AOLserver Configuration

AOLserver has many configurable parameters, all of which are set in the AOLserver configuration file. The easiest and most error-free way to set configuration parameters is to use the setup server built into AOLserver and enabled by default when AOLserver starts up. The setup server provides a forms-based interface that allows you to set all of the AOLserver configuration parameters. (Normally, only a few of the parameters need to be set.) The setup server performs some error-checking on the information entered in the forms and writes it to the configuration file. If you prefer, you can also edit the configuration file manually.

The Commercial service level is pre-configured. You cannot change the configuration as described in this chapter.

This chapter describes how to use the setup server and provides a series of tutorials showing you how to perform many of the most common configuration tasks. It also provides a reference of the configuration file structure and parameters in case you want to edit the configuration file directly.

By modifying and/or adding AOLserver configuration parameters, you can:

• Define multiple virtual servers that will run within one AOLserver process.

• Define multiple database pools with different data sources that can be accessed by any or all of the virtual servers.

• Configure various AOLserver capabilities or optionally-loaded modules for each of the virtual servers.

What is a virtual server?

A virtual server behaves like an independent server, but actually runs alongside other virtual servers within one AOLserver process. Each virtual server can listen for client requests on a different port or respond as a different host or IP address. Each virtual server can store its pages in a different directory, have separate log files, use a different communications protocol and have separate sets of users, groups, and permissions. However, there is only one AOLserver installation and one AOLserver process running. (Note that you can still have multiple AOLserver processes running, each with multiple virtual servers.)

What is a database pool?

A database pool is a set of connections to a database. AOLserver currently supports direct connections to the Illustra database management system on Unix and Windows NT and to ODBC data sources on Windows NT. AOLserver also supports external connections to Illustra and Sybase. As far as configuration is concerned, you simply specify a database (or data source) that you want AOLserver to access. AOLserver then manages a set of connections to the database that it uses internally to efficiently process database operations. You can also access these connections directly through the Tcl and C interfaces.

This diagram shows multiple virtual servers accessing multiple database pools:.

Chapter 7 describes in detail how AOLserver interacts with databases.

What are the default AOLserver capabilities?

The following capabilites are provided by default for every virtual server and can be configured with the Setup Server or by manually editing the configuration file.

• aliases: This capability allows you to define URL to file mappings for a virtual server. See Configuring URL to File Mappings for more information.

• db: This capability allows you to use AOLserver's database services. See Chapter 7 for information on database services.

• cgi: This capability allows you to run CGI programs from AOLserver. See Chapter 2 in the CGI Developer's Guide for information on using CGI.

• shtml: This capability allows you to use server-parsed HTML. See Chapter 1 in the CGI Developer's Guide for information on using server-parsed HTML.

• tcl: This capability allows you to use AOLserver's Tcl API. See the Tcl Developer's Guide for information on Tcl.

What is an AOLserver module?

AOLserver modules are shared libraries or dynamically-linked libraries that provide specific sets of capabilities that you can load in your virtual servers. The following modules are provided:

• nslog: This module enables access logging in the CERN Common Log Format. The nslog module can also log the Refer and User-Agent client headers.

• nsnlog: This module enables network logging.

• nsperm: This module enables access control capabilities -- defining users, groups, and permissions. See Chapter 4 for information on the access control system.

• nssock: This module enables communications using ordinary TCP/IP Internet sockets.

• nsssl: This module enables communications using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL). See Chapter 5 for information on SSL.

• nstext: This module enables AOLserver full-text capabilities, such as indexing and archiving. See Chapter 8 for information on using the full-text features.

When you add a virtual server, some modules are loaded by default. This diagram shows a virtual server with the default modules and one optional module loaded:

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