Topic: Can I expand Apache?

[HoibE]

Hello. I've received some great help here in these forums. Without them, I'd have no clue.

I now have a WordPress site up and running on /localhost/ (again, thanks to the help received here). Now, I need a second website to run. This second one will have a different purpose; a different mission altogether from the first.

What are some elements I need to consider to expand Apache out to handle the second (and perhaps a third) website? Again, just using /localhost/ to test this new database app. In httpd.conf, I pretty much know what to do with ServerRoot and DocumentRoot. How do I add a second subsequent occurance of "DocumentRoot" if that's the term to use?

Thanks once again...

[glsmith]

To test on localhost, with a secondary doccument root, you may want to look into the Windows Hosts file and on Apache, it's Virtual Hosting

[HoibE]

I'm sorry my friend, you totally lost me. What does the HOSTS file have to do with setting Apache to listen for another call for a second or subsequent web service?

I thought I could maybe use httpd.conf and set second set of <Directory> directives and point to the new tree structure (for SugarCRM which is what I'm trying out) and come out with it. I did make an attempt at that but I get a 403-forbidden response.

I'd like to read more. Is there some sort of resource I should go to in order to learn more?

[glsmith]

With the hosts file you can create sudo-domains sort of like
mysite.one
mysite.two
anything.

Then useing the principals of the Virtual Hosts in apache have site one at http://mysite.one and site two at http://mysite.two

see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/urlmapping.html for how Apache translates URLs to the filesystem

see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/server-wide.html to understand Server wide configuration vs. per hostname configuration.

see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/vhosts/ for virtual hosting

[HoibE]

Well, then thank you very much for that explanation. Let me go and try some of that out. I just need to read more and tinker more with it.

Again, thank you.

H

[HoibE]

I'm now still tinkering with setting up a second website off Apache using so-called "name based virtual hosting" so I can do some testing with SugarCE. But I'm having a problem.
In the Apache documentation there is this passage: "You must first have your DNS server properly configured to map those names to an IP address associated with your server." Yet there doesn't seem to be any further information on exactly how you "properly configure your DNS". Is this in the HOSTS file on Windows? Right now my HOSTS file has one entry: 127.0.0.1 localhost.
In httpd.conf I have two <virtualhost> directives. They are at the very bottom of .conf. The first one works fine. I copied the attributes for this first one from the top of conf and placed it's particulars inside <virtualhost></virtualhost> tags. I commented out what was at the top. OK, I created the new one (the second one) using pretty much the same entries except that I pointed to the file tree structure housing SugarCRM, saved it and restarted Apache. Here's what this looks like:

NameVirtualHost downstairs_serv.home:80

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerName BLOG
#@@#ServerAlias SVdP_blog *.SVdP_blog
DocumentRoot C:/SVdP/wordpress
<Directory "C:/SVdP/wordpress">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerName SugarCRM
#@@ServerAlias SugarCRM *.SugarCRM
DocumentRoot C:/SVDP/SugarCE-Full-5.2.0a
<Directory "C:/SVDP/SugarCE-Full-5.2.0a">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

</VirtualHost>

When I type in /localhost/ in the browser, it goes to the first server BLOG, shows the pages, lets me navigate around etc. If I enter /localhost/BLOG - I get a 404. So then how do I get it to look for the second one? I was expecting that typing in /localhost/ would bring me to place where I can choose either the first or the second but that doesn't fly because /localhost/ always brings me to the first server defined. So it there something further needed (like entries in the HOSTS file) to get this to work?

Thanks folks.

HerbS

[glsmith]

What is the main configurations DocumentRoot and what is in your hosts file pertaining to these ServerNames/Aliases?

[HoibE]

I made some small changes to try and simplify:

NameVirtualHost downstairs_serv.home:80

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerName BLOG
#@@#ServerAlias SVdP_blog *.SVdP_blog
DocumentRoot C:/SVdP/wordpress
<Directory "C:/SVdP/wordpress">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerName SugarCE
#@@ServerAlias SugarCE *.SugarCE
DocumentRoot C:/SVDP/SugarCE
<Directory "C:/SVDP/SugarCE">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>


</VirtualHost>

As you can see I've turned off Aliasing the Server(s) to try and simplify. To answer your question I have these set up in the "global" section:

ServerName downstairs_serv.home:80
DocumentRoot C:/SVDP

I type in /localhost/SugarCE/index.php (which does exist BTW) and I get a 404. I feel I'm getting close to this but I've probably got one small thing out of order. Can you see what's wrong?

Thanks.

HerbS

[glsmith]

try;


NameVirtualHost *:80

#http://downstairs_serv.home
<VirtualHost _default_:80>
ServerName downstairs_serv.home:80
DocumentRoot C:/SVDP
</VirtualHost>


#http://blog
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName BLOG
DocumentRoot C:/SVdP/wordpress
<Directory "C:/SVdP/wordpress">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>


#http://sugarce
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName SugarCE
DocumentRoot C:/SVDP/SugarCE
<Directory "C:/SVDP/SugarCE">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>

"SugarCE" and "Blog" need to be added to the Windows hosts file.

[HoibE]

Well, what the edits did is kill the blog (no more http:/localhost >bang> you're in). Call to http://blog gets a textualized version of the opening page of the blog. And no linking beyond that point: Forbidden 403.

And http://sugarce/install.php yields:
Warning: require_once(data/SugarBean.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\SVdP\SugarCE\modules\Administration\UpgradeHistory.php on line 41

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required 'data/SugarBean.php' (include_path='.;C:\php5\pear') in C:\SVdP\SugarCE\modules\Administration\UpgradeHistory.php on line 41
But I know you're on the right track here. What if I took out the global calls for servername and server root at the top, since they're FQ'd down in the <virtual> sections? At least I'm getting something - different...

I looked at changes you provided & proposed. I was close but not close enough. I need more time to disect your setup. I sorta see it but then I don't.

I created two add'l entries in HOSTS:
127.0.0.1 Blog
127.0.0.1 Sugarce

Right?

Still Blog is half dead and Sugarce is suffering fatal error.

HerbS

[glsmith]

those sugarce errors speak of files not being found in those locations ... that seems like an error in sugar's configuration or the files are missing.

The key to the VHosts is the _default_ one that duplicates the main host.

[HoibE]

So then I don't need to muck with the HOSTS file...OK, I'll change it back.

Unfortunately, the Sugar errors are not the only problem now. The BLOG which was working is no longer under this new scheme. And I'm trying to understand why because what your changes imposed make sense.

I'll have to go and download the Sugar package again. But taking this one step at a time, would there be any chief reason why I'd be getting 403 errors off the call for the blog? A call to "localhost" now is actually the replacement string for: C:\SVDP (from DocumentRoot) - right?

I guess what I'd really like to confirm is, now that this is in place: Just how do you call the indiv server(s) URL in the browser??? The way I figure it since /localhost/ equates to c:svdp and if wordpress is a subfolder and wp-admin is a subfolder under that then typing in:
/localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/index.php should translate to:
C:/svdp/wordpress/wp-admin/index.php - right? Then if true, why isn't it working?

Sigh...

[glsmith]

NO .. host file NNEDS the entries or your browser will not find them because they do not exist. A ServerName has to have some kind of entry somwhere that resolves the name to an IP address, we have DNS (www.domain.com), or we can use the host file.

Computers do not understand www.anyname.com, they speak in IP address. Humans have problems remember hoards of different IP address, so we need an in-between that translates the words to an IP address.

Host file changes blog.mycomputer -> IP address. Browser sends request to IP address with a header attached that gives the host name. Apache reads the header and only then knows what to serve. If it does not understand the name in the header, Apache defaults to first Main Host.

[HoibE]

OK, I'm with you. I've modified it:

127.0.0.1 localhost (originally there)
127.0.0.1 BLOG
127.0.0.1 SugarCE

Still not working. Maybe those entries in HOSTS aren't what they should be??? And now it's yielding a 404 instead of 403 - progress!

I've been carefully reviewing each line of httpd.conf. I cannot see anything out of place. Double quotes are where they should be. <name></name> convention seems to be in place. Apache restarts with no errors (I know what errors look like now ) I imagine some commands in httpd need to be in certain order so I've tried to keep them as such and not play with the sequence. The virtual hosts section is at the very bottom, that should be OK.

So I wonder what else I need to do? BTW, I really need to work on both the blog and the SugarCe system as those are two projects someone in our org needs to address - so it's either me or no one.

I don't see an attachment feature on this forum. Should I perhaps post the entire .conf file and have you take a look. I'd rather not of course, because then I don't learn anything that way. But I'll be happy to see this struggle behind me so I can move on.

Your help is most appreciated.

[glsmith]

[HoibE]

OK, I have copied this mornings error log. I just did this morning as I figured why confuse things with what happened 3-4 days ago. So, without further delay...

[Fri Feb 20 07:09:51 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/
[Fri Feb 20 07:09:53 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin
[Fri Feb 20 07:09:54 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/
[Fri Feb 20 07:09:56 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin
[Fri Feb 20 07:10:19 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/blog
[Fri Feb 20 07:10:32 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-cron.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:10:32 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:10:32 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:10:32 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:36 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:40 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:40 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:42 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:44 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:44 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:46 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:48 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:48 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:50 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:51 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:11:51 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:00 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-register.php, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:01 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:01 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:09 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:09 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:14 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-register.php, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:15 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:15 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:18 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:19 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:12:19 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:20:21 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:20:24 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:20:24 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:22 2009] [notice] Parent: Received restart signal -- Restarting the server.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:22 2009] [notice] Child 2756: Exit event signaled. Child process is ending.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:22 2009] [notice] Apache/2.2.11 (Win32) PHP/5.2.8 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:22 2009] [notice] Server built: Dec 10 2008 00:10:06
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:22 2009] [notice] Parent: Created child process 2540
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:22 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Child process is running
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:23 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Acquired the start mutex.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:23 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Starting 64 worker threads.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:23 2009] [notice] Child 2756: Released the start mutex
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:24 2009] [notice] Child 2756: All worker threads have exited.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:24 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Starting thread to listen on port 80.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:24 2009] [notice] Child 2756: Child process is exiting
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:29 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:31 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:54 2009] [notice] Parent: Received restart signal -- Restarting the server.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:54 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Exit event signaled. Child process is ending.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:54 2009] [notice] Apache/2.2.11 (Win32) PHP/5.2.8 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:54 2009] [notice] Server built: Dec 10 2008 00:10:06
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:54 2009] [notice] Parent: Created child process 1012
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:55 2009] [notice] Child 1012: Child process is running
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:55 2009] [notice] Child 1012: Acquired the start mutex.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:55 2009] [notice] Child 1012: Starting 64 worker threads.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:55 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Released the start mutex
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:56 2009] [notice] Child 2540: All worker threads have exited.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:56 2009] [notice] Child 1012: Starting thread to listen on port 80.
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:56 2009] [notice] Child 2540: Child process is exiting
[Fri Feb 20 07:31:58 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:10 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-cron.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:10 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:10 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:10 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:29 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:35 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:35 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:46 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-cron.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:46 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin, referer: http://blog/wp-login.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:46 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin, referer: http://blog/wp-login.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:33:46 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/wp-login.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:34:04 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin, referer: http://blog/wp-login.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:34:04 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-admin, referer: http://blog/wp-login.php
[Fri Feb 20 07:34:04 2009] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server configuration: C:/SVdP/wp-content, referer: http://blog/wp-login.php

I see lots and lots of "client denied" here. Now just for clarity and completeness: I can browse to c:/blog/index.php and get pretends to be my blog but it's not at all what I was seeing before: Plain text, down the left side of the page, almost no formatting, no colors, no background, no theme (which dictates how the content is displayed). I can click on a link but I'm getting a 403 on each click.

Boy this is wierd!

I'll wait to hear.

[HoibE]

OK, I've been looking through these error logs. And I think I've partially figured things out. I've gotten the SugarCE site to come on line. I've also gotten the WP site to appear but not completely. What I did was:
Get myself in a quiet room - away from the TV, phones, etc...
Go back and configure a non-virt server for each host - leaving out all references to Virtual Hosts. Let's just see if I can get the directory structure down for each one. And so, I did that basically reconstructing the working blog and then going through and changing a few lines so that it pointed to SugarCE. Got both to work independently. Then I pulled up the saved virt server conf and tried to replicate DocumentRoot and <Directory xxxx> entries down in <VirtualHost> blocks for each. Used also the replicated _default_ per your instructions sitting on top so I have three <VertualHost> blocks defined. As you probably know, I found I had to leave ServerRoot alone, but I see that clearly now. Everything starts from there.

So what I have now is: SugarCE works. Blog works better than "plain text" but is still not fully implemented. I have the home page many of the graphic elements are now in place but none of the links work. So there's more questions to be asked there.

For now I think I'm set. I just had the DocumentRoots and the <Directory>s misconfigured. Now that I did each one seperately outside of the VirtualHost environment, it seems to fly.

One thing that helped me a little was when reloading the server from an editted httpd.conf, instead of going to the systray to restart the server, I stopped it and then used the StartMenu structure to start the server. What this does is put the start process in a DOS-box and then if the restart fails, you can see it right off rather than just having "The requested operation failed". Just a tip for others who might be following this.

I'll be back if I need more help.

Thanks very much.

HerbS