Agent Guides › Web Agent Guide › Adjust Performance › Accommodate Testing Tools that do not send HOST Headers

Accommodate Testing Tools that do not send HOST Headers

The SiteMinder Web Agent uses the value of the HOST header in an HTTP request to determine the following settings:

• Agent name
• Server name
• Server IP address

SiteMinder Web Agents only accept HTTP version 1.1 requests, because HTTP versions 0.9 and 1.0 do not use HOST headers. This poses problems for some testing tools that do not send HOST headers, because the Web Agent rejects those requests.

SiteMinder r6.0 SP6 supports a new Agent Configuration parameter that lets you define a HOST header value. The Web Agent uses this value in any request that does not contain a HOST header.

To accommodate testing tools that do not send HOST headers

1. Open one of the following items:
   • If you are using Central Configuration, open your Agent Configuration Object.
   • If you are using Local Configuration, open your LocalConfig.conf file.
2. Add the following parameter:

   DefaultHostName

   Defines a value for the HOST header. Add this parameter to your Agent Configuration Object or LocalConfig.conf file to use a testing or performance tool that sends HTTP version 0.9 or version 1.0 requests (without HOST headers). If this parameter is not set, the Web Agent only accepts HTTP 1.1 requests.

   Default: None (blank)

   Example: webserver.example.com

3. Set the value of the previous parameter to the host name you want. See the previous example.
4. Save and close one of the following items:
   • If you are using Central Configuration, save and close your Agent Configuration Object.
   • If you are using Local Configuration, save and close your LocalConfig.conf file.

   The Web Agent substitutes the DefaultHostName value for any HTTP request without a HOST header.