How do I add a connection from a downstream (remote) server to an upstream (consolidation) server?

Introduction

To add a new downstream-to-upstream connection via the UI

To delete a downstream-to-upstream connection via the UI

To add a new connection from a downstream (remote) server to an upstream (consolidation) server via the command line

To delete a downstream-to-upstream connection via the command line

To configure a downstream server proxy connection

Introduction:

Adding a connection from a downstream (remote) server to an upstream (consolidation) server is an alternative method to the traditional means of adding remote servers to a consolidation server (where the consolidation server requires a direct reachability to initiate commuication and to add remote server(s)).

In instances where connectivity to a remote Entuity server is only possible over the internet (i.e., when neither direct connection nor connection by VPN are available), then the remote Entuity server can initiate the request to be added to the consolidation server (where the consolidation server is internet-facing). Another use case is where the consolidation server is deployed in the cloud and there is a need to add remotely deployed servers.

Communication between Entuity servers is bidirectional, and HTTPS can be leveraged to encrypt communication.

For an introduction to multi-server configuration in Entuity, please see this article.

To add a new downstream-to-upstream connection via the UI:

1. Click Main Menu and then Administration.
2. On the Administration page, click Multi-Server Configuration page.
   
   
   
   
3. On the Multi-Server Configuration page, click the Central Servers tab.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Add Connection at the top of the page (or via the Overflow Menu).
   
   
   
   
5. The New Central Server form will open on the right.
   
   
   
   
6. Specify the Host Name of the central server to which you want to connect.
7. Specify the Protocol and Port to be used.
8. Click Done to save your changes, otherwise click Cancel. When you click Done, the connection initiation file required for initiating this downstream-to-upstream connection will be automatically downloaded and installed in the correct location.
   • On a downstream (remote) server, if successful, the new entry will appear under the Central Servers tab. The status for this entry will show as Requires Approval until a user on the upstream (consolidated) server approves the connection.
   • On an upstream (consolidated) server, if successful, the new entry will appear on the Incoming Connections tab. You can then approve the connection by assigning a role to it.

To delete a downstream-to-upstream connection via the UI:

1. Navigate to the Central Servers tab of the Multi-Server Configuration page, and select the connection you want to remove.
2. Click Delete at the top of the page (or via the Overflow Menu or right-click Context Menu). The connection will then be deleted.

To add a new downstream-to-upstream connection via the command line:

1. Navigate to the Central Servers tab of the Multi-Server Configuration page.
2. Download the XML connection initiation file, which is at the bottom of the page.
   
   

   
   
   

3. Add it to <ENTUITY_HOME>/etc/centralServers.
4. The server will then automatically pick this file (files are checked every 1 minute) and try to establish connection with the central server.
   • On a downstream (remote) server, if successful, the new entry will appear under the Central Servers tab. The status for this entry will show as Requires Approval until a user on the upstream (consolidated) server approves the connection.
   • On an upstream (consolidated) server, if successful, the new entry will appear on the Incoming Connections tab. You can then approve the connection by assigning a role to it.

Important note: if the central server has a different local hostname to its publically-visible hostname, the XML connection file will not work. To resolve this, it is recommended that you specify the publically-visible hostname via entuity.cfg using the following command:

[reverseconn]
server_hostname=<publically-visible hostname>

As an alternative, you can also modify the XML connection file itself, by editing the <hostAddress> element to change the hostname. However, it is recommended to use the above method of editing the entuity.cfg file.

Important note: if you are adding a new downstream-to-upstream connection on Linux where Entuity is running on a non-root user, then both the <ENTUITY_HOME>/etc/centralServer directory and the file(s) placed within it should have the ownership of the user account that Entuity runs under. If they are given root ownership, it may block the addition of a further connection via the UI and prevent old connections from being removed via the UI.

To delete a downstream-to-upstream connection via the command line:

You can remove a connection that you had previously added via connection initiation file by deleting the previously downloaded file. The Entuity server will then detect file removal and will terminate any existing connection with the upstream server, and will not attempt to connect again.

To configure a downstream server proxy connection:

You can also configure a downstream (remote) server to connect to the upstream (consolidation) servia via proxy. You can do this by entering the following properties via the [reverseconn] section of entuity.cfg. Once you have made these changes, you will need to restart tomcat for the changes to be enacted.