Single signon between JSP page and Net.Data page

Question

I am trying to setup a single signon between a JSP page hosted on a tomcat server, and a Net.Data page hosted on an IBM HTTP server. Both of these servers are running on an AS400. The JSP page (www.jsppage.com/menu) contains a link to the Net.Data page (www.netData.com/page2). In order to access www.jsppage.com/menu the user needs to login. Once this happens I want them to be able to go back and forth between the two pages without having to log in when they switch servers. Page navigation is handled through myServlet.java so that when a user clicks on a link the request is forwarded on to myServlet.java where the servlet determines where to redirect the user to. The servlet uses
RequestDispatcher requestDispatcher = getServletContex().getRequestDispatcher(url);
requestDispatcher.forward(request, response);
to forward the user to the correct page. This works fine for the JSP pages but when I forward to www.netData.com/page2 I get an error telling me the address doesn't start with a /. I also need to send the user name and password for the net.data pages to avoid the second login window to popup.
I understand that the requestDsipatcher.forward() method directs the browser to a page that is relative to the current root directory. If I try to use response.sendRedirect(url) I get sent to the right page but the signon window pops up. I would appreciate any help.

Answer 1

I am trying to setup a single signon between a JSP
page hosted on a tomcat server, and a Net.Data page
hosted on an IBM HTTP server. Both of these servers
are running on an AS400. The JSP page
(www.jsppage.com/menu) contains a link to the Net.Data
page (www.netData.com/page2). In order to access
www.jsppage.com/menu the user needs to login. Once
this happens I want them to be able to go back and
forth between the two pages without having to log in
when they switch servers. Page navigation is handled
through myServlet.java so that when a user clicks on a
link the request is forwarded on to myServlet.java
where the servlet determines where to redirect the
user to. The servlet uses
RequestDispatcher requestDispatcher =
getServletContex().getRequestDispatcher(url);
requestDispatcher.forward(request, response);
to forward the user to the correct page. This works
fine for the JSP pages but when I forward to
www.netData.com/page2 I get an error telling me the
address doesn't start with a /. I also need to send
the user name and password for the net.data pages to
avoid the second login window to popup.
I understand that the requestDsipatcher.forward()
method directs the browser to a page that is relative
to the current root directory. If I try to use
response.sendRedirect(url) I get sent to the right
page but the signon window pops up. I would
appreciate any help.You can't do that without passing username and password.
The servers keep track of the user by storing a cookie on the clients computer. The cookie is only valid for the domain that created it.
So, to make this work you need to send the username and password as part of the sendRedirect. the forward() method won't work.
What you could do is create some code on the .net machine that accepts username, password and target URL as input. Once it receives those parameters it should perform the .net login procedure and redirect to the correct page.
In your servlet you should pass those parameters on to the .net machine and the user should get the correct page without ever seeing any login windows.
Make sure to use https if you decide to follow this scheme since http will transmit the username/password in cleartext.
/Christopher