Configuring Liberty HTTP Timeouts and Keep-Alive | Generated by AI
Configuring Keep-Alive Settings
WebSphere Liberty Profile handles HTTP keep-alive connections through the <httpEndpoint> element in server.xml. This element controls persistent connections to reduce latency and overhead.
- keepAlive: Enables or disables keep-alive. Set to
true(default) to allow multiple requests over a single connection. - keepAliveTimeout: Defines how long (in seconds) the server waits before closing an idle keep-alive connection. Default is 30 seconds.
To configure, add or modify the <httpEndpoint> element under the <server> root in server.xml. Example:
<server>
<!-- Other configurations -->
<httpEndpoint id="defaultHttpEndpoint" host="*"
keepAlive="true"
keepAliveTimeout="60"/>
</server>
Restart the server for changes to take effect. TCP-level keep-alives can be adjusted via <tcpOptions> if needed, but HTTP keep-alive is more common for web traffic.
Configuring Timeout Settings
Timeouts in Liberty’s server.xml primarily relate to connection timeouts under <httpEndpoint>, controlling how long the server waits for operations. These apply to HTTP communication.
- connectionTimeout: Maximum time (in seconds) to establish a new connection. Default is 60 seconds.
- readTimeout: Maximum time (in seconds) to wait for incoming data during a request. Default is 60 seconds.
- writeTimeout: Maximum time (in seconds) to wait for outgoing data to be sent. Default is 60 seconds.
Session-specific timeouts (e.g., for web app sessions) are configured in web.xml or via <sessionManager> in server.xml, not directly in <httpEndpoint>.
Example server.xml configuration:
<server>
<!-- Other configurations -->
<httpEndpoint id="defaultHttpEndpoint" host="*"
connectionTimeout="30"
readTimeout="120"
writeTimeout="120"/>
</server>
Adjust values based on your application’s requirements, such as higher timeouts for slow networks or long-running requests. Monitor logs for timeout-related errors and restart the server after changes. For more details, refer to the IBM Liberty documentation on HTTP endpoints.