Standard WebSEAL junctions

A WebSEAL junction is a TCP/IP connection between a front-end WebSEAL server and a back-end server. ISAM provides authentication, authorization, and management services for a network. In a web-based network, these services are best provided by one or more front-end WebSEAL servers that integrate and protect web resources and applications on back-end web servers. The connection between a WebSEAL server and a back-end web application server is known as a standard WebSEAL junction. WebSEAL also supports virtual hosting through another form of junctions called virtual host junctions. The back-end server can be another WebSEAL server or, more commonly, a third-party web application server. The back-end server web space is connected to the WebSEAL server at a specially designated junction (mount) point in the WebSEAL web space.

A junction allows WebSEAL to provide protective services on behalf of the back-end server. WebSEAL authenticates and authorizes all requests before it passes those requests on to the back-end server. If the back-end server requires fine-grained access control on its objects, Perform additional configuration steps, using the query_contents CGI program, to describe the third-party web space to the ISAM security service. Junctions provide a scalable, secure environment that allows load balancing, high availability, and state management capabilities, all performed transparently to clients. As an administrator, we can benefit from this centralized management of the web space. WebSEAL junctions provide the added value of logically combining the web space of a back-end server with the web space of the WebSEAL server. Junctions between cooperating servers result in a single, unified, distributed web space that is seamless and transparent to users. The client never needs to know the physical location of a web resource. WebSEAL translates logical URL addresses into the physical addresses that a back-end server expects. Web objects can be moved from server to server without affecting the way the client can access those objects. A unified web space simplifies the management of all resources for the system administrator. Additional administrative benefits include scalability, load balancing, and high availability.