Re: Apache proxy sessions

> Has anybody experienced problems with tomcat session/cookie tracking when
> accessing their apache 2 + tomcat 4 apps through an Apache 2 instance
> configured as a proxy (with proxyreverse). Even with the most basic jsp
> page, about 4 lines just to retrieve and output the session ID, my cookies
> are not getting through.
>
> It's driving me crazy and I'm sure it's in the proxy where the problem is
> occuring because I can run the exact same JSP and track the session using
> another setup without the proxy in the middle.

first of all, a packet sniffer on the proxy box has proven invaluable
to debug things like this:

# tcpdump -s 1500 -w outside.log src host ip_of_test_client dst port
80

and

# tcpdump -s 1500 -w inside.log dst host ip_of_backend dst port 80

in two shell windows will capture traffic to & from the proxy from
your testclient & to & from proxy to backend. do a short session then
(like get startpage to have cookie set and then another click to get
it back).

after that you can do

# strings (in|out)side.log | more

to see a cleartext representation of what's going on. you could of
course use a gui sniffer like the really great ethereal instead
(ethereal has a nifty point & click follow tcp stream feature which
makes debuging easy).

and read your rfc2965!

my guess is that the proxy has a different server- or even domain name
which prevents the cookie to be delivered back by the browser...

joachim