"Network error" to create Application links JIRA <> Confluence

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

I installed the Jira Software and Confluence, both are located in the same server and are accessed by https using a reverse proxy with nginx. The issue is that I can't create a correct application link... The system return that cannot connect in the application of another side and say that the proxy is with error.

JIRA connector in file server.xml block

<Connector port="8080" relaxedPathChars="[]|" relaxedQueryChars="[]|{}^&#x5c;&#x60;&quot;&lt;&gt;"
maxThreads="150" minSpareThreads="25" connectionTimeout="20000" enableLookups="false"
maxHttpHeaderSize="8192" protocol="HTTP/1.1" useBodyEncodingForURI="true" redirectPort="8443"
acceptCount="100" disableUploadTimeout="true" bindOnInit="false" secure="true" scheme="https"
proxyName="jira.solaristelecom.com" proxyPort="443"/>

JIRA Software settings application link targeting Confluence:

CONFLUENCE connector in file server.xml block

 <Connector port="8090" connectionTimeout="20000" redirectPort="8443"
maxThreads="48" minSpareThreads="10"
enableLookups="false" acceptCount="10" debug="0" URIEncoding="UTF-8"
protocol="org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol"
scheme="https" secure="true" proxyName="confluence.solaristelecom.com" proxyPort="443"/>

Confluence Software settings application link targeting JIRA:

I already tried to create another connection as this link but didn't work because start to create error in the applications that were ok.

https://confluence.atlassian.com/kb/how-to-create-an-unproxied-application-link-719095740.html

Detail:

How the both application are installed in the same host I passed the internal URL and port to call the another application... If I pass the external URL the system complain that the connection was refused.

[Alexis Robert · Accepted solution]

Hi @Leandro Moraes de Oliveira , 

if you're using nginx as a reverse proxy with https enabled, you should be accessing both instances with https://jira.mycompany.com and https://confluence.mycompany.com, but I see here that you're using http URL with the port number. 

Can you try with the normal https URL in the application link menu ? 

Let me know if this helps, 

--Alexis

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

Hi @Alexis Robert  thanks for your fast reply.

I changed for the right URL and return the error "Connection refused" as the screen:

Both applications are up and running, JIRA and Confluence can be accessed by the URL referred. Firewall I don't know, but I think is not a problem because I can ping the DNS and return well.

[Alexis Robert]

Hi @Leandro Moraes de Oliveira , 

even if you can ping the DNS, it might be different on the server that is hosting Jira and Confluence. If you don't have direct access to these servers, you should see with your internal IT department if they can help, because it seems here that Jira and Confluence can't communicate ...

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

Alexis, I have fully access to the servers, but I don't know why it's returning it error.

[Alexis Robert]

From the Jira server, can you go on the command line and ping the Confluence server ? and also do a telnet : telnet confluence.mycompay.com 443 ? 

This will show if there's a network issue behind both servers or not. 

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

Both are returning connection refused as:

Is it a firewall issue?

[Alexis Robert]

This means that on your internal network, where your servers are hosted, there's likely a network rule or firewall that is blocking connections. 

On your side, you can connect to Jira and Confluence because there is no restrictions from your corporate network to those servers.

You need to check with your network team and ask them to see why both servers can't communicate.

If you want, you could also try to do the following : 

• on the server, edit the /etc/hosts file and add these lines

confluence.solaristelecom.com 127.0.0.1
jira.solaristelecom.com 127.0.0.1

This might help with your issue, as both servers will try to talk locally instead of following a outside network route. If it doesn't help, just remove both lines and get back to your network team.

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

@Alexis Robert I tried to make these changes adding the 2 lines in the /etc/hosts file and restart the server but the issue persist and the telnet return the same results.

[Alexis Robert]

does the telnet work from the jira server to the confluence server with port 8080 for example ?

what I've done previously in cases like this is to add a connector that's only used for the Application Links so that you bypass the reverse proxy, it's explained here : https://confluence.atlassian.com/kb/how-to-create-an-unproxied-application-link-719095740.html

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

@Alexis Robert 

does the telnet work from the jira server to the confluence server with port 8080 for example ?

Didn't answer to, return the same error: Connection refused

About the URL of unproxied application link I tried to use that but after change the applications it's returning other errors as:

I added the line:
<Connector port="8080" relaxedPathChars="[]|" relaxedQueryChars="[]|{}^&#x5c;&#x60;&quot;&lt;&gt;" connectionTimeout="20000" maxThreads="200" minSpareThreads="10" enableLookups="false" acceptCount="10" URIEncoding="UTF-8" />

[Leandro Moraes de Oliveira]

I got it, creating the unproxied URL, I made a mistake when I setup for the first time using the same port of https connection, 8080, after I changed to 8081 works well.

Thank you very much.