Chapter 4. Configuring Data Grid Server Endpoints

Data Grid servers provide listener endpoints that handle requests from remote client applications.

4.1. Data Grid Endpoints

Data Grid endpoints expose the CacheManager interface over different connector protocols so you can remotely access data and perform operations to manage and maintain Data Grid clusters.

You can define multiple endpoint connectors on different socket bindings.

4.1.1. Hot Rod

Hot Rod is a binary TCP client-server protocol designed to provide faster data access and improved performance in comparison to text-based protocols.

Data Grid provides Hot Rod client libraries in Java, C++, C#, Node.js and other programming languages.

Topology state transfer

Data Grid uses topology caches to provide clients with cluster views. Topology caches contain entries that map internal JGroups transport addresses to exposed Hot Rod endpoints.

When client send requests, Data Grid servers compare the topology ID in request headers with the topology ID from the cache. Data Grid servers send new topology views if client have older topology IDs.

Cluster topology views allow Hot Rod clients to immediately detect when nodes join and leave, which enables dynamic load balancing and failover.

In distributed cache modes, the consistent hashing algorithm also makes it possible to route Hot Rod client requests directly to primary owners.

4.1.2. REST

Reference

Data Grid exposes a RESTful interface that allows HTTP clients to access data, monitor and maintain clusters, and perform administrative operations.

You can use standard HTTP load balancers to provide clients with load balancing and failover capabilities. However, HTTP load balancers maintain static cluster views and require manual updates when cluster topology changes occur.

4.1.3. Protocol Comparison

Table 4.1. Reference

 Hot RodHTTP / REST

Topology-aware

Y

N

Hash-aware

Y

N

Encryption

Y

Y

Authentication

Y

Y

Conditional ops

Y

Y

Bulk ops

Y

N

Transactions

Y

N

Listeners

Y

N

Query

Y

Y

Execution

Y

N

Cross-site failover

Y

N

4.2. Endpoint Connectors

You configure Data Grid server endpoints with connector declarations that specify socket bindings, authentication mechanisms, and encryption configuration.

The default endpoint connector configuration is as follows: 

<endpoints socket-binding="default">
   <hotrod-connector name="hotrod"/>
   <rest-connector name="rest"/>
   <memcached-connector socket-binding="memcached"/>
</endpoints>
  • endpoints contains endpoint connector declarations and defines global configuration for endpoints such as default socket bindings, security realms, and whether clients must present valid TLS certificates.
  • <hotrod-connector name="hotrod"/> declares a Hot Rod connector.
  • <rest-connector name="rest"/> declares a Hot Rod connector.
  • <memcached-connector socket-binding="memcached"/> declares a Memcached connector that uses the memcached socket binding.

Reference

urn:infinispan:server schema provides all available endpoint configuration.

4.2.1. Hot Rod Connectors

Hot Rod connector declarations enable Hot Rod servers. 

<hotrod-connector name="hotrod">
  <topology-state-transfer />
  <authentication>
    ...
  </authentication>
  <encryption>
    ...
  </encryption>
</hotrod-connector>
  • name="hotrod" logically names the Hot Rod connector.
  • topology-state-transfer tunes the state transfer operations that provide Hot Rod clients with cluster topology.
  • authentication configures SASL authentication mechanisms.
  • encryption configures TLS settings for client connections.

Reference

urn:infinispan:server schema provides all available Hot Rod connector configuration.

4.2.2. REST Connectors

REST connector declarations enable REST servers. 

<rest-connector name="rest">
  <authentication>
    ...
  </authentication>
  <cors-rules>
    ...
  </cors-rules>
  <encryption>
    ...
  </encryption>
</rest-connector>
  • name="rest" logically names the REST connector.
  • authentication configures authentication mechanisms.
  • cors-rules specifies CORS (Cross Origin Resource Sharing) rules for cross-domain requests.
  • encryption configures TLS settings for client connections.

Reference

urn:infinispan:server schema provides all available REST connector configuration.