The EntireX RPC-ACI Bridge allows standard RPC clients to communicate with an ACI server. The RPC-ACI Bridge transforms RPC requests from clients into ACI messages.
This document covers the following topics:
The following elements are used to set up the RPC-ACI Bridge:
The default name of the configuration file is entirex.rpcacibridge.properties. The RPC-ACI Bridge searches for this file in the current working directory.
You can set the name of the configuration file with
-Dentirex.server.properties=<your file
name> with "/" as file separator.
The configuration file contains the configuration for both parts of the RPC-ACI Bridge.
If you configure more than one RPC-ACI Bridge that connect to the same EntireX Broker, the following items must be distinct:
The user for the ACI client side (property
entirex.rpcacibridge.userid).
The trace output file (property
entirex.server.logfile).
The log for the Windows Service (property
entirex.server.serverlog).
The start script for the RPC-ACI Bridge is called jrpcacibridge.bsh (UNIX) or jrpcacibridge.bat (Windows) and is provided in the bin folder of the installation directory. You may customize this file. The RPC-ACI Bridge itself is contained in the file entirex.jar.
The RPC-ACI Bridge uses the properties that start with "entirex.server" for configuring the RPC server side.
Alternatively to the properties, you can use the command-line options. These have a higher priority than the properties set as Java system properties, and these have higher priority than the properties in the configuration file.
| Property Name | Command-line Option | Default | Explanation | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
entirex.server.brokerid |
-broker |
localhost : 1971 |
Broker ID. See URL-style Broker ID. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.server.codepage |
-codepage |
The codepage the server uses. Permitted values are the name of the codepages the JVM supports. Use the value LOCAL when the default codepage of the JVM should be used. See Internationalization with EntireX for details. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.server.compresslevel |
-compresslevel |
0 (no compression) |
|
||||||||||||||
entirex.server.environment |
Can be used in a user-written translation exit of the broker. See BrokerService, setEnvironment(java.lang.String) (EntireX Java ACI).
|
||||||||||||||||
entirex.server.fixedservers |
no |
If no, use attach thread to manage worker threads; see SCALE.
Otherwise run a fixed number of worker threads; see FIXED.
|
|||||||||||||||
-help |
Display usage of the command-line parameters. | ||||||||||||||||
entirex.server.logfile |
-logfile |
Path and name of the trace output file. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.server.maxservers |
32 |
Maximum number of worker threads. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.server.minservers |
1 |
Minimum number of server threads. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.server.name |
The name of the server. | ||||||||||||||||
entirex.server.password |
-password |
The password for secured access to the Broker. The password is encrypted and written to the
property entirex.server.password.e. To change the password, set the new password in the properties file (default is entirex.rpcacibridge.properties). To disable password encryption set entirex.server.passwordencrypt=no. Default for
this property is "yes".
|
|||||||||||||||
entirex.server.properties |
-propertyfile |
entirex.rpcacibridge.properties |
The file name of the property file. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.server.restartcycles |
-restartcycles |
15 |
Number of restart attempts if the Broker is not available. This can be used to keep the Java RPC Server running while the Broker is down for a short time. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.server.security |
-security |
no |
no/yes/auto/Name of BrokerSecurity object. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.server.serveraddress |
-server |
RPC/SRV1/CALLNAT |
Server address | ||||||||||||||
entirex.server.serverlog |
-serverlog |
Name of the file where start and stop of worker threads is logged. Used by the Windows RPC Service. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.server.userid |
-user |
JavaServer |
The user ID of the Broker for RPC. See
entirex.server.password.
|
||||||||||||||
entirex.server.verbose |
-verbose |
no |
Verbose output to standard output yes/no. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.server.waitattach |
600S |
Wait timeout for the attach server thread. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.server.waitserver |
300S |
Wait timeout for the worker threads. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.timeout |
20 |
TCP/IP transport timeout. See Setting the Transport Timeout under Writing Advanced Applications - EntireX Java ACI. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.trace |
-trace |
0 |
Trace level (1,2,3). |
These properties are used to configure the connection to the Broker for ACI.
Alternatively, you can use the command-line option. The command-line options have a higher priority than the properties set as Java system properties and these have higher priority than the properties in the configuration file
| Name | Command-line Option | Default Value | Explanation | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
entirex.rpcacibridge.brokerid |
-acibroker |
localhost |
Broker ID of the Broker for ACI. See URL-style Broker ID. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.compresslevel |
-acicompresslevel |
0 (no compression)
|
|
||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.marshalling |
-acimarshalling |
This is for arrays of groups. Set this property to "cobol" if the ACI server is a COBOL program. Set this property to "natural" if the ACI server is a Natural program. | |||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.password |
-acipassword |
The password of the Broker for ACI. The password
is encrypted and written to the property entirex.server.password.e. To change the password, set the new password in the properties file (default is entirex.rpcacibridge.properties). To disable password encryption set entirex.server.passwordencrypt=no. Default for this property is "yes". |
|||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.security |
-acisecurity |
no |
no/yes/auto/Name of BrokerSecurity object. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.serveraddress |
-aciserver |
ACLASS/ASERVER/ ASERVICE |
Server Address for the Broker for ACI. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.userid |
-aciuser |
Value of system property user.name.
|
The user ID of the Broker for ACI. Use different user IDs for different RPC-ACI Bridges on the same Broker. | ||||||||||||||
entirex.rpcacibridge.waittime |
60S |
The wait time for receive requests. Permitted values are nS|nM|nH, where n is the number of seconds or minutes or hours. | |||||||||||||||
To start the RPC-ACI Bridge
Use the Start Script.
Or:
Under Windows you can use the RPC-ACI Bridge as a Windows Service. See Running the RPC-ACI Bridge as a Windows Service.
To stop the RPC-ACI Bridge
Use the command stopServer. See Stop EntireX Broker Server Instances in Command Central's Command-line Interface.
Or:
Stop the server instance using Command Central's Graphical User Interface. See Stopping a Server Instance.
Or:
Use the command stopService. See Stop Running EntireX Broker Services in Command Central's Command-line Interface.
Or:
Stop the service using Command Central's Graphical User Interface. See Stopping a Service.
Or:
Use the command-line utility etbcmd. See ETBCMD under
z/OS |
UNIX |
Windows |
z/VSE |
BS2000.
Or:
Use CTRL-C in the session where you started the RPC server instance.
Or:
Under UNIX, enter command kill -.
process-id
To use SSL with RPC-ACI Bridge, you need to configure two sides, the RPC server side and the ACI client side.
For the ACI client side
ACI applications can use Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) as the transport medium.
The term "SSL" in this section refers to both SSL and TLS.
ACI-based clients or servers are always SSL clients.
The SSL server can be either the EntireX Broker or the Broker SSL Agent. For an introduction see SSL/TLS and Certificates with EntireX in the EntireX Security documentation.
For the RPC server side
The same is true for the RPC server side. Additionally, Direct RPC in webMethods Integration Server (IS inbound) can be used
as the SSL server.
To set up SSL
To operate with SSL, certificates need to be provided and maintained. Depending on the platform, Software AG provides default certificates, but we strongly recommend that you create your own. See SSL/TLS Sample Certificates Delivered with EntireX in the EntireX Security documentation.
Set up the ACI side and RPC side for an SSL connection.
For both sides, use the URL-style Broker ID with protocol ssl:// for the Broker ID. If no port number is specified, port 1958 is used as default. Example:
ssl://localhost:22101?trust_store=C:\SoftwareAG\EntireX\etc\ExxCACert.jks&verify_server=no
If the SSL client checks the validity of the SSL server only, this is known as one-way SSL. The mandatory trust_store parameter
specifies the file name of a keystore that must contain the list of trusted certificate authorities for the certificate of
the SSL server.
By default a check is made that the certificate of the SSL server is issued for the hostname specified in the Broker ID.
The common name of the subject entry in the server's certificate is checked against the hostname. If they do not match, the
connection will be refused.
You can disable this check with SSL parameter verify_server=no.
If the SSL server additionally checks the identity of the SSL client, this is known as two-way SSL. In this case the SSL server requests a client certificate
(the parameter verify_client=yes is defined in the configuration of the SSL server).
Two additional SSL parameters must be specified on the SSL client side: key_store and key_passwd.
This keystore must contain the private key of the SSL client. The password that protects the private key is specified with
key_passwd.
The ampersand (&) character cannot appear in the password.
SSL parameters are separated by ampersand (&). See also SSL/TLS Parameters for SSL Clients.
Make sure the SSL server to which the ACI side connects is prepared for SSL connections as well. The SSL server can be EntireX Broker or Broker SSL Agent. See:
Make sure the SSL server to which the RPC side connects is prepared for SSL connections as well. The SSL server can be EntireX Broker, Broker SSL Agent, or Direct RPC in webMethods Integration Server (IS inbound). See:
For general information see Running an EntireX RPC Server as a Windows Service.
To run the RPC-ACI Bridge as a Windows Service
Customize the Start Script according to your system installation.
Note:
The script must pass external parameters to the RPC server and use the reduced signaling of the JVM (option -Xrs):
java -Xrs com.softwareag.entirex.rpcacibridge.RPCACIBridge %*
If -Xrs is not used, the JVM stops and an entry 10164002 is written to the event log when the user logs off from Windows.
See also Starting the RPC Server.
Test your RPC server to see whether it will start if you run your script file.
Use the EntireX RPC Service Tool and install the RPCService with some meaningful extension, for example MyServer. If your Start Script is jrpcacibridge.bat, the command will be
RPCService -install -ext MyServer -script install_path\EntireX\bin\jrpcacibridge.bat
The log file will be called RPCservice_MyServer.log.
In Windows Services menu (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services) select the service: Software AG EntireX RPC Service [MyServer] and change the property Startup Type from "Manual" to "Automatic".
The application identification is sent from the RPC-ACI Bridge to the Broker. It is visible with Broker Command and Info Services.
The identification consists of four parts: name, node, type, and version. These four parts are sent with each Broker call and are visible in the trace information.
For the RPC-ACI Bridge these values are:
| Application name: | ANAME=RPC-ACI Bridge |
| Node name: | ANODE=<host
name> |
| Application type: | ATYPE=Java |
| Version: | AVERS=9.12.0.0 |