Relay Server enables secure, load-balanced communication between
mobile devices and Unwired Server. Across-the-firewall deployment occurs without opening any
internal firewall ports for enterprise mobilization and ensures that data is secure while in
transit. Relay Server
is an optional component that is used when existing IT DMZ infrastructure must be
supplemented with a means to bypass firewall restrictions. The preferred mechanism is to use
the existing IT infrastructure as the reverse proxy to Unwired Platform.
Relay server is used in the runtime architecture as a component of the enterprise demilitarized zone (DMZ), to securely integrate mobile devices into your system landscape. You need not install any Unwired Platform components on the carrier network or outside your firewall; they can all be installed and controlled within your corporate networks.
Relay Server:
- Provides a single point of contact for devices and is a specialized reverse proxy that avoids opening inbound ports in the firewall to Unwired Server.
- Accepts and forwards requests from remote clients to Unwired Platform components.
- Is implemented as a pair of Web extensions that run in a Web server. Relay Server supports two Web servers: IIS on Windows and Apache on Linux.
- Integrates with existing security for Web and enterprise infrastructure, eliminating the need for changes to existing corporate firewalls and IT policies.
Unwired Platform synchronization uses Relay Server end-to-end encryption and HTTPS to secure communication. Devices synchronize with Unwired Platform securely on the device client side.
In an implementation targeting BlackBerry devices where a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is installed, Relay Server can be optional. In this landscape variation:
- BES acts as the reverse proxy server managing secure access to the network and connections to devices through the RIM Network Operations Center (NOC). However, if BES does not act as the reverse proxy server, Relay Server installed between BES and Unwired Server can perform this function.
- A component of the BES can also manage load balancing. However, if this component is not used for load balancing purposes, Relay Server can be installed as the load balancer between the BES and Unwired Server.
For additional information see:
- Relay Server Deployment in Installation Guide for Runtime
- Administer: Relay Server in Sybase Control Center for Sybase Unwired Platform or in Sybase Control Center for Online Data Proxy