Changing SOAP settings for Groove Server Relay

 

Applies to: Groove Server 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2010-01-14

This procedure describes how to support communications between Groove Server Relay and Manager servers. Relay servers must be registered with Groove Server Manager to operate in a managed SharePoint Workspace environment. Groove Server Manager is designed to communicate with Groove Relay servers via Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) over port 8009. The Groove Relay Control Panel item lets you configure SOAP key settings that update the Relay registry with a serverID.xml file and other important keys that make the Groove Relay SOAP interface recognizable to Groove Server Manager.

For information about registering Relay servers with Groove Server Manager, see Registering Relay servers with Groove Server Manager.

This procedure requires that Groove Server Relay is installed as described in Install and configure Groove Server 2010 Relay.

To configure the Relay SOAP interface for communications between the Relay and Manager servers

  1. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu and then double-click the Groove Relay Control Panel item. The Server page appears.

  2. Click the SOAP tab, set field values as described in the table that follows this procedure, and then click Apply.

  3. Click the Admin Interface tab, click Generate Certificate, and then click OK.

    Important

    If you make any changes to the Groove Relay Control Panel settings while the Relay server is running, you must restart the Groove Relay service for the changes to take effect.

SOAP Settings Description

SOAP Interface Name

Accept or edit the default name. This is a fully qualified DNS name for the Relay server SOAP interface that you previously registered with your Domain Name Service. Use the format http://<relay name>.<company name>.<top-level domain>. For example, http://relay1.contoso.com. Groove Server Manager uses this name to contact the Relay server via SOAP.

Default: DNS name of the Groove Relay server on the network

Same As Relay Name

If you want the name in this field to be same as the Relay server name that you already defined on the Server tab, select the Same As Relay Name option. If you want to use a different name for the SOAP interface (for example, if you have assigned the SOAP interface to a specific internal network adapter separate from the publicly-used interface), make sure that you register the name with DNS first.

Default: selected

Private Key File Name

Accept the default file name or change it (for example, to include the Relay server name, such as relay1ServerSOAPKeyStore.xml). This will be the name of the Relay server SOAP interface private key file when it is generated. The private key certificate file contains the Relay server’s SOAP private key that is used to help secure the Relay server and identify it to the associated Groove Server Manager.

Default: ServerSOAPKeyStore.xml

Certificate File Name

Accept the default file name or change it (for example, to include the Relay server name, such as relay1ServerSOAPCertificate.cer). This will be the name of the Relay server SOAP certificate file when it is generated. The public certificate file contains the corresponding SOAP public key that is used by the associated Groove Server Manager to contact Groove Server Relay.

Default: ServerSOAPCertificate.cer

Generate Files

Click the Generate Files button to generate the SOAP key and ID files.

Important

Do not generate any new Relay server SOAP key and ID files after initial key and file creation. Doing so will permanently prevent existing SharePoint Workspace clients from accessing the Relay server.

Export ID File Name

Accept the default EXPORT ID File Name or change it (for example, to include the Relay server name, such as relay1serverID.xml). This file contains the Groove Server Relay certificates, Relay server name, and SOAP interface name, required by Groove Server Manager and SharePoint Workspace clients to establish secure communication with Groove Server Manager. The file is not encrypted because it does not contain private content.

Default: serverID.xml

Export ID File

Click the Export ID File button to generate the Relay server ID file (serverID.xml).

Remember where this file is saved. The Relay server ID file will be needed in the Groove Server Manager administrative Web interface to upload the certificate to the Manager server and register the Relay server. The file contains the Relay server name and public key which are shared with SharePoint Workspace clients that are assigned to this Relay server.

You can export this file repeatedly without changing any key files. However, if you update any key files, change the Relay server name, or the Relay server SOAP interface name, you must re-generate the files, re-export the Relay Server ID file, and redistribute it to Groove Server Manager.

In order to identify the Manager server to the Relay server, you must copy the Manager server’s registry key file (ManagementServer.reg) to the Relay server and install it in the local registry. Only Manager servers whose registry keys are written to the Relay server can communicate with that Relay server. Successful upload of the ServerID file to the Manager server and the writing of the Groove Server Manager registry key file to the Relay server are necessary to enable and secure communication between the two servers.

See the following registry key in order to confirm the defined Groove Server Manager installations: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\Groove\Groove Relay\Parameters\ManagementServers\.

Defined Groove Manager servers

Review the Groove Server Manager systems with which the Relay server has registered. This list reflects the Manager servers listed in the following registry hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\Groove\Groove Relay\Parameters\ManagementServers\.

Relay server registration with a Manager server involves an exchange of public keys, as described in Registering Relay servers with Groove Server Manager. This exchange enables communications between the Manager and Relay servers. Only Manager and Relay servers that have been cross-registered in this way can communicate.

Enable SOAP Access for Remote Management

Ensure that the Enable SOAP Access for Remote Management setting is selected so that the associated Groove Server Manager can send provisioning messages to this Relay server.

Default: selected