Interaction with HTTP Server

IBM Welcome Page V1.1 requires the following production level HTTP server: IBM HTTP Server v6.0 (powered by Apache 2.0). Use the IBM Welcome Page V1.1 to set up and manage the configuration needed for an Apache 2.0 HTTP server, as well as the IBM Telephone Directory V5.2 application. The application sets up a separate configuration file that contains the required directives for an Apache 2.0 HTTP server. When complete, the Apache 2.0 HTTP server must be reconfigured to include the additional directives.

The location of the Apache 2.0 configuration file varies depending on the name of your WebSphere Application Server and the edition that is used. The following example illustrats the location of the configuration files that are set up by the IBM Welcome Page V1.1 application when it is deployed. This example assumes that the application is deployed on a Windows system using the default WebSphere Application Server profile.

your_server\profiles\default\ibs\server1\apache20.inc

where your_server is the location of your WebSphere Application Server for Express installation. After the IBM Welcome Page V1.1 application creates the Apache 2.0 configuration file listed previously, the HTTP server must be reconfigured to include the new directives. The following example presents the directives that are required:

  1. LoadModule ibm_ldap_module your_apache_server\modules\IBMModuleLDAP.dll
  2. Include your_server\profiles\default\ibs\server1\apache20.inc

    where your_server is the location of your WebSphere Application Server - Express V6 server.

    where your_apache_server is the location of your Apache web server

The server must be configured to allow the application to benefit from additional functionality provided by the HTTP server.

After the configuration is set up and the HTTP server is restarted, the plug-in module for LDAP is used to authenticate users that route requests to the IBM Telephone Directory V5.2 application. These requests include creating, updating, and deleting entries in the directory, as well as requests to the IBM Telephone Directory V5.2 application administrative interfaces.

After users are authenticated, their credentials (IDs and passwords) can pass with the requests that are routed to the application through the HTTP server plug-in for WebSphere Application Server and can be used by the application as necessary. Requests that do not require authentication are routed to the application through the plugin without credentials.

Other features of the HTTP server can be used to support and protect access to the application. For example, the HTTP server can be configured to require the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) ports to ensure that information is sent confidentially. The HTTP server can be configured to log user activity or to prevent certain users or systems from accessing the application.

See Administer IBM Welcome Page V1.1 for additional information on the entries that are used to create the apache20.inc file, including name, port, location of users and groups, naming, object classes, and administrator names and groups.