How do I use an HTTPS (SSL) URL to access the perfservlet? (NETIQKB37021)

WebSphere Application Server 4.x

HTTPS secure connections using SSL (also known as TLS) are not supported directly by the product.  This is because we are not able to support SSL connections when using IBM's Java Runtime Environment (JRE) which comes with WebSphere, which is the JRE we use when making network connections.  However, you can install a separate instance of Sun's JRE to use as a replacement for the IBM JRE that ships with WebSphere.  HTTPS connections can be made successfully using Sun's JRE.

Note: For WebSphereAppSrvUNIX, you do not need to install a separate JRE for this purpose, since the NetIQ Unix agent itself includes a copy of Sun's JRE.  Thus, for WebSphereAppSrvUNIX, you can skip the first step below, and simply reference the NetIQ Unix Agent's JRE, which is located under the netiq directory (e.g., /usr/netiq/jre).

To enable the use of Sun's JRE, you must take the following actions:

1.         Download and install Sun's Java Runtime Environment on each host on which you have installed the AppManager WebSphereAppSrv module. We have tested with Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) version 1.3.1, but later versions (e.g., 1.4.x) should work as well.

2.         Using the AppManager Operator Console, check out the Discovery Knowledge Script, Discovery_WebSphereAppSrv (or Discovery_WebSphereAppSrvUNIX).

3.         Open the Knowledge Script in your favorite editor, and search for a line that contains the word "I_HIDDEN".  Delete this line from the Knowledge Script.

4.         Using the AppManager Operator Console, check in the modified Discovery Knowledge Script.

5.         Run the modified Discovery Knowledge Script, and note that a new parameter is available.  This parameter is labeled "Full path of the NetIQAgent JRE directory".  Fill out other parameter .
values as appropriate (specifying either HTTP or HTTPS URLs in the list of perfservlet URLs), then type the full pathname to the JRE directory as the value for the newly exposed parameter.  For example, C:\Program Files\JavaSoft\JRE\1.3.1_09 (for Windows), or /usr/javasoft/jre/1.3.1_09 (for Unix).

Note that the use of HTTPS URLs for accessing the perfservlet does not work through proxy servers, so you will not be able to access the perfservlet through a proxy server using HTTPS.