About HOB About HOB HOB Offices Contact Us News Press Center Events Software Solutions Products Downloads Online Tests WebShop Service and Support Contact Service and Support HOB License Agreement HOB Partners Qualified HOBLink Distributors Qualified HOBLink Resellers HOB Technology Partners OEM Partners Satisfied Customers Search Website Overview Search the HOB Website International Worldwide USA/Canada Netherlands France Japan

Configuring the SSL Proxy for Windows

Introduction – What the HOBLink SSL Proxy is intended for

HOBLink SSL Proxy allows you to use strong encryption provided by HOBLink Secure for applications, which usually do not support SSL encryption at all or provide only weak encryption. The proxy acts between the application and the non-secure data channel, which is used to communicate with the partner.

The proxy is a Windows application, which you can run after its installation as a service. You can use the proxy both for the client and the server. If you use it for the server (e.g. as the application installed on the server does not support SSL) it acts as a client towards the server and receives or sends data without encryption. Towards the affiliate SSL client the proxy acts as the server, which transfers data using SSL encryption.

Components of the HOBLink SSL Proxy

The program bundle consists of 3 components:

HOBProxy.exe
is the proxy as such
HOBLink SSL Proxy Manager (ProxyManager.exe) is a controlling tool to confiugre the proxy remote or locally
the HOBLink SSL Proxy Admin (HOBProxyIni.exe) is an administration tool to configure users and their passwords

Launching HOBLink SSL Proxy

Before you can attach to the HOBLink SSL Proxy you must specify your user name and your password in the HOBProxy.ini.

Usually the proxy is copied to the installation path selected in the course of the installation procedure. The proxy can also be run from the "MS DOS Prompt" using the following parameters:

HOBProxy.exe -i (to install the service)

HOBProxy.exe -u (to uninstall)

HOBProxy.exe -v (to display the installed version)

The service can be run using the "Service" applet in the Control Panel, which allows you to select between "manual" and "automatic" mode. When you run the service for the first time it is set to "manual" mode. As soon as it is installed on the appropriate system set the mode to "automatic".

Once the service has been launched, the service reads the file "HOBProxy.ini" and initializes its listen ports. The syntax of the file is explained as follows.

Contents of the "HOBProxy.ini" file

HOBLink SSL Proxy Configuration (c)Copyright HOB Zirndorf 1999-2000

[SetupVersion]
Version=1.01
Language=German

[Information]
Version=1.02
Release=28.03.2000
Revision=0
SerialNumber=Try out license...

;/
;/ Picture explaining the configuration:
;/ 
;/ +--------------+ +----------------------+ +--------------+
;/ | PortC|------|PortA | | |
;/ | Client | In | Proxy | Out | Server |
;/ | | | PortB|-------|PortS |
;/ +--------------+ +----------------------+ +--------------+
;/

[ProxyManagerPort]
;/ This section contains the port number to connect Proxy and Proxy-Manager
PortNr=9000

[users]
;/ This section contains usernames and passwords
;/ format: username=password
Administrator=password
user=test

[ListRefresh]
;/ This section determines whether the connection list of the Proxy-Manager
;/ is automatically refreshed (AutoRefresh=1) or not (AutoRefresh=0)
AutoRefresh=1

[Logfile]
;/ This key determines whether a logfile is created (Create=1) or not (Create=0)
Create=1
;/ This key sets the maximum size of the logfile in kB
MaxSize=25
;/ This key sets the maximum count of entries in the logfile to be sent to
;/ the Proxy-Manager. The value is fixed.
Entry=19

[Settings]
;/ This section contains the information whether SSL encryption
;/ is either done on the incoming side (Security=In) or 
;/ on the outgoing side (Security=Out)
Security=In

[Connections]
;/ This section contains the redirections from a source (e. g. Client) to 
;/ the Proxy and the destination (e. g. Server). 
;/ "Security" and "TraceOption" are boolean values: 1 = Yes, 0 = No
;/ "SessionLimit" = -1 means no SessionLimit
;/
;/ [Connections]
;/ Port_1010 = 123.45.678.90, 23 , 1 , 1 , 1000 , test.txt ,,
;/ Port_2001 = testserver , 24 , 0 , 0 , -1 , 2001.txt ,,
;/ ... etc.
;/ ListenPort = ServerAddress, ServerPort, Security, TraceOption, SessionLimit, TraceFile,,
;/ (required) (required) (required) (required) (required) (required)
;/ Also the two comma at the end of the line are necessary!

Port_1010=123.45.678.90,23,1,1,1000,test.txt,,
Port_2001=testserver ,24,00,-1 ,2001.txt,,

*** End of Configuration ***

The first ini file is initialized by HOBLink SSL Proxy Admin tool.

Operation

You can use SSL encryption both on client and server. Please consider, however, that the required certificates are available in the subdirectory "sslsettings". In order to allow external access to the service, the service initiates a control port and runs the tool HOBLink SSL Proxy Manager on the desktop. The control tool generates a tray in the taskbar and established a TCP/IP connection to the control port of the service. Now you can use this TCP/IP connection to exchange data and commands in both direction.

webmaster@hobsoft.com, Last Updated: 03. Jul 07

Imprint