Network channels enable you to configure additional ports with one or more WebLogic Server instances or clusters (ports in addition to the required Listen Port and SSL Listen Port). A network channel defines the basic attributes for a new network connection to WebLogic Server, including:
The protocols the connection supports (HTTP, HTTPS, T3, T3S, COM).
Default listen ports to use for secure and non-secure communication.
Default properties for the connection such as the login timeout value, maximum message sizes, and default user names and passwords.
Whether or not the connection supports tunneling.
Whether the connection can be used to communicate with other WebLogic Servers in the domain, or used only for communication with clients.
You configure channels as distinct entities in the Administration Console, and then add one or more channels to servers in the domain. Using a single channel with multiple servers can simplify network configuration for a WebLogic Server domain, because changing the channel configuration automatically changes the connection attributes of all servers that use the channel. Using multiple channels with a single server helps you segment network traffic by protocol, listen ports, or any other channel configuration property.
In a clustered environment, channels also provide the ability to configure clustered server instances on a single NIC, using different port numbers.
After configuring and assigning network channels, you can optionally use channel overrides (also known as network access points) to fine-tune channel settings on an individual server.
Tasks
Creating a Network Channel
Select the Network Channels node in the left pane of the Administration Console.
Click Configure a new Network Channel... in the right pane.
Enter the general configuration values for the new network channel and click Create to create the new channel definition.
Use the Targets->Servers or Targets->Clusters tab to select the servers or clusters in the domain that will use the new channel.
Select a server or cluster in the Available column, and use the arrow button to place the server or cluster in the Chosen column. Click Apply to assign the network channel to the chosen servers or clusters.
Use the Configuration->Tuning tab to change the backlog and login timeout attributes for the new channel. Click Apply to apply your changes to this tab.
Use the Configuration->Protocols tab to enable, disable, or configure protocol support for the new channel. Click Apply to apply your changes to this tab.
Note: Messages sent via the T3 protocol can contain DNS information about the hosts they originate on or are destined to. If a T3 connection is established across a firewall that has network address translation (NAT) enabled, it is possible that some information about the network configuration behind the firewall will be revealed. Using the firewall to prevent T3 connections through the firewall will prevent this problem.
Assigning a Network Channel to One or More Servers
Select the Network Channels node in the left panel.
Select the name of the network channel you want to edit.
Click the Targets->Servers or Targets->Clusters tab to select the servers or clusters in the domain that will use the new channel.
Select all of the servers or clusters that will use this network channel. Use the arrow button to place the selected servers or clusters in the Chosen column.
Click Apply to apply changes to the Network Channel.
Configuring a Network Access Point
You can configure a network access point for a server only after you have configured and assigned a network channel to a server or cluster using the instructions in Creating a Network Channel. Use the following steps to configure a server's network access points:
In the left pane of the Console, select the Servers node, then select the server name you want to configure.
Select the Connections->Tuning tab in the right pane. This displays the current backlog and tunneling settings for the server's default network configuration.
Click the Channel Overrides link at the bottom of the right pane. This displays a table listing all of the network channels currently assigned to the server.
Click the name of the network channel for which you want to create a network access point. This displays a Configuration tab that allows you to override attributes of the selected channel.
Click the Configuration->General tab to override channel attributes such as the listen address and listen ports. Click Apply to apply your changes to the network access point.
Note: To resolve a DNS name to an IP address, Weblogic Server must be able to contact an appropriate DNS server or obtain the IP address mapping locally. Therefore, if you specify a DNS name for the listen address, you must either leave a port open long enough for the WebLogic Server instance to connect to a DNS server and cache its mapping or you must specify the IP address mapping in a local file. If you specify an IP address for ListenAddress and then a client request specifies a DNS name, WebLogic Server will attempt to resolve the DNS name, but if it cannot access DNS name mapping, the request will fail.
Click the Configuration->Tuning tab to override channel attributes for backlog and login timeout settings. Click Apply to apply your changes to the network access point.
Click the Configuration->Protocols tab to override channel configurations for supported network protocols. Note that you cannot enable or disable a network protocol using channel overrides—only the network channel can enable or disable support for a protocol.
Click Apply to apply your changes to the network access point.
