With Apache Reverse Proxy, you can implement an Internet Web service confidently.
One reason that businesses may limit the IBM i's connection to the Internet is the reluctance to expose one of the most sensitive company assets, its data, to the risk of uncontrolled access from the network. On the other hand, the need for some presence in the public network has resulted in companies providing Web sites based on a few static pages that don't allow interaction with company data. Usually, these Web sites are developed by people outside the company or by a small team within the company but totally separated from the IBM i development team. The obvious consequences are that IBM i growth in the Web area is inhibited and the development team doesn't grow.
How can businesses overcome this irrational fear? Apache HTTP server provides an interesting way out. Look at the example of a company environment in Figure 1.
Figure 1: This example company has three networked computers.
The company has three computers on a LAN. Computer A is any computer running Apache HTTP and connected to the public network through an Internet router, a firewall, etc. This computer provides a public Web site based on data sent once per day from computer B. Computer B is an IBM i that holds company data and services internal users through an intranet Web service. Computer C is a separate IBM i dedicated to application development, including Web development. Computers B and C run an Apache HTTP service. In this configuration, computers B and C are safe from any external attacks, as they are not on the public network.
What Apache HTTP server provides is a way to transfer selected Web requests to another computer, wait for the answers from it, and transfer the answers back to the remote browsers. This technique, called "Reverse Proxy," enables multiple systems on a LAN to provide Web services to an external network through a single computer connected to the external network. Computers on the LAN that are just responding to Reverse Proxy requests simply cannot be hacked.
The Apache Reverse Proxy allows the developer to re-route to other HTTP servers any incoming requests that contain given (partial) URIs and to receive responses and send them to requesters as if the requests were processed by the receiving HTTP server. A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is the portion of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that identifies the resource to be accessed. As an example, in URL http://www.easy400.net/cgidev2/start, the URI is /cgidev2/start.
In order to implement Reverse Proxy, you simply add some HTTP directives to the Apache HTTP instance of the Web server system (computer A in Figure1).
As an example, let us assume that all requests starting with "/prod/" must be routed to the HTTP server of computer B, with IP address 192.168.0.200. And all requests starting with "/test" must be routed to the HTTP server of computer C, with IP address 192.168.0.300.
If computer A is a Windows PC, you must add the following HTTP directives:
|
|
LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so AddModule_proxy.c
# Reverse Proxy connecting to the http server instance of computer B
<Location /prod/>
ProxyPass http://192.168.0.200/
ProxyPassReverse http://192.168.0.200/
</Location>
# Reverse Proxy connecting to the http server instance of computer C
<Location /test/>
ProxyPass http://192.168.0.300/
ProxyPassReverse http://192.168.0.300/
</Location>
If computer A is an IBM i, you must add the following HTTP directives:
LoadModule proxy_module /QSYS.LIB/QHTTPSVR.LIB/QZSRCORE.SRVPGM
LoadModule proxy_ftp_module /QSYS.LIB/QHTTPSVR.LIB/QZSRCORE.SRVPGM
LoadModule proxy_http_module /QSYS.LIB/QHTTPSVR.LIB/QZSRCORE.SRVPGM
LoadModule proxy_connect_module /QSYS.LIB/QHTTPSVR.LIB/QZSRCORE.SRVPGM
ProxyReverse on
# Reverse Proxy connecting to the http server instance of computer B
<Location /prod/>
ProxyPass http://192.168.0.200/
ProxyPassReverse http://192.168.0.200/
</Location>
# Reverse Proxy connecting to the http server instance of computer C
<Location /test/>
ProxyPass http://192.168.0.300/
ProxyPassReverse http://192.168.0.300/
</Location>
Safe and Secure Internet Access
Now you have a safe way to provide Internet access on your IBM i. For more information, go to the following two references.
- http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v6r1m0/index.jsp?topic=/rzaie/rzaiemod_proxy.htm
- http://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/mod/mod_proxy.html
as/400, os/400, iseries, system i, i5/os, ibm i, power systems, 6.1, 7.1, V7,
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online