Securing specific application servers

You can customize security to some extent at the application server level. You can disable administrative security on an application server.

Before you begin

Deprecated feature: Server level security has been deprecated in this release of WebSphere® Application Server. Multiple security domain support has been added in its place. You can create different security configurations and assign them to different applications in WebSphere Application Server processes. By creating multiple security domains, you can configure different security attributes for both administrative and user applications within a cell environment. You can configure different applications to use different security configurations by assigning the servers or clusters or SIBuses that host these applications to the security domains. Read about Multiple security domains for more detailed information.

You can also modify Java™ 2 Security and some of the other security attributes that are found on the Global security panel. This panel provides access to the cell-level security settings. You cannot configure a different authentication mechanism or user registry on an individual server basis. This feature is limited to cell-level configuration only.

By default, server security inherits all of the values that are configured for cell-level security. To override the cell-level security configuration at the server level, click Servers > Application Servers > server_name. Under Security, click Server Security and click any of the following links:

• CSIv2 inbound authentication
• CSIv2 outbound authentication
• CSIv2 inbound transport
• CSIv2 outbound transport
• SAS inbound transport
• SAS outbound transport
• z/SAS authentication
• Server-level security

Note: SAS is supported only between Version 6.0.x and previous version servers that have been federated in a Version 6.1 cell.

Note: z/SAS is supported only between Version 6.0.x and previous version servers that have been federated in a Version 6.1 cell.

After modifying the configuration in any of these panels and clicking OK or Apply, the security configuration for that panel or set of panels now overrides cell-level security. Other panels that are not overridden continue to be inherited at the cell-level. However, you can always revert to the cell-level configuration at any time. You can revert to the cell-level security configuration by clearing the check box next to any of the following options on the Server security panel:

• Security settings for this server override cell setting
• RMI/IIOP security for this server overrides cell settings
• SAS security for this server overrides cell settings

A number of additional Secure Authentication Services for z/OS® (z/SAS) attributes can be considered for security at a server level, such as:

• Local identity
• Remote identity
• Sync to thread allowed

For more information, see Server and administrative security.

1. Start the administrative console for the deployment manager.
   To get to the administrative console, go to http://host.domain:port_number/ibm/console. If security is disabled, you can enter any ID. If security is enabled, you must enter a valid user ID and password, which is either the administrative ID that is configured for the user registry or a user ID that is entered as an administrative user. To add a user ID as an administrative user, click System Administration > Console settings > Console users.
2. Configure cell-level security if you have not configured it previously.
   Go to Enabling security for detailed steps. After security is configured, configure server-level security.

   Attention: Server-level security is not enabled when you select the Enable application security option on the Server-level security settings of the administrative console. You also must enable cell-level security by selecting the Enable administrative security option on the Global security settings panel of the administrative console.
3. To configure server-level security, click Servers > Application Servers > server name. Under Security, click Server security.
   The status of the security level that is in use for this application server is displayed.

   By default, you can see that your cell-level security configuration, Common Secure Interoperability (CSI), and SAS has not been overridden at the server level. CSI and SAS are authentication protocols for RMI/IIOP security requests. The server-level security panel lists attributes that are on the Global security panel and can be overridden at the server level. Not all of the attributes on the Global security panel can be overridden at the server level, including the user account repository.

   By default, you can see that your cell-level security configuration, Common Secure Interoperability (CSI), and z/SAS has not been overridden at the server level. CSI and z/SAS are authentication protocols for RMI/IIOP security requests. The server-level security panel lists attributes that are on the Global security panel and can be overridden at the server level. Not all of the attributes on the Global security panel can be overridden at the server level, including the user account repository.

4. To enable administrative security for this application server, go to the Server-level security panel, select the Security settings for this server override cell setting and the Enable application security options.
   By modifying the Server-level security panel, these settings override the settings for cell-level security.
5. Click Apply and Save.
6. To enable RMI/IIOP security for the application server, go to the Server-level security panel, select the RMI/IIOP security for this server overrides cell settings option and click Apply.
   If you select the RMI/IIOP security for this server overrides cell settings option, any changes that you make to the CSIv2 authentication or transport settings override the same settings on the cell level.