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README_HTTPS.md

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Serving ArchivesSpace user-facing applications over HTTPS

This document describes a simple approach for those wishing to install ArchivesSpace in such a manner that all end-user requests (i.e., URLs) are served over HTTPS rather than HTTP.

The configuration described in this document is one possible approach, and to keep things simple the following are assumed:

  • ArchivesSpace is running on a single Linux server

  • The server is running the Apache 2.2+ webserver

  • You have obtained an SSL certificate and key from an authority

Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that you have root access on your machines, and all commands are to be run as root (or with sudo).

Step 1: restrict access to application urls

The standard ArchivesSpace distribution consists of four separate web applications. By default, the applications are assigned to the following urls:

  • Backend - http://localhost:8089

  • Frontend (staff UI) - http://localhost:8080

  • Public (read-only UI) - http://localhost:8081

  • Solr (search middleware) - http://localhost:8090

These assignments can be altered through edits to the configuration file located at archivesspace/config/config.rb in the standard distribution.

Since the four component applications must be able to communicate with each other over HTTP, the first step will be to restrict access to ports 8089, 8080, 8081, and 8090 to the localhost. On a Linux server, this can be done using iptables:

 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s localhost --dport 8089 -j ACCEPT
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8089 -j DROP
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s localhost --dport 8080 -j ACCEPT
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j DROP
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s localhost --dport 8081 -j ACCEPT
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8081 -j DROP
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s localhost --dport 8090 -j ACCEPT
 iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8090 -j DROP

Once this is done, it should be possible to start up the application without exposing it to the outside world.

Step 2: use mod_ssl and mod_proxy to serve ArchivesSpace over HTTPS

In order for archivists and researchers to access the application, there will need to be two URLs that are exposed to the outside world, and per the main requirement of this exercise, those URLs will need to begin with https://. Let's assume that they will be:

  • https://staff.myarchive.org - for archival staff

  • https://research.myarchive.org - for the public

Start by ensuring that Apache is configured to handle HTTPS requests. Locate the httpd.conf file and ensure that it contains this line (or similar):

 LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so

If it is commented out, uncomment it.

Likewise, ensure that the Apache mod_proxy module is enabled:

 LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so

The following edits can be made in the httpd.conf file itself; however, it is conventional to use the Include directive to load them from a file named ssl.conf, httpd-ssl.conf, or the like. Example:

 Include "/path/to/apache/extra/ssl.conf"

Make sure Apache is listening on port 443 (or whatever port you choose):

 Listen 443

Finally, use the NameVirtualHost and VirtualHost directives to proxy requests to the actual application urls. Example:

 NameVirtualHost *:443

 <VirtualHost *:443>
   ServerName staff.myarchive.org
   SSLEngine On
   SSLCertificateFile "/path/to/your/cert.crt"
   SSLCertificateKeyFile "/path/to/your/key.key"
   RequestHeader set X-Forwarded-Proto "https"
   ProxyPreserveHost On
   ProxyPass / http://localhost:8080/
   ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8080/
 </VirtualHost>
 <VirtualHost *:443>
   ServerName research.myarchive.org
   SSLEngine On
   SSLCertificateFile "/path/to/your/cert.crt"
   SSLCertificateKeyFile "/path/to/your/key.key"
   RequestHeader set X-Forwarded-Proto "https"
   ProxyPreserveHost On
   ProxyPass / http://localhost:8081/
   ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8081/
 </VirtualHost>

More information about configuring Apache for SSL can be found at http://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/ssl/ssl_howto.html. You should read that documentation before attempting to configure SSL.