How to decide to use end-to-end SSL or terminateSSL?

[Former Member]

Can anybody give a rule to follow when picking up an SSL type? Thanks!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Termination of SSL usually gives you more flexibility in security and load balancing.

For example, if you terminate SSL at load balancing Web Dispatcher you gain the following:

1. Less load on the server Java Engine, no SSL calculations

2. Ability to do content filtering before request gets to Java Engine

3. Most importantly, Web Dispatcher will be able to make an intelligent decision on load balancing:

- With E2E SSL it is not possible to diffirenciate between client sessions, but Web Dispatcher has to make sure a session hits the same app server.

In this case Web Dispatcher will use client IP as a base for decision, since session cookies are not available. If your clients use corp proxy, they will have same IP and load balancing may get skewed.

You need to look at your particular situation to decide, though.

Reading:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/en/d8/a922d7f45f11d5996e00508b5d5211/frameset.htm

Regards,

Slava

Edited by: Slava Plyushchikov on Nov 5, 2008 3:38 PM