Search code examples
javaapache-tomeeshibbolethtomee-7

How to read webserver environment variables using Apache TomEE?

I am planning to use the Shibboleth SSO Service Provider in my application, which is explained here. It is mentioned, that after a successful login, user information can be

"read from the webserver environment, e.g. with $_SERVER['mail'] in PHP".

How do I accomplish this in Java with TomEE?

I am using Apache Web Server in combination with Tomcat, such that servlet requests are forwarded to Tomcat. Is it even possible to access the Apache environment?

Solution

  • According to the documentation of mod_proxy_ajp:

    Environment variables whose names have the prefix AJP_ are forwarded to the origin server as AJP request attributes (with the AJP_ prefix removed from the name of the key).

    So assuming you configure your Shibboleth SP to decode a SAML Attribute as the webserver environment variable "mail", in your application code you can get the value by using 

    request.getAttribute("AJP_mail")