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Intro to Apache Web Server Administration — a 1–2-day course

* Open Public Course* Closed In-House Course* Free Lifetime Support

Synopsis

An Apache webserver training course which provides a technical introduction to installing, configuring and managing the Apache web server and to supporting CGI programming on the Apache server. This Apache course is delivered over two days in our public schedule, but a selected subset of the course can be delivered to experienced development teams on an in-house basis.

It is common for such in-house apache training courses to select particular families of Apache modules and application servers to focus on. For example, Java oriented development teams will typically create a Tomcat training course focusing on the tomcat servlet container, excluding less relevant topics like mod_perl and including material from our Java programming courses. Perl programmers will typically ignore tomcat and may want to add Perl programming topics from elsewhere. Something similar may apply for PHP shops.

Suitable For

  • Software developers
  • Webmasters
  • Technical and support staff in electronic commerce
  • Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
  • Web-based Application Service Providers (ASPs).

This Apache webserver course was originally devised to meet the needs of developers and technical support staff at the UK's largest business ISP. The design of the hands-on exercises in this Apache course and in our other Apache courses draws heavily on their experience and that of our own ecommerce consultants.

Prerequisites

  • Awareness of the basic principles behind the exchange of information between the webserver and web clients (browsers) using HTTP requests and responses.
  • A basic understanding of TCP/IP protocols
  • Competent use of a text editor
  • Knowledge of programming or shell scripting techniques is required, although a high level of practical programming competence is not.

Delivery

This is an instructor-led, hands-on Apache webserver course, organised around practical tasks in web server configuration and administration.

This Apache course can be run as both in-house Apache training for company groups and as a publicly scheduled Apache course for individuals. Please contact us at training@gbdirect.co.uk to arrange delivery of any of our Apache courses for your company.

We now have a 2-day publicly scheduled version of this course, running regularly in London. Please see below for details.

There are currently some special offers for this course. To find out more, take a look at our Special Offers page.

Publicly scheduled dates, locations, and prices

London — £675 (+VAT)

  • 6–7 Jul 2009
  • 9–10 Nov 2009

Outline Course Contents

Getting started

  • Apache
  • Webservers
  • Apache features
  • Installing Apache
  • Installing FoxServ
  • Compiling Apache
  • Running Apache
  • Running Apache automatically
  • Checking Apache is running
  • Serving webpages
  • Setting the document root
  • Applying configuration changes

Basic configuration

  • Configuring Apache
  • Directives
  • Modules
  • Checking configurations
  • Logging
  • A little HTTP
  • Configuring log-file contents
  • Specifying log-files
  • Logging errors
  • Browser error messages
  • Custom error pages
  • Server and directory index pages
  • Custom index pages
  • Forbidding index pages
  • Trailing slashes in directory paths
  • Directory paths without trailing slashes
  • Per-directory configuration
  • <Location> example
  • Other directives affecting where settings apply
  • Context for container directives
  • Per-directory configuration outside httpd.conf
  • .htaccess file configuration
  • Protecting files with passwords
  • Creating a password file
  • Maintaining a password file
  • Password authentication example
  • Password authentication details
  • Restricting access by IP address
  • Listening only on specific IP addresses
  • Restricting access by IP address
  • Address and password authentication

Serving multiple sites with virtual hosts

  • Multiple sites on a server
  • Setting up virtual host names
  • Testing host names
  • Enabling virtual hosts
  • Defining virtual hosts
  • Configuring vitual hosts
  • Using virtual hosts
  • Host aliases
  • Managing many hosts

Dynamic pages with CGI, Perl and PHP

  • Dynamic pages
  • CGI
  • CGI programs
  • Sample Unix shell CGI script
  • Sample Perl CGI script
  • Running CGI programs with Apache
  • CGI parameters
  • Perl CGI parameter example
  • CGI issues
  • PHP scripts
  • Using mod_php
  • Sample PHP scripts
  • mod_perl
  • Installing and using mod_perl
  • Using Apache::Registry
  • Apache::Registry v CGI Perl
  • Apache::PerlRun
  • Other mod_perl features

Web Proxy with mod_proxy

  • mod_proxy
  • Forward Proxy
  • Reverse Proxy / Gateway
  • mod_proxy Support
  • Proxy Modules
  • Configuring a Forward Proxy
  • Configuring a Reverse Proxy
  • Basic Reverse Proxy Config
  • Load Balancing
  • Backend Optimisations
  • Access to the Proxy Server

Tomcat with mod_jk connector

  • Tomcat overview
  • J2EE platform overview
  • Installing Tomcat with Apache
  • Testing Tomcat, Welcome Page
  • Connecting Apache and Tomcat
  • Using the Proxy connector
  • Using the mod_jk connector
  • Dynamic pages, servlets and JSP
  • Java Servlets
  • Servlet/JSP Containers
  • Servlets v CGI
  • Sample JSP

Using modules

  • Modules
  • Loading modules
  • mod_speling
  • mod_rewrite
  • URL rewriting patterns
  • Redirecting
  • Transforming URLs
  • Browser-dependent pages
  • Deploying mod_rewrite

Serving pages using HTTPS with mod_ssl

  • HTTP security
  • HTTPS
  • Installing mod_ssl
  • Getting a certificate
  • Configuring mod_ssl
  • HTTP and HTTPS sites cohabiting
  • HTTP and HTTPS virtual hosts

There are currently some special offers for this course. To find out more, take a look at our Special Offers page.