User Manual

1.4 Establishing Access via https

Updated on

In this article you will learn

  • how to access the Workflow encrypted via https  and
  • which requirements are needed.

1. Encrypted Access

Encrypted communication or addressing the Workflow via https is possible by setting up a Reverse Proxy Server that forwards requests from "clients" (web browsers). This server can be installed and configured on a workstation using the PPDTC Tool.

1.1. Requirements

Note: Workflow version > 1.16.2 must be installed for https access to the Workflow!

The configuration can be carried out if the Nginx Reverse Proxy is installed via the PPD Tools Collection (PPDTC). Find out how to do this in section 1.2.

A valid SSL certificate must also be available.

1.2. Configuration

Proceed as follows to configure the Reverse Proxy and make the Workflow accessible via https:

  1. Navigate to ppdtc via the command line or press "Windows + R" to access PPDTC.
  2. ppdtc is located in  C:\program files\ppd\install.
  3. Open the Ngnix Configuration dialog via Applications > Local Workflow > Ngnix > Configuration.
  4. In the text field Server Name [1] enter the server name with which the Workflow should be accessible e.g.: "workflow.mycompany.com".
  5. In this case, workflow.mycompany.com has to point to the IP address of the Workflow (DNS configuration).
  6. With the Install [2] button Ngnix is installed and configured.
  7. The SSL certificate and the key of "mycompany.com" must be saved in "c:\Program Files\PPD\NGinx\conf\certificate\" after the installation. Note that in the Ngnix Configuration dialog the path C:\Program Files\PPD\NGinx\certificate\ is shown.
  8. Exchange the files Certificate.txt and Key.txt in C:\Program Files\PPD\NGinx\conf\certificate\.
  9. With Remove [3] the Ngnix can be removed again.
  10. After the installation, the computer has to be restarted.

Accessing the Workflow

After access has been set up via https, navigate to the Workflow via e.g. the address workflow.mycompany.com without a port number!

Figure 1: The dialog Nginx Configuration to access the Workflow via https

Article update: Workflow version 1.17.0 - 03/2024

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