Using a Reverse Proxy with FME Flow

A reverse proxy forwards requests from the internet or intranet to a server that fulfills the requests. Often a reverse proxy configured with SSL provides a secure entry point into a network through a DMZ.

The instructions for configuring your reverse proxy depend on the brand of web server or other product you select to fill this role.

Use these instructions to:

  1. Set up your reverse proxy to route traffic to FME Flow.
  2. Configure FME Flow to recognize the reverse proxy URL.

Routing Traffic to the FME Flow Web Services

Recommended

Optional

  • Configure timeouts for client- and server-side inactivity. When configuring timeouts, consider that longer timeouts on the server are appropriate for time-consuming operations, particularly running workspaces that take a long time to complete.

Routing Traffic to the WebSocket Server

An FME Flow WebSocket Server runs on each FME Flow instance, but only one WebSocket Server should be used at a time. The WebSocket Server is used mainly for Notification Service Topic Monitoring.

Required

  • Route traffic on port 7078 to one WebSocket Server, and switch to others if the one in use fails. If the reverse proxy does not support automatic failover to backup servers, then manual intervention is required to route to a healthy WebSocket Server.

Recommended

  • Set longer client- and server-side timeouts to allow for longer WebSocket connections.

To configure FME Flow to recognize the reverse proxy URL, perform the following tasks in the FME Flow Web User Interface:

Update Service URLs

  • On the Services page, click Change All Hosts. In the Change All Hosts dialog, enter the public reverse proxy URL, and click OK.

Update Topic Monitoring URL

  1. On the Network & Email page, expand Topic Monitoring.
  2. Under Fault Tolerant Configuration, update the Internal WebSocket URL field with the public reverse proxy URL. Automations external actions (and Notification Service Subscribers) use this URL to communicate with the FME Flow WebSocket Server. The reverse proxy URL redirects requests to the active WebSocket Server.
  3. If necessary, update Advanced Routing settings:
    • External WebSocket Host: The reverse proxy name. For example:

      • fme-flow-reverseproxy

      This setting does not likely need to be changed, and should only be set if you use separate hosts to route HTTP and Websocket traffic to FME Flow.

    • External WebSocket Port: If the WebSocket Server is accessed through a port other than 7078, specify the port number here. Otherwise, leave blank.
  4. Click Save.

Update Reset Password URL (Optional)

If you plan to enable the Reset Password feature, update the Public URL field on the Reset Password page with the public reverse proxy URL, and click Save.