Chat Server Installation

Chatserver setup

You find a README file for the chat server setup in your ILIAS installation at ./Modules/Chatroom/server/README.txt

Requirements

• JRE 1.6 (Java Runtime) The sources has been compiled using version OpenJDK 1.6.0_33. If you have any problems running the chatserver using your OpenJDK please contact mjansen (at) databay (dot) de with detailed RTE information.
• SOAP webservices must be enabled in your ILIAS administration
• If you want to copy the Chatserver.jar to another location, make sure to copy the lib folder as well

Usage

• Single ILIAS client: java -jar Chatserver.jar "path/to/server.properties" "path/to/client.properties"
• Multiple ILIAS clients: java -jar Chatserver.jar "path/to/server.properties" "path/to/first/client.properties" "path/to/second/client.properties" ....

Introduction

The basic configuration is done in the ILIAS Chatroom configuration in the ILIAS Administration.
After saving the "Server settings" and "Client Settings" two config files (server.properties and client.properties)
are created in your ILIAS external data directory in the subfolder chatroom.
These files must be addressed when starting the JAR package.

If you want to handle multiple ILIAS clients with one chatserver multiple "client.properties" can be passed as start parameters.

After you made changes, the chatserver must be restarted.

ILIAS Configuration

Server Settings

1. Address

   Example: 192.168.1.1
   
   The IPv4 address, the chatserver will be listening on

2. Port

   Example: 8080
   
   The port to be bound to the chatserver

3. Privileged hosts

   Example: 192.168.1.1
   
   Your webserver IP.
   
   Allowed IPv4 adresses from which the server accepts controlling connections (e.g. connecting a user, posting information). All requests are sent from the webservers IP address.

4. Protocol

   HTTP: chatserver opens an unencrypted http socket
   
   HTTPS: chatserver opens an ssl encrypted http socket
   For an HTTPS setup you must specify the following settings.
   
   Keystore: Path to a PKCS12 file containing all needed certificates/keys
   Example: /srv/private/server.p12
   
   Keypass: Password for the private key
   Example: mySecretKeyPassword
   
   Storepass: Password for the PKCS12 storage
   Example: mySecretKeyStoragePassword

5. Logging

   You can enable file logging by adding the property "log_path" pointing to your desired log file
   Example: log_path = /srv/www/logs/ilias_chat.log
   You can set/change the log level by adding the property "log_level" with your desired value (e.g. OFF, INFO, CONFIG, ALL, FINE, FINER, FINEST, WARNING, SEVERE)
   Example: log_level = FINEST

Client Settings

1. Enable Chat

   Enable/Disable the Chat

2. Enable On-Screen notifications

   If enabled, users are notified by a popup about new Invitations
   
   Refreshinterval:
   Polling interval for checking of new notifications. A lower number will notify the user more quickly but increases the number of requests the webserver must handle.

3. Name

   Example: myclient_chat
   
   A name that is used by ILIAS and the chatserver to identify your ILIAS.
   If using more than one client per chat server, this name must be unique per ILIAS instance.

4. URL

   Example: http://yourilias.com/ilias
   
   Path to your ILIAS installation.
   
   If you are using HTTPS with a self-signed certificate for your ILIAS installation you have to create a so called key storage to allow connections to the webserver. Otherwise you might get the following exception.
   
   javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException:
   sun.security.validator.ValidatorException:
   PKIX path building failed:
   sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException:
   unable to find valid certification path to requested target
   
   You can use the following tool to create a propper key storage.
   http://code.google.com/p/java-use-examples/source/browse/trunk/src/com/aw/ad/util/InstallCert.java
   
   To use that key storage, you have to start the chatserver with the additional parameter
   -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/path/to/your_key_storage
   
   For example:
   
   java -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/path/to/your_key_storage -jar Chatserver.jar server.properties client.properties

5. User

   Example: soap_user
   
   Username which is used by the chatserver to send information back to ILIAS.
   This must be a valid user with an accepted user aggreement. Please log in to ILIAS with this user to ensure that this account is usable.

6. Password

   Example: mySecret
   
   The password for the user.

7. Client

   Example: myClient
   
   The name of the ILIAS client for this configuration.

Chatserver setup for ILIAS >= 5.2.x