Force confidentiality for Web Applications

Usually there are requirements for web based applications to use SSL when serving sensitive data between the client browser and WebLogic server. You can enable SSL port for WebLogic Server and disable the plain text port. This will force all the communication through the SSL port enabled on the target server. But if you have a mix of applications that require secured access and that doesn't then you can use the standard JEE web application descriptor to enable confidentiality. If you enable trasport guarantee configuration for the Web Applications, WebLogic Server will force the application or selective URL patternts to be accessed through the SSL port on WebLogic Server.

The following shows an example of transport guaranetee entry from web.xml:

...

   
       CONFIDENTIAL
   

   
       /*
   

...

Even if the client is accessing through plain text port, WLS container will automatically redirect the request to the SSL port if enabled or to any other Network Channel enabled with SSL. This will ensure that certain applications or requests to be always accessed through SSL. Setting the transport guarantee to be NONE will relax the requirements and will not force SSL for the applications. But if there are SSL enabled network channels or SSL port is enabled on the server then the application can still be accessed using SSL. If the value for transport guarantee is set to be INTEGRAL then the requirement is that the data sent between the client and server be sent in such a way that it can't be changed in transit.

Needless to say that this configuration can also be configured through deployment plans. If the application you are deploying on WebLogic Server is already packaged for deployment or third-party application then deployment plan will solve the purpose of overriding the application's configuration through external means. See here for more information on deployment plans with WebLogic Server.

Free Workshop Eclipse Plug-in

In addition to the standard IDE - JDeveloper, Oracle is also providing Eclipse tools (plug-ins) for WebLogic Server 10gR3. Oracle made it really simple for developers by making them as a single install. Also the Workshop Eclipse Plug-ins are now free - Yes! Oracle removed the licensing on them with the new WebLogic Server 10gR3.

Go here to download Workshop for WebLogic 10gR3 - http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/ias/bea_main.html#devtools
Workshop is now a one-stop-shop for building Java EE components and Web Service components for not just WebLogic Server but for a variety of different application servers. Yes, Workshop for WebLogic will be freely available on all supported platforms, including websphere, weblogic, tomcat, jboss, jetty and resin. But Adobe Flex Builder bundle has been removed from the Workshop for WebLogic bundle.

Now Workshop can be used for building Struts, Spring, Tiles, Hibernate, JPA and many more Java components to run on a variety of different web containers. Try now!