PM78661: APPCENTER SERVICES NOT ACCESSIBLE WITH WEB SERVER IN FRONT OF APPLICATION SERVER WITH DISABLED HTTP PORT

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Using the Application Center (AppCenter) will result in failures
  to access resources (e.g. apk files and icons) due to incorrect
  URLs when the AppCenter  is deployed in an application server
  which is behind another web server that is redirecting the URLs.
  
  For example, the failure will occur when users attempt to access
  the AppCenter through a secured web server which is utilizing
  the HTTPS protocol between the client and the web server. In
  that case, the web server will redirect the URL to a new URL on
  a secured (closed) port with an HTTP connection between the web
  server and the application server where the AppCenter is
  deployed.  The services of AppCenter will return JSON payloads
  that contain URLs to the closed port that is not accessible by
  the client.
  

Local fix

• The only potential work around is to leave the HTTP port open on
  the application server where the AppCenter is running.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  Deployments in which the Application Center *
  *                  is deployed in an application server where  *
  *                  the HTTP port is disabled and all the HTTP  *
  *                  requests come from a web server. The web    *
  *                  server is used as a reverse proxy to secure *
  *                  access to a service that can only be        *
  *                  invoked                                     *
  *                  from the web server.                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: The URL of the AppCenter service is     *
  *                      computed from the same host name and    *
  *                      port as the AppCenter console. There is *
  *                      currently no way to set the endpoint.   *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  The AppCenter services must be accessed directly, and not
  through
  the web server, because there is no mechanism to define the host
  name and the port of the proxy as the endpoint.
  

Problem conclusion

• Code has been added to support the setting of the endpoint.
  When all HTTP requests must be directed to a proxy (Web Server
  or an IP Sprayer) in front of the application server, the
  endpoint of this proxy can be defined with 2 properties:
  
  1) ibm.appcenter.proxy.host. The value must define the hostname
  or the alias of the proxy
  2) ibm.appcenter.proxy.port. The value must define the port of
  the proxy. This property is optional.
  
  For example :
  
  ibm.appcenter.proxy.host=www.ibm.appcenter
  ibm.appcenter.proxy.port=81
  
  These properties must be added on Tomcat inside the
  catalina.properties file, on the WebSphere Liberty Profile
  inside the bootstrap.properties file, or in the WebSphere
  Application Server in the custom properties of the JVM.
  
  The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in
  fixpack 5.0.6.0.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

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

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  MOBILE FNDTN EN

• Fixed component ID

  5725G9200

Applicable component levels

• R500 PSY

     UP