Reliance's data servers – Secure connection support

December 15, 2011

Reliance's data servers (Reliance Server and Reliance Control Server) allow you to make a secure connection with a client (SSL encryption – Secure Sockets Layer). So far, the data servers' Web pages could only be run via the HTTP protocol providing security using the basic access authentication. Now, a secure connection can be used for these purposes – the HTTPS protocol.

In the Reliance Design development environment, the secure connection can be easily activated using the Project Options dialog.

Project Options: Run secure connection (HTTPS)

For encryption, you can use (purchase) certificates published by certificate authorities (e.g., Thawte or VeriSign) or you can write out and sign your own certificate (so-called self-signed certificate). If you need to issue certificates or use them for the security of a Web page, the SSL Buddy utility can be used. Then, simply place the resulting keys in the "Cert" subdirectory, start the project and display the server's Web page.

Example of a secure connection

Later, whenever you wish, you can switch between the insecure and secure connection by clicking on the particular link.

Switching between insecure and secure connection

Note: The secure connection only applies to the data servers' Web pages, i.e., to data transfer between a data server and a Web browser. This does not apply to data connections with thin clients. Data between data servers and thin clients is encrypted automatically.

In order to increase the security, the logout option has been added to the data servers' Web pages.