4
Managing Server Processes

This chapter provides an overview of the Oracle HTTP Server processes, and provides information on how to regulate, and monitor these processes.

Topics discussed are:

Documentation from the Apache Software Foundation is referenced w hen applicable.

Note:

Readers using this guide in PDF or hard copy formats will be unable to access third-party documenta tion, which Oracle provides in HTML format only. To access the third-party documentation referenced in this guide, use the HTML versi on of this guide and click the hyperlinks.

Oracle HTTP Server Processing Model< /a>

Once Oracle HTTP Server is started, the system is ready to listen for a nd respond to http(s) requests. The request processing model is different on UNIX and Windows.

After installation, the main httpd parent process, as well as the child processes, run as the user who installed Oracle Database. The User and Group directive are use d to set the privileges for the child processes. These directives are ignored if you are not running as root.The child p rocesses must be able to read all the content that will be served.

Running Oracle HTTP Server as Root

On UNIX, you will hare to run as root if you want to run on ports less than 1024.

In order to run Oracle HTTP Server as root, perform the following steps:

Shutdown Oracle HTTP Server using the following comman d:
- UNIX: ORACLE_HOME/opmn/bin> opm nctl [verbose] stopproc ias-component=HTTP_Server
- Windows: ORACLE_HOME\opmn\bin> opmnctl [verbose] stopproc ias-component =HTTP_Server
Change to root user. Navigate to ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/bin on UNIX or ORACLE_HOME\Apache\Apache\bin on Windows and execute the following command:
```
chown root .apachectl
chm
od 6750 .apachectl
```
Exit root.
Restart Oracle HTTP Server using the following command:
- UNIX: ORACLE_HOME/opmn/bin> opmnctl [verbose] restartproc ias-component=HTTP_Server
- Windows : ORACLE_HOME\opmn\bin> opmnctl [verbose] restartproc ias-component=HTTP_Ser ver

On Windows, Oracle HTTP Server launches a single parent process and one child process. The child process creates multiple threads that listen and respond to client requests.

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You must decide how you want to set Oracle HTTP Server to handle processes or threads.

Additional Security Considerations

For additional security on UNIX, you can change the user to "nobody". Be sure that the child processes can accomplish their tasks as the user "nobody". Change all static content, such as the O RACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/htdocs directory on UNIX or ORACLE_HOME\Apache\Apache\h tdocs on Windows, so that all the files are readable, but ideally not writable by the user "nobody". Also, verify that all the CGI and FastCGI programs can be run by user "nobody".

After making manual configuration ch anges to DAD passwords, it is recommended that the DAD passwords are obfuscated by running the "dadTool.pl" script locat ed in ORACLE_HOME/Apache/modplsql/conf.

See Also:

"PlsqlDatabasePassword" on instructions on performing the obfuscation.

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If your PL/SQL application is using the file-system caching functionality in mod_plsql, then the httpd processes should have read and write privileges to the cache directory through the parameter PlsqlCacheDirectory in ORACLE_HOME/Apache/modplsql/conf/cache.conf on UNIX or ORACLE_HOME\Apache\modplsql\conf\cache.conf on Windows. By default, this parameter points to ORACLE_HOME/Apache/modplsql/cache on UNIX or ORACLE_HOME\Apache\mod plsql\cache on Windows.

Finally, given that the cached content might contain sensiti ve data, the final contents of the file-system cache should be protected. So, although Oracle HTTP Server might run as "nobody", acce ss to the system as this user should be well-protected.

See Also:

"mod_plsql"

Handling Server Processes

Use the following directives to manage the server processes:

ServerType

Provides the following two options, both being applicable on UNIX only:

inetd: Starts up a new child proces s every time a request comes in. The program exits once the request is dealt with. This setting eliminates the option of having sever al child processes in waiting, making it slower and expensive, but more secure.

standalone: Enables several waiting child processes, and requires the server to be started only once. It is the de fault and recommended setting for a busy Web site.

You must specify the User and Group under which the servers answer requests.< /p>

See Also:

"ServerType directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

Group

Specifies the group under which the server answers requests. In order to use this directive, the standalone server must be run initially as ro ot. It is recommended that you create a new group for running the server. This is applicable to UNIX only.

See Also:

"Group directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

User

Specifies the user ID to which the server answ ers requests. Run the standalone server as root to use this directive.You should have privileges to access files that ar e available for everyone, and should not be able to execute code which is not meant for httpd requests. It is recommended that you se t up a new user for running the server. This is applicable to UNIX only.

See Also:

"User directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

Limiting the Number of Processes and Connections

The following directives control and l imit the number of child processes or simultaneous requests. They are located in the "Global Environment" of the httpd.conf file.

See Also:

"httpd.conf File Structure"

StartServers

Sets the number of child server processes created when Oracle HTTP Server is started. The default is set at 5. This is applicable to UNIX only.

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See Also:

"StartServers directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

ThreadsPerChild

Controls the maximum number of child threads handling requests. The default is set at 50. This is applicable to Windows only.

See Also:

"ThreadsPerChild directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

MaxClients

L imits the number of requests that can be dealt with at one time. The default and recommended value is 150. This is applicable to UNIX only.

See Also:

"MaxClients directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

MaxRequestsPerChild

Controls the number of requests a child process handles before it dies. This value should be specified again if the machi ne is rebooted. If you select the value to be 0, which is the default, then the process will never die. This is applicable to UNIX on ly.

See Also:

"MaxRequestsPerChild directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

MaxSpareServers

Sets the maximum number of idle child server processes. An idle process is one which is running, but not handl ing a request. The parent process kills off idle child processes that exceed the value set for this directive. The default is set at 10. This is applicable to UNIX only.

See Also:

"MaxSpareServers directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

MinSpareServers

Sets the minimum number of idle child server processes. An idle process is one which is running but not handling a request. The parent process will create new children at the maximum rate of one process for each second if there are fewer processes running. The default is set at 5. This is applicable to UNIX only.

See Also:

"MinSpareServers directive" in the Apache Server documentati on.

Getting Information about Processes

There are several ways to monitor Oracle HTTP Server processes.

Use the performance monitor on Windows, or the ps utility on UNIX.

< font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">See Also:
Oracle Application Server 10g Performance Guide< /em> and your operating system documentation for more information.
Use mod_status for server status. By default, it is available from localho st only.