Installation and Upgrade Guides › Web Agent Installation Guide for Apache-based servers › Install and Configure Apache-based Agents on Windows › How to Configure Apache-based Agents on Windows

How to Configure Apache-based Agents on Windows

Configuring the agent occurs after the installation. Configuration requires several separate procedures which are described using the following process:

1. Gather the information for the configuration.
2. Run the wizard-based configuration program.
3. (Optional) Run the unattended or silent installation and configuration programs for subsequent web servers in your environment.

Gather the Information Required by the Configuration Program on Windows

Gather the following information about the environment for the product before running the configuration program for the agent:

Register Host

Indicates whether you want to register a trusted host. This registration creates a trusted host object in the Policy Server and an SmHost.conf file on the web server. The agent uses this information to make an initial connection to Policy Servers when it starts. Register each agent instance as a trusted host only once.

Default:Yes

Options: Yes, No

Admin User Name

Specifies the name of a CA SiteMinder® user with Administrative privileges that is already defined in the Policy Server. This CA SiteMinder® user account requires privileges to register trusted hosts.

Admin Password

Specifies a password for the Admin User Name that is already defined in the Policy Server.

Confirm Admin Password

Repeats the password entered in the Admin Password field. This value verifies the password for the Admin User Name already defined in the Policy Server.

Trusted Host Object Name

Specifies a unique name for the trusted host you are registering. This trusted host object is stored on the Policy Server.

Host Configuration Object

Specifies the name of a Host Configuration Object that is already defined in the Policy Server. After the agent initially connects to a Policy Server (using the SmHost.conf file settings), subsequent connections use the settings from the Host Configuration Object.

Policy Server IP Address

Specifies the Internet Protocol address of the Policy Servers to which the agent attempts to connect upon startup. If your Policy Server is behind a firewall, specify a port number also.

If a hardware load balancer is configured to expose Policy Servers in your environment through a single Virtual IP Address (VIP), enter the VIP.

Example: (IPV4) 192.168.1.105

Example: (IPV4 with the port number) 192.168.1.105:44443

Example: (IPV6) 2001:DB8::/32

Example: (IPV6) [2001:DB8::/32]:44443

FIPS Mode Setting

Specifies one of the following algorithms:

FIPS Compatibility/AES Compatibility

Uses algorithms existing in previous versions of CA SiteMinder® to encrypt sensitive data and is compatible with previous versions of CA SiteMinder®. If your organization does not require the use of FIPS-compliant algorithms, use this option.

FIPS Migration/AES Migration

Allows a transition from FIPS-compatibility mode to FIPS-only mode. In FIPS-migration mode, CA SiteMinder® environment continues to use existing CA SiteMinder® encryption algorithms as you reencrypt existing sensitive data using FIPS-compliant algorithms.

FIPS Only/AES Only

Uses only FIPS-compliant algorithms to encrypt sensitive data in the CA SiteMinder® environment. This setting does not interoperate with, nor is backwards-compatible with, previous versions of CA SiteMinder®.

Default: FIPS Compatibility/AES Compatibility

FIPS is a US government computer security standard that accredits cryptographic modules which meet the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

Important! Use a compatible FIPS/AES mode (or a combination of compatible modes) for both the CA SiteMinder® agent and the Policy Server.

Name

Specifies the name of the SmHost.conf file which contains the settings the Web Agent uses to make initial connections to a Policy Server.

Default: SmHost.conf

Location

Specifies the directory where the SmHost.conf file is stored.

Default: web_agent_home\config

Enable Shared Secret Rollover

Select this check box to change the shared secret that the Policy Server uses to encrypt communications to the Web Agents.

Select Servers

This step has multiple screens. The first screen indicates the server type (Apache), and the next screen displays the web server instances that the configuration program finds on the computer. Select the check boxes of the server type, and the instances you want to configure. Clear the check boxes of those instances from which you want to remove CA SiteMinder® protection.

Apache 2.4.x Install Location

Specifies the location of the installation directory for your Apache-based server (version 2.4 or higher).

Agent Configuration Object Name

Specifies the name of an agent configuration object (ACO) already defined on the Policy Server.

Default: AgentObj

Advanced Authentication Scheme Dialog

Specifies the advanced authentication scheme for the web server instances you selected previously.

Run the Web Agent Configuration Program on Windows

After gathering the information for your agent configuration, run the agent configuration program. This program creates an agent runtime instance for the web servers running on your computer.

This configuration program is wizard or console based, depending on the option you select. Running the configuration program in the wizard or console mode once creates a properties file. Use the properties file to run unattended configurations on other computers with same operating environment in the future.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the following directory on your web server:

   web_agent_home\install_config_info
   

   web_agent_home

   Indicates the directory where the CA SiteMinder® agent is installed on your web server.

   Default (Windows 32-bit installations only): C:\Program Files\CA\webagent

   Default (Windows 64-bit installations only): C:\Program Files\CA\webagent\win64

   Default (Windows 32-bit applications operating on 64-bit systems [Wow64]): C:\Program Files (x86)\webagent\win32

2. Use one of the following configuration methods:
   • For a GUI-based configuration, go to Step 3.
   • For a console-based configuration, go to Step 5.
3. Right-click the following executable, and then select Run as Administrator:

   ca-wa-config.exe
   

4. Go to Step 8.
5. Open a Command Prompt window with Administrator privileges.
6. Navigate to the executable file listed previously, and then run it with the following switch:

   -i console
   

7. Go to Step 8.
8. Follow the prompts shown in the configuration program. Provide the requested values from your agent configuration worksheet.

   The agent runtime instance is created for your web servers.