The major components for Apache are the web server program (HTTPD),
the job stream file which runs the HTTPD program (JHTTPD), a set of configuration files for enabling Apache features,
the htdocs directory containing HTML pages, the logs directory,
and the cgi-bin directory. Apache also comes with a full, on-line
manual set.
HTTPD is the Apache web server program. "HTTP" stands
for the protocol used between the client browser and the Apache
web server. "D" stands for daemon, a system program
which automatically handles certain system operations. The HTTPD web server program intercepts an incoming request from
the browser, interprets and handles the request, then delivers output
in the form of an HTML page to the client.
The HTTPD program file resides in the /APACHE/PUB directory and is linked with Privilege Mode (PM) capability.
Because HTTPD is a privilege mode program, it must run under an
MPE account and group which both have PM capability. PM is necessary
for Apache to use port numbers less than 1024 (privileged ports).
By default, Apache uses port 80.
JHTTPD is a job stream file which runs the Apache web server
as a standalone process. This file also specifies the system timezone
and the location of the global Apache configuration file, httpd.conf. JHTTPD resides in the /APACHE/PUB directory.
The configuration files tell the HTTPD server program
where to find files, which files and directories can be accessed,
who can access them, and the location of executable programs on
the server. These files give you the flexibility of having the web
server do only what you want it to do. These files reside in
/APACHE/PUB/conf.
The htdocs directory contains the public documents, images, and data
to be served to clients. The htdocs directory and the directories below it are available
to anyone accessing your web server.
The logs directory contains log data of both web server accesses
and of errors.
The cgi-bin directory contains CGI scripts which are executed by Apache
on behalf of its clients.
The bin directory contains a set of scripts and programs contributed by
the Apache Software Foundation. They are included as examples only
and are not supported by HP.
The Apache manual set, residing in /APACHE/PUB/htdocs/manual, describes the entire Apache feature set and the
syntax definition for configuring these features. Access to the
manual documents is specified with the URL, http://yourserver.com/manual/index.html, where "yourserver.com" is the name of your HP 3000.
Hardware Requirements |
 |
The following are estimates for hardware resources required
for an Apache installation.
32 MB of memory (64 MB recommended
for machines with high traffic)
25 MB Disk Space (Apache directories and files +
log files)
Additional disk space for your documents.
The 25 MB of disk space would be used approximately in the
following way:
5 MB for Apache
and its assorted static files
10 MB for the access log (about 100,000 requests)
10 MB for the error log (about 100,000 errors)
If you are using less than the recommended disk space for
the log files, you may want to monitor their size. Each request
or error message is about 100 bytes and both logs, but especially
the access log, can grow quite large. Each request to the web server
creates one entry in the access log.
Steps for Starting Apache |
|
To start the Apache web server:
Prepare your system for network access.
Copy and edit the configuration file.
Edit the JHTTPD job stream file.
Start the HTTPD web server program.
Verify that the HTTPD web server is running.
Prepare Your HP 3000 for Network Access |
|
Before your HP3000 can act as a web server, it must be available
for network access via TCP/IP. In preparation, you should:
Configure TCP/IP on your system
Have a domain name associated with your system's
IP address
Apache communicates on the network using the HTTP Hypertext Transfer
Protocol which, in turn, uses TCP/IP. NS Transport (the TCP/IP transport
subsystem) is configured on your HP 3000 using NMMGR. In NMMGR, configure your system's IP address and
subnet mask in screen NEXTPORT.NI.Niname.PROTOCOL.IP. TCP should also be configured with the recommended values
in the table below using screen NEXTPORT.GPROT.TCP. Information on the TCP/IP parameters is available in
the NS3000/iX NMMGR Screens Reference Manual from http://docs.hp.com/mpeix.
TCP/IP Parameter | Recommended Value |
|---|
| Maximum number of connections | 20,000 |
| Retransmission Interval Lower Bound | 1 second |
Maximum time to wait for remote response | 120 seconds |
| Initial Retransmission Interval | 2 seconds |
| Maximum Retransmissions per Packet | 6 |
| Connection Assurance Interval | 120 seconds |
| Maximum Connection Assurance Retransmissions | 2 |
After completing your system's TCP/IP configuration,
run :NETCONTROL START from the CI command line and verify that it ran
successfully. Also verify that your system can respond over the network
by running ping either from an HP 3000 or another system:
:run ping.net.sys;info="15.99.200.390" |
64 byte(s) from $0F0DC0CF : icmp seq = 11, time = 2 ms
64 byte(s) from $0F0DC0CF : icmp seq = 12, time = 3 ms
64 byte(s) from $0F0DC0CF : icmp seq = 13, time = 2 ms
< CONTROL-y > |
Pinging yourserver.com [15.99.200.390] with 32 bytes of data |
Reply from 15.99.200.390: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=199
Reply from 15.99.200.390: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=199
Reply from 15.99.200.390: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=199 |
You will also want to get a domain name. This is a unique
identifier such as "yourserver.com" which is used (instead of the IP address)
to direct requests from a browser to your server. Request a domain
name from the administrator of the Domain Name Server (DNS) on your network.
Configure Apache |
|
Apache reads two global configuration files when it starts: httpd.conf and mime.types. These configuration files determine how Apache behaves.
Earlier versions of Apache read two additional global configuration
files: access.conf and srm.conf. These additional global configuration files can
be still be used, but by default they are empty and their original
content is now included in the httpd.conf file.
Edit your Configuration File |
|
The mime.types file comes as mime.types.default and must be copied or renamed to mime.types. Similarly, the magic.default file must be copied or renamed. The httpd.conf file comes in two different versions. The httpd.conf.default file is for a UNIX-based platform installation.
The httpd.conf.sample file was derived from the httpd.conf.default file with modifications for MPE. This is the file you
should edit.
shell> cd /APACHE/PUB/conf
shell> cp mime.types.default mime.types
shell> cp magic.default magic
shell> cp httpd.conf.sample httpd.conf
shell> vi httpd.conf |
|
Uncomment and replace "
yourserver.com" with your own server's name
for the ServerAdmin and ServerName directives. You may also choose
to make other changes. The Apache Server Project web site,
http://www.apache.org/docs, has information about all of the configuration
directives.
All lines beginning with # are comments and are ignored by the HTTPD
program file. Also note that the content of the configuration files
is case sensitive.
Changes to the global configuration files do not take effect until
the web server is started (or stopped and restarted if it is already running).
The httpd.conf file could, alternatively, be edited with a PC editor by
using SAMBA and setting up a share for the /APACHE/PUB/conf directory.
Verify the configuration file. It is a good idea
to verify your configuration files before trying to start the web
server. This verification is for syntax checking only.
shell>/APACHE/PUB/HTTPD -t |
Edit the JHTTPD Job Stream File |
|
The JHTTPD Job Stream File is used to run the HTTPD web server program in
standalone mode with your local timezone:
!job jhttpd,www.apache,pub;outclass=,2
!setvar TZ 'PST8PDT'
!run HTTPD;info='-f /APACHE/PUB/conf/httpd.conf'
!eoj |
The timezone variable, TZ, should be set to your local timezone
(for example, EST5EDT for Eastern Daylight Time, PST8PDT for Pacific Daylight
Time, and MST7MDT for Mountain Daylight Time). For more information
about setting the timezone value, enter "man timezone" in the POSIX shell to read the POSIX help file.
To preserve the access permissions (ACD) on the JHTTPD file, you can edit the file using the secure feature
of EDITOR:
:EDITOR
/t JHTTPD
/m ...
/set secure
/k
JHTTPD,UNN
JHTTPD ALREADY EXISTS - RESPOND YES TO PURGE OLD AND KEEP NEW
PURGE OLD?yes
/e |
The JHTTPD file does not come with a password. If desired,
the JOBSECURITY command can be used to provide password protection without
adding your password to the file.
Start the HTTPD Web Server Program |
|
The HTTPD web server program is started using the JHTTPD job file. Apache can be started from either the CI or
the POSIX shell:
:STREAM JHTTPD.PUB.APACHE or |
:xeq sh.hpbin.sys -L
shell>callci "stream jhttpd.pub.apache" |
Verify that Apache is Running |
|
There are a number of ways to verify if the Apache web server
is running or, if it is not, to isolate how far the startup process
progressed.
After streaming the JHTTPD file, use :SHOWJOB to view the running job:
JOBNUM STATE IPRI JIN JLIST INTRODUCED JOB NAME #J16 EXEC 10S LP TUE 10:27A JHTTPD,WWW.APACHE |
Another method is to check server status using either ps from
the POSIX shell or using :SHOWPROC at the CI. The parent process is the HTTPD process with the -f option.
:SHOWPROC; job=jhttpd,www.apache
D202 0:00.079 WAIT J16 73 :RUN HTTPD;info='-f
/APACHE/PUB/conf/httpd.conf'
D238 1:25.371 WAIT J16 97 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE) -f /APACHE/PUB/conf/httpd.conf
D202 0:00.066 WAIT J16 78 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE)
D202 0:00.072 WAIT J16 76 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE)
D202 0:00.069 WAIT J16 93 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE)
D202 0:00.090 WAIT J16 106 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE)
D202 0:00.050 WAIT J16 99 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE)
D202 0:00.055 WAIT J16 107 (HTTPD.PUB.APACHE) shell> ps -ef | grep HTTPD
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME COMMAND
WWW.APACHE 720972 655457 0 Dec 31 ldev10 0:00 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE
WWW.APACHE 589902 655457 0 Dec 31 ldev10 0:00 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE
WWW.APACHE 3014749 655457 0 Dec 31 ldev10 0:00 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE
WWW.APACHE 655457 5963849 0 Dec 31 ldev10 1:23 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE info=-f
WWW.APACHE 4587619 655457 0 Dec 31 ldev10 0:00 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE
WWW.APACHE 262250 655457 0 Dec 31 ldev10 0:00 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE
WWW.APACHE 3407979 655457 0 Dec 31 ldev10 0:00 HTTPD.PUB.APACHE
After the HTTPD program is running, make sure you can also access files in
the directory tree. Some pages to try are:
Your server's Home Page.
This brings up the default home page. To modify this page, edit
the /APACHE/PUB/htdocs/index.html file.
MGR.APACHE's Home Page. This is the default page for user
MGR.APACHE. To modify this page, copy the sample file, then edit
/APACHE/PUB/public_html/index.html.
shell> cd /APACHE/PUB/public_html
shell> cp index.html.sample index.html
http://yourserver.com/~MGR.APACHE |
The Apache on-line documentation manual
http://yourserver.com/manual |
If you are unsuccessful in starting the HTTPD program, you can get more information about the problem
by trying one or more of these troubleshooting techniques:
Look at the output of the JHTTPD spoolfile
Check the messages in the /APACHE/PUB/logs/error_log file
Verify the syntax of the httpd.conf file. This catches many, but not all, syntax problems
in the httpd.conf file
:run HTTPD.PUB.APACHE:info="-t" |
Try to telnet to Apache's port (port 80
if you have not modified the port directive set in the httpd.conf.sample file).
If you cannot telnet to Apache's port, then your
problem is not with the web server. You are not yet reaching your
HP 3000 box. A successful telnet connection should look something
like,
Trying...
Connected to yourserver.com.
Escape character is '^]'. |
Stopping Apache |
|
Apache is stopped by aborting the Apache job from either the
CI or the POSIX shell. Use SHOWJOB to view the Apache job:
JOBNUM STATE IPRI JIN JLIST INTRODUCED JOB NAME
#J16 EXEC 10S LP TUE 10:27A JHTTPD,WWW.APACHE :ABORTJOB #J16 or :ABORTJOB JHTTPD,WWW.APACHE |
Apache can also be stopped using :ABORTJOB from the POSIX shell
:xeq sh.hpbin.sys -L shell>callci "abortjob #j16" or shell>callci "abortjob jhttp,www.apache" |
Error Logging |
|
Apache error logging is useful when trying to start Apache
as well as for monitoring a running web server. Apache logs errors
into a log file called error_log by default. This log file resides in the /APACHE/PUB/logs directory.
The number of messages logged in the error log is set by the
LogLevel directive in the httpd.conf file. Possible values for LogLevel (by increasing significance)
are debug, info, notice, warn, error, crit, alert, emerg. When a
particular level is specified, messages from all other levels of
higher significance are reported as well. For example, when LogLevel
is "info", then messages with log levels of notice,
warn and up to emerg are also posted.
By default, the level is set to warn. Using a level of at
least crit is recommended.
Adding Documents |
|
Add new documents by creating them under the document root, /APACHE/PUB/htdocs. Documents can also be added outside of the document
root using the Alias directive in the httpd.conf file or by using symbolic links.
The web server children that handle user requests run as WWW.APACHE, the username specified in the JHTTPD file. For more security, user WWW.APACHE has been created with minimal capabilities. Make sure files
are readable by WWW.APACHE and cgi scripts and programs are executable by WWW.APACHE. WWW.APACHE must also have traverse directory (TD) permission for
all the directories in the path of the file that it is accessing.
In the POSIX shell, traverse directory permission is shown as execute
(x) permission for that directory.
cd htdocs
mkdir newdir
chown MGR.APACHE:APACHE newdir
chmod 750 newdir |
One way to check if a file is accessible by Apache is to logon
as WWW.APACHE and try to access the file.
Troubleshooting |
|
For any kind of trouble with Apache, first look in the error
log. Execute a tail command on the error_log from the POSIX shell to look
at the last few entries. The last entry will be the most recent
entry:
shelliX> tail /APACHE/PUB/logs/error_log |
For troubleshooting Apache at the source code level, the Apache program
file can be run with the MPE debugger. It is best to run it with the
-X (capital "X") option to prevent the parent Apache process from creating
child processes:
:run httpd.pub.apache;info="-X";debug
Unsupported Functionality |
|
HP does not support Apache binaries built by individuals or organizations
outside of HP.
HP also does not support the scripts and programs in the /APACHE/PUB/bin
directory. This is contributed software from the Apache Software
Foundation and is provided for example only.
Performance |
|
For best performance, files returned to the user should be
in bytestream format. For example, .html, .htm, .shtml, .shtm, .txt,
.gif, .jpeg, and .jpg files, should be in bytestream format instead
of in MPE-type format. Bytestream files are more compatible with
Apache and with other POSIX applications than are MPE-type files.
If you have a web page that calls many images which are not in bytestream
format (BA), you could have noticeable performance degradation.
If any of your files under the document root (htdocs) are
either MPE fixed ascii (FA), MPE variable ascii (VA), or MPE variable
binary (VB) files, you should consider converting them to bytestream
files using the "tobyte" utility. Program files (fixed binary (FB)
files with an NMPROG filecode) should never be converted.
A file's filetype can be determined using either the POSIX file command or the CI listfile command:
shell/iX> file index*.htmlindex.html: MPE/iX 256-byte variable length binary (filecode: 0)
index1.html: MPE/iX 80-byte fixed length ascii (filecode:0)shell/iX>callci listfile ./index.html,2PATH= /APACHE/PUB/htdocs/CODE ------------LOGICAL RECORD------- ----SPACE---- FILENAME SIZE TYP EOF LIMIT R/B SECTORS #X MX
128W VB 19 204800 1 32 1 8 index.html
80B FA 54 204800 1 32 1 8 index1.html
To convert an ASCII-type file (.htm*, .shtm*, or .txt), use
the tobyte utility with the -at option. If it is a binary-type file
(such as .jpeg, .jpg, or .gif), do not use the -at option:
tobyte -at /APACHE/PUB/htdocs/index.html /APACHE/PUB/htdocs/newindex.html
For more information on the "tobyte" utility, use the POSIX help facility (i.e. man tobyte).
If your Apache web server seems slow in responding, you might
try running the Apache job stream file, JHTTPD, in the C queue instead
of in the default D queue. The changes shown below allow Apache
to run in the C queue while keeping the default execution level
for jobs in the D queue. The jobpri command can be executed on the console or in a systart file.
!job JHTTPD,www.apache;pri=cs;outclass=,2jobpri cs
Additional Documentation |
|
Much of the public information available on Apache can be
used for administrating Apache on MPE/iX. This especially applies
to the description and usage of the over 128 different Apache configuration directives.
Sources for additional information include
The Apache on-line manual pages included
as part of MPE FOS at http://yourserver.com/manual/index.html
The Apache Software Foundation's on-line
documentation at http://www.apache.org/docs
Apache books, published by various publishers, such
as O'Reilly and Associates, Inc. and IDG Books Worldwide,
Inc.
For downloadable software to enhance your web site (perl,
sendmail, python, etc.), visit MPE's external Jazz web
server at http://jazz.external.hp.com
Printable version
