Practical mod_perl

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Practical mod_perl

By Stas Bekman, Eric Cholet

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Released: May 2003

Pages: 928

mod_perl embeds the popular programming language Perl in the Apache web server, giving rise to a fast and powerful web programming environment. Practical mod_perl is the definitive book on how to use, optimize, and troubleshoot mod_perl.

New mod_perl users will learn how to quickly and easily get mod_perl compiled and installed. But the primary purpose of this book is to show you how to take full advantage of mod_perl: how to make a mod_perl-enabled Web site as fast, flexible, and easily-maintainable as possible. The authors draw from their own personal experience in the field, as well as the combined experience of the mod_perl community, to present a rich and complete picture of how to set up and maintain a successful mod_perl site.

This book is also the first book to cover the "next generation" of mod_perl: mod_perl 2.0, a completely rewritten version of mod_perl designed for integration with Apache 2.0, which for the first time supports threads.

The book covers the following topics, and more:

Configuring mod_perl optimally for your web site
Porting and optimizing programs for a mod_perl environment
Performance tuning: getting the very fastest performance from your site
Controlling and monitoring the server to circumvent crashes and clogs
Integrating with databases efficiently and painlessly
Debugging tips and tricks
Maximizing security

Written for Perl web developers and web administrators, Practical mod_perl is an extensive guide to the nuts and bolts of the powerful and popular combination of Apache and mod_perl. From writing and debugging scripts to keeping your server running without failures, the techniques in this book will help you squeeze every ounce of power out of your server. True to its title, this is the practical guide to mod_perl.

mod_perl Administration
1. Chapter 1 Introducing CGI and mod_perl
  1. A Brief History of CGI
  2. The Apache 1.3 Server Model
  3. The Development of mod_perl 1.0
  4. Apache 1.3 Request Processing Phases
  5. References
2. Chapter 2 Getting Started Fast
  1. Installing mod_perl 1.0 in Three Steps
  2. Installing mod_perl on Unix Platforms
  3. Configuring and Starting the mod_perl Server
  4. Installing mod_perl for Windows
  5. Preparing the Scripts Directory
  6. A Sample Apache::Registry Script
  7. A Simple mod_perl Content Handler
  8. Is This All We Need to Know About mod_perl?
  9. References
3. Chapter 3 Installing mod_perl
  1. Configuring the Source
  2. Building mod_perl (make)
  3. Testing the Server (make test)
  4. Installation (make install)
  5. Installation Scenarios for Standalone mod_perl
  6. Building mod_perl with Other Components
  7. Installing mod_perl with the CPAN.pm Interactive Shell
  8. Installing mod_perl on Multiple Machines
  9. Installation into a Nonstandard Directory
  10. How Can I Tell if mod_perl Is Running?
  11. General Notes
  12. References
4. Chapter 4 mod_perl Configuration
  1. Apache Configuration
  2. mod_perl Configuration
  3. The Startup File
  4. Apache Configuration in Perl
  5. Validating the Configuration Syntax
  6. The Scope of mod_perl Configuration Directives
  7. Apache Restarts Twice
  8. Enabling Remote Server Configuration Reports
  9. Tips and Tricks
  10. Configuration Security Concerns
  11. General Pitfalls
  12. References
5. Chapter 5 Web Server Control, Monitoring, Upgrade, and Maintenance
  1. Starting the Server in Multi-Process Mode
  2. Starting the Server in Single-Process Mode
  3. Using kill to Control Processes
  4. Using apachectl to Control the Server
  5. Validating Server Configuration
  6. Setuid root Startup Scripts
  7. Preparing for Machine Reboot
  8. Upgrading a Live Server
  9. Three-Tier Server Scheme: Development, Staging, and Production
  10. Web Server Monitoring
  11. Server Maintenance Chores
  12. References
6. Chapter 6 Coding with mod_perl in Mind
  1. Before You Start to Code
  2. Exposing Apache::Registry Secrets
  3. Namespace Issues
  4. Perl Specifics in the mod_perl Environment
  5. CHECK and INIT Blocks
  6. Apache::Registry Specifics
  7. Transition from mod_cgi Scripts to Apache Handlers
  8. Loading and Reloading Modules
  9. Handling the "User Pressed Stop Button" Case
  10. Handling Server Timeout Cases and Working with $SIG{ALRM}
  11. Generating Correct HTTP Headers
  12. Method Handlers: The Browse and See, Browse and View Example
  13. References
mod_perl Performance
1. Chapter 7 Identifying Your Performance Problems
  1. Looking at the Big Picture
  2. Asking the Right Questions
  3. References
2. Chapter 8 Choosing a Platform for the Best Performance
  1. Choosing the Right Operating System
  2. Choosing the Right Hardware
  3. References
3. Chapter 9 Essential Tools for Performance Tuning
  1. Server Benchmarking
  2. Perl Code Benchmarking
  3. Process Memory Measurements
  4. Apache::Status and Measuring Code Memory Usage
  5. Code Profiling Techniques
  6. References
4. Chapter 10 Improving Performance with Shared Memory and Proper Forking
  1. Sharing Memory
  2. Forking and Executing Subprocessesfrom mod_perl
  3. References
5. Chapter 11 Tuning Performance by Tweaking Apache's Configuration
  1. Setting the MaxClients Directive
  2. Setting the MaxRequestsPerChild Directive
  3. Setting MinSpareServers, MaxSpareServers, and StartServers
  4. KeepAlive
  5. PerlSetupEnv
  6. Reducing the Number of stat( ) Calls Made by Apache
  7. Symbolic Links Lookup
  8. Disabling DNS Resolution
  9. Response Compressing
  10. References
6. Chapter 12 Server Setup Strategies
  1. mod_perl Deployment Overview
  2. Standalone mod_perl-Enabled Apache Server
  3. One Plain and One mod_perl-Enabled Apache Server
  4. One Light Non-Apache and One mod_perl-Enabled Apache Server
  5. Adding a Proxy Server in httpd Accelerator Mode
  6. The Squid Server and mod_perl
  7. Apache's mod_proxy Module
  8. mod_rewrite Examples
  9. Getting the Remote Server IP in the Backend Server in the Proxy Setup
  10. Frontend/Backend Proxying with Virtual Hosts
  11. HTTP Authentication with Two Servers and a Proxy
  12. When One Machine Is Not Enough for Your RDBMS DataBase and mod_perl
  13. Running More than One mod_perl Server on the Same Machine
  14. SSL Functionality and a mod_perl Server
  15. Uploading and Downloading Big Files
  16. References
7. Chapter 13 TMTOWTDI: Convenience and Habit Versus Performance
  1. Apache::Registry PerlHandler Versus Custom PerlHandler
  2. Apache::args Versus Apache::Request::param Versus CGI::param
  3. Buffered Printing and Better print( ) Techniques
  4. Interpolation, Concatenation, or List
  5. Keeping a Small Memory Footprint
  6. Object Methods Calls Versus Function Calls
  7. Using the Perl stat( ) Call's Cached Results
  8. time( ) System Call Versus $r->request_time
  9. Printing Unmodified Files
  10. Caching and Pre-Caching
  11. Caching with Memoize
  12. Comparing Runtime Performance of Perl and C
  13. References
8. Chapter 14 Defensive Measures for Performance Enhancement
  1. Controlling Your Memory Usage
  2. Coding for a Smaller Memory Footprint
  3. Conclusion
  4. References
9. Chapter 15 Improving Performance Through Build Options
  1. Server Size as a Function of Compiled-in Features
  2. mod_status and ExtendedStatus On
  3. DYNAMIC_MODULE_LIMIT Apache Build Option
  4. Perl Build Options
  5. Architecture-Specific Compile Options
  6. References
10. Chapter 16 HTTP Headers for Optimal Performance
  1. Date-Related Headers
  2. Content Headers
  3. Content Negotiation
  4. HTTP Requests
  5. Avoiding Dealing with Headers
  6. References
Databases and mod_perl
1. Chapter 17 Databases Overview
  1. Volatile Databases
  2. Non-Volatile Databases
  3. References
2. Chapter 18 mod_perl Data-Sharing Techniques
  1. Sharing the Read-Only Data in and Between Processes
  2. Sharing Data Between Various Handlers
  3. References
3. Chapter 19 DBM and mod_perl
  1. mod_perl and DBM
  2. Resource Locking
  3. Flawed Locking Methods
  4. Locking Wrappers Overview
  5. Tie::DB_Lock
  6. Examples
  7. References
4. Chapter 20 Relational Databases and mod_perl
  1. Persistent Database Connections with Apache::DBI
  2. Improving Performance
  3. DBI Debug Techniques
  4. References
Debugging and Troubleshooting
1. Chapter 21 Error Handling and Debugging
  1. Warnings and Errors Explained
  2. Debugging Code in Single-Server Mode
  3. Tracing System Calls
  4. Tracing mod_perl-Specific Perl Calls
  5. Debugging Perl Code
  6. Analyzing Dumped core Files
  7. Hanging Processes: Detection and Diagnostics
  8. Useful Debug Modules
  9. Looking Inside the Server
  10. References
2. Chapter 22 Troubleshooting mod_perl
  1. Configuration and Startup
  2. Code Parsing and Compilation
  3. Runtime
  4. Shutdown and Restart
3. Chapter 23 Getting Help and Online Resources
  1. How to Report Problems
  2. Mailing List Etiquette
  3. Resources
mod_perl 2.0
1. Chapter 24 mod_perl 2.0: Installation and Configuration
  1. What's New in Apache 2.0
  2. What's New in Perl 5.6.0-5.8.0
  3. What's New in mod_perl 2.0
  4. Installing mod_perl 2.0
  5. Configuring mod_perl 2.0
  6. Resources
2. Chapter 25 Programming for mod_perl 2.0
  1. Migrating to and Programming with mod_perl 2.0
  2. New Apache Phases and Corresponding Perl*Handlers
  3. I/O Filtering
Appendixes
1. Appendix A mod_perl Recipes
  1. Emulating the Authentication Mechanism
  2. Reusing Data from POST Requests
  3. Redirecting POST Requests
  4. Redirecting While Maintaining Environment Variables
  5. Handling Cookies
  6. Sending Multiple Cookies with the mod_perl API
  7. Sending Cookies in REDIRECT Responses
  8. CGI::params in the mod_perlish Way
  9. Sending Email from mod_perl
  10. mod_rewrite in Perl
  11. Setting PerlHandler Based on MIME Type
  12. Singleton Database Handles
  13. Terminating a Child Process on Request Completion
  14. References
2. Appendix B Apache Perl Modules
  1. Development-Stage Modules
  2. Modules to Aid Debugging
  3. Control and Monitoring Modules
  4. Server Configuration Modules
  5. Authentication-Phase Modules
  6. Authorization-Phase Modules
  7. Access-Phase Modules
  8. Type Handlers
  9. Trans Handlers
  10. Fixup Handlers
  11. Generic Content-Generation Modules
  12. Application-Specific Content-Generation Modules
  13. Database Modules
  14. Toolkits and Frameworks for Content-Generation and Other Phases
  15. Output Filters and Layering Modules
  16. Logging-Phase Handlers
  17. Core Apache Modules
  18. Other Miscellaneous Modules
3. Appendix C ISPs Providing mod_perl Services
  1. Users Sharing a Single Web Server
  2. Users Sharing a Single Machine
  3. Giving Each User a Separate Machine (Colocation)
  4. Giving Each User a Virtual Machine
4. Appendix D The Template Toolkit
  1. Fetching and Installing the Template Toolkit
  2. Overview
  3. Typical Uses
  4. Template Toolkit Language
  5. Processing Templates
  6. Apache/mod_perl Handler
  7. Apache::Template Module
  8. Hangman Application
  9. References
5. Appendix E The AxKit XML Application Server
  1. Installing and Configuring AxKit
  2. Your First AxKit Page
  3. Dynamic Content
  4. More XPathScript Details
  5. XSLT
  6. Putting Everything Together
  7. More Reasons to Use AxKit
6. Appendix F HTTP Status Codes
  1. HTTP/1.0 Status Codes
  2. HTTP/1.1 Status Codes
  3. References

Colophon

Title:

Practical mod_perl

By:

Stas Bekman, Eric Cholet

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print:

May 2003

Ebook:

February 2009

Pages:

928

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-00227-5

| ISBN 10:

0-596-00227-0

Ebook ISBN:

978-0-596-10354-5

| ISBN 10:

0-596-10354-9

Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. The animal on the cover of Practical mod_perl is a Thoroughbred horse. The Thoroughbred, also called the English running horse, originated in England from crossbreeding an Arabian horse and a Turkish horse to create the fastest racing horse in the world. One of the swiftest of all creatures and the fastest of horses, the Thoroughbred can maintain speeds of up to 45 miles per hour for more than a mile. This makes the Thoroughbred best-suited for racing, as well as for polo.

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The integrity of the breed is closely maintained through stud documentation. Since 1977, every foal registered in the American Stud Book must be blood-typed to prove its origins. Linley Dolby was the production editor, and Rachel Wheeler was the copyeditor for Practical mod_perl. Sada Preisch and Jane Ellin proofread the book, and Claire Cloutier provided quality control. Tom Dinse wrote the index. Derek Di Matteo, Matt Hutchinson, and Jamie Peppard provided production assistance.

Ellie Volckhausen designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font.

Bret Kerr designed the interior layout, based on a series design by David Futato. This book was converted by Linda Mui and Andrew Savikas to FrameMaker 5.5.6 with a format conversion tool created by Erik Ray, Jason McIntosh, Neil Walls, and Mike Sierra that uses Perl and XML technologies. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. This colophon was written by Linley Dolby.

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