Primary Note on WebLogic Server Web Server (Proxy) Plug-Ins (Doc ID 1298912.1)

Last updated on MAY 23, 2022

Applies to:

Details

Many WebLogic Server users use external web servers to handle client traffic and proxy that traffic to the WebLogic Server domain. WLS provides plug-ins to facilitate this, which are often referred to as web server plug-ins, proxy plug-ins, or just plug-ins. Oracle WebLogic Server web server plug-ins provide load balancing across WebLogic Server managed servers by acting as front-end proxies. This document provides links to information about the WebLogic Server web server (proxy) plug-ins.

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Documentation

General documentation for the WebLogic Server plug-ins is here. Documentation for the WebLogic Server version 11g (previously known as version 1.1) plug-ins is here.

General Information

Oracle WebLogic Server web server plug-ins provide load balancing across WebLogic Server managed servers by acting as front-end proxies. They are written in native code, not Java, so they are specific to the operating system on which they are used. For this reason, they are not patched using the usual WLS procedures: they cannot be patched in the same way as Java code. So whenever a fix is needed to the plug-ins, this is accomplished not by patching but by a complete replacement of the native code with the new version.

Starting with WebLogic Server 11g, plug-ins are given a version number which corresponds to a Fusion Middleware version number (11.1.1.x). This number replaces the numbering system which had been used previously. The plug-ins for WLS prior to 11g, which were previously called version 1.0 plug-ins, have been renamed WebLogic Server 10g plug-ins. Plug-ins for WLS 11g are now named WebLogic Server 11g plug-ins, renamed from version 1.1 plug-ins. New plug-ins will be released for WebLogic Server 12c, but until the 12c plug-ins are released, customers should continue to use the 11g plug-ins with WebLogic Server 12c.

WLS 10g plug-ins were packaged with WebLogic Server versions up to and including 10.3.x. However, 10g plug-ins are NOT packaged with WebLogic Server 12c, and they should not be used with WLS 12c. The plug-ins have always existed somewhat independently of WebLogic Server itself: the 10g plug-ins work with any version of WLS up to 10.3.x, and a fix to the plug-ins (replacing the plug-ins with the fixed version) also works with the same versions of WLS.

• For Oracle WebLogic Server 10gR3 (Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.0), Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.1+), and Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (WLS 12.1.1+), new versions of the WLS plug-ins have been released. These 11g and 12c (formerly version 1.1) plug-ins are a superset of the 10g (formerly version 1.0) plug-ins and provide some enhanced functionality. More details, including where to download the plug-ins, are at WebLogic Server 10gR3 (10.3.0) and 11gR1 (10.3.x) - Web Server Plug-In Support <Note 1111903.1>.
• You can determine just what version of the plug-ins is running by following the steps here: WebLogic Server: How to find Proxy Plugin Version/Release Number? <Note 1285304.1>.
• The WLS web server plug-ins for 10gR3, only support IPv4. For IPv6 (including NSAPI support), see How to Use IPv6 Addressing with WebLogic Server (WLS) <Note 1249194.1>.

Configuration

Most configuration questions can be answered by referring to the documentation above. Solutions for some specific configuration issues follow:

• Configuration of WebLogic Server for the reuse of HTTP connections <Note 1297932.1>
• Large WLProxy Log Files Crash Apache - Can the Files be Rotated without Dropping Connections? <Note 1313147.1>
• How To Configure Apache With SSL Certificates To Forward Requests To WebLogic Server (WLS) Environment <Note 867883.1>

Troubleshooting

WebLogic Server support patterns provide information on how to troubleshoot common problems. There are several support patterns on plug-ins, which you can link to from the Primary Note on WebLogic Server Proxy Plug-In Support Patterns <Note 761125.1>

Specific Issues

Please refer to these articles if you are seeing specific issues with the proxy plug-ins:

• Precondition Failed When Accessing Weblogic Server Console Through Proxy <Note 1089704.1>
• Weblogic Server proxy plug-in does guarantee sticky session under server overload condition or server hang? <Note 1113898.1>
• Apache Plug-In Reconnects To Other Server Even If Idempotent=OFF <Note 808328.1>

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