XMPP frontend Description
XMPP frontend allows users to use XMPP as a frontend network for Spectrum 2.
Configuration
You have to choose this frontend in Spectrum 2 configuration file to use it:
[service]
frontend=xmpp
Gateway mode and server mode
XMPP frontend can work in two modes: Gateway mode and Server mode. This chapter describes differences betweeen these two modes. If you want to find out how to configure Spectrum 2 to run in gateway or server mode, read the Configuration part of this documentation.
Gateway mode
Gateway mode represents the classic way how XMPP gateway works. You have to configure an external XMPP server (like Prosody or Ejabberd) to serve the subdomain you want to use for Spectrum 2 (for example “icq.domain.tld”). Spectrum 2 in gateway mode then connects the XMPP server as its component and users are able to find out “icq.domain.tld” in Service Discovery, register it and use it.
Advantages:
- Users can use more legacy networks using single XMPP account (and using single TCP connection).
- It’s easy to extend existing XMPP servers using gateway mode.
Disadvantages:
- Passwords are stored (even in encrypted form) on server.
- Roster (contact list) synchronization can be problematic, because it depends on the client user uses. This can be improved by usage of Remote Roster protoXEP.
- You have to setup XMPP server and use database even if you only want to use Spectrum 2 as a tool to connect legacy networks using XMPP protocol.
Server mode
In server mode, Spectrum 2 behaves as standalone server. User then logins legacy networks by logging XMPP account like this one: “my_msn_name%[email protected]”.
Advantages:
- Passwords are not stored on server.
- Roster synchronization is easy, because Spectrum 2 acts as normal server.
- If you want to use Spectrum 2 as wrapper between different networks, you don’t need database or Jabber server as another layer.
- Using SRV records you can easily run Spectrum 2 on different machines to scale it.
Disadvantages:
- Clients have to support more accounts to connect more legacy networks (Therefore they will need have to use more TCP connections).
XMPP frontend configuration variables
This chapter contains available configuration variables for XMPP frontend. Note that these are only XMPP frontend specific. For list of general configuration variables, check Configuration file description.
identity.category
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures disco#info identity category. |
| Context: | gateway-mode |
| Type: | string |
| Default: | gateway |
This option configures disco#info identity category.
identity.name
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures the name showed in service discovery. |
| Context: | gateway-mode |
| Type: | string |
| Default: | Spectrum 2 Transport |
This option configures the name showed in service discovery.
identity.type
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures type of transport as showed in service discovery. |
| Context: | gateway-mode |
| Type: | string |
| Default: | empty string |
This option configures type of transport as showed in service discovery. It is usually used by XMPP client to show proper icons according to type of network. See Disco Categories for allowed values.
service.allowed_servers
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures list of servers from which users can connect and register Spectrum 2 transport. |
| Context: | gateway-mode |
| Type: | list of JIDs |
| Default: | empty list |
Configures list of servers from which users can connect and register Spectrum 2 transport. This option is used together with registration.enable_public_registration option. If registration.enable_public_registration is set to 0, you can use this option as a white-list, to enable users from particular domain to use your Spectrum 2 instance, but disallow it to any other users.
Following part of config file disables public registrations and allows only users from xmpp.org and jabber.org to use this Spectrum 2 instance:
[service]
allowed_servers=xmpp.org
allowed_servers=jabber.org
[registration]
enable_public_registration=0
service.cert
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures certificate to be used for SSL encryption in server-mode. |
| Context: | server-mode |
| Type: | string |
| Default: | empty string |
This option configures full path to PKCS#12 certificate which is used for SSL in server-mode. To find out, how to create such certificate, please read Using SSL in server mode.
service.cert_password
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures password for certificate which is used for SSL encryption in server-mode. |
| Context: | server-mode |
| Type: | string |
| Default: | empty string |
This option configures password which is used to decrypt PKCS#12 certificate (if it is encrypted). For more information about SSL with Spectrum 2, read service.cert option description.
service.port
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures port on which Spectrum listens to in server-mode or to which connects in gateway-mode. |
| Context: | server-mode and gateway-mode |
| Type: | integer |
| Default: | 0 |
This option configures port on which Spectrum listens to in server-mode or to which connects in gateway-mode. In server-mode the default port for XMPP servers is 5222, so you should use this port. In gateway-mode, you have to at first configure your server to allow Spectrum 2 to connect it as its component. On many servers, the default component port is 5347, but this option depends on particular XMPP server and its configuration.
service.server
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures hostname or IP address of server to which Spectrum 2 connects to. |
| Context: | gateway-mode |
| Type: | string |
| Default: | empty string |
This option configures hostname or IP address of server to which Spectrum 2 connects to. It is used only in gateway-mode and you should configure it to point to hostname or IP of your XMPP server.
service.server_mode
| Key | val |
|---|---|
| Description: | Configures if Spectrum 2 works in server mode or gateway mode |
| Context: | server-mode and gateway-mode |
| Type: | boolean |
| Default: | 0 |
If this option is true, Spectrum 2 works in server-mode and acts as standalone server.
User then logins legacy networks by logging XMPP account like this one: my_msn_name%[email protected].
Advantages:
- Passwords are not stored on server.
- Roster synchronization is easy, because Spectrum 2 acts as normal server.
- If you want to use Spectrum 2 as wrapper between different networks, you don’t need database or Jabber server as another layer.
- Using SRV records you can easily run Spectrum 2 on different machines to scale it.
Disadvantages:
- Clients have to support more accounts to connect more legacy networks (Therefore they will need have to use more TCP connections).
If this option is false, Spectrum 2 acts as normal XMPP component (gateway).
You then have to configure an external XMPP server (like Prosody or Ejabberd) to serve the subdomain you want to use for Spectrum 2 (for example “icq.domain.tld”). Spectrum 2 in gateway mode then connects the XMPP server as its component and users are able to find out “icq.domain.tld” in Service Discovery, register it and use it.
Advantages:
- Users can use more legacy networks using single XMPP account (and using single TCP connection).
- It’s easy to extend existing XMPP servers using gateway mode.
Disadvantages:
- Passwords are stored (even in encrypted form) on server.
- Roster (contact list) synchronization can be problematic, because it depends on the client user uses. This can be improved by usage of Remote Roster protoXEP.
- You have to setup XMPP server and use database even if you only want to use Spectrum 2 as a tool to connect legacy networks using XMPP protocol.