Transports

A transport is the request queue between a WebSphere Application Server plug-in for Web servers and a Web container in which the Web modules of an application reside. When a user at a Web browser requests an application, the request is passed to the Web server, then along the transport to the Web container.

Transports define the characteristics of the connections between a Web server and an application server, across which requests for applications are routed. Specifically, they define the connection between the Web server plug-in and the Web container of the application server.

Administering transports is closely related to administering WebSphere Application Server plug-ins for Web servers. Indeed, without a plug-in configuration, a transport configuration is of little use.

When migrating from WebSphere Application Server Version 5.x, you indicate that you want to continue using an HTTP transport to handle your HTTP requests, your Version 5.x transports are migrated for you. If you are not migrating from Version 5.x, set up an HTTP transport channel to handle your HTTP requests.

The internal transport

The internal HTTP transport allows HTTP requests to be routed to the application server directly through a Web server plug-in. Logging is provided for debug purposes.

Prior to WebSphere Application Server Version 5.0.2, the HTTP transport functionality existed only as a means of accepting HTTP requests forwarded by an HTTP plug-in that was connected to a Web server. In WebSphere Application Server Version 5.0.2, HTTP transport functionality is now a supported internal Web server. By default, the internal HTTP transport listens for HTTP requests on port 9080 and for HTTPS requests on port 9443.

For example, use the URL http://host_name:9080/snoop to send requests to the snoop servlet on the local machine over HTTP and https://host_name:9443/snoop to send requests to the snoop servlet on the local machine over HTTPS.

The transport configuration is a part of the Web container configuration. You can configure the internal transport to use ports other than 9080 and 9443. However, also adjust your virtual host alias and what you type into the Web browser.