Configuring the MES Middleware Proxy

You can access a MES middleware server from remote nodes on which MES client products or components are running by configuring the MES middleware proxy on the remote nodes.

• You must install the MES middleware proxy on all remote nodes on which OCOs, UCOs, or SROs are configured (e.g., using System Platform Object Editor or through GR‑Access) or deployed to run. For high‑transaction MES objects, it is recommended that a full MES Middleware component be installed on the node hosting MES objects.

• If you are configuring the MES middleware proxy on a node, make sure that you have installed, configured, and started the MES middleware service on the remote server before configuring the MES middleware proxy.

• In a multi‑node system that has multiple MES middleware servers installed, each middleware server can be configured for the proxy to use. This allows the proxy to move communications to another middleware server if its current middleware server stops running. If this occurs, the proxy will attempt to connect to the next middleware server according to their order in the list.

The MES Middleware Proxy component is shown in the following figure.

The default proxy connection information that is set here is used by all client applications running on the computer. An individual application can override the information with its own connection information.

To configure the MES middleware proxy

1. To add a middleware server to the list, click Add.

   A server entry is added to the list.

   

2. Enter the proxy settings for each middleware server:

   Middleware Host

   The fully qualified domain name of the node on which the middleware service is running.

   Protocol

   The communication protocol, TCP or HTTP, to use for communications with the MES middleware service. The default is TCP.

   HTTP is typically used when the Middleware Server and client nodes are not located in the same building. TCP is typically used when the Middleware Server and client nodes are located in the same building.

   HTTP Port

   The HTTP port number used by the MES middleware's WCFHostService account for sending asynchronous messages, such as for MSMQ and EventBroker.

   If the Security Mode for HTTP Communication setting in the Middleware Configuration Editor is set to NONE and HTTP is being used rather than TCP for communication between the middleware server and client middleware proxies, this is also the HTTP port number that the MES middleware server and proxies will use.

   The default value is 80, which is the default port number for HTTP. The port number entered here must match the HTTP Port setting in the Middleware Configuration Editor.

   The HTTP port is always used to retrieve the middleware configuration settings regardless of the Protocol setting. You must change this value only when you cannot access port 80 through the firewall.

   HTTPS Port

   The port number for the MES Web API.

   The default value is 443, which is the default for HTTPS.

   The port number entered here must match the common platform HTTPS Port setting of the node on which the MES middleware is running. On the MES middleware node, this setting is on the System Management Service component's Advanced Configuration dialog (see System Management Server and Local Node Common Platform HTTPS Port Settings).

3. Click Configure.

   If the middleware proxy can communicate with a middleware service successfully, a success message appears in the Configuration Messages box.

   If the proxy could not successfully communicate with a middleware service, a failure message appears in the message box.

The MES Middleware Proxy component configuration status changes according to the following conditions:

• If the proxy was able to successfully communicate with all of the middleware servers, the indicator changes to . Client applications on the node can now communicate with any of the middleware servers.

• If communication failed with one or more middleware servers but succeeded with at least one, the indicator changes to . Client applications on the node can now communicate with any of the middleware servers for which communication succeeded.

• If communication failed with all of the middleware servers, the proxy component configuration fails and the indicator changes to . Communication with at least one of the middleware servers will have to be established before client applications on the node can use the MES proxy.

To remove one or more middleware servers from the list

4. Select the server entries.

5. Click Remove.

Reconfiguring the Middleware Proxy If the MES Middleware HTTPS Port Number Is Changed

• If the System Management Server and MES middleware are on the same node and the HTTPS Port number is changed, change the proxy HTTPS Port number to match it and reconfigure the Middleware Proxy component.

• If the System Management Server and MES middleware are not on the same node and the common platform HTTPS Port number for the MES middleware node is changed, change the proxy HTTPS Port number to match it and reconfigure the Middleware Proxy component.