Integrating IIS with Tomcat

Steps for Integrating IIS (5 and above) with Tomcat (5 and above)

S.Prasanna,
sprasanna199@gmail.com

Introduction:

This article explains the way to integrate IIS (Version 5 and above) with Tomcat (Version 5 and above). Since IIS cannot serve dynamic java contents like servlets and JSPs, the IIS Tomcat connector delegates Tomcat servlet engine to handle servlet and JSP calls. I still couldn't find a good document which clearly explains how to use the install4iis.js (A javascript installer used to configure the IIS Tomcat connector) to make the installation process much simpler. So here's mine.

1. Download the Tomcat IIS Connector (Jk2 binaries) from one of the mirrors

(http://archive.apache.org/dist/tomcat/tomcat-connectors/jk2/binaries/win32/jakarta-tomcat-connectors-jk2.0.4-win32-IIS.zip)

2. Unzip the connector. There will be three directories namely bin, conf and doc. The bin folder has the isapi_redirector2.dll and an installation javascript file install4iis.js. I call the directory where you unzipped the IIS connector zip file as <IIS_CONNECTOR_HOME>.

3. From IIS perspective I assume that the default web site is running and you need to redirect all URIs related to Servlets and jsps for Tomcat to execute them i.e URIs of the form

http://127.0.0.1/servlets-examples and http://127.0.0.1/jsp-examples to Tomcat servlet container URI
http://127.0.0.1:8080/jsp-examples and http://127.0.0.1:8080/jsp-examples respectively.

These are the steps to be executed from Tomcat and IIS.

From Tomcat:

I assume that you installed Tomcat properly and have a running version of Tomcat at port 8080 with jk2 at 8009. Since these are the default settings in Tomcat 5, there is virtually no need to do anything from Tomcat side once you have a running version of Tomcat.

From IIS:

1. Since the default web site is running, invoking the install4iis.js

(<IIS_CONNECTOR_HOME>/bin directory) will be straightforward.

2. Configuring the jakarta filter:

To do this one should create a new virtual directory from the IIS management console.

1. Goto Settings -> Control Panel -> Administrative tools -> Internet Information Services

2. Expand the Local Computer icon.

3. Expand Web sites folder and Default Website.

4. Under the Default Web site create a new virtual directory.

1. Right click Default Web site -> Click New -> Virtual Directory -> Next

2. In the (Alias) Text field enter the name as jakarta and Click next

3. Enter <IIS_CONNECTOR_HOME>/bin as the directory path and Click Next

4. Select read, run scripts and execute access permissions, Click Next and Finish.

5. Configure workers2.properties file:

This file is used to configure the connector properties, the URI pattern to be filtered, and details of the IP address and the port where the Tomcat connector is listening, etc.To map URIs of the form /Servlets-examples and /jsp-examples for Tomcat, the following settings need to be specified in the workers2.properties file.

Create a file workers2.properties in <IIS_CONNECTOR_HOME>/conf directory with the following settings.

# Example socket channel, override port and host.

[channel.socket:localhost:8009]

port=8009

host=127.0.0.1

# define the worker

[ajp13:localhost:8009]

channel=channel.socket:localhost:8009

# Map the default Tomcat directory to the Web server uri space

[uri:/jsp-examples/*]

group=ajp13:localhost:8009

[uri:/servlets-examples/*]

group=ajp13:localhost:8009

6. Now you are set to execute the IIS Tomcat connector installation script install4iis.js. Either double click install4iis.js or execute it in command line as windows script using

Wscript //E:Jscript install4iis.js

The installation process using install4iis.js will take 10 – 15 steps. Click Ok for all messages in the message box one
after another and finally check for the message

Filter [jakarta] set. Click Ok to complete the installation.

Note: By Default the install4iis.js configures the filter (jakarta, the virtual directory configured above) for the Default
Web Site. If you want to configure the filter for other sites, you need to use the appropriate command line options.
For more help, type Wscript //E:Jscript install4iis.js –h.

7. Restart IIS (In IIS Management console, right click Local Computer -> All tasks -> Restart IIS).

8. To check the configuration of the filter, in the IIS Management console, expand Local Computer -> Web Sites and Right click Default Web Sites and Click Properties and ISAPI Filters tab. There you should see the green status of the jakarta filter indicating that the filter is loaded.

Once the above procedures are completed correctly, then typing

http://127.0.0.1/servlets-examples in browser will fetch the Tomcat page http://127.0.0.1:8080/servlets-examples and http://127.0.0.1/jsp-examples will fetch http://127.0.0.1:8080/jsp-examples page. Try executing the sample Servlets and jsp examples through IIS Connector and check the results.