3
Specifying Server and File Locations

This chapter explains how to set Oracle HTTP Server and server administrator options, and specifies file locations.

Topics discussed are:

• Setting Server and Administrator Functions
• Specifying File Locations

Documentation from the Apache Software Foundation is referenced when applicable.

Setting Server and Administrator Functions

The following set basic Oracle HTTP Server and administrator functions. They are located in the "Main Server Configuration" portion of the httpd.conf file.

• ServerName
• UseCanonicalName
• ServerAdmin
• ServerSignature
• ServerTokens
• ServerAlias

ServerName

Enables the server to set a hostname that can be used to create redirection URLs, through which you can access directories without having to use a "/" at the end.

UseCanonicalName

Determines which hostname and port to use when redirecting the URL to the same server.

• on: This is the default setting. Server uses the hostname and port values set in ServerName and Port.
• off: Server uses the hostname and port that you specify in the request.

  See Also: "UseCanonicalName directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

ServerAdmin

Creates an email address that is included with every default error message that clients encounter. It is useful to create a separate email address for this.

ServerSignature

Enables the server to recognize which server, among the various proxies, created the returned response, such as an error message.

• on: Server creates a footer to the returned document that includes information such as ServerName and server version number. This is the default.
• email: Server creates an additional "mailto:" reference to the ServerAdmin of the document.
• off: Footer and "mailto:" reference are not created.

  See Also: "ServerSignature directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

ServerTokens

Controls server information which is returned to clients, such as in error messages. This information includes a description of the generic operating system-type of the server, and compiled-in modules.

• min(imal): provides information such as server name and version.
• OS: provides information such as server name, version and operating system.
• full: provides information such as server name, version, operating system, and complied modules.

  See Also: "ServerTokens directive" in the Apache Server documentation.

ServerAlias

Sets alternate names for the current virtual host.

Specifying File Locations

The following directives to control the location of various server files. They are located in the "Global Environment" of the httpd.conf file.

• CoreDumpDirectory
• DocumentRoot
• ErrorLog
• LockFile
• PidFile
• ScoreBoardFile
• ServerRoot

CoreDumpDirectory

Specifies the directory in which the server dumps core. The default is the ServerRoot directory. This directive is applicable to UNIX only.

DocumentRoot

Sets the directory from which httpd serves files. Unless matched by a directive like Alias, the server appends the path from the requested URL to the document root to make the path to the document for static content.

ErrorLog

Sets the name of the file to which the server notes any errors it encounters. If the name of the file does not begin with a slash (/), then it is assumed to be relative to the ServerRoot. If the name of the file begins with a pipe (|), then it is assumed to be a command to spawn to handle the error log.

LockFile

Sets the path to the lockfile used when Oracle HTTP Server is compiled with either USE_FCNTL_SERIALIZED_ACCEPT or USE_FLOCK_SERIALIZED_ACCEPT. It is recommended that default value be used. The main reason for changing it is if the logs directory is NFS mounted, since the lockfile must be stored on a local disk.

PidFile

Enables you to set and change the location of the PID file to which the server records the process identification number. If the filename does not begin with a slash (/), then it is assumed to be relative to the ServerRoot.

ScoreBoardFile

Required in some architectures to set a file that the server uses to communicate between the parent and children processes. To verify if your architecture requires a scoreboard file, run Oracle HTTP Server and see if it creates the file named by the directive. If your architecture requires it then you must ensure that this file is not used at the same time by more than one invocation of the server.

ServerRoot

Specifies the directory that contains the conf and logs subdirectories. If the server is started with the -f option, then you will have to specify ServerRoot.