How to do virutal hosts with JBoss Portal

[sverker]

This maybe is a RTFM question but I can't find it anywere in the docs and my tests has been unsuccessful.

Say that I want to deploy tree websites on a single instance of JBoss application server as separate virtual hosts, e.g. www.foo.com, www.bar.com and www.gazonk.com.

This is normally not a problem, just set virtual-host and context-path in jboss-web.xml.

However, say that I want each to be a portal using JBoss Portal. I.e. each site is a separate instance.

How should I do then? Just setting jboss-web.xml as usual in the war file with my portal definition doesn't work, it just shows the files in the war file and doesn't seam to connect to the portal server.

For me this is a key issue to start using JBoss Portal

[andrewboyd]

check out this thread:
http://jboss.org/index.html?module=bb&op=viewtopic&t=89031

Does that do what you are asking?

Andrew

[mmartin123]

Yeah. I have that problem too.

I believe the problem lies in the fact that under jboss-portal.sar/portal-server.war/WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml AND
jboss-portal.sar/portal-core.war/WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml you need to specify your <virtual-host> and <context-root> tags as well besides just your WAR/EAR file...

I was able to get it to work when I did this. However it only lets you specify one virtual host. I'm still trying to figure out how to do more than one.

Like if I had 2 WAR files (each a separate portal/app) inside an EAR file, I can certainly specify 2 different virtual-hosts just fine. But I cannot do this for jboss-portal.sar/portal-core and jboss-portal.sar/portal-server.

Sounds like it may require me to change actual source code of the JBoss Portal itself.

My goal:
Portal A URL = http://myportala.com/portalA
Portal B URL = http://myportalb.com/portalB

Somebody HELP US!!!!!

[wlabuschagne]

Hi. I got it working BUT everything is still showing to the same db. So all portals share the same content....

Not very nice!

I've been sitting here and wonder if I just need to go to LifeRay that does support it. I had a look but could not getting to work in JBOSSAS 4.0.4.

I'm sitting in the middle and needs to make a decision soon.

Any developer out there that can put some light on the subject!!!

Thanks
Willem Labuschagne
South Africa

[cuoz]

I don't know if this is an option for y'all, but we use Apache as the http server in front of JBoss/Tomcat as it makes virtual hosting simple. It also gives the added benefit of being able to pick & choose multiple webapps from various app servers for use by any/all of your virtual hosts. I prefer to keep host information out of the app server.

Just my thoughts...
gary.

[hardeep.kwatra]

Hi,

My requirement is somewhere similar to you guys.

I need to run my own portal with the default URL.

Means if i type http://localhost:8080/portal, my portal should be called instead of the default one.

I was able to change the root context from "server/default/deploy/jboss-portal.sar/portal-server.war/WEB-INF/jboss-web.xml" but unable to map to my own portal.

right now i need to access my portal with the URL i.e. http://localhost:8080/portal/portal/MyPortal.

as per my knowledge the first "/portal" is the context root but, how to remove the second "/portal" and map the context root to my own portlet, not aware of.

It would be appriciable if some one can guide me on the same.

mmartin123: you said that you were able to specify one virtual host. please let me know the steps. may be it will work out for me.

Thanks

Hardeep

[rali.genova]

have you tried this:
http://wiki.jboss.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=UsingMod_jk1.2WithJBoss

[sverker]

I don't find adding Apache as frontend is a suitable solution.

The question is, is JBoss Portal able to support multiple instances bound to different url's? If not, what is neccesary to solve this (imho) major design flaw?

[sverker]

I have created a feature request in JIRA, at http://jira.jboss.com/jira/browse/JBPORTAL-1004.

Please, everybody that think this is an important functionality, go there and vote for it

[agathon]

I would like to see this functionality as well. At the moment I'm making due by using multiple instances of the CMS. This is ugly and requires lots of custom configuration beyond simply defining a portal. I must admit, I liked the way URLs worked in 2.0 a lot more than how they work in 2.2.1.

[roy.russo]

Does creating separate portal instances solve the problem?

[yxyang]

Does creating separate portal instances solve the problem?

partially, solved. But to completely solve this problem, currently, i think you need use httpservlet redirect to help or http-meta data to help.

I used http-meta data to solved the problem in my own projects.

yang

[sverker]

Roy,
I have not been able to bind a portal instance to a virtual host. Can you describe how to do that?

[dhartford]

If you have multiple virtual hosts pointing to different jboss portals sharing the same db/content, I could see where you want to push support for virtual hosting on the App server side.

However, I don't understand that if the portals have different db/content, why a front-facing Apache is not an acceptable solution. I would think in most cases you want Apache in front of the App server anyway, regardless if using virtual hosting or not. An App server is great at handling dynamic web content and 'application' stuff. Apache does well interfacing on the network-level with DNS/virtual hosting, proxy, redirect/re-writes, etc. Use both their strengths.

I would be concerned about putting a lot of jboss's time into developing a app-server based virtual hosting solution which would be a workaround/patch on the app server to replicate what already exists (and more efficiently) on Apache.

I just want to see Jboss Portal 2.6 as soon as possible, too, so a little biased ;-)

[sverker]

I have updated http://jira.jboss.com/jira/browse/JBPORTAL-1004 with a proposed solution.