| Customize GroupWise
| Use Simple Redirection to Provide Secure Access to GroupWise WebAccess |
ISSUE #1: To use GroupWise WebAccess, you are required to access the URL https://webmail.redjuju.com/gw/webacc, but you would like to keep it simple and just enter http://webmail.redjuju.com. You need a way to redirect the simple URL to the full URL, plus you want it to be secure.
ISSUE #2: Depending on the platform you are running (Windows, Linux, or NetWare), the GroupWise WebAccess installation may or may not create a document for you in the root of your web server. If it does not modify your root web site index file, you need to create one.
ISSUE #3: If the WebAccess installation does modify your default root web page, it gives your users a language selection dialog (See diagram below). They must choose the language before it takes them to the actual GroupWise login page. This is cumbersome for most people, especially when only one language is in use.
ISSUE #4: Depending on your web platform, it may be difficult to force HTTP (non-secure) users to connect to HTTPS (secure) for their GroupWise session. Allowing users to connect in non-secure mode could potentially expose confidential information to prying eyes.
This tutorial outlines a simple way to resolve both issues.
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Default WebAccess Language
This default screen causes an extra step for users and isn't really necessary unless you have users that may speak multiple languages.
Furthermore, you will notice that the application is not running on a secure connection (http://).
NOTE: You may or may not have this file at the root of your web server. |
STEP 1: Locate index.html File |
The first thing to do is find the root index file on your web server and modify it with a simple redirect script. The actual index file varies by platform. You should be able to find the default file in one of the locations noted below. This assumes a default installation. Adjust path accordingly for custom configurations.
NetWare 6.5
sys:/apache2/htdocs/index.html Windows
c:/inetpub/wwwroot/iisstart.htm
Note that the default IIS web root filename is iisstart.htm, and the GroupWise WebAccess installation does not modify this or replace it. It's best to just edit the iisstart.htm file with the information provided below. If you would prefer to use a filename other than iisstart.htm, you can also use Default.htm,
Default.asp,
or index.htm.
LINUX (SLES9, SLES10, and OES2 Linux)
/srv/www/htdocs/index.html
(Discussing the location on Linux is difficult because depending on what services and options you have installed, the location of this file could change. It's even more difficult when you have OES2 installed because of the OES2 web features, redirects, and aliases. On my OES2 system, I manually hacked the config files to remove the OES2 web configuration that pointed to the "OES2 Welcome Page", then found where the original Document Root folder was located, which was configured in the \etc\apache2\default-server.conf file. Once I found the location, I created the index.html redirect file there.)
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STEP 2: Replace Default Index Page
All you need to do is modify the index.html or iisstart.htm file with a simple redirection command. This will completely bypass the Language Selection screen, and automatically redirect to the GroupWise Login screen with a secure HTTPS connection.
Replace all of the text in your current file with redirections commands as shown below. Make sure to modify the script to redirect to your own GroupWise WebAccess login page. The entire file should look like this:
<html>
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" Content="0;url=https://mail.redjuju.com/gw/webacc">
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
* Do not leave 'mail.redjuju.com' in your file. Replace it with the URL of your own mail server. |
STEP 3: Test Your Redirection
Open a browser and go to your GroupWise WebAccess home page.
A) Type in http://mail.<yourdomain>.com
B) Your browser should automatically redirect: https://mail.<yourdomain>.com/gw/webacc
NOTE: You may need to clear your cache before the new page can load correctly.
NOTE: You should see that a secure connection (HTTPS) has been established.
NOTE: This applies only to GroupWise 7 WebAccess. If you are using GroupWise 6.5, the redirection should go to https://mail.<yourdomain>.com/servlet/webacc
For a live example of how this works, click here: http://webmail.redjuju.com
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Marvin Huffaker Consulting, Inc. is a Novell Platinum Partner and specializes in Messaging solutions. Our Contact Information can be found here. |
