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HTTP traffic handling in WebSphere Message Broker
Before reading about HTTP traffic handling using the proxy servlet in an external Web container, ensure that you understand the basic structure of HTTP traffic handling in WebSphere® Message Broker.
- HTTPInput
- HTTPReply
- SOAPInput
- SOAPReply
- SOAPAsyncResponse
WebSphere Message Broker has two types of listeners:
- A listener that is started and
managed by the broker, which you can use for messages for the SOAP
and HTTP nodes.
Connections are made into the broker HTTP listener, which places requests on the SYSTEM.BROKER.WS.INPUT queue, from which the input nodes read the data. After the flow has reached a reply node, the reply data is placed on the SYSTEM.BROKER.WS.REPLY queue, where the data is read by the HTTP listener and sent back to the HTTP client.
If you want HTTP nodes to handle HTTPS messages, you must update the broker configuration; see Configuring the broker to use SSL. You can also change the port or ports on which the listener is listening by using the mqsichangeproperties command.
Because WebSphere MQ queues are used to couple the HTTP listener to the message flows, requests received by the HTTP listener can be processed by any message flow in any execution group (provided that the Path suffix for URL property of the HTTPInput node or of the SOAPInput node, matches). If you are using HTTP nodes, the reply can come back from any execution group; but if you are using SOAP nodes, the reply must be sent back from the same execution group.
- A listener that is started and managed by an execution group (an
embedded listener), which you can use for messages for the SOAP and
HTTP nodes. This listener also supports two ports for HTTP and HTTPS
messages.
Connections are made directly to the execution group listener, and requests are passed to the input nodes in that execution group. The HTTP data is passed to the input node, processed in the flow, and sent back directly from the reply node.
Because the network connection is made to a particular execution group, the reply must be sent back from that execution group.
The default behavior for HTTP traffic handling is based on node type:
- HTTP nodes: The default configuration for HTTP nodes is for the broker listener to handle HTTP messages through port 7080. You can change the configuration and port numbers by using the mqsichangeproperties command. For information about how to change the configuration to use an embedded listener, see HTTP listeners.
- SOAP nodes: By default, connections are made directly to the execution group listener, and requests are passed to the SOAPInput nodes in that execution group. For information about how to change the configuration to use the broker listener, see HTTP listeners.
For more details about these listeners, see Processing HTTP messages.