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HTTP Load DistributionLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

For your ICF services (BSPs, web dynpros, web services, ITS applications and so on), you can set HTTP load distribution. This forwards the service calls to the application server that has the most capacity at the time of the call.

Integration

Load distribution is performed either over a message server or over the SAP web dispatcher.

Prerequisites

The following ICF services have been activated:

  • /sap/public/icf_info

  • /sap/public/icf_info/icr_groups

  • /sap/public/icf_info/icr_urlprefix

Using these services, the message server or the web dispatcher receives the load distribution information that is defined in the ICF service.

Note

You can activate the relevant services using ABAP report RSICF_SERVICE_ACTIVATION and with input value MESSAGESERVER-LOADBALANCING or WEBDISPATCHER-LOADBALANCING for input parameter TECHNME. In older Releases, these services can only be activated using transaction SICF.

Features

The Internet Communication Framework (ICF) supports two types of load distribution:

  • Load Distribution over the Message Server Here, while the connection is established, the host name of the message server and its HTTP/HTTPS port are addressed. After the HTTP/HTTPS connection to the message server has been established, the message server chooses the participating server group in accordance with the request path. The request is forwarded by an HTTP redirect to the target computers in the server group that has the most capacity.

  • Load distribution over the web dispatcher: Here, while the connection is established, the host name of the web dispatcher and its HTTP/HTTPS port must be addressed.

Activities

Maintaining logon groups in the ICF service

For each service/service node, define a logon group (see Defining Service Data).

Determining Host/Port Information

  • You can determine the message server's host name and HTTP/HTTPS ports using transaction SMMS

    • Display the host name of the message server: In the menu, choose Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Parameters Next navigation step Display Next navigation step Server host (fqn) End of the navigation path.

      Note

      Note: If the host name is used as an HTTP URL and does not contain the domain, the domain is always added to it.

    • Display HTTP/HTTPS port: In the menu, choose Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Parameters Next navigation step Display Next navigation step ms/http_port End of the navigation path or ms/https_port.

      Note

      If these entries are not defined, you must define these profile parameters for the message server.

      Define the profile parameters ms/server_port_ for HTTP/HTTPS ports of the virtual host (such as ms/server_port_0 = PROT=HTTP,PORT=8080,VHOSTIDX=0 and ms/server_port_1 = PROT=HTTPS ,PORT=8443).

      Note

      The profile parameters listed above are dynamic parameters and can also be maintained directly in transaction SMMS for test purposes, via Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Parameters Next navigation step Change End of the navigation path.

Logon groups check

  • Using the HTTP request http://<Messageserhost>:<Messageserverport>/msgserver, you can determine a list of the message server functions. The /msgserver/lglist path provides the list of GUI logon groups.

If no load distribution takes place despite the HTTP/HTTPS ports being activated for the message server and the ICF services being activated for load distribution, you can check whether the message server has received the relevant information for load distribution from the Internet Communication Framework (ICF).

  • Call transaction SMMS and choose Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Expert Functions Next navigation step HTTP Next navigation step URL Logon Groups End of the navigation path. A list is displayed of the ICF services for which a GUI logon group for load distribution has been entered. If this list is empty, you can provide the information by choosing Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Expert Functions Next navigation step HTTP Next navigation step Load URL Groups End of the navigation path.

  • Call transaction SMMS and choose Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Expert Functions Next navigation step HTTP Next navigation step URL Prefixes End of the navigation path. A list is displayed of the ICF services that are used as a URL prefixes for message servers. If this list is empty, you can get the information by choosing Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step Expert Functions Next navigation step HTTP Next navigation step Load URL Prefixes End of the navigation path.

More Information

For documentation on HTTP load distribution over message servers, see:

  • HTTP Load Distribution over the Message Server Server

For detailed information about the Web Dispatcher, see:

  • SAP Web Dispatcher

For information on configuring the message server or the web dispatcher for load distribution, see the following documentation:

For details about message server administration, see: