How do we enable Synchrony on Windows Server with SSL?
Asked by GraniteStateColin:

I'm running the basic Confluence Install, but on a custom port for SSL (and on the same server as JIRA, but each has its own Tomcat and Java instance running). When I try to turn on Synchrony, it just says that it failed to start:

Synchrony problems are preventing people from saving their work  
To protect your team's shared drafts, we recommend changing to limited mode while you troubleshoot the problem. Once Synchrony is running again you'll be ready to turn collaborative editing back on.

I have confirmed that port 8091 is open on the firewall, but not sure if that's necessary since Synchrony and Confluence are running on the same computer.

When I run the troubleshooter, the only line of text that seems applicable says:

SSL issues  
Synchrony cannot accept direct HTTPS connections, so you will need to terminate SSL at your reverse proxy or load balancer, or at Tomcat if you are not using a reverse proxy.

What are the steps to do this? Is there a config file that I need to modify? Tomcat installed with Confluence and Synchrony, it's not a technology we use, so I can only follow instructions for this setup, not troubleshoot much beyond them on my own.

Thanks for any help,  
Colin


Answers:
author: Vickey Palzor Lepcha
body: What is needed to run Synchrony is a good amount of system memory . SSL should not hamper its working.

comments: author: Vinay Vijaya Kumar
body: Thanks Vickey for the reply. I will try increaing the memory and see if it helps. Currently it is running with default 1g.


author: josh
body: The best way to do this would be to put a proxy in front of Confluence. On windows you can do this with IIS. You will need to modify the c:\\\<installdir\>\\conf\\server.xml file and set up the proxy using these instructions: <https://confluence.atlassian.com/kb/proxying-atlassian-server-applications-with-microsoft-internet-information-services-iis-833931378.html>

comments: author: GraniteStateColin
body: Josh, thanks for the reply and information. We don't want to run another web server (just the Tomcat needed for Confluence and JIRA) on the server for performance, security, and management simplicity reasons.

Does that basically mean that we can't use the collaborative editing features of Confluence?

Is there really no way to do it through the existing Tomcat server that installed with Confluence?

Thanks again,  
Colin


author: josh
body: You can use tomcat directly, but I have found that dealing with keystores, and the issues around needing to rewrite non-https users are easier to manage using a proxy, along with better performance. Usually web servers are quicker at resolving SSL than tomcat.

This is the document for using tomcat directly: <https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/running-confluence-over-ssl-or-https-161203.html>


author: Vinay Vijaya Kumar
body: [@GraniteStateColin](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1140721)

Hi Colin, Just wondering if you were able find a solution for this issue. I am facing a similar issue (collaborative editing not working with ssl enabled environments). Would you mind sharing the solution, if any, you applied?

regards,

Vinay


author: GraniteStateColin
body: Yes, but not a particularly elegant solution. I just reinstalled a newer version from scratch (not an upgrade), and it worked. We are NOT using IIS at all, no proxy. So I can state definitively that is NOT needed. Maybe it was with an older version of Confluence, but no more.

Yes, you need to set up the keystore for SSL, of course, but we had the steps to do that down from our original Confluence install a few years ago. There was nothing special needed to get Synchrony running.

The version that worked on the new install was version 6.6.0. I assume it continues to work in every version after that.


author: Vinay Vijaya Kumar
body: Thanks Colin. I will try with latest version. The one i am using is 6.2. I have my ssl set up done and is working fine. Issue is that with collaborative editing enabled, creatinfg a new space or editing an existing space simply hangs. And there is no issue with the add-on enabled in non-ssl environment.


Tags: synchrony