There is a "Reverse Connection Function in JBoss AS" feature request. The concept to get the AJP/http/https connections created in Tomcat instead in httpd.

The first idea is to implement it is to add a feature in mod_cluster to fill the worker connection pool with the sockets resulting of an accept() on the httpd side.

Of course the Tomcat connector needs to be modified too.

How does that work?

When a CONFIG containing "Reversed" = "yes" is received the mod_cluster logic will listen to a connection from Tomcat instead try to connect to it.

Due to multiprocess logic in httpd a range of port needs to be use. It is the responsibility of the node configuration to provide a port number that won’t collide with any other listener in the httpd box. The port and local address are provided in the CONFIG message by the ModClusterService. (via Host: and Port:)

This will work only with not (or limited) forked httpd mpm models.

Trying to work-around the multi-process problems:

Problem several processes. Use a range of port: (start to start+n where is properties -D global.bla=n (n number) in AprEndpoint.Acceptor:

Socket.connect(socket, serverAddress);

Well just change the serverAddress to use different port. (easy no?).

The IP and starting port come from the Connector in server.xml:

port="$" address="$"

Let’s see how it works:

  • when a worker is created it binds on one available port in the range. It stays binded for all its live time.

On the TC side the poller notes it is running of connections so it will open new connections to httpd.

  • TC logic should distribute the connections on all the ports.

Notes:

  • the connections are created with keep-alive to prevent firewall problems

  • the socket timeout is also set to a reasonable value.

  • size of receive buffer (APR_SO_RCVBUF) is set.

  • APR_TCP_NODELAY is also set (like the best connection parameters mod_proxy is normaly using).

  • when httpd process finishes the connections are closed…​ So the poller in

TC will note it. It will try to connect and will reach the newly created httpd process.

Note
 In the proxy_worker struct there is an: 
void            opaque;    / per scheme worker data /

The local socket we are bind to is stored there. The accept() is done using it.