Configuring Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) communication in a network deployment environment

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The following steps are required to make the communication between the Workflow Center and the Workflow Server work with https in a network deployment environment.

Before you begin

IBM® Business Automation Workflow generates a default signer certificate during profile creation and uses it to sign personal certificates for all of the Java™ virtual machines in the cell. If you do not want to use the default signer certificate, you must create a personal certificate request to obtain a certificate that is signed by a certificate authority (CA). Refer to Creating a certificate authority request .
To import an SSL security certificate into Integration Designer, see Importing an SSL security certificate into Integration Designer .
Ensure that the Common Name field of the SSL certificate matches the host name that will be used to access the server. For information on troubleshooting connection problems, see SSL fails when host name configuration fails.
If the name of a server certificate does not match the host name of a server, an SSL connection failure may occur with the IOException message HTTPS hostname wrong. To help resolve this problem, you can add a Subject Alternative Name (SAN) set to the server certificate. Information about SAN sets is found in the topic SSL fails when host name configuration fails.

About this task

HTTPS is set as the default for communication from Workflow Center to Workflow Server. If you want to change to insecure HTTP, see Re-enabling HTTP access in Business Automation Workflow temporarily .

Procedure

Import the Workflow Server WebSphere® Application Server root SSL certificate into Workflow Center.
1. In the Workflow Center WebSphere Application Server administrative console, click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Key stores and certificates > CellDefaultTrustStore > Signer certificates > Retrieve from port.
2. Enter the Host name, secure Port of the Workflow Server profile (WC_defaulthost_secure), and Alias, and click Retrieve signer information. You can retrieve the signer information for any of the servers listed.
  
  Note: The WC_defaulthost_secure profile is located in the WebSphere Application Server administrative console. Navigate to Servers > Server Types > WebSphere Application Servers > SERVER_NAME > Ports.
3. Click Apply and save your changes.
Import the Workflow Center root SSL certificate into Workflow Server.
1. In the Workflow Server WebSphere Application Server administrative console, click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Key stores and certificates > CellDefaultTrustStore > Signer certificates > Retrieve from port.
2. Enter the Host name, secure Port of the Workflow Center profile (WC_defaulthost_secure), and Alias, and click Retrieve signer information. You can retrieve the signer information for any of the servers listed.
  
  Note: The WC_defaulthost_secure profile is located in the WebSphere Application Server administrative console. Navigate to Servers > Server Types > WebSphere Application Servers > SERVER_NAME > Ports.
3. Click Apply and save your changes.

Open WAS_HOME\bin and run the following commands on both Workflow Center and Workflow Server to change internal links to use HTTPS and secured port.

Note: You only need to run this command if you have upgraded from a version prior to 8.5.0.1.

For example:

# Run the following commands on both the Workflow Center and Workflow Server.
wsadmin -conntype NONE -lang jython
wsadmin> ps = AdminConfig.getid("/Cell:/ServerCluster:application_cluster_name
    /BPMClusterConfigExtension:/environment_type:/")
# For the environment_type variable, specify "BPMProcessCenter" when running in a
# Workflow Center environment or specify "BPMProcessServer" when running in a Workflow Server environment.
wsadmin> print ps # See how many Workflow Servers you listed 
wsadmin> print AdminConfig.show(ps) #look at useHTTPSURLPrefixes to see the current value 
wsadmin> AdminConfig.modify(ps, [['useHTTPSURLPrefixes', 'true']]) 
wsadmin> print AdminConfig.show(ps) #verify your change
wsadmin> AdminConfig.save()
wsadmin> exit

Optional: Disable all unsecured ports on all Workflow Center and Workflow Server servers.
1. Log in to the WebSphere Application Server administrative console and navigate to Servers > Server Types > WebSphere Application Servers.
2. For each server, click the server link, then go to Container Settings > Web Container Settings > Web container transport chains.
3. Click each link for the unsecured port, for example, HttpQueueInboundDefault, and clear the Enabled check box.
4. Repeat these steps for all WebSphere Application Server cluster members on all nodes. For example, if the xxx.AppTarget cluster has members on Node1 and Node2, these steps must be performed on both nodes.
Optional: In the Workflow Center WebSphere Application Server administrative console, click Security > Global security > Web and SIP security > Single sign-on (SSO) and check the Requires SSL check box.
Optional: In the Workflow Server WebSphere Application Server administrative console, click Security > Global security > Web and SIP security > Single sign-on (SSO) and check the Requires SSL check box.
Specify HTTPS URLs and ports for all Representational State Transfer (REST) services for your environment by using the REST service administrative console page.
1. Click Services > REST services > REST service providers.
2. Select all from the Scope selection pull-down menu.
3. Click on the REST service provider in Provider Application field and specify the Host name or virtual host in a load-balanced environment and the Port.
  
  Important: For a REST Services Gateway deployment manager, use the deployment manager host name and port; do not use the IHS host name and port.
4. Click Apply and save your changes.
To make sure that Workflow Server connects to Workflow Center using SSL, specify an HTTPS URL for the processCenterUrl variable, as described in Customizing the Workflow Server settings used to connect to Workflow Center.

Note: This step is not required if you have already provided the intended processCenterUrl value when running the BPMConfig command.
Set the deploySnapshotUsingHttps property to true to make sure that the Workflow Center connects to the Workflow Server using SSL for online deployment. Run the following commands on both the Workflow Center and the Workflow Server.
```
# Run the following commands on both the Workflow Center and Workflow Server.
wsadmin -conntype NONE -lang jython
wsadmin> ps = AdminConfig.getid("/Cell:/ServerCluster:application_cluster_name
    /BPMClusterConfigExtension:/environment_type:/BPMServerSecurity:/") 
# For the environment_type variable, specify "BPMProcessCenter" when running in a
# Workflow Center environment or specify "BPMProcessServer" when running in a Workflow Server environment.
wsadmin> print AdminConfig.show(ps) #look at deploySnapshotUsingHttps to see the current value
wsadmin> AdminConfig.modify(ps, [['deploySnapshotUsingHttps', 'true']]) # default value is false
wsadmin> print AdminConfig.show(ps) #verify your change 
wsadmin> AdminConfig.save()
wsadmin> exit
```
Note: Version support differences:
- IBM Business Automation Workflow V8.5.0.1 and later Workflow Centers will use the deploySnapshotUsingHttps property setting for IBM Business Automation Workflow V8.5.0.0 Workflow Servers.
- IBM Business Automation Workflow V8.5.0.1 and later Workflow Centers will not use the deploySnapshotUsingHttps property setting for IBM Business Automation Workflow V8.5.0.1 Workflow Servers. They will use the full URL, including protocol, as it was sent by the Workflow Server.
- IBM Business Automation Workflow V8.5.0.0 Workflow Centers will use the deploySnapshotUsingHttps property setting for IBM Business Automation Workflow V8.5.0.0 Workflow Servers.
Restart the Workflow Server and Workflow Center servers.
1. Use the WebSphere Application Server administrative console to stop the clusters.
2. Stop the node agent and deployment manager.
3. Restart the deployment manager.
4. Restart the node agent.
5. Use the WebSphere Application Server administrative console to start the clusters.
Verify your configuration.
1. Log in to Workflow Center using an https connection.
2. From the Server tab, click runtime server > configure server and confirm that it is opened in a secure browser with https.