AOLserver Configuration

AOLserver has many configurable parameters, all of which are set in the AOLserver configuration file. This chapter provides a reference of the configuration file structure and parameters so that you can edit the configuration file directly.

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

• Define multiple servers, one of which will run within each call to AOLserver.

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

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

What is a database pool?

A database pool is a set of connections to a database. AOLserver currently supports direct connections to the SOLID and Postgres databases. AOLserver also supports an external connection to Sybase. Third-party database drivers are available for Oracle, Informix, and InterBase. 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.

Chapter 9 describes in detail how AOLserver interacts with databases.

What are the default AOLserver capabilities?

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

• ADPs: This capability allows you to embed Tcl scripts within an HTML page. The pages are parsed and run on the server when the page is accessed. See Chapter 2 in the Tcl Developer's Guide for information about ADPs.

• db: This capability allows you to use AOLserver's database services. See Chapter 9 for information on database services.

• 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 servers. The following modules are provided:

• nscgi: This capability allows you to run CGI programs from AOLserver. See Chapter 7 for information on using CGI.

• nscp: This module enables the control port interface that allows you to administer a running server. See Chapter 6 for information on the control port interface.

• 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.

• nsperm: This module enables access control capabilities -- defining users, groups, and permissions. See Chapter 6 for information on the access control system.

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

• nsvhr: This module enables virtual host redirection.

• nsunix: This module enables communications using the nsvhr module to proxy over a UNIX domain socket.