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XMPP Server Administration

The XMPP server is built on a Tigase XMPP server. Most development add-ons are Tigase-related plugins to enable integration with the BlueMind solution.

Installation

The bm-xmpp package allows you to install the BlueMind XMPP server comprehensively.

Integration with BlueMind services

The bm-xmpp package adds the functionalities below to BlueMind:

  • integrated authentication with bm-core
  • XMPP server for all domains monitored by BlueMind
  • support of vCard contact information and avatars from the data in the BlueMind address book 
  • default user email addresses match their jabber ID

Service inter-dependencies

bm-xmpp depends on the following BlueMind services:

  • bm-locator to locate BlueMind services
  • bm-mq to keep the list of domains monitored by BlueMind up to date
  • bm-core for vCard authentication and generation
  • bm-elasticsearch for archiving and searching conversations

Enabling the instant messaging service 

To enable the instant messaging service, connect to BlueMind as admin0 and:

  • go to System Management > Application's servers
  • select the server > "Server roles"
  • tick "Instant messaging indexing server"
  • click "Save"

Next go back to the admin console home page and:

  • go to System Management > Supervised domains
  • select the domain concerned
  • in the "BM Server" tab: assign the XMPP server
  • in the "Instant messaging" tab, define accesses
  • click "Save"

Finally, for users to be able to access the instant messaging service, they must be given the appropriate role for the application:

  • either via the user's management page > General tab
  • or via the group roles management page > Roles tab

To find out more about enabling this role, go to the dedicated page: Roles: Access and Administration Rights

Connecting the XMPP server to the internet

By allowing the XMPP server to connect to the internet, the server is able to connect to other XMPP servers or to allow external users to connect to BlueMind's XMPP server. BlueMind users are then able to add non-BlueMind contacts to their instant messaging's contact list (displayed in the roaster). 

Finding an externally-accessible DNS address

For example, if an XMPP server's DNS is "xmpp.mydomain.com", this DNS name must be resolved externally, from the internet, and not only internally.

Communication ports

The ports below must be accessible externally on the server "xmpp.mydomain.com" (see also Services):

  • 5222 from the client to the server for client-server communications
  • 5269, used for server-to-server communications 

If bm-xmpp is not installed on the server whose DNS name is xmpp.mydomain.com (e.g. in the case of a proxy), these ports' data flows must be redirected to the server hosting bm-xmpp.

Adding DNS SRV records

The DNS configuration of the domain mydomain.com must be edited to allow the external network to recognize xmpp.mydomain.com as the XMPP server for the domain mydomain.com.

The following SRV records must be added:

KeyExampleDescription
_xmpp-client._tcp.DOMAIN._xmpp-client._tcp.mydomain.com. 86400 IN SRV 5 0 5222 xmpp.mydomain.comClient-server communications
_xmpp-server._tcp.DOMAIN._xmpp-server._tcp.mydomain.com. 86400 IN SRV 5 0 5269 xmpp.mydomain.comServer-server communications

Checking DNS records

You can use the command-line tool dig to check DNS records. For example, to find out which server to use for the domain gmail.com:

root@prec:~# dig SRV _xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com

; <<>> DiG 9.8.1-P1 <<>> SRV _xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 56538
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 5, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 10

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;_xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com. IN SRV

;; ANSWER SECTION:
_xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com. 5 IN SRV 5 0 5222 xmpp.l.google.com.
_xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com. 5 IN SRV 20 0 5222 alt1.xmpp.l.google.com.
_xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com. 5 IN SRV 20 0 5222 alt2.xmpp.l.google.com.
_xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com. 5 IN SRV 20 0 5222 alt3.xmpp.l.google.com.
_xmpp-client._tcp.gmail.com. 5 IN SRV 20 0 5222 alt4.xmpp.l.google.com.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN A 74.125.132.125
xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN AAAA 2a00:1450:400c:c06::7d
alt1.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN A 173.194.70.125
alt1.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN AAAA 2a00:1450:4001:c02::7d
alt2.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN A 173.194.69.125
alt2.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN AAAA 2a00:1450:4008:c01::7d
alt3.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN A 74.125.135.125
alt3.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN AAAA 2404:6800:4001:c01::7d
alt4.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN A 74.125.128.125
alt4.xmpp.l.google.com. 5 IN AAAA 2404:6800:4005:c00::7d

;; Query time: 572 msec
;; SERVER: 172.16.45.2#53(172.16.45.2)
;; WHEN: Tue Sep 3 01:28:26 2013
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 470