Blue Prism Network Connectivity

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To ensure compatibility with evolving network infrastructures, Blue Prism can be deployed in environments that utilize IPv4 or IPv6 network protocols for all connections as well as those that use a hybrid approach, utilizing a combination of both protocols. This allows all Blue Prism components – runtimes, clients, application servers – to connect using the preferred or most suitable method.

Resource connectivity

When establishing connections to runtime resources, Blue Prism uses the name specified in the DNS. This is based on the machine name and can either the short name or the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).

If a resource has both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in the DNS, the network adapter settings of the connecting device (application server, interactive client, or resource) are used to determine which IP address should be used to establish the connection:

  1. The connecting device defaults to an IPv6 connection.
  2. If an IPv6 connection is not established within 1.5 seconds and if the connecting device has multiple IPv6 addresses listed in the DNS, a connection attempt is made using the next available IPv6 address.
  3. If an IPv6 connection is not established, the connecting device automatically attempts to connect using IPv4.
  4. If all available IPv4 addresses have been tried without success, the resource is considered unreachable.

The following diagram illustrates the logic used for connections to runtime resources.

Application server connectivity

Clients and resources can connect to application servers using the host name, IPv4 address, or IPv6 address specified in the connection settings on the Server Configuration Details screen.

In the Hostname or IP Address field, enter the name or address that devices will use to connect to the server. If the field is left blank, the server will accept connections from any IPv4 and IPv6 address or hostname.

The nature of connection is determined by the address used on the client and the server binding specified in the Server Configuration Details, as summarized in the table below.

Where possible, it is recommended that a binding hostname is specified.

Server Binding

Blank

Hostname

 

IPv4 Address

 

IPv6 Address

 

Client Connection

Hostname

IPv6 then IPv4*

IPv6 then IPv4*

Connection failure

- not valid

Connection failure

- not valid

IPv4

IPv4

Connection failure

- not valid

IPv4

Connection failure

- not valid

IPv6

IPv6

Connection failure

- not valid

Connection fail

- not valid

IPv6

* Assuming the server has both an IPv4 and IPv6 network interface enabled, attempts an IPv6 connection and falls back to IPv4.