Tune Web services security

The Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) is integrated into the software development kit (SDK) version 1.4.x and is no longer an optional package. However, due to export and import regulations, the default Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) jurisdiction policy file shipped with the SDK enables you to use strong, but limited, cryptography only. To enforce this default policy, WAS uses a JCE jurisdiction policy file that introduces a significant performance impact. The default JCE jurisdiction policy has a significant performance impact on the cryptographic functions supported by Web services security. If you have Web services applications that use transport level security for XML encryption or digital signatures, you might encounter performance degradation over previous releases of WAS. However, IBM and Sun Microsystems provide versions of these jurisdiction policy files that do not have restrictions on cryptographic strengths. If you are permitted by your governmental import and export regulations, download one of these jurisdiction policy files. After downloading one of these files, the performance of JCE and Web Services security might improve substantially.

For WAS platforms using IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology Edition Version 1.4.1, including the AIX, Linux, and Windows platforms, you can obtain unlimited jurisdiction policy files by completing the following steps:

  1. Go to the following Web site: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/index.html

  2. Click Policy Files. The unrestrict.jar file is downloaded onto your machine.

For WAS platforms using the Sun-based Java Development Kit (JDK) Version 1.4.1, including the Solaris environments and the HP-UX platform, you can obtain unlimited jurisdiction policy files by completing the following steps:

  1. Go to the following Web site: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/download.html

  2. Go to the bottom of the Web page and click Download, which is next to Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files 1.4.1. The jce_policy-1_4_1.zip file is downloaded onto your machine.

After following either of these sets of steps, two Java Archive (JAR) files are placed in the JVM jre/lib/security/ directory.

 

See Also

Securing Web services based on WS-Security