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The FlexDeploy HTTP Agent distribution contains the following components:

  • A tomcat 9 Tomcat 9 server with required libraries, and base configurations

  • The HttpAgent Https Agent WAR

Step 1. Ensure Java 8 is installed on the server.

You can set Setting JAVA_HOME in the configuration will be done later. This Java will be used to run the tomcat Tomcat server, . A different Java versions version can be selected specified on the endpoint configuration in FlexDeploy and those will be used to actually execute the pluginplugins.

Step 2. Prepare software

The HTTP Agent can be downloaded Download and unzip the HTTPS Agent software using wget, curl, or manually from the Flexagon Support Site. You will download specific version of agent (This will correspond with FlexDeploy version), download file is named Tomcat_Complete-X.X.X.X.zip, where X.X.X.X represents four digit version number.Portal.

Code Block
# select folder location where the agent will be downloaded
export SOFTWARE_HOME=/u01/software
mkdir -p $SOFTWARE_HOME
cd $SOFTWARE_HOME

# DOWNLOAD either using wget or curl or transfer here manually
# FlexDeploy 7.0 requires version 7.0 of the https agent.
# A newer version may be available, see https://support.flexagon.com/a/solutions/articles/5000886515 for the latest download link.
wget -O HttpsAgentTomcatComplete.zip <link from support site>
# or
curl -L --max-redirs 5 <link from support site> --output HttpsAgentTomcatComplete.zip

If the endpoint does not have internet access you can download the agent from the Flexagon Support Portal and transfer the zip file manually.

Extract the zip file in the desired location (referred to as "HTTPS_AGENT_HOME" in this document). See example below, where zip was extracted in

Code Block
unzip /u01

...

/software/HttpsAgentTomcatComplete.zip .

Screenshot

Step 3. Configure authentication

...

You must configure the user to have the role 'FlexDeployHTTPSAgent'

Basic Auth

To configure basic auth, with use the username and password being stored in tomcat-users.xml.

Note

You must configure the user to have the role 'FlexDeployHTTPSAgent'

For basic configuration you will only need to configure password in the given only, the password needs to be configured in the given HTTPS_AGENT_HOME/apache-tomcat-flexdeploy-https-agent/conf/tomcat-users.xml file. Here’s what that will look like:

Code Block
languagexml
<role rolename="FlexDeployHTTPSAgent" />
<user
username="tomcat" 
password="PASSWORD" 
roles="FlexDeployHTTPSAgent" />

Active Directory/LDAP

For LDAP use we will need to change the HTTPS_AGENT_HOME/apache-tomcat-flexdeploy-https-agent/conf/server.xml file. By default it is configured to use a UserDatabase realm instead of the JNDI realm we are looking for.

Start by commenting out the existing UserDatbase realm. Then let’s uncomment the included JNDI realm, that should look like the following:

Code Block
languagexml
<!-- Use the LockOutRealm to prevent attempts to guess user passwords
via a brute-force attack -->
<Realm className="org.apache.catalina.realm.LockOutRealm">
  <!-- This Realm uses the UserDatabase configured in the global JNDI
  resources under the key "UserDatabase".  Any edits
  that are performed against this UserDatabase are immediately
  available for use by the Realm.  -->
  <!--<Realm
  className="org.apache.catalina.realm.UserDatabaseRealm"
        resourceName="UserDatabase" />-->
  <!-- user MUST be a part of FlexDeployHTTPSAgent group in order for authentication
  to work -->
  <Realm className="org.apache.catalina.realm.JNDIRealm"
        connectionName="CN=administrator,CN=Users,DC=flexagondev,DC=local"
        connectionPassword="password"
        connectionURL="ldap://yourldapurl.example:389"
        userBase="CN=Users,DC=flexagondev,DC=local"
        userSearch="(&amp;(objectClass=*)(sAMAccountName={0}))"
        userRoleName="member"
        roleBase="CN=Users,DC=flexagondev,DC=local"
        roleName="cn"
        roleSearch="(objectClass=group)"
  />
</Realm>

Next, add the organization specific LDAP/Azure Directory configuration.

Make sure the user you are trying to connect with has the FlexDeployHTTPSAgent role or they will not be able to connect.

If you are using Active Directory, the pre-windows 2000 username will be used. See what that looks like in Active Directory below.

...

For more information about using LDAP/Active Directory see the tomcat documentation how to for realms, and also the configuration reference.

Step 4. Configure SSL

The use of SSL is required. These steps Steps will be listed for generating and using a self signed certificate. You can of course use any other certificate compatible with Tomcat. See self signing, as well as importing an existing certificate.

It is highly recommended you read the Tomcat Documentation for more details.

...

Self Signed

Run the following command and generate the self signed certificate in the HTTPS_AGENT_HOME/config directory. Run the following command.

Code Block
keytool -genkey -keyalg RSA -alias tomcat -keystore tomcat.jks -validity 365 -keysize 2048

When prompted enter a password for the keystore.

Then when prompted for your name input the hostname for the server. This is important, if this step is missed the FlexDeploy server will not trust the certificate. The rest of the information is not needed (although you can input it).

After that you will be prompted for the password for the tomcat key, press enter to use the same password as the keystore. This is required by Tomcat.

Next let’s export the certificate in order to add it to the FlexDeploy server’s trust store.

Code Block
keytool -export -keystore tomcat.jks -storepass <password> -alias tomcat -file httpsagent.cer

...

Existing Certificate

First generate your certificate using whatever method you would usually use.

Next convert the certificate to pk12 format.

Code Block
openssl pkcs12 -export -in server.crt -inkey server.key -out server.p12 -name tomcat -CAfile ca.crt -caname root

Now import the pk12 format cert into a java keystore. This will also generate the keystore if it does not exist. It is recommended to put the keystore into the HTTPS_AGENT_HOME/config directory.

Code Block
keytool -importkeystore -deststorepass <Same as deskkeypass> -destkeypass <Same as desstorepass> -destkeystore tomcat.jks -srckeystore server.p12 -srcstoretype PKCS12 -srcstorepass some-password -alias tomcat

Configure Tomcat and Import Public Key

Next configure the keystore password (and the location of the file if not generated in the config directory). Open up the HTTPS_AGENT_HOME/apache-tomcat-flexdeploy-https-agent/conf/server.xml file. Find the SSL connector (by default set for port 8444) and add the keystore password like this: If you made the alias tomcat, this will be enough. Otherwise, add key

Code Block
languagexml
<Connector port="8444" protocol="org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol"
           maxThreads="150" scheme="https" secure="true"
           clientAuth="false" sslProtocol="TLS" SSLEnabled="true"
           keystoreFile="../config/tomcat.jks" keystorePass="KEYSTORE PASSWORD HERE">
</Connector>

Now let’s import the certificate into the java trust store on the FlexDeploy server.

First copy over the certificate we that was generated (with the .cer extension). If you used an existing certificate, this should be the root certificate’s public key. You may have already configured this.

Next let’s determine the java Java install used by the FlexDeploy server.

If you set JAVA_HOME is set in your setenvoverride.sh file, use that directory.

If you didn’t it is not set it, but it is already set in your system use that value, . Run echo "$JAVA_HOME" to find that out.

If it’s not set in setenvoverride.sh or the environment run this command to find the path used dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $(which javac)))

Then we can run the following command on the server.

Code Block
keytool -import -noprompt -trustcacerts -alias tomcathttpsAgent -file httpsagent.cer -keystore "JAVA_INSTALL_PATH/jre/lib/security/cacerts" -storepass changeit

...

The default password for the java keystore is changeit.

Now the server will be able to connect to the endpoint. It is not necessary to restart the FlexDeploy server after adding a certificate.

Step 5. Start the

...

Agent

Run Execute the StartFlexDeployHttpsAgent.sh (or StartFlexDeployHttpsAgent.bat) script to start the agent.The next step is to configure

Next Steps

To manage FlexDeploy properties locally on the endpoint without the need to send them through HTTPS requests to the agent checkout this page.

Create the endpoint on your FlexDeploy server. For more info see this page.