Several areas of InterAction use the Application Server to get information. For example, the Folder Dependency Analyzer connects to the Application Server when processing. Similarly, Data Change Management relies heavily on the Application Server.
For these features to work, you need to configure the Windows Client and InterAction Administrator applications to communicate with the Application Server.
You need to provide the following information:
| Item | Description |
| Server Name |
The name of the machine on which the Application Server is installed. When determining the URL for the Web Client, this is the part after http://. |
| Path |
The path used to form the base Web Client address. By default this is /InterAction. When determining the URL for the Web Client, this path comes after the server name. |
| Port |
The port used for the Application Server. This is normally 8100. |
Format the Server Name and Path to use the fully-qualified URL for the Application Server. For example, if the Application Server is installed on a machine called “IAServer1” on your company's “Domain1” domain, the URL would be similar to the following:
http://IAServer1.domain1.mycompany.com/InterAction
In this case, the Server Name is IAServer1.domain1.mycompany.com and the Path is /InterAction.
You use InterAction Administrator to configure these settings. For instructions, see Configure the Windows Applications to Connect to the Application Server.
See the following topics for more information:
- Recommendations for Larger Sites or Sites with Multiple Application Servers
- Configure the Windows Applications to Connect to the Application Server
- Using Encryption (HTTPS) for External Access
Recommendations for Larger Sites or Sites with Multiple Application Servers
Large sites that have multiple application servers and load balancers can set one Application Server URL to use for front end processes and a separate URL to use for back end processes.
[A] The InterAction Application Server section can be configured for back end processes.
[B] The InterAction Application Server (for external access) section can be configured for uses outside of the InterAction system, such as email links in reminder messages and activities.
Specifying two separate default URLs is recommended for large sites or sites with multiple application servers.
Include the domain in the server name to form a fully-qualified URL.
It is recommended to use HTTPS encryption for links when accessing the InterAction Application Server outside of your organization’s firewall. See Using Encryption (HTTPS) for External Access for details.
Configure the Windows Applications to Connect to the Application Server
Make sure the Application Server is up and running before following these steps:
- Log on to InterAction Administrator.
- From the main window entity list, double-click Configuration to open the InterAction Configuration dialog box.
- Choose the General tab.
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Under InterAction Application Server, provide the server Name, Path, and Port Number.
Include the domain in the server name to form a fully-qualified URL. See Configure Windows Apps to Connect to App Server for examples.
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If you are specifying a different URL for the Application Server to run for back end processes, complete the fields in the InterAction Application Server (for external access) section.
See Recommendations for Larger Sites or Sites with Multiple Application Servers for more information.
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To use HTTPS for links to InterAction from items like reminder messages and links to activities, choose Use HTTPS for InterAction Links.
Note that you must use port 443 when using HTTPS. See Using Encryption (HTTPS) for External Access for more information.
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To confirm that the connection settings are correct, choose the Test Settings button. If InterAction Administrator can successfully connect to the specified Application Server, you receive a confirmation message.
If you specified a separate URL in the InterAction Application Server (for external access) section, test those settings as well.
- If the message indicates than an error occurred, check the following:
- Make sure that the Application Server is up and running. See Start the InterAction Application Server Service.
- Make sure that the computer on which InterAction Administrator is installed can connect to the Web server used for the Application Server. You can test this by attempting to connect to the Web server using a browser.
- Make sure the information you entered for the server Name, Path, and Port Number is correct. The server name should include the domain name to form a fully-qualified URL.
- Once you are able to successfully connect to the Application Server, choose OK to close the InterAction Configuration dialog box and save your changes.
Using Encryption (HTTPS) for External Access
You can configure InterAction to use encryption when users access links to InterAction from external sources, such as reminder notification messages. This sets the URL to HTTPS instead of HTTP and ensures the message cannot be read by anyone except the recipient.
External access settings are also useful for larger sites to configure separate URLs for front end and back end processes. See Recommendations for Larger Sites or Sites with Multiple Application Servers for details.
To use the https:// designation, configure the InterAction Application Server for external access in InterAction Administrator:
- On the main window of InterAction Administrator, double-click Configuration.
- Choose the General tab.
- In the InterAction Application Server (for external access) section:
- Select the Use HTTPS for InterAction Links check box.
- Type the Name and Path of the InterAction Application Server. The Name should include the domain name to form a fully-qualified URL.
- Type 443 in the Port Number field. You must specify port 443 when using HTTPS.
- Choose OK to close the InterAction Configuration dialog box and save your changes.