Introduction

To manage network relays online, three IoT solutions were evaluated: using Alibaba Cloud's IoT component (high cost), developing a custom TCP/IP solution (long cycle, hard to find talent), or self-deploying an MQTT server (highest cost-effectiveness). This guide details deploying Apache Apollo on an Alibaba Cloud Windows Server 2022 instance, with MQTT.fx as the client.

Environment

• Cloud Platform: Alibaba Cloud
• OS: Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
• Memory: 8GB (7.73GB available)
• CPU: x64-based
• MQTT Broker: Apache Apollo 1.7.1
• MQTT Client: MQTT.fx 1.7.1

Prerequisites

1. Alibaba Cloud Account: Register at Alibaba Cloud, then complete real-name authentication (individual or enterprise) in the Personal Center.

Configuration Steps

1. Install Java (JDK)

Apache Apollo requires Java. Follow these steps:

• Download JDK: Get JDK 8 (e.g., from Oracle or Java.com).
• Install JDK: Run the installer (e.g., jdk-8u271-windows-x64.exe), choose a path without Chinese characters/spaces (e.g., D:\Programs\Java\jdk1.8.0_271).
• Configure Environment Variables:
  • Right-click This PC → Properties → Advanced System Settings → Environment Variables.
  • New JAVA_HOME: D:\Programs\Java\jdk1.8.0_271 (match your path).
  • New CLASSPATH: %JAVA_HOME%\lib\dt.jar;%JAVA_HOME%\lib\tools.jar
  • Edit PATH: Add %JAVA_HOME%\bin;%JAVA_HOME%\jre\bin.
• Verify: Run java -version in CMD. A version (≥1.7) confirms success.

2. Deploy Apache Apollo

• Download: Get Apache Apollo 1.7.1 (e.g., from Apache Archives or a Baidu Netdisk link).

• Create Broker Instance:

  • Extract Apollo to D:\apache-apollo-1.7.1.
  • Open CMD in D:\apache-apollo-1.7.1\bin and run:

    apollo.cmd create mqttBroker
    

  • This creates a mqttBroker directory for configuration.

• Configure apollo.xml:

  • Edit D:\apache-apollo-1.7.1\bin\mqttBroker\etc\apollo.xml.
  • Modify bind attributes to 0.0.0.0 (for public network access):

    <web_admin bind="http://0.0.0.0:61680"/>
    <web_admin bind="https://0.0.0.0:61681"/>
    <connector id="tcp" bind="tcp://0.0.0.0:61613" connection_limit="2000"/>
    <connector id="tls" bind="tls://0.0.0.0:61614" connection_limit="2000"/>
    <connector id="ws"  bind="ws://0.0.0.0:61623"  connection_limit="2000"/>
    <connector id="wss" bind="wss://0.0.0.0:61624" connection_limit="2000"/>
    

  • This allows external access via the server’s public IP (e.g., http://<public-ip>:61680 for web admin, tcp://<public-ip>:61613 for MQTT).

• Configure Authentication:

  • users.properties (in mqttBroker\etc):

    admin=defaultPassword
    

  • groups.properties (in mqttBroker\etc):

    admins=admin
    

• Start the Broker:

  • Open CMD in D:\apache-apollo-1.7.1\bin\mqttBroker\bin and run:

    apollo-broker.cmd run
    

  • A successful start shows logs like Broker started and Listening on tcp://0.0.0.0:61613.

• Test Access:

  • Local: Visit http://localhost:61680 or http://127.0.0.1:61680 in a browser. The Apollo web console confirms success.
  • Public Network: Use the server’s public IP (e.g., http://<public-ip>:61680).

• Install as Windows Service:

  • In D:\apache-apollo-1.7.1\bin\mqttBroker\bin, run:

    apollo-broker-service install
    apollo-broker-service start
    

  • Verify via services.msc (look for "Apache Apollo Broker - mqttBroker").

3. Test with MQTT.fx

• Download MQTT.fx 1.7.1 (e.g., from Softblade or a Baidu Netdisk link).

• Configure Connection:

  • Open MQTT.fx and click the gear icon (Settings).
  • Set:
    • Profile Name: Alibaba Cloud MQTT
    • Broker Address: tcp://<public-ip>:61613 (replace with your server’s public IP)
    • Cliant ID: Any unique name (e.g., mqttfx_client)
    • Username/Password: admin / password (from users.properties).
  • Click Apply → Connect. A green status confirms success.

• Publish/Subscribe Test:

  • Subscribe: Enter a topic (e.g., relay/control) and click Subscribe.
  • Publish: Enter the same topic, a message (e.g., { "action": "toggle" }), and click Publish. The subscribed topic should receive the message.

Final Notes

This setup enables remote management of network relays via MQTT. For production, consider securing the broker with TLS/SSL and using strong authentication. Troubleshoot issues by checking Apollo logs (in mqttBroker\log) or MQTT.fx’s connecsion status.