Apache on Windows Rich Bowen <[e-mail]>

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Apache on WindowsRich Bowenltrbowen_at_rcbowen.comgt

• Part I Installing, configuring, and running
  Apache on your Windows machines.
• ApacheCon 2000
• 730pm, March 9th, 2000
• Orlando, Florida

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History

• October, 1997 - Apache 1.3
• http//www.apacheweek.com/issues/97-10-1713b2
• There were some ports available before that

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entirely experimental

• Please note that at this time, Windows support is
  entirely experimental, and is recommended only
  for experienced users.
• Warning Apache on NT has not yet been
  optimized for performance. Apache still performs
  best, and is most reliable on Unix platforms.

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• In spite of this warning, I have found that, at
  least in the conditions where I use it, Apache
  works on NT as well as any of the alternatives.
  And, if you take administrator frustration into
  account, much better. -)

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What are the alternatives?

• IIS
• Netscape
• WebSite
• Dozens of others
• Apache is newer to NT than many of the
  alternatives, but is based on a much more mature
  code base.

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But IIS is better, right?

• Having long been told that IIS is a better server
  on NT, Ive always had my doubts. Using Perl, I
  did some benchmarking. These results should not
  be taken as scientific, but are believable to me,
  at least.

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Benchmarking Apache vs IIS

• D\Apachecongtperl benchmark.pl
• GET
• Benchmark timing 2000 iterations of
  Apache, IIS...
• Apache 34 wallclock secs ( 6.50 usr
  4.55 sys 11.05 CPU)
• IIS 31 wallclock secs ( 6.65 usr
  4.43 sys 11.08 CPU)
• CGI
• Benchmark timing 2000 iterations of
  Apache, IIS...
• Apache 63 wallclock secs ( 5.73 usr
  3.82 sys 9.54 CPU)
• IIS 64 wallclock secs ( 6.15 usr
  3.97 sys 10.12 CPU)

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And, in case you care ...

• use Benchmark
• use LWPSimple
• print "GET\n\n"
• timethese(2000,
• 'Apache' gt 'get
  ("http//9.95.144.25/test.txt")',
• 'IIS' gt 'get ("http//9.95.144.25
  90/test.txt")',
• )
• print "CGI\n\n"
• timethese(2000,
• 'Apache' gt 'get
  ("http//9.95.144.25/cgi-bin/test.pl")',
• 'IIS' gt 'get ("http//9.95.144.25
  90/scripts/test.pl")',
• )

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Other places where Apache is different from
(better than) IIS

• Configuration
• IIS lets you configure a small set of things.
• Apache lets you configure everything. And what
  you cant configure, you can change in the
  source.
• Extensible
• Apache is, IIS isnt
• Authentication
• IIS does authentication against the NT users
  database. That is, you have to create an NT user
  to password protect part of your public web site.

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What other servers are there for NT?

• See http//webcompare.internet.com/ for a large
  list.

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Differences between Apache on Unix and NT

• Architecture
• Configuration differences
• Authentication

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Architecture

• Unix has one parent process, and forks multiple
  child processes as needed.
• NT has one parent process, and one child process
  that is multi-threaded.

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Configuration

• General configuration tips
• File paths, drive letters, etc.
• / vs \
• Where to install it (not a problem any more, just
  a habit).

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Configuration directives

• AccessConfig and ResourceConfig
• AccessFileName
• LoadModule
• MaxRequestsPerChild
• MaxSpareServers and MinSpareServers
• ScriptInterpreterSource

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Configuration directives

• UserDir
• XBitHack
• ServerType

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Authentication

• Unix uses Unix crypt, by default
• NT uses MD5 by default

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Running as an NT service

• Running as an NT service
• What are NT services?
• Installing Apache as a service
• apache -i -n Apache -f c/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
• (Or just select it from your Start menu)
• apache -u -n Apache (to uninstall)

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NT service

• Starting and stopping the service
• Services dialog (click start or stop)
• From the command line
• apache -n Apache -k start
• apache -n Apache -k restart
• apache -n Apache -k shutdown
• Or, the NT net command
• net start Apache
• net stop Apache

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Console application

• Running as a console application
• Starting and stopping the console app
• Its in your Start menu, in the Apache folder
• To stop, open another DOS window, and type
• apache -k shutdown
• -- or --
• apache -k restart

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But theres no GUI!!

• We dont need no stinkin GUI!
• But if you really do, use Comanche
• A GUI is important on NT, because Windows users
  expect to have a GUI. Having on goes a long way
  towards convincing them that this is a real piece
  of software. Open Source advocacy is largely
  about perception, not about reality.

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Apache modules on NT

• Apache modules provided as DLLs (rather like the
  shared objects option under Unix)
• LoadModule
• LoadModule speling_module modules/ApacheModuleSpel
  ing.dll
• mod_perl - get it at ftp//theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/p
  ub/other/

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The future of Apache on Windows

• Thats what Bill is here for

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For more information

• http//www.apache.org/docs/windows.html
• http//www.rcbowen.com/imho/apache/