Welcome
Administering
This section describes how to plan for, install, configure, operate, and manage the SafeLinx Server.
Installing and initial configuration
Initial configuration and installation of HCL SafeLinx varies based on your operating system and relational database.
Initial configuration
After you install the SafeLinx Server software, you must complete a set of initial configuration steps. The initial configuration on Windows is different from the procedure on Linux.
Configuring PostgreSQL as a Backend Database
Starting with v1.4.5, HCL SafeLinx supports PostgreSQL as a backend database server. To ensure SafeLinx can successfully connect to your PostgreSQL database, specific client applications and ODBC drivers must be installed and correctly configured on the server where SafeLinx is hosted.

Welcome
Welcome to the HCL SafeLinx documentation, where you can find information about how to install, maintain, and use HCL SafeLinx.
What's new in SafeLinx 1.4?
HCL SafeLinx 1.4 introduces the following new functionality.
Getting started
This information provides an overview for network administrators planning to install HCL SafeLinx. It contains the minimum information that is needed to get you started. For detailed information about installing HCL SafeLinx, see the installation information in the section adminguide/admin_guide.html.
Administering
This section describes how to plan for, install, configure, operate, and manage the SafeLinx Server.
- Overview
  HCL SafeLinx uses standards-based protocols to enable secure access from mobile computing devices outside the firewall to business applications and data on your organization's internal network.
- Security
  HCL SafeLinx includes a range of options for configuring the security of your network, applications, and data.
- Installation planning
  Before you install HCL SafeLinx, verify that you meet the hardware and software requirements, and that the network connections that you want to use are available.
- Roadmaps: Installing and setting up SafeLinx
  The following "roadmap" topics guide you through installing and initially configuring SafeLinx. Refer to the topic that corresponds to your relational database and server operating system.
- Installing and initial configuration
  Initial configuration and installation of HCL SafeLinx varies based on your operating system and relational database.
  - Installing the SafeLinx Administrator
    You can install the SafeLinx Administrator on the same host as the SafeLinx Server, or on another computer that has access to the SafeLinx Server.
  - Installing the SafeLinx Server
    Before you install the SafeLinx Server, review the installation checklist.
  - Installing SafeLinx using a Docker container
    There are two ways to obtain the SafeLinx Docker image: downloading a tar archive from the HCL Software Portal or pulling the image directly from the HCL Container Registry (hclcr.io).
  - Initial configuration
    After you install the SafeLinx Server software, you must complete a set of initial configuration steps. The initial configuration on Windows is different from the procedure on Linux.
    - Completing the initial SQL Server database configuration on Windows
      On Windows, after the Installation wizard completes, the First steps portal opens to guide you through the initial configuration. From the First steps portal you can start the Database Configuration Wizard. The Database Configuration Wizard guides you through the process of configuring the SafeLinx Server to use the relational database where you want the SafeLinx Server to store persistent data.
    - Completing the initial SQL Server database configuration on Linux
      On Linux, after the installation completes, open the SafeLinx Administrator to complete the initial configuration for SQL Server for SafeLinx. A wizard guides you through the process of configuring where you want the SafeLinx Server to store persistent data.
    - Completing the initial MySQL database configuration on Windows
      On Windows, after the Installation wizard completes, the First Steps portal opens to guide you through the initial configuration.
    - Completing the initial MySQL database configuration on Linux
      On Linux, after the installation completes, open the SafeLinx Administrator to complete the initial configuration. A wizard guides you through the process of configuring where you want the SafeLinx Server to store persistent data.
    - Completing the initial DB2 database configuration on Windows™
      On Windows, after the Installation wizard completes, the First steps portal opens to guide you through the initial configuration. The First steps portal includes a link to open the Database Configuration Wizard, which guides you through the process of configuring the SafeLinx Server to use the relational database where you want the SafeLinx Server to store persistent data.
    - Completing the initial DB2 database configuration on Linux
      On Linux, after the installation completes, open the SafeLinx Administrator to complete the initial configuration. A wizard guides you through the process of configuring the SafeLinx Server to use the DB2 database where you want the SafeLinx Server to store persistent data.
    - Completing the initial MariaDB database configuration on Windows
      On Windows, after the Installation wizard completes, the First Steps portal opens to guide you through the initial configuration.
    - Completing the initial MariaDB database configuration on Linux
      On Linux, after the installation completes, open the SafeLinx Administrator to complete the initial configuration. A wizard guides you through the process of configuring where you want the SafeLinx Server to store persistent data.
    - Configuring databases for SafeLinx with DDL
      The SafeLinx installation provides a set of database definition language (DDL) scripts to create and configure the SafeLinx session and accounting databases.
    - Configuring Oracle database
      To use Oracle Database as the persistent storage repository for the SafeLinx Server, complete the following configuration instructions.
    - Configuring PostgreSQL as a Backend Database
      Starting with v1.4.5, HCL SafeLinx supports PostgreSQL as a backend database server. To ensure SafeLinx can successfully connect to your PostgreSQL database, specific client applications and ODBC drivers must be installed and correctly configured on the server where SafeLinx is hosted.
    - Configuring the access manager
      The access manager listens for incoming connections from the SafeLinx Administrator so that you can configure the SafeLinx Server. After you configure the access manager, a new wizard opens so that you can add a SafeLinx Server.
    - Adding a SafeLinx Server
      After you complete the tasks in the Configure the SafeLinx Server Access Manager wizard, complete the initial configuration by defining a SafeLinx Server. Depending on your network requirements, you can then add an HTTP access service, a mobile access service, and users. You can run the Add a New SafeLinx Server wizard to initiate these tasks. If you choose not to use the wizard, you can also add and configure these resources from the SafeLinx Administrator.
  - Removing the SafeLinx Server
    If you installed the accounting and billing database support, use the db2idrop command to delete the instance ID wgdb. Then, delete the operating system user IDs wgdb and wgdbudf.
  - Removing the SafeLinx Administrator
    Directions for removing the SafeLinx Administrator vary based on your operating system.
  - Applying maintenance
    You can apply maintenance on the SafeLinx Server and the SafeLinx Administrator. The specific procedure depends on which operating system you use.
- Adding a secure login profile
  By default, the SafeLinx Administrator communicates with the access manager over an unencrypted connection. If you want the connection between the SafeLinx Administrator and the access manager to use transport layer security (TLS) protocols, add a secure login profile to the SafeLinx Administrator.
- Adding and configuring resources
  After you complete the installation and initial configuration, continue to prepare the deployment by configuring other network resources.
- Administering
  The SafeLinx Administrator administration client is the primary tool for viewing, adding, configuring, and managing HCL SafeLinx resources. Along with the SafeLinx Administrator, you can use the HCL SafeLinx Monitor to view information about packet flow through the SafeLinx Server. You can also use a set of command line tools to perform common SafeLinx Server tasks.
- Programming reference
  There are several programming considerations of which you might want to take advantage.
- Database schema information
  HCL SafeLinx uses a DB2, Oracle, MySQL, or SQL database to store tables of information about current and past activity of SafeLinx Server sessions. The following tables are created and accessed by using the qualifier name wg for DB2 installations.
- Step by step: Nomad configuration
  Here are step-by-step instructions that serve as an example of how to install and configure HCL SafeLinx for Nomad on MySQL on Linux.
SafeLinx Administrator
The SafeLinx Administrator is a Java application that lets administrators configure, monitor, and maintain the resources of one or more SafeLinx Servers.
SafeLinx Clients
SafeLinx Clients can establish virtual private network (VPN) connections with mobile access services across various wireless and wireline network. SafeLinx Clients use these optimized, secure IP tunnels to communicate with resources on the internal network.
Troubleshooting
Use this section to assist you with problems that you might experience, including problems with installation.
Notices

Configuring PostgreSQL as a Backend Database

Starting with v1.4.5, HCL SafeLinx supports PostgreSQL as a backend database server. To ensure SafeLinx can successfully connect to your PostgreSQL database, specific client applications and ODBC drivers must be installed and correctly configured on the server where SafeLinx is hosted.

Before you begin

Before configuring SafeLinx to use a PostgreSQL database, verify that the following components are installed on the SafeLinx server:

PostgreSQL Client (psql)
PostgreSQL ODBC Drivers

Linux Configuration Requirements

For Linux environments, both the psql client and the PostgreSQL ODBC drivers are strictly required. SafeLinx relies on the ODBC configuration of the system to locate the appropriate drivers for database connectivity.

When establishing a connection, SafeLinx checks the /etc/odbcinst.ini (or /etc/odbcinst) configuration file to locate the PostgreSQL drivers.

Open your ODBC configuration file (typically /etc/odbcinst.ini).
Locate the PostgreSQL driver entry.
Verify the Driver64 attribute. The file path specified in Driver64="<filename>" must point to an existing file on your system.

If the specified driver file is not available at that exact location, SafeLinx will fail to connect to the PostgreSQL database.

Troubleshooting Missing ODBC Drivers

In some cases, the default driver path added during installation might not match the actual file location on your system.

Default Path Issue: The configuration file may list a default path such as Driver64=/usr/lib64/psqlodbcw.so, but this file might not exist.
Resolution: If the default .so file is missing, search your system for the correct driver location. For example, if you are using PostgreSQL 16, the driver might be located at /usr/pgsql-16/lib/psqlodbcw.so.
Update the Configuration: Once you locate the correct .so file, update the Driver64 path in your /etc/odbcinst.ini file to match the available file path.

Example odbcinst.ini update:
```
Ini
[PostgreSQL]
Description = ODBC for PostgreSQL
Driver64 = /usr/pgsql-16/lib/psqlodbcw.so
Setup64 = /usr/lib64/libodbcpsqlS.so
```
Note: For more information on configuring relational databases for SafeLinx, refer to the Persistent data storage requirements documentation.