Configuration of stateful junctions

Use the pdadmin server task create command with the –s option to override load balancing rules and create a stateful junction. A stateful junction ensures that a client's requests are forwarded to the same server throughout an entire session. When the initial client request occurs over a stateful junction, WebSEAL places a cookie on the client system that contains the UUID of the designated back-end server. When the client makes future requests to the same resource during the same session, the cookie's UUID information ensures that the requests are consistently routed to the same back-end server.

The –s option is appropriate for a single front-end WebSEAL server with multiple back-end servers junctioned at the same junction point. Note that as soon as the initial junction is created as stateful, the pdadmin server task add command is used without the –s option to junction the remaining replicated back-end servers to the same junction point.

Stateful virtual host junctions are also supported.

If the scenario involves multiple front-end WebSEAL servers, all junctioned to the same back-end servers, you must use the –u option to correctly specify each back-end server UUID to each front-end WebSEAL server. See Specifying back-end server UUIDs for stateful junctions.

You can also control how WebSEAL handles a stateful server that becomes unavailable. See Handling an unavailable stateful server.