Interoperating transactionally between application servers

We can configure application servers so that transaction messages are sent and received between application servers at different versions of WAS. Depending on the version of the application server, we can set system properties, or use the transaction coordination authorization setting.

The transaction manager in WebSphere Application Server supports transactional interoperation with other transaction managers through either the CORBA Object Transaction Service (OTS) protocol, or, for JSR-109 compliant requests, the Web Services Atomic Transaction (WS-AT) protocol. Also, the transaction manager can coordinate XA resource managers and be coordinated by Java EE Connector Architecture 1.5 resource adapters.

• To interoperate transactionally, using the OTS protocol to send requests from application servers that are WebSphere Application Server Version 5.0.2 or earlier to application servers that are Version 6 or later, set the following system properties on application servers that are Version 5.0.2 or earlier.

  com.ibm.ejs.jts.jts.ControlSet.nativeOnly=false
  com.ibm.ejs.jts.jts.ControlSet.interoperabilityOnly=true

  For example, to send requests from application servers that are WebSphere Application Server Version 4.0.n to application servers that are WAS v6, set the system properties on the Version 4.0.n application servers.

  You do not have to set these properties to receive requests on application servers that are WebSphere Application Server Version 5.0.2 or earlier from application servers that are Version 6 or later.

• When administrative security is enabled for application servers at WAS v6.0.2 or later, you must disable transaction coordination authorization for such servers in the following situations:

  • The server interoperates transactionally with application servers at a version earlier than WAS v6.0.2.

  • The server interoperates transactionally with non-WebSphere Application Server servers.

  • The server interoperates transactionally with other servers and the server is not in a Common Criteria EAL4 evaluated configuration.

    (dist)(zos) When administrative security is enabled, the transaction manager is configured by default for use in the Common Criteria EAL4 evaluated configuration.

  The transaction coordination authorization setting controls only the transaction protocol messages between servers used to coordinate the completion of a transaction. It does not affect application messages or the security of the server. When transaction coordination authorization is enabled:

  • The server verifies that the sending server is authorized to handle prepare, commit, rollback, and one-phase commit messages.

  • (dist)(zos) The caller will be checked to see if permitted to the administrator role.

  To disable transaction coordination authorization on a server, use the following steps.

  1. In the console, click Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server_name > [Container Settings] Container Services > Transaction Service.

  2. Clear the Enable transaction coordination authorization check box.

  3. Click Apply or OK.

  4. Save the changes to the master configuration.

  5. Restart the server.

Related concepts

Web Services Atomic Transaction support in the application server

(zos) Resource Recovery Services (RRS)

Related tasks

Move a transaction log from one server to another

Restarting an application server on a different host

(dist)(zos) Common Criteria (EAL4) support

Related information:

(iseries) Common Criteria portal
CORBA Object Transaction Service
Java EE Connector Architecture
The Java transaction service (JTS)
The Java transaction API (JTA)