manager on this server.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-timed-out-transactions,include-defaults=true)
Heuristics
Not available in the Management Console. Number of transactions in a heuristic state.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-heuristics,include-defaults=true)
In-Flight Transactions
Not available in the Management Console. Number of transactions which have begun but not yet terminated.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-inflight-transactions,include-defaults=true)
Failure Origin - Applications
The number of failed transactions whose failure origin was an application.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-application-rollbacks,include-defaults=true)
Failure Origin - Resources
The number of failed transactions whose failure origin was a resource.
/host=master/server=server-one/subsystem=transactions/:read-attribute(name=number-of-resource-rollbacks,include-defaults=true)

18.3. Transaction References

18.3.1. JBoss Transactions Errors and Exceptions

For details about exceptions thrown by methods of the UserTransaction class, see the UserTransaction API specification at http://download.oracle.com/javaee/1.3/api/javax/transaction/UserTransaction.html.

18.3.2. JTA Clustering Limitations

JTA transactions cannot be clustered across multiple instances of JBoss EAP 6. For this behavior, use JTS transactions.
To use JTS transactions, you need to configure the ORB: Section 18.4.2, “Configure the ORB for JTS Transactions”.

18.4. ORB Configuration

18.4.1. About Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)

Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is a standard that enables applications and services to work together even when they are written in multiple, otherwise-incompatible, languages or hosted on separate platforms. CORBA requests are brokered by a server-side component called an Object Request Broker (ORB). JBoss EAP 6 provides an ORB instance, by means of the JacORB component.
The ORB is used internally for Java Transaction Service (JTS) transactions, and is also available for use by your own applications.

18.4.2. Configure the ORB for JTS Transactions

In a default installation of JBoss EAP 6, the ORB is disabled. You can enable the ORB using the command-line Management CLI.

Note

In a managed domain, the JacORB subsystem is available in full and full-ha profiles only. In a standalone server, it is available when you use the standalone-full.xml or standalone-full-ha.xml configurations.

Procedure 18.3. Configure the ORB using the Management Console

  1. View the profile settings.

    Select Profiles (managed domain) or Profile (standalone server) from the top right of the management console. If you use a managed domain, select either the full or full-ha profile from the selection box at the top left.
  2. Modify the Initializers Settings

    Expand the Subsystems menu at the left, if necessary. Expand the Container sub-menu and click JacORB.
    In the form that appears in the main screen, select the Initializers tab and click the Edit button.
    Enable the security interceptors by setting the value of Security to on.
    To enable the ORB for JTS, set the Transaction Interceptors value to on, rather than the default spec.
    Refer to the Need Help? link in the form for detailed explanations about these values. Click Save when you have finished editing the values.
  3. Advanced ORB Configuration

    Refer to the other sections of the form for advanced configuration options. Each section includes a Need Help? link with detailed information about the parameters.
Configure the ORB using the Management CLI

You can configure each aspect of the ORB using the Management CLI. The following commands configure the initializers to the same values as the procedure above, for the Management Console. This is the minimum configuration for the ORB to be used with JTS.

These commands are configured for a managed domain using the full profile. If necessary, change the profile to suit the one you need to configure. If you use a standalone server, omit the /profile=full portion of the commands.

Example 18.3. Enable the Security Interceptors

/profile=full/subsystem=jacorb/:write-attribute(name=security,value=on)

Example 18.4. Enable the ORB for JTS

/profile=full/subsystem=jacorb/:write-attribute(name=transactions,value=on)

Example 18.5. Enable Transactions in the JacORB Subsystem

/profile=full/subsystem=jacorb/:write-attribute(name=transactions,value=on)

Example 18.6. Enable JTS in the Transaction Subsystem

/subsystem=transactions:write-attribute(name=jts,value=true)

Chapter 19. Enterprise JavaBeans

19.1. Introduction

19.1.1. Overview of Enterprise JavaBeans

Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) 3.1 is an API for developing distributed, transactional, secure and portable Java EE applications through the use of server-side components called Enterprise Beans. Enterprise Beans implement the business logic of an application in a decoupled manner that encourages reuse. Enterprise JavaBeans 3.1 is documented as the Java EE specification JSR-318.
JBoss EAP 6 has full support for applications built using the Enterprise JavaBeans 3.1 specification. The EJB Container is implemented using the JBoss EJB3 community project, http://www.jboss.org/ejb3.

19.1.2. Overview of Enterprise JavaBeans for Administrators

JBoss administrators have many configuration options available to them to control the performance of Enterprise Beans in JBoss EAP 6. These options can be accessed using the Management Console or the command line configuration tool. Editing the XML server configuration file to apply changes is also possible but not recommended.
The EJB configuration options are located in slightly different places in the Management Console depending on how the server is being run.
If the server is running as a Standalone Server:
  1. Clicking on the Profile link on the top right to switch to the Profile view.
  2. Expand the Profile menu on the left by clicking the arrow next to the label.
  3. Click on Container to expand it, and then click on EJB 3.
If the server is running a part of a Managed Domain:
  1. Click on the Profile link on the top to switch to the Profile view.
  2. Expand the Subsystems menu on the left by clicking the arrow next to the label.
  3. Select the profile you are modifying from the Profile menu.
  4. Click on Container to expand it, and then click on EJB 3.
EJB Configuration Options in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

Figure 19.1. EJB Configuration Options in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

19.1.3. Enterprise Beans

Enterprise beans are server-side application components as defined in the Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) 3.1 specification, JSR-318. Enterprise beans are designed for the implementation of application business logic in a decoupled manner to encourage reuse.
Enterprise beans are written as Java classes and annotated with the appropriate EJB annotations. They can be deployed to the application server in their own archive (a JAR file) or be deployed as part of a Java EE application. The application server manages the lifecycle of each enterprise bean and provides services to them such as security, transactions, and concurrency management.
An enterprise bean can also define any number of business interfaces. Business interfaces provide greater control over which of the bean's methods are available to clients and can also allow access to clients running in remote JVMs.
There are three types of Enterprise Bean: Session beans, Message-driven beans and Entity beans.

Important

Entity beans are now deprecated in EJB 3.1 and Red Hat recommends the use of JPA entities instead. Red Hat only recommends the use of Entity beans for backwards compatibility with legacy systems.

19.1.4. Session Beans

Session Beans are Enterprise Beans that encapsulate a set of related business processes or tasks and are injected into the classes that request them. There are three types of session bean: stateless, stateful, and singleton.

19.1.5. Message-Driven Beans

Message-driven Beans (MDBs) provide an event driven model for application development. The methods of MDBs are not injected into or invoked from client code but are triggered by the receipt of messages from a messaging service such as a Java Messaging Service (JMS) server. The Java EE 6 specification requires that JMS is supported but other messaging systems can be supported as well.

19.2. Configuring Bean Pools

19.2.1. Bean Pools

JBoss EAP 6 maintains a number of instances of deployed stateless enterprise beans in memory to provide faster performance. This technique is called bean pooling. When a bean is required the application server can take one from the appropriate pool of already available beans instead of instantiating a new one. When the bean is no longer required it is returned to the pool for reuse.
Bean pools are configured and maintained separately for stateless session beans and for message-driven beans.

19.2.2. Create a Bean Pool

Bean pools can be created using the Management Console and the CLI tool.
Bean pools can also be created by adding the required bean pool configuration to the server configuration file using a text editor. Example 19.2, “XML Configuration Sample” is an example of what this configuration looks like.

Procedure 19.1. Create a bean pool using the Management Console

  1. Login to the Management Console. Refer to Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console”.
  2. Navigate to the EJB3 Bean Pools panel.
    EJB3 Bean Pools Panel

    Figure 19.2. EJB3 Bean Pools Panel

  3. Click the Add button. The Add EJB3 Bean Pools dialog appears.
  4. Specify the required details, Name, Max Pool Size, Timeout value, and Timeout unit.
  5. Click on the Save button to save the new bean pool or click the Cancel link to abort the procedure.
    • If you click the Save button, the dialog will close and the new bean pool will appear in the list.
    • If you click Cancel, the dialog will close and no new bean pool will be created.

Procedure 19.2. Create a bean pool using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the add operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=BEANPOOLNAME:add(max-pool-size=MAXSIZE, timeout=TIMEOUT, timeout-unit="UNIT")
    • Replace BEANPOOLNAME with the required name for the bean pool.
    • Replace MAXSIZE with the maximum size of the bean pool.
    • Replace TIMEOUT
    • Replace UNIT with the required time unit. Allowed values are: NANOSECONDS, MICROSECONDS, MILLISECONDS, SECONDS, MINUTES, HOURS, and DAYS.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the creation of the bean pool.
    /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=BEANPOOLNAME:read-resource

Example 19.1. Create a Bean Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=ACCTS_BEAN_POOL:add(max-pool-size=500, timeout=5000, timeout-unit="SECONDS")  
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

Example 19.2. XML Configuration Sample

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ejb3:1.2">

   <pools>

      <bean-instance-pools>

         <strict-max-pool  name="slsb-strict-max-pool" max-pool-size="20" 
            instance-acquisition-timeout="5" 
            instance-acquisition-timeout-unit="MINUTES" />

         <strict-max-pool name="mdb-strict-max-pool" max-pool-size="20" 
            instance-acquisition-timeout="5" 
            instance-acquisition-timeout-unit="MINUTES" />

      </bean-instance-pools>

   </pools>

</subsystem>

19.2.3. Remove a Bean Pool

Unused bean pools can be removed using the Management Console.

Prerequisites:

Procedure 19.3. Remove a bean pool using the Management Console

  1. Login to the Management Console. Refer to Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console”.
  2. Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Bean Pools tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Bean Pools Panel

    Figure 19.3. EJB3 Bean Pools Panel

  3. Select the bean pool to remove in the list.
  4. Click the Remove button. The Remove Item dialog appears.
  5. Click the OK button to confirm deletion or click the Cancel link to abort the operation.
    If you click the Ok button, the dialog will close and the bean pool will be deleted and removed from the list.
    If you click Cancel, the dialog will close and no changes will be made.

Procedure 19.4. Remove a bean pool using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the remove operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=BEANPOOLNAME:remove
    • Replace BEANPOOLNAME with the required name for the bean pool.

Example 19.3. Removing a Bean Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=ACCTS_BEAN_POOL:remove  
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

19.2.4. Edit a Bean Pool

Bean pools can be edited using the Management Console.

Procedure 19.5. Edit a bean pool using the Management Console

  1. Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Bean Pools tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Bean Pools Panel

    Figure 19.4. EJB3 Bean Pools Panel

  2. Click on the bean pool you wish to edit from the list.
  3. Click the Edit button. The fields in the Details area are now editable.
  4. Edit the details you want to change. Only Max Pool Size, Timeout value, and Timeout unit can be changed.
  5. Click the Save button if you are satisfied with the changes, or click the Cancel link if you want to discard the changes.
    If you click the Ok button, the Details area will change back to it's non-editable form and the bean pool will be updated with the new details.
    If you click the Cancel link, the Details area will change back to it's non-editable form and no changes will be made.

Procedure 19.6. Edit a bean pool using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the write_attribute operation with the following syntax for each attribute of the bean pool to be changed.
    /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=BEANPOOLNAME:write-attribute(name="ATTRIBUTE", value="VALUE")
    • Replace BEANPOOLNAME with the required name for the bean pool.
    • Replace ATTRIBUTE with the name of the attribute to be edited. The attributes that can be edited in this way are max-pool-size, timeout, and timeout-unit.
    • Replace VALUE with the required value of the attribute.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the changes to the bean pool.
    /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=BEANPOOLNAME:read-resource

Example 19.4. Set the Timeout Value of a Bean Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=HSBeanPool:write-attribute(name="timeout", value="1500")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

19.2.5. Assign Bean Pools for Session and Message-Driven Beans

JBoss Administrators can assign individual bean pools for use by session beans and message-driven beans. Bean pools can be assigned by using the Management Console or the CLI tool.
By default two bean pools are provided, slsb-strict-max-pool and mdb-strict-max-pool for stateless session beans and message-driven beans respectively.

Procedure 19.7. Assign Bean Pools for Session and Message-Driven Beans using the Management Console

  1. Navigate to the EJB3 Container Configuration panel.
    EJB3 Container Configuration panel in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

    Figure 19.5. EJB3 Container Configuration panel in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

  2. Click the Edit button. The fields in the Details area are now editable.
  3. Select the bean pool to use for each type of bean from the appropriate combo-box.
  4. Click the Save button to keep the changes, or click the Cancel link to discard them.
  5. The Details area will now be non-editable and display the correct bean pool selection.

Procedure 19.8. Assign Bean Pools for Session and Message-Driven Beans using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3:write-attribute(name="BEANTYPE", value="BEANPOOL")
    • Replace BEANTYPE with default-mdb-instance-pool for Message-Driven Beans or default-slsb-instance-pool for stateless session beans.
    • Replace BEANPOOL with the name of the bean pool to assign.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the changes.
    /subsystem=ejb3:read-resource

Example 19.5. Assign a Bean Pool for Session Beans using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3:write-attribute(name="default-slsb-instance-pool", value="LV_SLSB_POOL")  
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

Example 19.6. XML Configuration Sample

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ejb3:1.2">
   <session-bean>
      <stateless>
         <bean-instance-pool-ref pool-name="slsb-strict-max-pool"/>
      </stateless>
      <stateful default-access-timeout="5000" cache-ref="simple"/>
      <singleton default-access-timeout="5000"/>
   </session-bean>
   <mdb>
      <resource-adapter-ref resource-adapter-name="hornetq-ra"/>
      <bean-instance-pool-ref pool-name="mdb-strict-max-pool"/>
   </mdb>


</subsystem>

19.3. Configuring EJB Thread Pools

19.3.1. Enterprise Bean Thread Pools

JBoss EAP 6 maintains number of instances of Java thread objects in memory for use by enterprise bean services, including remote invocation, the timer service, and asynchronous invocation.
This technique is called thread pooling. It provides improved performance by eliminating the overhead of thread creation and gives the system administrator a mechanism for controlling resource usage.
Multiple thread pools can be created with different parameters and each service can be allocated a different thread pool.

19.3.2. Create a Thread Pool

EJB Thread pools can be created using the Management Console or the CLI.

Procedure 19.9. Create an EJB Thread Pool using the Management Console

  1. Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Thread Pools tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Thread Pools Panel

    Figure 19.6. EJB3 Thread Pools Panel

  2. Click the Add button. The Add EJB3 Thread Pools dialog appears.
  3. Specify the required details, Name, Max. Threads, and Keep-Alive Timeout value.
  4. Click on the Save button to save the new thread pool or click the Cancel link to abort the procedure.
    • If you click the Save button, the dialog will close and the new thread pool will appear in the list.
    • If you click Cancel, the dialog will close and no new thread pool will be created.

Procedure 19.10. Create a Thread Pool using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the add operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=THREADPOOLNAME:add(max-threads=MAXSIZE, keepalive-time={"time"=>"TIME", "unit"=>UNIT"})
    • Replace THREADPOOLNAME with the required name for the thread pool.
    • Replace MAXSIZE with the maximum size of the thread pool.
    • Replace UNIT with the required time unit to be used for the required keep-alive time. Allowed values are: NANOSECONDS, MICROSECONDS, MILLISECONDS, SECONDS, MINUTES, HOURS, and DAYS.
    • Replace TIME with the integer value of the required keep-alive time. This value is a number of UNITs.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the creation of the bean pool.
    /subsystem=ejb3/strict-max-bean-instance-pool=THREADPOOLNAME:read-resource

Example 19.7. Create a Thread Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=testmepool:add(max-threads=50, keepalive-time={"time"=>"150", "unit"=>"SECONDS"})
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

Example 19.8. XML Configuration Sample

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ejb3:1.2">

   <thread-pools>
      <thread-pool name="default" max-threads="20" keepalive-time="150"/>
   </thread-pools>

</subsystem>

19.3.3. Remove a Thread Pool

Unused EJB thread pools can be removed using the Management Console.

Prerequisites

Procedure 19.11. Remove an EJB thread pool using the Management Console

  1. Login to the Management Console. Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console”.
  2. Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Thread Pools tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Thread Pools Panel

    Figure 19.7. EJB3 Thread Pools Panel

  3. Select the thread pool to remove in the list.
  4. Click the Remove button. The Remove Item dialog appears.
  5. Click the OK button to confirm deletion or click the Cancel link to abort the operation.
    If you click the Ok button, the dialog will close and the thread pool will be deleted and removed from the list.
    If you click Cancel, the dialog will close and no changes will be made.

Procedure 19.12. Remove a thread pool using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the remove operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=THREADPOOLNAME:remove
    • Replace THREADPOOLNAME with the name of the thread pool.

Example 19.9. Removing a Thread Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=ACCTS_THREADS:remove
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

19.3.4. Edit a Thread Pool

JBoss Administrators can edit Thread Pools using the Management Console and the CLI.

Procedure 19.13. Edit a Thread Pool using the Management Console

  1. Login

    Login to the Management Console.
  2. Navigate to the EJB3 Thread Pools Tab

    Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Thread Pools tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Thread Pools Tab

    Figure 19.8. EJB3 Thread Pools Tab

  3. Select the Thread Pool to Edit

    Select the thread pool you wish to edit from the list.
  4. Click the Edit button

    The fields in the Details area are now editable.
  5. Edit Details

    Edit the details you want to change. Only the Thread Factory, Max Threads, Keepalive Timeout, and Keepalive Timeout Unit values can be edited.
  6. Save or Cancel

    Click the Save button if you are satisfied with the changes, or click the Cancel link if you want to discard the changes.

Procedure 19.14. Edit a thread pool using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the write_attribute operation with the following syntax for each attribute of the thread pool to be changed.
    /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=THREADPOOLNAME:write-attribute(name="ATTRIBUTE", value="VALUE")
    • Replace THREADPOOLNAME with the name of the thread pool.
    • Replace ATTRIBUTE with the name of the attribute to be edited. The attributes that can be edited in this way are keepalive-time, max-threads, and thread-factory.
    • Replace VALUE with the required value of the attribute.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the changes to the thread pool.
    /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=THREADPOOLNAME:read-resource

Important

When changing the value of the keepalive-time attribute with the CLI the required value is an object representation. It has the following syntax.
/subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=THREADPOOLNAME:write-attribute(name="keepalive-time", value={"time" => "VALUE","unit" => "UNIT"}

Example 19.10. Set the Maxsize Value of a Thread Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=HSThreads:write-attribute(name="max-threads", value="50")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

Example 19.11. Set the keepalive-time Time Value of a Thread Pool using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3/thread-pool=HSThreads:write-attribute(name="keepalive-time", value={"time"=>"150"})
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

19.4. Configuring Session Beans

19.4.1. Session Bean Access Timeout

Stateful and Singleton Session Beans have an access timeout value specified for managing concurrent access. This value is the period of time that a request to a session bean method can be blocked before it will timeout.
The timeout value and the time unit used can be specified using the @javax.ejb.AccessTimeout annotation on the method. It can be specified on the session bean (which applies to all the bean's methods) and on specific methods to override the configuration for the bean.
If they are not specified JBoss EAP 6 supplies a default timeout value of 5000 milliseconds.
Refer to the Javadocs for AccessTimeout at http://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/api/javax/ejb/AccessTimeout.html

19.4.2. Set Default Session Bean Access Timeout Values

JBoss Administrators can specify the default timeout values for Singleton and Stateful session beans. The default timeout values can be changed using the Management Console or the CLI. The default value is 5000 milliseconds.

Procedure 19.15. Set Default Session Bean Access Timeout Values using the Management Console

  1. Login to the Management Console. See Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console”.
  2. Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Container tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Container Configuration panel in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

    Figure 19.9. EJB3 Container Configuration panel in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

  3. Click the Edit button. The fields in the Details area are now editable.
  4. Enter the required values in the Stateful Access Timeout and/or Singleton Access Timeout text boxes.
  5. Click the Save button to keep the changes, or click the Cancel link to discard them.
  6. The Details area will now be non-editable and display the correct timeout values.

Procedure 19.16. Set Session Bean Access Timeout Values Using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3:write-attribute(name="BEANTYPE", value=TIME)
    • Replace BEANTYPE with default-stateful-bean-access-timeout for Stateful Session Beans, or default-singleton-bean-access-timeout for Singleton Session Beans.
    • Replace TIME with the required timeout value.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the changes.
    /subsystem=ejb3:read-resource

Example 19.12. Setting the Default Stateful Bean Access Timeout value to 9000 with the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=ejb3:write-attribute(name="default-stateful-bean-access-timeout", value=9000)  
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 /]

Example 19.13. XML Configuration Sample

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ejb3:1.2">
   <session-bean>
      <stateless>
         <bean-instance-pool-ref pool-name="slsb-strict-max-pool"/>
      </stateless>
      <stateful default-access-timeout="5000" cache-ref="simple"/>
      <singleton default-access-timeout="5000"/>
   </session-bean>
   
</subsystem>

19.5. Configuring Message-Driven Beans

19.5.1. Set Default Resource Adapter for Message-Driven Beans

JBoss Administrators can specify the default resource adapter used by message-driven beans. The default resource adapter can be specified using the Management Console and the CLI. The default resource adapter supplied with JBoss EAP 6 is hornetq-ra.

Procedure 19.17. Set the Default Resource Adapter for Message-Driven Beans using the Management Console

  1. Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Then select the Container tab from the main panel.
    EJB3 Container Configuration panel in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

    Figure 19.10. EJB3 Container Configuration panel in the Management Console (Standalone Server)

  2. Click the Edit button. The fields in the Details area are now editable.
  3. Enter the name of the resource adapter to be used in the Default Resource Adapter text box.
  4. Click the Save button to keep the changes, or click the Cancel link to discard them.
  5. The Details area will now be non-editable and display the correct resource adapter name.

Procedure 19.18. Set the Default Resource Adapter for Message-Driven Beans using the CLI

  1. Launch the CLI tool and connect to your server. Refer to Section 3.5.4, “Connect to a Managed Server Instance Using the Management CLI”.
  2. Use the write-attribute operation with the following syntax.
    /subsystem=ejb3:write-attribute(name="default-resource-adapter-name", value="RESOURCE-ADAPTER")
    Replace RESOURCE-ADAPTER with name of the resource adapter to be used.
  3. Use the read-resource operation to confirm the changes.
    /subsystem=ejb3:read-resource

Example 19.14. Set the Default Resource Adapter for Message-Driven Beans using the CLI

[standalone@localhost:9999 subsystem=ejb3] /subsystem=ejb3:write-attribute(name="default-resource-adapter-name", value="EDIS-RA")
{"outcome" => "success"}
[standalone@localhost:9999 subsystem=ejb3]

Example 19.15. XML Configuration Sample

<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:ejb3:1.2">

   <mdb>
      <resource-adapter-ref resource-adapter-name="hornetq-ra"/>
      <bean-instance-pool-ref pool-name="mdb-strict-max-pool"/>
   </mdb>


</subsystem>

19.6. Configuring the EJB3 Timer Service

19.6.1. EJB3 Timer Service

The EJB3 Timer Service is a standard Java EE 6 service for scheduling the invocation of the methods from enterprise beans. Stateless session beans, singleton session beans, and message-driven beans can all schedule any of their methods for callback at specified times. Method callback can occur at a specific time, after a duration, at a recurring interval, or on a calendar-based schedule.

19.6.2. Configure the EJB3 timer Service

JBoss Administrators can configure the EJB3 Timer Service in the JBoss EAP 6 Management Console. The features that can be configured are the thread pool that is used for scheduled bean invocation and the directory where the Timer Service data is stored.

Procedure 19.19. Configure the EJB3 Timer Service

  1. Login

    Login to the Management Console.
  2. Open the Timer Service Tab

    Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Select the Services tab from the main panel and then the Timer Service tab.
    Timer Service tab of the EJB3 Services panel

    Figure 19.11. Timer Service tab of the EJB3 Services panel

  3. Enter Edit Mode

    Click the Edit Button. The fields become editable.
  4. Make the Required Changes.

    You can select a different EJB3 thread pool used for the Timer Service if additional thread pools have been configured, and you can change the directory used to save the Timer Service data. The Timer Service data directory configuration consists of two values: Path, the directory that data is stored in; and Relative To, the directory which contains Path. By default Relative To is set to a Filesystem Path Variable.
  5. Save or Cancel

    Click the Save button to keep the changes, or click the Cancel link to discard them.

19.7. Configuring the EJB Asynchronous Invocation Service

19.7.1. EJB3 Asynchronous Invocation Service

The Asynchronous Invocation Service is an Enterprise JavaBeans container service that manages asynchronous invocation of session bean methods. This service maintains a configurable number of threads (a thread pool) that are allocated for asynchronous method execution.
Enterprise JavaBeans 3.1 allows for any method of a session bean (stateful, stateless or singleton) to be annotated to permit asynchronous execution.

19.7.2. Configure the EJB3 Asynchronous Invocation Service Thread Pool

JBoss Administrators can configure the EJB3 Asynchronous Invocation Service in the JBoss EAP 6 Management Console to use a specific thread pool.

Procedure 19.20. Configure the EJB3 Asynchronous Invocation Service thread pool

  1. Login

    Login to the Management Console.
  2. Open the Async Service tab

    Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Select the Services tab from the main panel and then the Async Service tab.
    The Async Service tab of the EJB3 Services panel

    Figure 19.12. The Async Service tab of the EJB3 Services panel

  3. Enter Edit Mode

    Click the Edit Button. The fields become editable.
  4. Select the thread pool

    Select the EJB3 thread pool to use from the list. The thread pool must have been already created.
  5. Save or Cancel

    Click the Save button to keep the changes, or click the Cancel link to discard them.

19.8. Configuring the EJB3 Remote Invocation Service

19.8.1. EJB3 Remote Service

The EJB3 Remote Service manages the remote execution of Enterprise Beans with remote business interfaces.

19.8.2. Configure the EJB3 Remote Service

JBoss Administrators can configure the EJB3 Remote Service in the JBoss EAP 6 Management Console. The features that can be configured are the thread pool that is used for remote bean invocation and the connector on which the EJB3 remoting channel is registered.

Procedure 19.21. Configure the EJB3 Remote Service

  1. Login

    Login to the Management Console.
  2. Open the Remote Service tab

    Click on Profile in the top right, expand the Container item in the Profile panel on the left and select EJB 3. Select the Services tab from the main panel, and then the Remote Service tab.
    The Remote Service tab of the EJB3 Services panel

    Figure 19.13. The Remote Service tab of the EJB3 Services panel

  3. Enter Edit Mode

    Click the Edit Button. The fields become editable.
  4. Make the required changes

    You can select a different EJB3 thread pool used for the Remote Service if additional thread pools have been configured. You can change the connector used to register the EJB remoting channel.
  5. Save or Cancel

    Click the Save button to keep the changes, or click the Cancel link to discard them.

19.9. Configuring EJB 2.x Entity Beans

19.9.1. EJB Entity Beans

EJB Entity Beans are a type of enterprise bean from version 2.x of the EJB specification that represented persistent data that was maintained in a database. Entity beans have been superseded by JPA entities and officially listed for removal (pruning) from future versions of the specification. Red Hat does not recommend the use of Entity Beans except for backwards compatibility.
Support for Entity Beans is disabled by default in JBoss EAP 6.

19.9.2. Container-Managed Persistence

Container-Managed Persistence (CMP) is an application server provided service that provides data persistence for Entity beans.

19.9.3. Enable EJB 2.x Container-Managed Persistence

Container-Managed Persistence (CMP) is handled by the org.jboss.as.cmp extension. CMP is enabled by default in the managed domain and standalone server full configurations, e.g. standalone-full.xml.
To enable CMP in a different configuration, add the org.jboss.as.cmp module to the list of enabled extensions in the server configuration file.
<extensions>
        <extension module="org.jboss.as.cmp"/>
</extensions>
To disable CMP in a server configuration, remove the extension entry for the org.jboss.as.cmp module.

19.9.4. Configure EJB 2.x Container-Managed Persistence

The EJB 2.x Container Managed Persistence (CMP) subsystem can be configured to specify any number of key generators. Key generators are used to generate unique keys to identify each entity persisted by the CMP service.
Two types of key generator can be defined: UUID-based and HiLo key generators.
UUID-based key generators
A UUID-based key generator creates keys using Universally Unique Identifiers. UUID key generators only need to have a unique name, they have no other configuration.
UUID-based key generators can be added using the CLI using the following command syntax.
 /subsystem=cmp/uuid-keygenerator=UNIQUE_NAME:add 

Example 19.16. Add UUID Key Generator

To add a UUID-based key generator with the name of uuid_identities, use this CLI command:
/subsystem=cmp/uuid-keygenerator=uuid_identities:add
The XML configuration created by this command is:
<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:cmp:1.0"> 
   <key-generators>
      <uuid name="uuid_identities" />
   </key-generators>
</subsystem>
HiLo Key Generators
HiLo key generators use a database to create and store entity identity keys. HiLo Key generators must have unique names and are configured with properties that specify the datasource used to store the data as well as the names of the table and columns that store the keys.
HiLo key generators can be added using the CLI using the following command syntax:
 /subsystem=cmp/hilo-keygenerator=UNIQUE_NAME/:add(property=value, property=value, ...) 

Example 19.17. Add a HiLo Key Generator

/subsystem=cmp/hilo-keygenerator=DB_KEYS/:add(create-table=false,data-source=java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS,drop-table=false,id-column=cmp_key_ids,select-hi-ddl=select max(cmp_key_ids) from cmp_key_seq,sequence-column=cmp_key_seq,table-name=cmp-keys))
The XML configuration created by this command is:
<subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:cmp:1.0"> 
   <key-generators>
      <hilo name="DB_KEYS">
         <create-table>false</create-table>
         <data-source>java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS</data-source>
         <drop-table>false</drop-table>
         <id-column>cmp_key_ids</id-column>
         <select-hi-ddl>select max(cmp_key_ids) from cmp_key_seq</select-hi-ddl>
         <sequence-column>cmp_key_seq</sequence-column>
         <table-name>cmp-keys</table-name>
      </hilo>
   </key-generators>
</subsystem>

19.9.5. CMP Subsystem Properties for HiLo Key Generators

Table 19.1. CMP Subsystem Properties for HiLo Key Generators

Property Data type Description
block-size long
-
create-table boolean
If set to TRUE, a table called table-name will be created using the contents of create-table-ddl if that table is not found.
create-table-ddl string
The DDL commands used to create the table specified in table-name if the table is not found and create-table is set to TRUE.
data-source token
The data source used to connect to the database.
drop-table boolean
-
id-column token
-
select-hi-ddl string The SQL command which will return the largest key currently stored.
sequence-column token
-
sequence-name token
-
table-name token
The name of the table used to store the key information.

Chapter 20. Java Connector Architecture (JCA)

20.1. Introduction

20.1.1. About the Java EE Connector API (JCA)

JBoss EAP 6 provides full support for the Java EE Connector API (JCA) 1.6 specification. See JSR 322: Java EE Connector Architecture 1.6 for more information about the JCA specification.
A resource adapter is a component that implements the Java EE Connector API architecture. It is similar to a datasource object, however, it provides connectivity from an Enterprise Information System (EIS) to a broader range of heterogenuous systems, such as databases, messaging systems, transaction processing, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

20.1.2. Java Connector Architecture (JCA)

The Java EE Connector Architecture (JCA) defines a standard architecture for Java EE systems to external heterogeneous Enterprise Information Systems (EIS). Examples of EISs include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, mainframe transaction processing (TP), databases and messaging systems.
JCA 1.6 provides features for managing:
  • connections
  • transactions
  • security
  • life-cycle
  • work instances
  • transaction inflow
  • message inflow
JCA 1.6 was developed under the Java Community Process as JSR-322, http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=313.

20.1.3. Resource Adapters

A resource adapter is a deployable Java EE component that provides communication between a Java EE application and an Enterprise Information System (EIS) using the Java Connector Architecture (JCA) specification. A resource adapter is often provided by EIS vendors to allow easy integration of their products with Java EE applications.
An Enterprise Information System can be any other software system within an organization. Examples include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, database systems, e-mail servers and proprietary messaging systems.
A resource adapter is packaged in a Resource Adapter Archive (RAR) file which can be deployed to JBoss EAP 6. A RAR file may also be included in an Enterprise Archive (EAR) deployment.

20.2. Configure the Java Connector Architecture (JCA) Subsystem

The JCA subsystem in the JBoss EAP 6 configuration file controls the general settings for the JCA container and resource adapter deployments.
Key elements of the JCA subsystem

Archive validation
  • This setting whether archive validation will be performed on the deployment units.
  • The following table describes the attributes you can set for archive validation.

    Table 20.1. Archive validation attributes

    Attribute Default Value Description
    enabled true
    Specifies whether archive validation is enabled.
    fail-on-error true
    Specifies whether an archive validation error report fails the deployment.
    fail-on-warn false
    Specifies whether an archive validation warning report fails the deployment.
  • If an archive does not implement the Java EE Connector Architecture specification correctly and archive validation is enabled, an error message will display during deployment describing the problem. For example:
    Severity: ERROR
    Section: 19.4.2 
    Description: A ResourceAdapter must implement a "public int hashCode()" method. 
    Code: com.mycompany.myproject.ResourceAdapterImpl
    
    Severity: ERROR
    Section: 19.4.2
    Description: A ResourceAdapter must implement a "public boolean equals(Object)" method.
    Code: com.mycompany.myproject.ResourceAdapterImpl
    
  • If archive validation is not specifed, it is considered present and the enabled attribute defaults to true.
Bean validation
  • This setting determines whether bean validation (JSR-303) will be performed on the deployment units.
  • The following table describes the attributes you can set for bean validation.

    Table 20.2. Bean validation attributes

    Attribute Default Value Description
    enabled true
    Specifies whether bean validation is enabled.
  • If bean validation is not specifed, it is considered present and the enabled attribute defaults to true.
Work managers
  • There are two types of work managers:
    Default work manager
    The default work manager and its thread pools.
    Custom work manager
    A custom work manager definition and its thread pools.
  • The following table describes the attributes you can set for work managers.

    Table 20.3. Work manager attributes

    Attribute Description
    name
    Specifies the name of the work manager. This is required for custom work managers.
    short-running-threads
    Thread pool for standard Work instances. Each work manager has one short-running thread pool.
    long-running-threads
    Thread pool for JCA 1.6 Work instances that set the LONG_RUNNING hint. Each work manager can have one optional long-running thread pool.
  • The following table describes the attributes you can set for work manager thread pools.

    Table 20.4. Thread pool attributes

    Attribute Description
    allow-core-timeout
    Boolean setting that determines whether core threads may time out. The default value is false.
    core-threads
    The core thread pool size. This must be smaller than the maximum thread pool size.
    queue-length
    The maximum queue length.
    max-thread
    The maximum thread pool size.
    keepalive-time
    Specifies the amount of time that pool threads should be kept after doing work.
    thread-factory
    Reference to the thread factory .
Bootstrap contexts
  • Used to define custom bootstrap contexts.
  • The following table describes the attributes you can set for bootstrap contexts.

    Table 20.5. Bootstrap context attributes

    Attribute Description
    name
    Specifies the name of the bootstrap context.
    workmanager
    Specifies the name of the work manager to use for this context.
Cached connection manager
  • Used for debugging connections and supporting lazy enlistment of a connection in a transaction, tracking whether they are used and released properly by the application.
  • The following table describes the attributes you can set for the cached connection manager.

    Table 20.6. Cached connection manager attributes

    Attribute Default Value Description
    debug false
    Outputs warning on failure to explicity close connections.
    error false
    Throws exception on failure to explicitly close connections.

Procedure 20.1. Configure the JCA subsystem using the Management Console

  1. The JCA subsystem of JBoss EAP 6 can be configured in the Management Console. The JCA configuration options are located in slightly different places in the Management Console depending on how the server is being run.
    • If the server is running as a Standalone Server, follow these steps:
      1. Click on the Profile link on the top right to switch to the Profile view.
      2. Ensure the Profile section in the navigation panel to the left is expanded.
      3. Click on Connector to expand it, and then click on JCA.
    • If the server is running as part of a Managed Domain, follow these steps:
      1. Click on the Profile link on the top right to switch to the Profile view
      2. Select the profile you are modifying from the Profile menu at the top of the navigation panel on the left.
      3. Click on Connector to expand it, and then click on JCA.
  2. Configure the settings for the JCA subsystem using the three tabs.
    1. Common Config

      The Common Config tab contains settings for the cached connection manager, archive validation and bean validation (JSR-303). Each of these is contained in their own tab as well. These settings can be changed by opening the appropriate tab, clicking the edit button, making the required changes, and then clicking on the save button.
      JCA Common Configuration

      Figure 20.1. JCA Common Configuration

    2. Work Managers

      The Work Manager tab contains the list of configured Work Managers. New Work Managers can be added, removed, and their thread pools configured here. Each Work Manager can have one short-running thread pool and an optional long-running thread pool.
      Work Managers

      Figure 20.2. Work Managers

      The thread pool attributes can be configured here:
      Work Manager Thread Pools

      Figure 20.3. Work Manager Thread Pools

    3. Bootstrap Contexts

      The Bootstrap Contexts tab contains the list of configured Bootstrap Contexts. New Bootstrap Context objects can be added, removed, and configured. Each Bootstrap Context must be assigned a Work Manager.
      Bootstrap Contexts

      Figure 20.4. Bootstrap Contexts

20.3. Deploy a Resource Adapter

Resource adapters can be deployed to JBoss EAP 6 using the Management CLI tool, the Web-based Management Console, or by manually copying the files. The process is the same as other deployable artifacts.

Procedure 20.2. Deploy a resource adapter using the Management CLI

  1. Open a command prompt for your operating system.
  2. Connect to the Management CLI.
    • For Linux, enter the following at the command line:
      $ EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh --connect
      $ Connected to standalone controller at localhost:9999
      
    • For Windows, enter the following at a command line:
      C:\>EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat --connect
      C:\> Connected to standalone controller at localhost:9999
      
  3. Deploy the resource adapter.
    • To deploy the resource adapter to a standalone server, enter the following at a command line:
      $ deploy path/to/resource-adapter-name.rar
    • To deploy the resource adapter to all server groups in a managed domain, enter the following at a command line:
      $ deploy path/to/resource-adapter-name.rar --all-server-groups
      

Procedure 20.3. Deploy a resource adapter using the Web-based Management Console

  1. Start your JBoss EAP 6 server.
  2. If you have not yet added a management user, add one now. For more information, refer to the Getting Started chapter of the Installation guide for JBoss EAP 6. Section 4.1.1, “Add the Initial User for the Management Interfaces”
  3. Open a web browser and navigate to the Management Console. The default location is http://localhost:9990/console/. For more information about the Management Console, see Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console”.
  4. Click on the Runtime link on the top right to switch to the Runtime view, then choose Manage Deployments in the left navigation panel, and click Add Content at the top right.
  5. Browse to the resource adapter archive and select it. Then click Next.
  6. Verify the deployment names, then click Save.
  7. The resource adapter archive should now appear in the list in a disabled state. Click the Enable link to enable it.
  8. A dialog asks "Are you sure?" you want to enable the listed RAR. Click Confirm. The resource adapter archive should now appear as Enabled.

Procedure 20.4. Deploy a resource adapter manually

  • Copy the resource adapter archive to the server deployments directory,
    • For a standalone server, copy the resource adapter archive to the EAP_HOME/standalone/deployments/ directory.
    • For a managed domain, you must use the Management Console or Managment CLI to deploy the resource adapter archive to the server groups.

20.4. Configure a Deployed Resource Adapter

JBoss administrators can configure resource adapters for JBoss EAP 6 using the Management CLI tool, the Web-based Management Console, or by manually editing the configuration the files.
Refer to the vendor document for your resource adapter for information about supported properties and other details.

Note

In the following procedure, the command line you must type follows the [standalone@localhost:9999 /] prompt. Do NOT type the text withing the curly braces. That is the output you should see as a result of the command, for example, {"outcome" => "success"}.

Procedure 20.5. Configure a resource adapter using the Management CLI

  1. Open a command prompt for your operating system.
  2. Connect to the Management CLI.
    • For Linux, enter the following at the command line:
      $ EAP_HOME/bin/jboss-cli.sh --connect
      
      You should see the following result output:
      $ Connected to standalone controller at localhost:9999
      
    • For Windows, enter the following at a command line:
      C:\>EAP_HOME\bin\jboss-cli.bat --connect
      
      You should see the following result output:
      C:\> Connected to standalone controller at localhost:9999
      
  3. Add the resource adapter configuration.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar:add(archive=eis.rar, transaction-support=XATransaction) 
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  4. Configure the server resource adapter level <config-property>.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar/config-properties=server/:add(value=localhost)          
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  5. Configure the port resource adapter level <config-property>.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar/config-properties=port/:add(value=9000)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  6. Add a connection definition for a managed connection factory.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar/connection-definitions=cfName:add(class-name=com.acme.eis.ra.EISManagedConnectionFactory, jndi-name=java:/eis/AcmeConnectionFactory)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  7. Configure the name managed connection factory level <config-property>.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar/connection-definitions=cfName/config-properties=name/:add(value=Acme Inc)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  8. Add an admin object.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar/admin-objects=aoName:add(class-name=com.acme.eis.ra.EISAdminObjectImpl, jndi-name=java:/eis/AcmeAdminObject)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  9. Configure the threshold admin object property.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar/admin-objects=aoName/config-properties=threshold/:add(value=10)
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  10. Activate the resource adapter.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar:activate
    {"outcome" => "success"}
    
  11. View the newly configured and activated resource adapter.
    [standalone@localhost:9999 /] /subsystem=resource-adapters/resource-adapter=eis.rar:read-resource(recursive=true)
    {
        "outcome" => "success",
        "result" => {
            "archive" => "eis.rar",
            "beanvalidationgroups" => undefined,
            "bootstrap-context" => undefined,
            "transaction-support" => "XATransaction",
            "admin-objects" => {"aoName" => {
                "class-name" => "com.acme.eis.ra.EISAdminObjectImpl",
                "enabled" => true,
                "jndi-name" => "java:/eis/AcmeAdminObject",
                "use-java-context" => true,
                "config-properties" => {"threshold" => {"value" => 10}}
            }},
            "config-properties" => {
                "server" => {"value" => "localhost"},
                "port" => {"value" => 9000}
            },
            "connection-definitions" => {"cfName" => {
                "allocation-retry" => undefined,
                "allocation-retry-wait-millis" => undefined,
                "background-validation" => false,
                "background-validation-millis" => undefined,
                "blocking-timeout-wait-millis" => undefined,
                "class-name" => "com.acme.eis.ra.EISManagedConnectionFactory",
                "enabled" => true,
                "flush-strategy" => "FailingConnectionOnly",
                "idle-timeout-minutes" => undefined,
                "interleaving" => false,
                "jndi-name" => "java:/eis/AcmeConnectionFactory",
                "max-pool-size" => 20,
                "min-pool-size" => 0,
                "no-recovery" => undefined,
                "no-tx-separate-pool" => false,
                "pad-xid" => false,
                "pool-prefill" => false,
                "pool-use-strict-min" => false,
                "recovery-password" => undefined,
                "recovery-plugin-class-name" => undefined,
                "recovery-plugin-properties" => undefined,
                "recovery-security-domain" => undefined,
                "recovery-username" => undefined,
                "same-rm-override" => undefined,
                "security-application" => undefined,
                "security-domain" => undefined,
                "security-domain-and-application" => undefined,
                "use-ccm" => true,
                "use-fast-fail" => false,
                "use-java-context" => true,
                "use-try-lock" => undefined,
                "wrap-xa-resource" => true,
                "xa-resource-timeout" => undefined,
                "config-properties" => {"name" => {"value" => "Acme Inc"}}
            }}
        }
    }
    

Procedure 20.6. Configure a resource adapter using the Web-based Management Console

  1. Start your JBoss EAP 6 server.
  2. If you have not yet added a management user, add one now. For more information, refer to the Getting Started chapter of the Installation guide for JBoss EAP 6.
  3. Open a web browser and navigate to the Management Console. The default location is http://localhost:9990/console/. For more information about the Management Console, see Section 3.4.2, “Log in to the Management Console”.
  4. Click on the Profile link on the top right to switch to the Profile view. Choose Resource Adapters in the left navigation panel, then click Add at the top right.
    JCA Resource Adapters

    Figure 20.5. JCA Resource Adapters

  5. Enter the archive name and choose transaction type XATransaction from the TX: drop-down box. Then click Save.
    Create Resource Adapter

    Figure 20.6. Create Resource Adapter

  6. Select the Properties tab, then click Add to add resource adapter properties.
    Add Resource Adapter Properties

    Figure 20.7. Add Resource Adapter Properties

  7. Enter server for the Name and the host name, for example localhost, for the Value. Then click Save to save the property.
    Add Resource Adapter Server Property

    Figure 20.8. Add Resource Adapter Server Property

  8. Enter port for the Name and the port number, for example 9000, for the Value. Then click Save to save the property.
    Add Resource Adapter Port Property

    Figure 20.9. Add Resource Adapter Port Property

  9. The server and port properties now appear in the Properties panel. Click the View link under the Option column for the listed resource adapter to view the Connection Definitions.
    Resource Adapter Server Properties Complete

    Figure 20.10. Resource Adapter Server Properties Complete

  10. Click Add in the upper right side of the page to add a connection definition.
    Add a Connection Definition

    Figure 20.11. Add a Connection Definition

  11. Enter the JNDI Name and the fully qualified class name of the Connection Class. Then click Next.
    Create Connection Definition Property - Step 1

    Figure 20.12. Create Connection Definition Property - Step 1

  12. Click Add to enter the Key and Value data for this connection definition.
    Create Connection Definition Property - Step 2

    Figure 20.13. Create Connection Definition Property - Step 2

  13. Click in the name field under the Key column to enable data entry for the field. Type the property name and press enter when done. Click in the value field under the Value column to enable data entry for the field. Enter the value for the property and press enter when done. Then click Save to save the property.
    Create Connection Definition Property - Step 2

    Figure 20.14. Create Connection Definition Property - Step 2

  14. The connection definition is complete, but disabled. Click Enable to enable the connection definition.
    Create Connection Definition - Disabled

    Figure 20.15. Create Connection Definition - Disabled

  15. A dialog asks "Really modify Connection Definition?" for the JNDI name. Click Confirm. The connection definition should now appear as Enabled.
    Connection Definition Enabled

    Figure 20.16. Connection Definition Enabled

  16. Click the Admin Objects tab in top middle of the page to create and configure admin objects. Then click Add.
    Available Admin Objects

    Figure 20.17. Available Admin Objects

  17. Enter the JNDI Name and the fully qualified Class Name for the admnin object. Then click Save.
    Create Admin Object

    Figure 20.18. Create Admin Object

  18. Select the Properties tab, then click Add to add admin object properties.
    Add Admin Object Properties

    Figure 20.19. Add Admin Object Properties

  19. Enter an admin object configuration property, for example threshold, in the Name field. Enter the configuration property value, for example 10, in the Value field. Then click Save to save the property.
    Create Admin Ojbect Configuration Property

    Figure 20.20. Create Admin Ojbect Configuration Property

  20. The admin object is complete, but disabled. Click Enable to enable the admin object.
    Admin Object - Disabled

    Figure 20.21. Admin Object - Disabled

  21. A dialog asks "Really modify Admin Ojbect?" for the JNDI name. Click Confirm. The admin object should now appear as Enabled.
    Connection Definition Enabled

    Figure 20.22. Connection Definition Enabled

  22. You must reload the server configuration to complete the process. Click on the Runtime link on the top right to switch to the Runtime view, then choose Configuration in the left navigation panel, and click Reload at the right.
    Server Configuration Reload

    Figure 20.23. Server Configuration Reload

  23. A dialog asks "Do you want to reload the server configuration?" for the specified server. Click Confirm. The server configuration is up to date.
    Connection Definition Enabled

    Figure 20.24. Connection Definition Enabled

Procedure 20.7. Configure a resource adapter manually

  1. Stop the JBoss EAP 6 server.

    Important

    You must stop the server before editing the server configuration file for your change to be persisted on server restart.
  2. Open the server configuration file for editing.
    • For a standalone server, this is the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml file.
    • For a managed domain, this is the EAP_HOME/domain/configuration/domain.xml file.
  3. Find the urn:jboss:domain:resource-adapters subsystem in the configuration file.
  4. If there are no resource adapters defined for this subsystem, first replace:
    
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:resource-adapters:1.1"/>
    
    
    
    with this:
                      
    
    <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:resource-adapters:1.1">
        <resource-adapters>
            <!-- <resource-adapter> configuration listed below -->
        </resource-adapters>
    </subsystem>
    
    
    
  5. Replace the <!-- <resource-adapter> configuration listed below --> with the XML definition for your resource adapter. The following is the XML representation of the resource adapter configuration created using the Management CLI and Web-based Management Console described above.
    
    <resource-adapter>
        <archive>
            eis.rar
        </archive>
        <transaction-support>XATransaction</transaction-support>
        <config-property name="server">
            localhost
        </config-property>
        <config-property name="port">
            9000
        </config-property>
        <connection-definitions>
            <connection-definition class-name="com.acme.eis.ra.EISManagedConnectionFactory" 
                    jndi-name="java:/eis/AcmeConnectionFactory"
                    pool-name="java:/eis/AcmeConnectionFactory">
                <config-property name="name">
                    Acme Inc
                </config-property>
            </connection-definition>
        </connection-definitions>
        <admin-objects>
            <admin-object class-name="com.acme.eis.ra.EISAdminObjectImpl" 
                    jndi-name="java:/eis/AcmeAdminObject" 
                    pool-name="java:/eis/AcmeAdminObject">
                <config-property name="threshold">
                    10
                </config-property>
            </admin-object>
        </admin-objects>
    </resource-adapter>
    
    
    
  6. Start the server

    Relaunch the JBoss EAP 6 server to start it running with the new configuration.

20.5. Resource Adapter Descriptor Reference

The following tables describe the resource adapter descriptor elements.

Table 20.7. Main elements

Element Description
bean-validation-groups Specifies bean validation group that should be used
bootstrap-context Specifies the unique name of the bootstrap context that should be used
config-property The config-property specifies resource adapter configuration properties.
transaction-support Define the type of transaction supported by this resource adapter. Valid values are: NoTransaction, LocalTransaction, XATransaction
connection-definitions Specifies the connection definitions
admin-objects Specifies the administration objects

Table 20.8. Bean validation groups elements

Element Description
bean-validation-group Specifies the fully qualified class name for a bean validation group that should be used for validation

Table 20.9. Connection definition / admin object attributes

Attribute Description
class-name Specifies the fully qualified class name of a managed connection factory or admin object
jndi-name Specifies the JNDI name
enabled Should the object be activated
use-java-context Specifies if a java:/ JNDI context should be used
pool-name Specifies the pool name for the object
use-ccm Enable the cached connection manager

Table 20.10. Connection definition elements

Element Description
config-property The config-property specifies managed connection factory configuration properties.
pool Specifies pooling settings
xa-pool Specifies XA pooling settings
security Specifies security settings
timeout Specifies time out settings
validation Specifies validation settings
recovery Specifies the XA recovery settings

Table 20.11. Pool elements

Element Description
min-pool-size The min-pool-size element indicates the minimum number of connections a pool should hold. These are not created until a Subject is known from a request for a connection. This default to 0
max-pool-size The max-pool-size element indicates the maximum number of connections for a pool. No more than max-pool-size connections will be created in each sub-pool. This defaults to 20.
prefill Whether to attempt to prefill the connection pool. Default is false
use-strict-min Specifies if the min-pool-size should be considered strictly. Default false
flush-strategy Specifies how the pool should be flush in case of an error. Valid values are: FailingConnectionOnly (default), IdleConnections, EntirePool

Table 20.12. XA pool elements

Element Description
min-pool-size The min-pool-size element indicates the minimum number of connections a pool should hold. These are not created until a Subject is known from a request for a connection. This default to 0
max-pool-size The max-pool-size element indicates the maximum number of connections for a pool. No more than max-pool-size connections will be created in each sub-pool. This defaults to 20.
prefill Whether to attempt to prefill the connection pool. Default is false
use-strict-min Specifies if the min-pool-size should be considered strictly. Default false
flush-strategy Specifies how the pool should be flush in case of an error. Valid values are: FailingConnectionOnly (default), IdleConnections, EntirePool
is-same-rm-override The is-same-rm-override element allows one to unconditionally set whether the javax.transaction.xa.XAResource.isSameRM(XAResource) returns true or false
interleaving An element to enable interleaving for XA connection factories
no-tx-separate-pools Oracle does not like XA connections getting used both inside and outside a JTA transaction. To workaround the problem you can create separate sub-pools for the different contexts
pad-xid Should the Xid be padded
wrap-xa-resource Should the XAResource instances be wrapped in a org.jboss.tm.XAResourceWrapper instance

Table 20.13. Security elements

Element Description
application Indicates that application supplied parameters (such as from getConnection(user, pw)) are used to distinguish connections in the pool.
security-domain Indicates Subject (from security domain) are used to distinguish connections in the pool. The content of the security-domain is the name of the JAAS security manager that will handle authentication. This name correlates to the JAAS login-config.xml descriptor application-policy/name attribute.
security-domain-and-application Indicates that either application supplied parameters (such as from getConnection(user, pw)) or Subject (from security domain) are used to distinguish connections in the pool. The content of the security-domain is the name of the JAAS security manager that will handle authentication. This name correlates to the JAAS login-config.xml descriptor application-policy/name attribute.

Table 20.14. Time out elements

Element Description
blocking-timeout-millis The blocking-timeout-millis element indicates the maximum time in milliseconds to block while waiting for a connection before throwing an exception. Note that this blocks only while waiting for a permit for a connection, and will never throw an exception if creating a new connection takes an inordinately long time. The default is 30000 (30 seconds).
idle-timeout-minutes The idle-timeout-minutes elements indicates the maximum time in minutes a connection may be idle before being closed. The actual maximum time depends also on the IdleRemover scan time, which is 1/2 the smallest idle-timeout-minutes of any pool.
allocation-retry The allocation retry element indicates the number of times that allocating a connection should be tried before throwing an exception. The default is 0.
allocation-retry-wait-millis The allocation retry wait millis element indicates the time in milliseconds to wait between retrying to allocate a connection. The default is 5000 (5 seconds).
xa-resource-timeout Passed to XAResource.setTransactionTimeout(). Default is zero which does not invoke the setter. Specified in seconds

Table 20.15. Validation elements

Element Description
background-validation An element to specify that connections should be validated on a background thread versus being validated prior to use
background-validation-minutes The background-validation-minutes element specifies the amount of time, in minutes, that background validation will run.
use-fast-fail Whether fail a connection allocation on the first connection if it is invalid (true) or keep trying until the pool is exhausted of all potential connections (false). Default is false

Table 20.16. Admin object elements

Element Description
config-property Specifies an administration object configuration property.

Table 20.17. Recovery elements

Element Description
recover-credential Specifies the user name / password pair or security domain that should be used for recovery.
recover-plugin Specifies an implementation of the org.jboss.jca.core.spi.recovery.RecoveryPlugin class.
The deployment schemas are defined in jboss-as-resource-adapters_1_0.xsd and http://docs.jboss.org/ironjacamar/schema/ironjacamar_1_0.xsd for automatic activation.

20.6. View Defined Connection Statistics

You can read statistics for a defined connection from the deployment=name.rar subtree.
Statistics are defined at this level and not at the /subsystem level as this ensures they are accessible for any rar that is not defined in any configuration in the standalone.xml or domain.xml files.
For example:

Example 20.1. 

/deployment=example.rar/subsystem=resource-adapters/statistics=statistics/connection-definitions=java\:\/testMe:read-resource(include-runtime=true)

Note

Ensure you specify the include-runtime=true argument, as all statistics are runtime only information and the default is false.

20.7. Resource Adapter Statistics

Core Statistics

The following table contains a list of the supported resource adapter core statistics:

Table 20.18. Core Statistics

Name Description
ActiveCount
The number of active connections. Each of the connections is either in use by an application or available in the pool
AvailableCount
The number of available connections in the pool.
AverageBlockingTime
The average time spent blocking on obtaining an exclusive lock on the pool. The value is in milliseconds.
AverageCreationTime
The average time spent creating a connection. The value is in milliseconds.
CreatedCount
The number of connections created.
DestroyedCount
The number of connections destroyed.
InUseCount
The number of connections currently in use.
MaxCreationTime
The maximum time it took to create a connection. The value is in milliseconds.
MaxUsedCount
The maximum number of connections used.
MaxWaitCount
The maximum number of requests waiting for a connection at the same time.
MaxWaitTime
The maximum time spent waiting for an exclusive lock on the pool.
TimedOut
The number of timed out connections.
TotalBlockingTime
The total time spent waiting for an exclusive lock on the pool. The value is in milliseconds.
TotalCreationTime
The total time spent creating connections. The value is in milliseconds.
WaitCount
The number of requests that had to wait for a connection.

20.8. Deploy the WebSphere MQ Resource Adapter

About WebSphere MQ

WebSphere MQ is IBM's Messaging Oriented Middleware (MOM) software that allows applications on distributed systems to communicate with each other. This is accomplished through the use of messages and message queues. WebSphere MQ is responsible for delivering messages to the message queues and for transferring data to other queue managers using message channels. For more information about WebSphere MQ, see WebSphere MQ.

Summary

This topic covers the steps to deploy and configure the WebSphere MQ Resource Adapter in JBoss EAP 6. This can be accomplished by manually editing configuration files, using the Management CLI tool, or using the web-based Management Console.

Prerequisites

Before you get started, you must verify the version of the WebSphere MQ resource adapter and understand some of the WebSphere MQ configuration properties.

  • The WebSphere MQ resource adapter is supplied as a Resource Archive (RAR) file called wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar. You must use version 7.0.1.7 or later.
  • You must know the values of the following WebSphere MQ configuration properties. Refer to the WebSphere MQ product documentation for details about these properties.
    • MQ.QUEUE.MANAGER: The name of the WebSphere MQ queue manager
    • MQ.HOST.NAME: The host name used to connect to the WebSphere MQ queue manager
    • MQ.CHANNEL.NAME: The server channel used to connect to the WebSphere MQ queue manager
    • MQ.QUEUE.NAME: The name of the destination queue
    • MQ.PORT: The port used to connect to the WebSphere MQ queue manager
    • MQ.CLIENT: The transport type
  • For outbound connections, you must also be familiar with the following configuration property:
    • MQ.CONNECTIONFACTORY.NAME: The name of the connection factory instance that will provide the connection to the remote system

Note

The following are default configurations provided by IBM and are subject to change. Please refer to WebSphere MQ documentation for more information.

Procedure 20.8. Deploy the Resource Adapter Manually

  1. If you need transaction support with the WebSphereMQ resource adapter, you must repackage the wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar archive to include the mqetclient.jar. You can use the following command:
    [user@host ~]$ jar -uf wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar mqetclient.jar
    Be sure to replace the VERSION with the correct version number.
  2. Copy the wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar file to the EAP_HOME/standalone/deployments/ directory.
  3. Add the resource adapter to the server configuration file.
    1. Open the EAP_HOME/standalone/configuration/standalone-full.xml file in an editor.
    2. Find the urn:jboss:domain:resource-adapters subsystem in the configuration file.
    3. If there are no resource adapters defined for this subsystem, first replace:
      
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:resource-adapters:1.0"/>
      
      
      
      with this:
                        
      
      <subsystem xmlns="urn:jboss:domain:resource-adapters:1.0">
          <resource-adapters>
              <!-- <resource-adapter> configuration listed below -->
          </resource-adapters>
      </subsystem>
      
      
      
    4. The resource adapter configuration depends on whether you need transaction support and recovery. If you do not need transaction support, choose the first configuration step below. If you do need transaction support, choose the second configuration step.
      • For non-transactional deployments, replace the <!-- <resource-adapter> configuration listed below --> with the following:
        
        <resource-adapter>
            <archive>
                wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar
            </archive>
            <transaction-support>NoTransaction</transaction-support>
            <connection-definitions>
                <connection-definition 
                        class-name="com.ibm.mq.connector.outbound.ManagedConnectionFactoryImpl" 
                        jndi-name="java:jboss/MQ.CONNECTIONFACTORY.NAME" 
                        pool-name="MQ.CONNECTIONFACTORY.NAME">
                    <config-property name="channel">
                        MQ.CHANNEL.NAME
                    </config-property>
                    <config-property name="transportType">
                        MQ.CLIENT
                    </config-property>
                    <config-property name="queueManager">
                        MQ.QUEUE.MANAGER
                    </config-property>
                    <security>
                        <security-domain>MySecurityDomain</security-domain>
                    </security>
               </connection-definition>
            </connection-definitions>
            <admin-objects>
                <admin-object 
                        class-name="com.ibm.mq.connector.outbound.MQQueueProxy" 
                        jndi-name="java:jboss/MQ.QUEUE.NAME" 
                        pool-name="MQ.QUEUE.NAME">
                    <config-property name="baseQueueName">
                        MQ.QUEUE.NAME
                    </config-property>
                </admin-object>
            </admin-objects>
        </resource-adapter>
        
        
        
        Be sure to replace the VERSION with the actual version in the name of the RAR.
      • For transactional deployments, replace the <!-- <resource-adapter> configuration listed below --> with the following:
        
        <resource-adapter>
            <archive>
                wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar
            </archive>
            <transaction-support>XATransaction</transaction-support>
            <connection-definitions>
                <connection-definition 
                        class-name="com.ibm.mq.connector.outbound.ManagedConnectionFactoryImpl" 
                        jndi-name="java:jboss/MQ.CONNECTIONFACTORY.NAME" 
                        pool-name="MQ.CONNECTIONFACTORY.NAME">
                    <config-property name="channel">
                        MQ.CHANNEL.NAME
                    </config-property>
                    <config-property name="transportType">
                        MQ.CLIENT
                    </config-property>
                    <config-property name="queueManager">
                        MQ.QUEUE.MANAGER
                    </config-property>
                   <security>
                        <security-domain>MySecurityDomain</security-domain>
                    </security>
                    <recovery>
                        <recover-credential>
                            <user-name>USER_NAME</user-name>
                            <password>PASSWORD</password>
                        </recover-credential>
                    </recovery>
                </connection-definition>
            </connection-definitions>
            <admin-objects>
                <admin-object 
                        class-name="com.ibm.mq.connector.outbound.MQQueueProxy" 
                        jndi-name="java:jboss/MQ.QUEUE.NAME" 
                        pool-name="MQ.QUEUE.NAME">
                    <config-property name="baseQueueName">
                        MQ.QUEUE.NAME
                    </config-property>
                </admin-object>
            </admin-objects>
        </resource-adapter>
        
        
        
        Be sure to replace the VERSION with the actual version in the name of the RAR. You must also replace the USER_NAME and PASSWORD with the valid user name and password.

        Note

        To support transactions, the <transaction-support> element was set to XATransaction. To support XA recovery, the <recovery> element was added to the connection definition.
    5. If you want to change the default provider for the EJB3 messaging system in JBoss EAP 6 from HornetQ to WebSphere MQ, modify the urn:jboss:domain:ejb3:1.2 subsystem as follows:
      Replace:
      
      <mdb>
          <resource-adapter-ref resource-adapter-name="hornetq-ra"/>
          <bean-instance-pool-ref pool-name="mdb-strict-max-pool"/>
      </mdb>
      
      
      
      with:
      
      <mdb>
          <resource-adapter-ref resource-adapter-name="wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar"/>
          <bean-instance-pool-ref pool-name="mdb-strict-max-pool"/>
      </mdb>
      
      
      
      Be sure to replace the VERSION with the actual version in the name of the RAR.

Procedure 20.9. Modify the MDB code to use the resource adapter

  • Configure the ActivationConfigProperty and ResourceAdapter in the MDB code as follows:
    @MessageDriven( name="WebSphereMQMDB", 
        activationConfig =
        {
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "destinationType",propertyValue = "javax.jms.Queue"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "useJNDI", propertyValue = "false"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "hostName", propertyValue = "MQ.HOST.NAME"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "port", propertyValue = "MQ.PORT"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "channel", propertyValue = "MQ.CHANNEL.NAME"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "queueManager", propertyValue = "MQ.QUEUE.MANAGER"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "destination", propertyValue = "MQ.QUEUE.NAME"),
            @ActivationConfigProperty(propertyName = "transportType", propertyValue = "MQ.CLIENT")
        })
        @ResourceAdapter(value = "wmq.jmsra-VERSION.rar")
    @TransactionAttribute(TransactionAttributeType.NOT_SUPPORTED)
    public class WebSphereMQMDB implements MessageListener {
    }
    
    Be sure to replace the VERSION with the actual version in the name of the RAR.

Chapter 21. Deploy JBoss EAP 6 on Amazon EC2

21.1. Introduction

21.1.1. About Amazon EC2

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a service operated by amazon.com that provides customers with a customizable virtual computing environment. An Amazon Machine Image (AMI) can be booted using the service to create a virtual machine or instance. Users can install whatever software they require on an instance and are charged according to the capacity used. Amazon EC2 is designed to be flexible and allow users to quickly scale their deployed applications.
You can read more about it at the Amazon EC2 website, http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/.

21.1.2. About Amazon Machine Instances (AMIs)

An Amazon Machine Image (AMI) is a template for a EC2 virtual machine instance. Users create EC2 instances by selecting an appropriate AMI to create the instance from. The primary component of an AMI is a read-only filesystem that contains an installed operating system as well as other software. Each AMI has different software installed for different use cases. Amazon EC2 includes many AMIs to choose from provided by both amazon.com and third parties. Users can also create their own custom AMIs.

21.1.3. About JBoss Cloud Access

JBoss Cloud Access is a Red Hat subscription feature that provides support for JBoss EAP 6 on Red Hat certified cloud infrastructure providers such as Amazon EC2. JBoss Cloud Access allows you to move your subscriptions between traditional servers and public cloud-based resources in a simple and cost-effective manner.
You can find out more details about it at http://www.redhat.com/solutions/cloud/access/jboss/.

21.1.4. JBoss Cloud Access Features

Membership in the JBoss Cloud Access program provides access to supported private Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) created by Red Hat.
The Red Hat AMIs have the following software pre-installed and fully supported by Red hat:
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • JBoss EAP 6
  • The JBoss Operations Network (JON) 3 agent
  • Product updates with RPMs using Red Hat Update Infrastructure.
Each of the Red Hat AMIs are only a starting point, requiring further configuration to the requirements of your application.

Important

JBoss Cloud Access does not currently provide support for the full-ha profile, in either standalone instances or a managed domain.

21.1.5. Supported Amazon EC2 Instance Types

JBoss Cloud Access supports the following Amazon EC2 instance types. Refer to the Amazon EC2 User Guide for more details about each instance type, http://docs.amazonwebservices.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/instance-types.html.

Table 21.1. Supported Amazon EC2 Instance Types

Instance Type Description
Standard Instance
Standard Instances are general purpose environments with a balanced memory-to-CPU ratio.
High Memory Instance
High Memory Instances have more memory allocated to them than Standard Instances. High Memory Instances are suited for high throughput applications such as databases or memory caching applications.
High CPU Instance
High CPU Instances have more CPU resources allocated than memory and are suited for relatively low throughput but CPU intensive applications.

Important

The instance type Micro (t1.micro) is not suitable for deployment of JBoss EAP 6.

21.1.6. Supported Red Hat AMIs

The supported Red Hat AMIs can be identified by their AMI Name.
The JBoss EAP 6 AMIs are named using the following syntax:
 RHEL-osversion-JBEAP-6.0.0-arch-creationdate 
osversion is the version number of Red Hat Enterprise Linux installed in the AMI. Example 6.2.
arch is the architecture of the AMI. This will be x86_64 or i386.
creationdate is the date that the AMI was created in the format of YYYYMMDD. Example 20120501.
Example AMI name: RHEL-6.2-JBEAP-6.0.0-x86_64-20120501.

21.2. Deploying JBoss EAP 6 on Amazon EC2

21.2.1. Overview of Deploying JBoss EAP 6 on Amazon EC2

JBoss EAP 6 can be deployed using the Amazon EC2 AMI. The AMI contains everything that is required for deployment of clustered and non-clustered instances.
Deploying a non-clustered instances is the easiest scenario. It requires only that you make a few configuration changes to specify your application deployment when creating the instance.
Deploying clustered instances is more complicated. In addition to your clustered instances you are required to deploy a JBoss EAP 6 instance to act as a mod_cluster proxy and an S3 bucket for the S3_PING JGroups discovery protocol. Red Hat also recommends the creation of a Virtual Private Cloud to contain your cluster.
Each of these steps is detailed below but it is assumed that you have some experience with JBoss EAP 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and Amazon EC2.
The following documentation is recommended additional reference:

21.2.2. Non-clustered JBoss EAP 6

21.2.2.1. About Non-clustered Instances

A non-clustered instance is a single Amazon EC2 instance running JBoss EAP 6. It is not part of a cluster.

21.2.2.2. Non-clustered Instances

21.2.2.2.1. Launch a Non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 Instance
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch a non-clustered instance of JBoss EAP 6 on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

Prerequisites

Procedure 21.1. Launch a Non-clustered Instance of Jboss EAP 6 on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image)

  1. Configure the User Data field. The configurable parameters are available here: Section 21.4.1, “Permanent Configuration Parameters”, Section 21.4.2, “Custom Script Parameters”.

    Example 21.1. Example User Data Field

    The example shows the User Data field for a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 instance. The password for the user admin has been set to adminpwd.
    JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=adminpwd
    JBOSS_IP=0.0.0.0 #listen on all IPs and interfaces
    
    # In production, access to these ports needs to be restricted for security reasons
    PORTS_ALLOWED="9990 9443"
    
    cat> $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
    
    # Get the application to be deployed from an Internet URL
    # mkdir -p /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications
    # wget https://<your secure storage hostname>/<path>/<app name>.war -O /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/<app name>.war 
    
    # Create a file of CLI commands to be executed after starting the server
    cat> $USER_CLI_COMMANDS << "EOC" 
    # deploy /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/<app name>.war
    EOC
    
    EOF
    
    
  2. For Production Instances

    For a production instance, add the following line beneath the USER_SCRIPT line of the User Data field, to ensure security updates are applied on boot.
    yum -y update

    Note

    yum -y update should be run regularly, to apply security fixes and enhancements.
  3. Launch the Red Hat AMI instance.
Result

A non-clustered instance of JBoss EAP 6 has been configured, and launched on a Red Hat AMI.

21.2.2.2.2. Deploy an Application on a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 Instance
Summary

This topic covers deploying an application to a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 instance on a Red Hat AMI.

    • Deploy the Sample Application

      Add the following lines to the User Data field:
      # Deploy the sample application from the local filesystem
      deploy --force /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-samples/hello.war
      

      Example 21.2. Example User Data Field with Sample Application

      This example uses the sample application provided on the Red Hat AMI. It also includes basic configuration for a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 instance. The password for the user admin has been set to adminpwd.
      JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=adminpwd
      JBOSS_IP=0.0.0.0 #listen on all IPs and interfaces
      
      # In production, access to these ports needs to be restricted for security reasons
      PORTS_ALLOWED="9990 9443"
      
      cat> $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
      
      # Create a file of CLI commands to be executed after starting the server
      cat> $USER_CLI_COMMANDS << "EOC" 
      
      # Deploy the sample application from the local filesystem
      deploy --force /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-samples/hello.war
      EOC
      
      EOF
      
      
    • Deploy a Custom Application

      Add the following lines to the User Data field, configuring the application name and the URL:
      # Get the application to be deployed from an Internet URL
      mkdir -p /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications
      wget https://<your secure storage hostname>/<path>/<app name>.war -O /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/<app name>.war
      
      

      Example 21.3. Example User Data Field with Custom Application

      This example uses an application called MyApp, and includes basic configuration for a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 instance. The password for the user admin has been set to adminpwd.
      JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=adminpwd
      JBOSS_IP=0.0.0.0 #listen on all IPs and interfaces
      
      # In production, access to these ports needs to be restricted for security reasons
      PORTS_ALLOWED="9990 9443"
      
      cat> $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
      
      # Get the application to be deployed from an Internet URL
      mkdir -p /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications
      wget https://PATH_TO_MYAPP/MyApp.war -O /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/MyApp.war 
      
      # Create a file of CLI commands to be executed after starting the server
      cat> $USER_CLI_COMMANDS << "EOC" 
      deploy /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/MyApp.war
      EOC
      
      EOF
      
      
  1. Launch the Red Hat AMI instance.
Result

The application has been successfully deployed to JBoss EAP 6.

21.2.2.2.3. Test the Non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 Instance
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to test that the non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 is running correctly.

Procedure 21.2. Test the Non-clustered Jboss EAP 6 Instance is Running Correctly

  1. Determine the instance's Public DNS, located in the instance's details pane.
  2. Navigate to http://<public-DNS>:8080.
  3. Confirm that the JBoss EAP home page appears, including a link to the Admin console. If the home page is not available, refer here: Section 21.5.1, “About Troubleshooting Amazon EC2”.
  4. Click on the Admin Console hyperlink.
  5. Log in:
  6. Test the Sample Application

    Navigate to http://<public-DNS>:8080/hello to test that the sample application is running successfully. The text Hello World! should appear in the browser. If the text is not visible, refer here: Section 21.5.1, “About Troubleshooting Amazon EC2”.
  7. Log out of the JBoss EAP 6 Admin Console.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 instance is running correctly.

21.2.2.3. Non-clustered Managed Domains

21.2.2.3.1. Launch an Instance to Serve as a Domain Controller
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

Procedure 21.3. Launch a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain on a Red Hat AMI

  1. In the Security Group tab, ensure all traffic is allowed. Red Hat Enterprise Linux's built-in firewall capabilities can be used to restrict access if desired.
  2. Set the public subnet of the VPC to running.
  3. Select a static IP.
  4. Configure the User Data field. The configurable parameters are available here: Section 21.4.1, “Permanent Configuration Parameters”, Section 21.4.2, “Custom Script Parameters”.

    Example 21.4. Example User Data Field

    The example shows the User Data field for a non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain. The password for the user admin has been set to admin.
    ## password that will be used by slave host controllers to connect to the domain controller
    JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin
    
    ## subnet prefix this machine is connected to
    SUBNET=10.0.0.
    
    #### to run the example no modifications below should be needed ####
    JBOSS_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER=true
    PORTS_ALLOWED="9999 9990 9443"
    JBOSS_IP=`hostname | sed -e 's/ip-//' -e 'y/-/./'` #listen on public/private EC2 IP address
    
    cat > $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
    ## Get the application to be deployed from an Internet URL
    # mkdir -p /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications
    # wget https://<your secure storage hostname>/<path>/<app name>.war -O /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/<app name>.war
    
    ## Create a file of CLI commands to be executed after starting the server
    cat> $USER_CLI_COMMANDS << "EOC" 
    
    # Add the modcluster subsystem to the default profile to set up a proxy
    /profile=default/subsystem=web/connector=ajp:add(name=ajp,protocol=AJP/1.3,scheme=http,socket-binding=ajp)
    /:composite(steps=[ {"operation" => "add", "address" => [ ("profile" => "default"), ("subsystem" => "modcluster") ] },{ "operation" => "add", "address" => [ ("profile" => "default"), ("subsystem" => "modcluster"), ("mod-cluster-config" => "configuration") ], "advertise" => "false", "proxy-list" => "${jboss.modcluster.proxyList}", "connector" => "ajp"}, { "operation" => "add", "address" => [ ("profile" => "default"), ("subsystem" => "modcluster"), ("mod-cluster-config" => "configuration"), ("dynamic-load-provider" => "configuration") ]}, { "operation" => "add", "address" => [ ("profile" => "default"), ("subsystem" => "modcluster"), ("mod-cluster-config" => "configuration"), ("dynamic-load-provider" => "configuration"), ("load-metric" => "busyness")], "type" => "busyness"} ])
    
    # Deploy the sample application from the local filesystem
    deploy /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-samples/hello.war --server-groups=main-server-group
    EOC
    
    ## this will workaround the problem that in a VPC, instance hostnames are not resolvable
    echo -e "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost.localdomain localhost" > /etc/hosts
    echo -e "::1\tlocalhost6.localdomain6 localhost6" >> /etc/hosts
    for (( i=1 ; i<255 ; i++ )); do
       echo -e "$SUBNET$i\tip-${SUBNET//./-}$i" ;
    done >> /etc/hosts
    
    EOF
    
    
  5. For Production Instances

    For a production instance, add the following line beneath the USER_SCRIPT line of the User Data field, to ensure security updates are applied on boot.
    yum -y update

    Note

    yum -y update should be run regularly, to apply security fixes and enhancements.
  6. Launch the Red Hat AMI instance.
Result

A non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain has been configured, and launched on a Red Hat AMI.

21.2.2.3.2. Launch One or More Instances to Serve as Host Controllers
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch one or more instances of JBoss EAP 6 to serve as non-clustered host controllers on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

Prerequisites

Procedure 21.4. Launch Host Controllers

For each instance you would like to create, repeat the following steps:
  1. Select an AMI.
  2. Define the desired number of instances (the number of slave host controllers).
  3. Select the VPC and instance type.
  4. Click on Security Group.
  5. Ensure that all traffic from the JBoss EAP 6 subnet is allowed.
  6. Define other restrictions as desired.
  7. Add the following into the User Data field:
    ## mod cluster proxy addresses
    MOD_CLUSTER_PROXY_LIST=10.0.0.4:7654
    
    ## host controller setup
    JBOSS_DOMAIN_MASTER_ADDRESS=10.0.0.5
    JBOSS_HOST_PASSWORD=<password for slave host controllers>
    
    ## subnet prefix this machine is connected to
    SUBNET=10.0.1.
    
    #### to run the example no modifications below should be needed ####
    JBOSS_HOST_USERNAME=admin
    PORTS_ALLOWED="1024:65535"
    JBOSS_IP=`hostname | sed -e 's/ip-//' -e 'y/-/./'` #listen on public/private EC2 IP address
    
    cat > $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
    ## Server instance configuration
    sed -i "s/other-server-group/main-server-group/" $JBOSS_CONFIG_DIR/$JBOSS_HOST_CONFIG
    
    ## this will workaround the problem that in a VPC, instance hostnames are not resolvable
    echo -e "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost.localdomain localhost" > /etc/hosts
    echo -e "::1\tlocalhost6.localdomain6 localhost6" >> /etc/hosts
    for (( i=1 ; i<255 ; i++ )); do
        echo -e "$SUBNET$i\tip-${SUBNET//./-}$i" ;
    done >> /etc/hosts
    
    EOF
    
  8. For Production Instances

    For a production instance, add the following line beneath the USER_SCRIPT line of the User Data field, to ensure security updates are applied on boot.
    yum -y update

    Note

    yum -y update should be run regularly, to apply security fixes and enhancements.
  9. Launch the Red Hat AMI instance.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 non-clustered host controllers are configured and launched on a Red Hat AMI.

21.2.2.3.3. Test the Non-Clustered JBoss EAP 6 Managed Domain
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to test the non-clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

To test the Managed Domain you must know the elastic IP addresses of both the Apache HTTPD and JBoss EAP 6 Domain Controller.

Prerequisites

Procedure 21.5. Test the Web Server

  • Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD in a browser to confirm the web server is running successfully.

Procedure 21.6. Test the Domain Controller

  1. Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER:9990/console
  2. Log in using the username of admin and the password specified in the User Data field for the domain controller and the admin console landing page for a managed domain should appear (http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER:9990/console/App.html#server-instances).
  3. Click the Server label at the top right side of the screen, and select any of the host controllers in the Host dropdown menu at the top left side of the screen.
  4. Verify that each host controller has two server configurations called server-one and server-two and that they both belong to the main-server-group.
  5. Log out of the JBoss EAP 6 Admin Console.

Procedure 21.7. Test the Host Controllers

  1. Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD/hello to test that the sample application is running successfully. The text Hello World! should appear in the browser.
    If the text is not visible, refer here: Section 18.5.1, "About Troubleshooting Amazon EC2".
  2. Connect to the Apache HTTPD instance:
    $ ssh -L7654:localhost:7654 ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD
  3. Navigate to http://localhost:7654/mod_cluster-manager to confirm all instances are running correctly.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 web server, domain controller, and host controllers are running correctly on a Red Hat AMI.

21.2.3. Clustered JBoss EAP 6

21.2.3.1. About Clustered Instances

A clustered instance is an Amazon EC2 instance running JBoss EAP 6 with clustering enabled. Another instance running Apache HTTPD will be acting as the proxy for the instances in the cluster.
The JBoss EAP 6 AMIs include two configuration files for use in clustered instances, standalone-ec2-ha.xml and standalone-mod_cluster-ec2-ha.xml. Each of these configuration files provides clustering without the use of multicast because Amazon EC2 does not support multicast. This is done by using TCP unicast for cluster communications and S3_PING as the discovery protocol. The standalone-mod_cluster-ec2-ha.xml configuration also provides easy registration with mod_cluster proxies.
Similarly, the domain-ec2.xml configuration file provides two profiles for use in clustered managed domains: ec2-ha, and mod_cluster-ec2-ha.

21.2.3.2. Create a Relational Database Service Database Instance

Summary

This topic covers the steps to create a relational database service database instance, using MySQL as an example.

Warning

It is highly recommended that the back-up and maintenance features remain enabled for production environments.

Important

It is good practice to create separate user/password pairs for each application accessing the database. Tune other configuration options according to your application's requirements.

Procedure 21.8. Create a Relational Database Service Database Instance

  1. Click on the RDS in the AWS console.
  2. Subscribe to the service if needed.
  3. Click on Launch DB instance.
  4. Click on MySQL.
    1. Select a version. For example, 5.5.12.
    2. Select small instance.
    3. Ensure Multi-AZ Deployment and Auto upgrade are off.
    4. Set Storage to 5GB.
    5. Define the database administrator's username and password and click Next.
    6. Select a database name to be created with the instance, and click Next.
    7. Disable back-ups and maintenance, if necessary.
    8. Confirm the settings.
Result

The database is created. It will initialize and be ready for use after a few minutes.

21.2.3.3. About Virtual Private Clouds

An Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) is a feature of Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows you to isolate a set of AWS resources in a private network. The topology and configuration of this private network can be customized to your needs.
Refer to the Amazon Virtual Private Cloud website for more information http://aws.amazon.com/vpc/.

21.2.3.4. Create a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to create a Virtual Private Cloud, using a database external to the VPC as an example. Your security policies may require connection to the database to be encrypted. Please refer to Amazon's RDS FAQ for details about encrypting the database connections.

Important

VPC is recommended for a JBoss EAP 6 cluster setup as it greatly simplifies secure communication between cluster nodes, a JON Server and the mod_cluster proxy. Without a VPC, these communication channels need to be encrypted and authenticated.
For detailed instructions on configuring SSL, refer here: Section 10.11.1, “Implement SSL Encryption for the JBoss EAP 6 Web Server”.
  1. Go to the VPC tab in the AWS console.
  2. Subscribe to the service if needed.
  3. Click on "Create new VPC".
  4. Choose a VPC with one public and one private subnet.
    1. Set the public subnet to be 10.0.0.0/24.
    2. Set the private subnet to be 10.0.1.0/24.
  5. Go to Elastic IPs.
  6. Create an elastic IP for use by the mod_cluster proxy/NAT instance.
  7. Go to Security groups and create a security group to allow all traffic in and out.
  8. Go to Network ACLs
    1. Create an ACL to allow all traffic in and out.
    2. Create an ACL to allow all traffic out and traffic in on only TCP ports 22, 8009, 8080, 8443, 9443, 9990 and 16163.
Result

The Virtual Private Cloud has been successfully created.

21.2.3.5. Launch an Apache HTTPD instance to serve as a mod_cluster proxy and a NAT instance for the VPC

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch an Apache HTTPD instance to serve as a mod_cluster proxy and a NAT instance for the Virtual Private Cloud.

Procedure 21.9. Launch an Apache HTTPD instance to serve as a mod_cluster proxy and a NAT instance for the VPC

  1. Create an elastic IP for this instance.
  2. Select an AMI.
  3. Go to Security Group and allow all traffic (use Red Hat Enterprise Linux's built-in firewall capabilities to restrict access if desired).
  4. Select "running" in the public subnet of the VPC.
  5. Select a static IP (e.g. 10.0.0.4).
  6. Put the following in the User Data: field:
    JBOSSCONF=disabled
    
    cat > $USER_SCRIPT << "EOS"
    
    echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
    echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/rp_filter
    echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/eth0/rp_filter
    
    iptables -I INPUT 4 -s 10.0.1.0/24 -p tcp --dport 7654 -j ACCEPT
    iptables -I INPUT 4 -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
    
    iptables -I FORWARD -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
    iptables -I FORWARD -s 10.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
    iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o eth0 ! -s 10.0.0.4 -j MASQUERADE
    
    # balancer module incompatible with mod_cluster
    sed -i -e 's/LoadModule proxy_balancer_module/#\0/' /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
    
    cat > /etc/httpd/conf.d/mod_cluster.conf << "EOF"
    #LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so
    #LoadModule proxy_ajp_module modules/mod_proxy_ajp.so
    LoadModule slotmem_module modules/mod_slotmem.so
    LoadModule manager_module modules/mod_manager.so
    LoadModule proxy_cluster_module modules/mod_proxy_cluster.so
    LoadModule advertise_module modules/mod_advertise.so
    
    Listen 7654
    
    # workaround JBPAPP-4557
    MemManagerFile /var/cache/mod_proxy/manager
    
    <VirtualHost *:7654>
       <Location /mod_cluster-manager>
          SetHandler mod_cluster-manager
          Order deny,allow
          Deny from all
          Allow from 127.0.0.1
       </Location>
    
       <Location />
          Order deny,allow
          Deny from all
          Allow from 10.
          Allow from 127.0.0.1
       </Location>
    
       KeepAliveTimeout 60
       MaxKeepAliveRequests 0
       ManagerBalancerName mycluster
       ServerAdvertise Off
       EnableMCPMReceive On
    </VirtualHost>
    EOF
    
    echo "`hostname | sed -e 's/ip-//' -e 'y/-/./'`        `hostname`" >> /etc/hosts
    
    semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 7654 #add port in the apache port list for the below to work
    setsebool -P httpd_can_network_relay 1 #for mod_proxy_cluster to work
    chcon -t httpd_config_t -u system_u /etc/httpd/conf.d/mod_cluster.conf
    
    #### Uncomment the following line when launching a managed domain ####
    # setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1
    
    service httpd start
    
    EOS
    
    
  7. Disable the Amazon EC2 cloud source/destination checking for this instance so it can act as a router.
    1. Right-click on the running Apache HTTPD instance and choose "Change Source/Dest check".
    2. Click on Yes, Disable.
  8. Assign the elastic IP to this instance.
Result

The Apache HTTPD instance has been launched successfully.

21.2.3.6. Configure the VPC Private Subnet Default Route

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to configure the VPC private subnet default route. JBoss EAP 6 cluster nodes will run in the private subnet of the VPC, but cluster nodes require Internet access for S3 connectivity. A default route needs to be set to go through the NAT instance.

Procedure 21.10. Configure the VPC Private Subnet Default Route

  1. Navigate to the Apache HTTPD instance in the Amazon AWS console.
  2. Navigate to the VPC route tables.
  3. Click on the routing table used by the private subnet.
  4. In the field for a new route enter 0.0.0.0/0.
  5. Click on "Select a target".
  6. Select "Enter Instance ID".
  7. Choose the ID of the running Apache HTTPD instance.
Result

The default route has been successfully configured for the VPC subnet.

21.2.3.7. About Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Identity and Access Management (IAM) provides configurable security for your AWS resources. IAM can be configured to use accounts created in IAM or to provide identity federation between IAM and your own identity services.
Refer to the AWS Identity and Access Management website for more information http://aws.amazon.com/iam/.

21.2.3.8. Configure IAM Setup

Summary

This topic covers the configuration steps required for setting up IAM for clustered JBoss EAP 6 instances. The S3_PING protocol uses an S3 bucket to discover other cluster members. JGroups version 3.0.x requires Amazon AWS account access and secret keys to authenticate against the S3 service.

It is a security risk to enter your main account credentials in the user-data field, store them online or in an AMI. To circumvent this, a separate account can be created using the Amazon IAM feature which would be only granted access to a single S3 bucket.

Procedure 21.11. Configure IAM Setup

  1. Go to the IAM tab in the AWS console.
  2. Click on users.
  3. Select Create New Users.
  4. Choose a name, and ensure the Generate an access key for each User option is checked.
  5. Select Download credentials, and save them in a secure location.
  6. Close the window.
  7. Click on the newly created user.
  8. Make note of the User ARM value. This value is required to set up the S3 bucket, documented here: Section 21.2.3.10, “Configure S3 Bucket Setup”.
Result

The IAM user account has been successfully created.

21.2.3.9. About the S3 Bucket

S3 Buckets are the basic organization store unit in the Amazon Simple Storage System (Amazon S3). A bucket can store any number of arbitrary objects and must have a unique name to identify it with Amazon S3..
Refer to the Amazon S3 website for more information, http://aws.amazon.com/s3/.

21.2.3.10. Configure S3 Bucket Setup

Summary

This topic covers the steps required to configure a new S3 bucket.

Procedure 21.12. Configure S3 Bucket Setup

  1. Open the S3 tab in the AWS console.
  2. Click on Create Bucket.
  3. Choose a name for the bucket and click Create.

    Note

    Bucket names are unique across the entire S3. Names cannot be reused.
  4. Right click on the new bucket and select Properties.
  5. Click Add bucket policy in the permissions tab.
  6. Click New policy to open the policy creation wizard.
    1. Copy the following content into the new policy, replacing arn:aws:iam::05555555555:user/jbosscluster* with the value defined here: Section 21.2.3.8, “Configure IAM Setup”. Change both instances of clusterbucket123 to the name of the bucket defined in step 3 of this procedure.
      {
          "Version": "2008-10-17",
          "Id": "Policy1312228794320",
          "Statement": [
              {
                  "Sid": "Stmt1312228781799",
                  "Effect": "Allow",
                  "Principal": {
                      "AWS": [
                          "arn:aws:iam::055555555555:user/jbosscluster"
                      ]
                  },
                  "Action": [
                      "s3:ListBucketVersions",
                      "s3:GetObjectVersion",
                      "s3:ListBucket",
                      "s3:PutBucketVersioning",
                      "s3:DeleteObject",
                      "s3:DeleteObjectVersion",
                      "s3:GetObject",
                      "s3:ListBucketMultipartUploads",
                      "s3:ListMultipartUploadParts",
                      "s3:PutObject",
                      "s3:GetBucketVersioning"
                  ],
                  "Resource": [
                      "arn:aws:s3:::clusterbucket123/*",
                      "arn:aws:s3:::clusterbucket123"
                  ]
              }
          ]
      }
      
      
Result

A new S3 bucket has been created, and configured successfully.

21.2.3.11. Clustered Instances

21.2.3.11.1. Launch Clustered JBoss EAP 6 AMIs
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch clustered JBoss EAP 6 AMIs.

Warning

Running a JBoss EAP 6 cluster in a subnet with network mask smaller than 24 bits or spanning multiple subnets complicates acquiring a unique server peer ID for each cluster member.
Refer to the JBOSS_CLUSTER_ID variable for information on how to make such a configuration work reliably: Section 21.4.1, “Permanent Configuration Parameters”.

Important

The auto-scaling Amazon EC2 feature can be used with JBoss EAP 6 cluster nodes. However, ensure it is tested before deployment. You should ensure that your particular workloads scale to the desired number of nodes, and that the performance meets your needs for the instance type you are planning to use (different instance types receive a different share of the EC2 cloud resources).
Furthermore, instance locality and current network/storage/host machine/RDS utilization can affect performance of a cluster. Test with your expected real-life loads and try to account for unexpected conditions.

Warning

The Amazon EC2 scale-down action terminates the nodes without any chance to gracefully shut down, and, as some transactions might be interrupted, other cluster nodes (and load balancers) will need time to fail over. This is likely to impact your application users' experience.
It is recommended that you either scale down the application cluster manually by disabling the server from the mod_cluster management interface until processed sessions are completed, or shut down the JBoss EAP 6 instance gracefully (SSH access to the instance or JON can be used).
Test that your chosen procedure for scaling-down does not lead to adverse effects on your users' experience. Additional measures might be required for particular workloads, load balancers and setups.

Procedure 21.13. Launch Clustered JBoss EAP 6 AMIs

  1. Select an AMI.
  2. Define the desired number of instances (the cluster size).
  3. Select the VPC and instance type.
  4. Click on Security Group.
  5. Ensure that all traffic from the JBoss EAP 6 cluster subnet is allowed.
  6. Define other restrictions as desired.
  7. Add the following into the User Data field:

    Example 21.5. Example User Data Field

    ## mod cluster proxy addresses
    MOD_CLUSTER_PROXY_LIST=10.0.0.4:7654
    
    ## clustering setup
    JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=<your secret key>
    JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_ACCESS_KEY=<your access key>
    JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_BUCKET=<your bucket name>
    
    ## password to access admin console
    JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=<your password for opening admin console>
    
    ## database credentials configuration
    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Ddb.host=instancename.something.rds.amazonaws.com -Ddb.database=mydatabase -Ddb.user=<user> -Ddb.passwd=<pass>"
    
    ## subnet prefix this machine is connected to
    SUBNET=10.0.1.
    
    #### to run the example no modifications below should be needed ####
    PORTS_ALLOWED="1024:65535"
    JBOSS_IP=`hostname | sed -e 's/ip-//' -e 'y/-/./'` #listen on public/private EC2 IP address
    
    cat > $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
    ## Get the application to be deployed from an Internet URL
    # mkdir -p /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications
    # wget https://<your secure storage hostname>/<path>/<app name>.war -O /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/<app name>.war
    
    ## install the JDBC driver as a core module
    yum -y install mysql-connector-java
    mkdir -p /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main
    cp -v /usr/share/java/mysql-connector-java-*.jar /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main/mysql-connector-java.jar
    
    cat > /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main/module.xml <<"EOM"
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.0" name="com.mysql">
       <resources>
          <resource-root path="mysql-connector-java.jar"/>
       </resources>
       <dependencies>
          <module name="javax.api"/>
       </dependencies>
    </module>
    EOM
    
    cat > $USER_CLI_COMMANDS << "EOC" 
    ## Deploy sample application from local filesystem
    deploy --force /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-samples/cluster-demo.war
    
    ## ExampleDS configuration for MySQL database
    data-source remove --name=ExampleDS
    /subsystem=datasources/jdbc-driver=mysql:add(driver-name="mysql",driver-module-name="com.mysql")
    data-source add --name=ExampleDS --connection-url="jdbc:mysql://${db.host}:3306/${db.database}" --jndi-name=java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS --driver-name=mysql --user-name="${db.user}" --password="${db.passwd}"
    /subsystem=datasources/data-source=ExampleDS:enable
    /subsystem=datasources/data-source=ExampleDS:test-connection-in-pool
    EOC
    
    ## this will workaround the problem that in a VPC, instance hostnames are not resolvable
    echo -e "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost.localdomain localhost" > /etc/hosts
    echo -e "::1\tlocalhost6.localdomain6 localhost6" >> /etc/hosts
    for (( i=1 ; i<255 ; i++ )); do
       echo -e "$SUBNET$i\tip-${SUBNET//./-}$i" ;
    done >> /etc/hosts
    
    EOF
    
Result

The clustered JBoss EAP 6 AMIs have been configured and launched successfully.

21.2.3.11.2. Test the Clustered JBoss EAP 6 Instance
Summary

This topic covers the steps to confirm that the clustered JBoss EAP 6 instances are running correctly.

Procedure 21.14. Testing the Clustered Instance

  1. Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD in a browser to confirm the web server is running successfully.
  2. Test the Clustered Nodes

    1. Verify that one of the cluster nodes logs the following message:
      Putting date now
    2. Stop the cluster node that logged the message in the previous step.
    3. Verify that the time shown is the same as the time that was PUT using put.jsp in Step 2-a.
    4. Verify that one of the running cluster nodes logs the following message:
      Getting date now
    5. Restart the stopped clustered node.
    6. Connect to the Apache HTTPD instance:
      ssh -L7654:localhost:7654 <ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD>
    7. Navigate to http://localhost:7654/mod_cluster-manager to confirm all instances are running correctly.
Result

The clustered JBoss EAP 6 instance have been tested, and confirmed to be working correctly.

21.2.3.12. Clustered Managed Domains

21.2.3.12.1. Launch an Instance to Serve as a Cluster Domain Controller
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch a clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

Procedure 21.15. Launch a Cluster Domain Contoller

  1. Create an elastic IP for this instance.
  2. Select an AMI.
  3. Go to Security Group and allow all traffic (use Red Hat Enterprise Linux's built-in firewall capabilities to restrict access if desired).
  4. Choose "running" in the public subnet of the VPC.
  5. Choose a static IP (e.g. 10.0.0.5).
  6. Put the following in the User Data: field:
    ## mod cluster proxy addresses
    MOD_CLUSTER_PROXY_LIST=10.0.0.4:7654
     
    ## password that will be used by slave host controllers to connect to the domain controller
    JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=<password for slave host controllers>
     
    ## subnet prefix this machine is connected to
    SUBNET=10.0.0.
     
    #### to run the example no modifications below should be needed ####
    JBOSS_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER=true
    PORTS_ALLOWED="9999 9990 9443"
    JBOSS_IP=`hostname | sed -e 's/ip-//' -e 'y/-/./'` #listen on public/private EC2 IP address
     
    cat > $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
    ## Get the application to be deployed from an Internet URL
    # mkdir -p /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications
    # wget https://<your secure storage hostname>/<path>/<app name>.war -O /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-applications/<app name>.war
     
    ## Install the JDBC driver as a core module
    yum -y install mysql-connector-java
    mkdir -p /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main
    cp -v /usr/share/java/mysql-connector-java-*.jar /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main/mysql-connector-java.jar
     
    cat > /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main/module.xml <<"EOM"
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.0" name="com.mysql">
       <resources>
          <resource-root path="mysql-connector-java.jar"/>
       </resources>
       <dependencies>
          <module name="javax.api"/>
       </dependencies>
    </module>
    EOM
     
    cat > $USER_CLI_COMMANDS << "EOC" 
    ## Deploy the sample application from the local filesystem
    deploy /usr/share/java/jboss-ec2-eap-samples/cluster-demo.war --server-groups=other-server-group
     
    ## ExampleDS configuration for MySQL database
    data-source --profile=mod_cluster-ec2-ha remove --name=ExampleDS
    /profile=mod_cluster-ec2-ha/subsystem=datasources/jdbc-driver=mysql:add(driver-name="mysql",driver-module-name="com.mysql")
    data-source --profile=mod_cluster-ec2-ha add --name=ExampleDS --connection-url="jdbc:mysql://${db.host}:3306/${db.database}" --jndi-name=java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS --driver-name=mysql --user-name="${db.user}" --password="${db.passwd}"
    /profile=mod_cluster-ec2-ha/subsystem=datasources/data-source=ExampleDS:enable
    EOC
     
    ## this will workaround the problem that in a VPC, instance hostnames are not resolvable
    echo -e "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost.localdomain localhost" > /etc/hosts
    echo -e "::1\tlocalhost6.localdomain6 localhost6" >> /etc/hosts
    for (( i=1 ; i<255 ; i++ )); do
       echo -e "$SUBNET$i\tip-${SUBNET//./-}$i" ;
    done >> /etc/hosts
     
    EOF
    
  7. For Production Instances

    For a production instance, add the following line beneath the USER_SCRIPT line of the User Data field, to ensure security updates are applied on boot.
    yum -y update

    Note

    yum -y update should be run regularly, to apply security fixes and enhancements.
  8. Launch the Red Hat AMI instance.
Result

A clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain is configured and launched on a Red Hat AMI.

21.2.3.12.2. Launch One or More Instances to Serve as Cluster Host Controllers
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to launch one or more instances of JBoss EAP 6 to serve as cluster host controllers on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

Prerequisites

Procedure 21.16. Launch Host Controllers

For each instance you would like to create, repeat the following steps:
  1. Select an AMI.
  2. Define the desired number of instances (the number of slave host controllers).
  3. Select the VPC and instance type.
  4. Click on Security Group.
  5. Ensure that all traffic from the JBoss EAP 6 cluster subnet is allowed.
  6. Define other restrictions as desired.
  7. Add the following into the User Data field:
    ## mod cluster proxy addresses
    MOD_CLUSTER_PROXY_LIST=10.0.0.4:7654
     
    ## clustering setup
    JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=<your secret key>
    JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_ACCESS_KEY=<your access key>
    JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_BUCKET=<your bucket name>
     
    ## host controller setup
    JBOSS_DOMAIN_MASTER_ADDRESS=10.0.0.5
    JBOSS_HOST_PASSWORD=<password for slave host controllers>
     
    ## database credentials configuration
    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Ddb.host=instancename.something.rds.amazonaws.com -Ddb.database=mydatabase -Ddb.user=<user> -Ddb.passwd=<pass>"
     
    ## subnet prefix this machine is connected to
    SUBNET=10.0.1.
     
    #### to run the example no modifications below should be needed ####
    JBOSS_HOST_USERNAME=admin
    PORTS_ALLOWED="1024:65535"
    JBOSS_IP=`hostname | sed -e 's/ip-//' -e 'y/-/./'` #listen on public/private EC2 IP address
     
    cat > $USER_SCRIPT << "EOF"
    ## Server instance configuration
    sed -i "s/main-server-group/other-server-group/" $JBOSS_CONFIG_DIR/$JBOSS_HOST_CONFIG
     
    ## install the JDBC driver as a core module
    yum -y install mysql-connector-java
    mkdir -p /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main
    cp -v /usr/share/java/mysql-connector-java-*.jar /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main/mysql-connector-java.jar
     
    cat > /usr/share/jbossas/modules/com/mysql/main/module.xml <<"EOM"
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <module xmlns="urn:jboss:module:1.0" name="com.mysql">
       <resources>
          <resource-root path="mysql-connector-java.jar"/>
       </resources>
       <dependencies>
          <module name="javax.api"/>
       </dependencies>
    </module>
    EOM
     
    ## this will workaround the problem that in a VPC, instance hostnames are not resolvable
    echo -e "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost.localdomain localhost" > /etc/hosts
    echo -e "::1\tlocalhost6.localdomain6 localhost6" >> /etc/hosts
    for (( i=1 ; i<255 ; i++ )); do
       echo -e "$SUBNET$i\tip-${SUBNET//./-}$i" ;
    done >> /etc/hosts
     
    EOF
    
  8. For Production Instances

    For a production instance, add the following line beneath the USER_SCRIPT line of the User Data field, to ensure security updates are applied on boot.
    yum -y update

    Note

    yum -y update should be run regularly, to apply security fixes and enhancements.
  9. Launch the Red Hat AMI instance.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 cluster host controllers are configured and launched on a Red Hat AMI.

21.2.3.12.3. Test the Clustered JBoss EAP 6 Managed Domain
Summary

This topic covers the steps required to test the clustered JBoss EAP 6 managed domain on a Red Hat AMI (Amazon Machine Image).

To test the Managed Domain you must know the elastic IP addresses of both the Apache HTTPD and JBoss EAP 6 Domain Controller.

Prerequisites

Procedure 21.17. Test the Apache HTTPD instance

  • Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD in a browser to confirm the web server is running successfully.

Procedure 21.18. Test the Domain Controller

  1. Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER:9990/console
  2. Log in using the username admin and the password specified in the User Data field for the domain controller. Once logged in, the admin console landing page for a managed domain should appear (http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER:9990/console/App.html#server-instances).
  3. Click the Server label at the top right side of the screen. Select any of the host controllers in the Host dropdown menu at the top left side of the screen.
  4. Verify that this host controller has two server configurations called server-one and server-two and verify that they both belong to the other-server-group.

Procedure 21.19. Test the Host Controllers

  1. Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD/cluster-demo/put.jsp in a browser.
  2. Verify that one of the host controllers logs the following message: Putting date now.
  3. Stop the server instance that logged the message in the previous step (see Section 2.8.3, Stop a Server Using the Management Console).
  4. Navigate to http://ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD/cluster-demo/get.jsp in a browser.
  5. Verify that the time shown is the same as the time that was PUT using put.jsp in Step 2.
  6. Verify that one of the running server instances logs the following message: Getting date now.
  7. Restart the stopped server instance (see Section 2.8.3, Start a Server Using the Management Console)
  8. Connect to the Apache HTTPD instance.
    $ ssh -L7654:localhost:7654 ELASTIC_IP_OF_APACHE_HTTPD
  9. Navigate to http://localhost:7654/mod_cluster-manager to confirm all instances are running correctly.
Result

The JBoss EAP 6 web server, domain controller, and host controllers are running correctly on a Red Hat AMI.

21.3. Establishing Monitoring with JBoss Operations Network (JON)

21.3.1. About AMI Monitoring

With your business application deployed to a correctly-configured AMI instance, the next step is to establish monitoring of the platform with JBoss Operations Network (JON).
The JON server is commonly located inside a corporate network, so it's necessary to establish a secure connection between the server and each of its agents. Establishing a VPN between the two points is the most common solution but this complicates the required networking configuration. This chapter provides network configuration guidelines for enabling communication between the JON agent and JON server. For more extensive information on configuration, management, and usage please refer to the official Red Hat documentation for JBoss Operations Network (JON).
JON Server connectivity

Figure 21.1. JON Server connectivity

21.3.2. About Connectivity Requirements

Registering a JON agent with its servers requires two-way communication between agent and servers. The JON Agent needs access to port 7080 on all JON servers, except in the case of SSL where port 7443 is used. Each JON server must be able to access each of the connected agents on a unique host and port pairing. The agent port is usually 16163.
If there are multiple clustered JON servers, make sure each agent can communicate with all servers in the JON cluster via the IP and hostname pairs as configured through the JON server administration console. The JON server used by the agent to register may not be the server it tries to use after initialization.

21.3.3. About Network Address Translation (NAT)

A corporate VPN gateway acting in routed mode greatly simplifies network configuration. If your corporate VPN gateway is acting in NAT mode however, the JON server does not have direct visibility of agents. In this case, port forwarding needs to be configured for each agent.
NAT VPN configurations require a port on the gateway to be forwarded to the JON agent's address of port on the managed machine. The JON agent also needs to be configured to tell the server the forwarded port number and IP address. You can find further information in the rhq.communications.connector.* description for the agent-configuration.xml configuration file.

21.3.4. About Amazon EC2 and DNS

JON servers and JON agents need to be able to resolve each others' hostnames. The DNS resolution is more complicated in the case of a VPN configuration. Connected servers have multiple possible options. One option is to use either the Amazon EC2 or the corporate network's DNS servers. Another option is to use a split DNS configuration where the corporate DNS servers are used for resolving names in particular domains, and the Amazon EC2 DNS servers are used for resolving all other names.

21.3.5. About Routing in EC2

All Amazon EC2 servers have a source/destination checking routing feature activated by default. This feature drops any packets being sent to the server which have a destination different from the machine's IP address. If the VPN solution selected for connecting agents to the JON server includes a router, this feature needs to be turned off for the server or servers acting as routers or VPN gateways. This configuration setting can be accessed via the Amazon AWS console. Disabled source/destination checking is also required in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
Some VPN configurations route general Internet traffic through the corporate VPN by default. It is recommended that you avoid this as it may be a slower and less efficient configuration for your particular needs.
While the use of a proper addressing schema is not a concern specific to JON, poor schemas can affect it. Amazon EC2 assigns IP addresses from the 10.0.0.0/8 network. Instances usually have a public IP address also, but only network traffic on the internal IP address within the same availability zone is free. To avoid using the 10.0.0.0/8 network in private addressing, there are a few things to consider.
  • When creating a VPC, avoid allocating addresses already in use in the private network to avoid connectivity problems.
  • If an instance needs access to availability zone local resources, make sure Amazon EC2 private addresses are used and traffic is not routed through the VPN.
  • If an Amazon EC2 instance will access a small subset of corporate private network addresses (for example only JON servers), only these addresses should be routed through the VPN. This increases security and lowers the chance of Amazon EC2 or private network address space collisions.

21.3.6. About Terminating and Restarting with JON

One of the benefits of a cloud environment is the ease by which you can terminate and launch a machine instance. You can also launch an instance identical to the initial one. This may cause issues if the new instance tries to register with JON servers using the same agent name as the previously running agent. If this happens the JON server will not allow an agent to reconnect with a missing or non-matching identification token.
To avoid this, ensure that terminated agents are removed from the JON inventory before trying to connect an agent with the same name or specify the correct identification token when starting new agent.
Another issue that you might encounter is when an agent machine is assigned a new VPN IP address that no longer matches the address recorded in the JON configuration. An example might include a machine that is restarted or where a VPN connection is terminated. In this case, it is recommended that you bind the JON agent's life cycle to the VPN connection's life cycle. If the connection drops, you can stop the agent. When the connection is restored again, update JON_AGENT_ADDR in /etc/sysconfig/jon-agent-ec2 to reflect the new IP address and restart the agent.
Information on how to change the agent's IP address can be found in the Configuring JON Servers and Agents Guide available at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/JBoss_Operations_Network/.
If there are a high number of instances launched and/or terminated it can become impractical to add and remove them manually from the JON inventory. JON's scripting capabilities can be used for automate these steps. Refer to the JON documentation for further information.

21.3.7. Configure an Instance to Register with JBoss Operations Network

Use the following procedure to register a JBoss EAP 6 instance with JBoss Operations Network.
  • For JBoss EAP 6, add this to the User Data field.
    JON_SERVER_ADDR=jon2.it.example.com
    ## if instance not already configured to resolve its hostname
    JON_AGENT_ADDR=`ip addr show dev eth0 primary to 0/0 | sed -n 's#.*inet \([0-9.]\+\)/.*#\1#p'` 
    PORTS_ALLOWED=16163
    # insert other JON options when necessary, see Appendix I
    
    

21.4. User Script Configuration

21.4.1. Permanent Configuration Parameters

Summary

The following parameters can be used to influence the configuration and operation of JBoss EAP 6. Their contents are written to /etc/sysconfig/jbossas and /etc/sysconfig/jon-agent-ec2.

Table 21.2. Configurable Parameters

Name Description Default
JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_ACCESS_KEY Amazon AWS user account access key for S3_PING discovery if clustering is used. N/A
JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY Amazon AWS user account secret access key. N/A
JBOSS_JGROUPS_S3_PING_BUCKET Amazon S3 bucket to be used for S3_PING discovery. N/A
JBOSS_CLUSTER_ID
ID of cluster member nodes. Only used for clustering. Accepted values are (in order):
  • A valid cluster ID number in the range 0 - 1023.
  • A network interface name, where the last octet of the IP is used as the value.
  • "S3" as a value would coordinate ID usage through the S3 bucket used by jgroups' S3_PING.
    It is recommended to use the last octet of the IP (the default) when all cluster nodes are located in the same 24 or more bit subnet (for example, in a VPC subnet).
Last octet of eth0's IP address
MOD_CLUSTER_PROXY_LIST Comma-delimited list of IPs/hostnames of mod_cluster proxies if mod_cluster is to be used. N/A
PORTS_ALLOWED List of incoming ports to be allowed by firewall in addition to the default ones. N/A
JBOSSAS_ADMIN_PASSWORD Password for the admin user. N/A
JON_SERVER_ADDR JON server hostname or IP with which to register. This is only used for registration, after that the agent may communicate with other servers in the JON cluster. N/A
JON_SERVER_PORT Port used by the agent to communicate with the server. 7080
JON_AGENT_NAME Name of JON agent, must be unique. Instance's ID
JON_AGENT_PORT Port that the agent listens on. 16163
JON_AGENT_ADDR IP address that the JON agent is to be bound to. This is used when the server has more than one public address, (e.g. VPN). JON agent chooses the IP of local hostname by default.
JON_AGENT_OPTS Additional JON agent system properties which can be used for configuring SSL, NAT and other advanced settings. N/A
JBOSS_SERVER_CONFIG
Name of JBoss EAP server configuration file to use. If JBOSS_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER=true, then domain-ec2.xml is used. Otherwise:
  • If S3 config is present, then standalone-ec2-ha.xml is used.
  • If MOD_CLUSTER_PROXY_LIST is specified, then standalone-mod_cluster-ec2-ha.xml is selected.
  • If neither of the first two options are used, then the standalone.xml file is used.
  • Can also be set to standalone-full.xml.
standalone.xml, standalone-full.xml, standalone-ec2-ha.xml, standalone-mod_cluser-ec2-ha.xml, domain-ec2.xml depending on the other parameters.
JAVA_OPTS Custom values to be added to the variable before JBoss EAP 6 starts. JAVA_OPTS is built from the values of other parameters.
JBOSS_IP IP address that the server is to be bound to. 127.0.0.1
JBOSSCONF The name of the JBoss EAP 6 profile to start. To prevent JBoss EAP 6 from starting, JBOSSCONF can be set to disabled standalone
JBOSS_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER
Sets whether or not this instance will run as a domain controller.
false
JBOSS_DOMAIN_MASTER_ADDRESS
IP address of remote domain controller.
N/A
JBOSS_HOST_NAME
The logical host name (within the domain). This needs to be distinct.
The value of the HOSTNAME environment variable.
JBOSS_HOST_USERNAME
The username the host controller should use when registering with the domain controller. If not provided, the JBOSS_HOST_NAME is used instead.
JBOSS_HOST_NAME
JBOSS_HOST_PASSWORD
The password the host controller should use when registering with the domain controller.
N/A
JBOSS_HOST_CONFIG
If JBOSS_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER=true, then host-master.xml is used. If JBOSS_DOMAIN_MASTER_ADDRESS is present, then host-slave.xml is used.
host-master.xml or host-slave.xml, depending on the other parameters.

21.4.2. Custom Script Parameters

Summary

The following parameters can be used in the user customization section of the User Data: field.

Table 21.3. Configurable Parameters

Name Description
JBOSS_DEPLOY_DIR
Deploy directory of the active profile (for example, /var/lib/jbossas/standalone/deployments/). Deployable archives placed in this directory will be deployed. Red Hat recommends using the Management Console or CLI tool to manage deployments instead of using the deploy directory.
JBOSS_CONFIG_DIR
Config directory of the active profile (for example, /var/lib/jbossas/standalone/configuration).
JBOSS_HOST_CONFIG
Name of the active host configuration file (for example, host-master.xml). Red Hat recommends using the Management Console or CLI tools to configure the server instead of editing the configuration file.
JBOSS_SERVER_CONFIG
Name of the active server configuration file (for example, standalone-ec2-ha.xml). Red Hat recommends using the Management Console or CLI tools to configure the server instead of editing the configuration file.
USER_SCRIPT
Path to the custom configuration script, which is available prior to sourcing user-data configuration.
USER_CLI_COMMANDS
Path to a custom file of CLI commands, which is available prior to sourcing user-data configuration.

21.5. Troubleshooting

21.5.1. About Troubleshooting Amazon EC2

EC2 provides an Alarm Status for each instance, indicating severe instance malfunction but the absence of such an alarm is no guarantee that the instance has started correctly and services are running properly. It is possible to use Amazon CloudWatch with its custom metric functionality to monitor instance services' health but use of an enterprise management solution is recommended. JBoss Operations Network (JON) can automatically discover, monitor and manage many services on an EC2 instance with the JON agent installed, including JBoss EAP 6 and its services: Tomcat, Httpd, PostgreSQL, etc. Since there's no difference between an EC-hosted or locally-hosted instance of JBoss EAP 6, established JON monitoring of both types of deployments is identical.

21.5.2. Diagnostic Information

In case of a problem being detected by the JBoss Operations Network, Amazon CloudWatch or manual inspection, common sources of diagnostic information are:
  • /var/log/jboss_user-data.out is the output of the jboss-ec2-eap init script and user custom configuration script.
  • /var/cache/jboss-ec2-eap/ contains the actual user data, custom script, and custom CLI commands used at instance start-up.
  • /var/log also contains all the logs collected from machine start up, JBoss EAP 6, httpd and most other services.
Access to these files is only available via an SSH session. Refer to the Amazon EC Getting Started Guide for details on how to configure and establish an SSH session with an Amazon EC2 instance.

Chapter 22. Supplemental References

22.1. Download Files From the Red Hat Customer Portal

Prerequisites

  • Before you begin this task, you need a Customer Portal account. Browse to https://access.redhat.com and click the Register link in the upper right corner to create an account.

Procedure 22.1. Log in and Download Files from the Red Hat Customer Portal

  1. Browse to https://access.redhat.com and click the Log in link in the top right corner. Enter your credentials and click Log In.
    Result

    You are logged into RHN and you are returned to the main web page at https://access.redhat.com.

  2. Navigate to the Downloads page.

    Use one of the following options to navigate to the Downloads page.
  3. Select the product and version to download.

    Use one of the following ways to choose the correct product and version to download.
    • Step through the navigation one level at a time.
    • Search for your product using the search area at the top right-hand side of the screen.
  4. Download the appropriate file for your operating system and installation method of choice.

    Depending on the product you choose, you may have the choice of a Zip archive, RPM, or native installer for a specific operating system and architecture. Click either the file name or the Download link to the right of the file you want to download.
Result

The file is downloaded to your computer.

22.2. Configure the Default JDK on Red Hat Enterprise Linux

It is possible to have multiple Java Development Kits (JDKs) installed on your Red Hat Enterprise Linux system. This task shows you how to specify which one your current environment uses. It uses the alternatives command.

Important

This task only applies to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Note

It may not be necessary to do this step. Red Hat Enterprise Linux uses OpenJDK 1.6 as the default option. If this is what you want, and your system is working properly, you do not need to manually specify which JDK to use.

Prerequisites

  • In order to complete this task, you need to have superuser access, either through direct login or by means of the sudo command.

Procedure 22.2. Configure the Default JDK

  1. Determine the paths for your preferred java and javac binaries.

    You can use the command rpm -ql packagename |grep bin to find the locations of binaries installed from RPMs. The default locations of the java and javac binaries on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 32-bit systems are as follows.

    Table 22.1. Default locations for java and javac binaries

    JDK Path
    OpenJDK 1.6
    /usr/lib/jvm/jre-1.6.0-openjdk/bin/java
    /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk/bin/javac
    Oracle JDK 1.6
    /usr/lib/jvm/jre-1.6.0-sun/bin/java
    /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-sun/bin/javac
  2. Set the alternative you wish to use for each.

    Run the following commands to set your system to use a specific java and javac: /usr/sbin/alternatives --config java or /usr/sbin/alternatives --config javac. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Optional: Set the java_sdk_1.6.0 alternative choice.

    If you want to use Oracle JDK, you need to set the alternative for java_sdk_1.6.0. as well. Use the following command: /usr/sbin/alternatives --config java_sdk_1.6.0. The correct path is usually /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-sun. You can do a file listing to verify it.
Result:

The alternative JDK is selected and active.

Appendix A. Revision History

Revision History
Revision 1.1-4 Thu Apr 10 2014 Russell Dickenson , Lucas Costi
JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.1.1 GA Release.

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