PQ62683: WEBSPHERE PLUGIN MALFUNCTION IN A LOAD-BALANCER CONFIGURATION

 Fixes are available

4.0.5: WebSphere Application Server Version 4.0 Fix Pack 5 (Version 4.0.5)
PQ62683, 4.0.2: Wrong port number used on redirect in configuration



APAR status
Closed as program error.

Error description
Problem:
This problem con occur in any configuration where the port of an
incoming web request is mapped to a different port before
reaching the webserver.  When this happened, the iPlanet plugin
would use the wrong port number for URI matching - it would use
the port the webserver was listening on rather than the port in
the Host header of the HTTP request.  URI matching could be
forced to succeed by adding the webserver's port to the vhost
list, but this would still fail if the customer's servlet/jsp
did a sendRedirect() on a relative URI.  ( it would build an
absolute uri with the wrong port number ).  The iPlanet plugin
needs to be changed to use the port number specified in the Host
header, if it exists.
Local fix Problem summary
****************************************************************
* USERS AFFECTED: WebSphere Application Server users with      *
*                 certain configurations of load balancer in   *
*                 front of the web server.                     *
****************************************************************
* PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: WebSphere redirects go to the wrong     *
*                      port - they go to the web server port   *
*                      rather then the load balancer port.     *
****************************************************************
* RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
****************************************************************
In some situations, the websphere plugins were defaulting
to the wrong port number for requests.  Instead of using
the port number in the Host header ( when it is available ),
we would default to the port the webserver was listening
on.  This works in most cases, but it will break
sendRedirect() on systems with particular configrations
of load balancers before the web server.  ( any setup
where the load balancer port is different than the ports
of the webservers it serves to ).  When this occurs, the
user will see redirects trying to use the webserver port
rather than the load balancer port.
Problem conclusion
Changed the behavior of the WebSphere plugins so we use
the port from the host header when it's availble, only
defaulting to the server port when no Host header is
available.
Temporary fix Comments
APAR information
APAR number PQ62683
Reported component name WEBSPHERE AE SO
Reported component ID 5630A2202
Reported release 400
Status CLOSED PER
PE NoPE
HIPER NoHIPER
Submitted date 2002-06-27
Closed date 2002-08-20
Last modified date 2002-08-20

APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:
PQ49615

Modules/Macros
PLUGIN          

SRLS

Fix information
Fixed component name WEBSPHERE AE SO
Fixed component ID 5630A2202

Applicable component levels
R400 PSY    UP


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > General
Operating system(s):
Software version: 400
Software edition:
Reference #: PQ62683
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Aug 20, 2002