Web server plug-in remote user information processing
Configure the Web server with a third-party authentication module and then configure the Web server plug-in to route requests to an appserver.
If an application calls the getRemoteUser() method, it relies on a private HTTP header that contains the remote user information and is parsed by the plug-in. The plug-in sets the private HTTP header value whenever a Web server authentication module populates the remote user in the Web server data structure.
If the private HTTP header value is not set, the application's call to getRemoteUser() returns a null value.
- In the case of an Apache Web server or the IBM HTTP Server, the plug-in builds the private header from the information contained in the associated request record.
- In the case of a Sun One Web server, the plug-in builds the private header from the information contained in the auth_user property associated with the request.
The private header is usually set to the name of the local HTTP user of the Web browser, if HTTP access authorization is activated for the URL.
- In the case of a Domino Web server, the plug-in builds the private header from the information contained in the REMOTE_USER environment variable.
The plug-in sets this variable to anonymous for users who have not logged in and to the username for users who are logged into the application.
- In the case of an Internet Information Services (IIS) Web server, the plug-in builds the private header from the information contained in the REMOTE_USER environment variable.
The plug-in sets this variable to the name of the user as it is derived from the authorization header sent by the client.
Avoid trouble: If the private header is not being set in the Sun One, IIS, or Domino Web server plug-in, make sure the request record includes information about the user requesting the data.
Avoid trouble: If an application's call to getRemoteUser() returns a null value, or if the correct remote user information is not being added to the Web server plug-in's data structure, make sure the remote user parameter within the WebAgent is still set to YES. (Sometimes this parameter gets set to NO when service is applied.)
Related tasks
Communicating with Web servers