[sr-dev] WebSocket Server support in Kamailio master

[Daniel-Constantin Mierla]

Hello,

thanks for this contribution! Please send the announcement to sr-users 
mailing lists as well.

Just few words about such 'new-feature' announcements for general devel 
audience/archive.

Traditionally for each new major feature we notify the users community 
to know about it -- one of the goals being to get more people start 
testing it before the next release. People on developers' mailing list 
get also the git commits, being pretty much up to date with what is new, 
but the announcement should to be cc-ed here as it should provide 
eventually more details about use cases, how to use, etc.

Cheers,
Daniel

On 7/7/12 7:29 PM, Peter Dunkley wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have merged the pd/websocket branch into Kamailio master.  This means
> that you can now connect SIP over WebSocket
> (draft-ibc-sipcore-sip-websocket-02) clients to Kamailio using the "ws://"
> and "wss://" protocols.
>
> Some customisation of the websocket module is possible through modparams,
> but for most users the defaults should be OK.  The WebSocket module uses
> the xhttp and sl modules for the initial handshake, and (unless you have
> both a Kamailio installation and WebSocket SIP client supporting GRUU,
> Outbound[1], and Path[2]) nathelper for request routing and the core
> force_rport() function for response routing (a new nat_uac_test() has been
> added to detect whether a message has arrived on a WebSocket).  There is
> an example kamailio.cfg in the websocket module directory.
>
> [1] Kamailio does not currently support Outbound
> [2] I have not updated the Path module for WebSockets
>
> I believe that, once Kamailio supports Outbound and WebSocket support is
> added to the Path module (and you have a SIP over WebSocket client that
> supports this), it will be possible to use the websocket module without
> the nathelper module and force_rport() and without needing to change the
> websocket module or Kamailio core code.
>
> If you want to use secure WebSockets (wss) as well as ordinary WebSockets
> just configure TLS and listen on an appropriate port.
>
> I have added WebSocket support to some modules, but there are definitely
> going to be others (modules/lcr, modules/sipcapture,
> modules_k/nat_traversal, modules_k/path, modules_k/seas, and
> modules_k/snmpstats, at least) that need updating too.  WebSockets is an
> unusual transport, so I have put a few notes together for anyone who needs
> to use it in the code (including adding support to additional modules):
> - A WebSocket server cannot initiate a WebSocket connection.  So a
> WebSocket connection (over TCP or TLS) is like a TCP/TLS connection coming
> from behind a NAT.  This is why nathelper aliasing and force_rport() is
> used for the routing, and "set_..._no_connect()" is always used (it's set
> within the websocket module).
> - WebSocket (PROTO_WS) and secure WebSocket (PROTO_WSS) connections are
> just upgraded TCP and TLS connections, so there are no listening sockets
> for PROTO_WS and PROTO_WSS.  This means that, when deciding on what
> transport is being used, you need to look at the proto set in the
> tcp_connection, receive_info, and/or dest_info structure for the message -
> looking at the socket_info structure (that the message has arrived on or
> will be sent on) will not give you the right answer.
> - Although WebSocket (PROTO_WS) and secure WebSocket (PROTO_WSS) are
> different internal protocols there is only one SIP transport type for both
> ";transport=ws" (WS and WSS are explicitly used in Via: headers though).
> This means that you can't tell whether the transport parameter in an
> R-URI, Route/Record-Route, or Contact-URI is for WebSockets or secure
> WebSockets.  As long as the message makes it into the WebSocket module
> everything will be OK as that module sorts it all out, but it has led to
> slightly more complex checks being required in some of the code relating
> to record-routing to handle this - and it may have an effect on other
> modules too.
>
> Please give the new module a go and let me know about any issues you find,
>
> Peter
>

-- 
Daniel-Constantin Mierla - http://www.asipto.com
http://twitter.com/#!/miconda - http://www.linkedin.com/in/miconda
Kamailio Advanced Training, Seattle, USA, Sep 23-26, 2012 - http://asipto.com/u/katu
Kamailio Practical Workshop, Netherlands, Sep 10-12, 2012 - http://asipto.com/u/kpw