How to set up JBoss AS7 Domain mode

This is the second in a multi-part blog series explaining how to set up a JBoss Cluster using httpd 2.4, JBoss mod_cluster, and JBoss AS 7.  This article details how to set up JBoss AS7 Domain mode, and how to connect it to mod_cluster with Apache httpd 2.4.3.

We are using the tagged release JBoss 7.1.3.Final, which does not have a binary release available.  (The latest binary release of JBoss available for download is JBoss 7.1.1.Final; however, there is an issue with that release in generating unique names for each server instance, which causes problems with mod_cluster.) 

To build your own release of JBoss, obtain the source code for the tag via this link to the tar.gz of the source:  https://github.com/jbossas/jboss-as/archive/7.1.3.Final.tar.gz.  When decompressed, the file will create a jboss-as-7.1.3.Final folder.  Accessing that folder, run:  ./build.sh.  Then, watch the magic.  The build.sh script requires that maven is installed and set up.  When completed, the new build of JBoss should be located at jboss-as-7.1.3/build/target/ jboss-as-7.1.3.Final.tar.gz. 

Since we are setting up JBoss in domain mode, we need two servers:  master (10.0.1.50) and slave (10.0.1.51).  First, set up the master, which will be the domain master server. Configuring the domain controller is straightforward.  In the domain/configuration folder, edit the host.xml file:

Next, on the master host, create an admin user and a username/password combo for the slave host to connect to the domain controller. In the JBoss bin folder is a script called add-user.sh.  Running this script will generate a few questions; for most of the questions, the defaults are fine.  Following is a sample interaction with the script.  The password used for both is test123.

$ ./add-user.sh

What type of user do you wish to add? 
 a) Management User (mgmt-users.properties) 
 b) Application User (application-users.properties)
(a): a

Enter the details of the new user to add.
Realm (ManagementRealm) : 
Username : admin
Password : 
Re-enter Password : 
The username 'admin' is easy to guess
Are you sure you want to add user 'admin' yes/no? yes
About to add user 'admin' for realm 'ManagementRealm'
Is this correct yes/no? yes
Added user 'admin' to file '/opt/jboss-as-7.1.3.Final/standalone/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
Added user 'admin' to file '/opt/jboss-as-7.1.3.Final/domain/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
Is this new user going to be used for one AS process to connect to another AS process? 
e.g. for a slave host controller connecting to the master or for a Remoting connection for server to server EJB calls.
yes/no? no

$ ./add-user.sh

What type of user do you wish to add? 
 a) Management User (mgmt-users.properties) 
 b) Application User (application-users.properties)
(a):

Enter the details of the new user to add.
Realm (ManagementRealm) : 
Username : slave
Password : 
Re-enter Password : 
About to add user 'slave' for realm 'ManagementRealm'
Is this correct yes/no? yes
Added user 'slave' to file '/opt/jboss-as-7.1.3.Final/standalone/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
Added user 'slave' to file '/opt/jboss-as-7.1.3.Final/domain/configuration/mgmt-users.properties'
Is this new user going to be used for one AS process to connect to another AS process? 
e.g. for a slave host controller connecting to the master or for a Remoting connection for server to server EJB calls.
yes/no? yes
To represent the user add the following to the server-identities definition 

Pay close attention to that last line of output; it is needed to configure the slave host to connect to the master host.

Now, make a few more changes on the slave host.  In the domain/configuration folder, edit the host.xml file again:

Before starting the master and slave JBoss instances, either disable iptables and selinux or configure them to allow certain traffic. If configuring to allow certain traffic, use the following:

sudo iptables -I INPUT 1 -p udp -d 224.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT -m comment --comment "mod_cluster multicast udp traffic"
sudo iptables -I INPUT 2 -p udp -d 224.0.0.0/4 -j ACCEPT -m comment --comment "clustered JBoss multicast udp traffic"
sudo iptables -I INPUT 3 -p udp -s 10.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT -m comment --comment "node to node udp traffic"
sudo iptables -I INPUT 4 -p tcp -s 10.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT -m comment --comment "node to node tcp traffic"
sudo /etc/init.d/iptables save

Now, starting JBoss first on the master host, then on the slave host, the following (abridged) should appear in the logs: 

Master host-controller.log

07:24:55,287 INFO  [org.jboss.as.remoting] (MSC service thread 1-1) JBAS017100: Listening on 10.0.1.50:9999
07:24:56,457 INFO  [org.jboss.as.host.controller] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS010922: Starting server server-two
07:24:56,500 INFO  [org.jboss.as] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS015961: Http management interface listening on http://10.0.1.50:9990/management
07:24:56,501 INFO  [org.jboss.as] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS015951: Admin console listening on http:// 10.0.1.50:9990
07:24:56,501 INFO  [org.jboss.as] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS015874: JBoss AS 7.1.3.Final "Arges" (Host Controller) started in 2267ms - Started 11 of 11 services (0 services are passive or on-demand)
07:24:59,415 INFO  [org.jboss.as.domain.controller.mgmt] (proxy-threads - 1) JBAS010920: Server [Server:server-two] registered using connection [Channel ID 085327fc (inbound) of Remoting connection 08def7d1 to /10.0.1.50:44132]
07:25:06,646 INFO  [org.jboss.as.host.controller] (proxy-threads - 1) JBAS010919: Registering server server-two
08:02:12,187 INFO  [org.jboss.as.domain] (slave-request-threads - 1) JBAS010918: Registered remote slave host "slave", JBoss AS 7.1.3.Final "Arges"

You should now be able to:

• Login via the console on the master server: https://10.0.1.50:9990/console.

• See both the master and slave hosts. 

• Return to the mod_cluster server and see the instances registering; from the last blog post that url should be: https://10.0.1.100:1528/mod_cluster-manager.  

Following is a partial sample screenshot of the mod_cluster-manager.