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 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, use the -u option to correctly specify each back-end server UUID to each front-end WebSEAL server. See Specify back-end server UUIDs for stateful junctions.

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

Parent topic: Stateful junctions