PMDF System Manager's Guide
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12.1.1 Configuring the HTTP Server

In order to use the HTTP server, the PMDF Service Dispatcher must be configured to handle this HTTP service, the PMDF HTTP server itself must be configured, and access to the HTTP server must be enabled. The PMDF Service Dispatcher command line configuration utility, pmdf configure dispatcher (UNIX and VMS), or the PMDF web-based configuration utility, will configure the Dispatcher to handle the HTTP service and will generate a minimal HTTP server configuration file; see the appropriate edition of the PMDF Installation Guide for a description and example. It is highly recommended that the web-based PMDF configuration utility or the Dispatcher command line configuration utility be used to create the HTTP service definition and configuration file.

Samples of the default HTTP service definition in the Dispatcher configuration file can be seen in Examples Example 12-1 through Example 12-3. A sample of the minimal HTTP server configuration file can be seen in Example 12-4.

Note that the HTTP server listens on port 7633 by default. It can be configured to listen on a different port in the PMDF Service Dispatcher configuration file, dispatcher.cnf, located in the PMDF table directory.

The HTTP server configuration file, http.cnf, is located in the PMDF table directory. In order for the HTTP server to run properly, this configuration file needs to exist and include entries telling the HTTP server how to handle the various PMDF specific web pages and CGIs, as shown in Example 12-4.

Example 12-1 Sample HTTP Service Definition for OpenVMS 

! 
! HTTP server 
! 
[SERVICE=HTTP] 
PORT=7633 
IMAGE=PMDF_EXE:HTTP_SERVER.EXE 
LOGFILE=PMDF_LOG:HTTP_SERVER.LOG

Example 12-2 Sample HTTP Service Definition for UNIX 

! 
! HTTP server 
! 
[SERVICE=HTTP] 
PORT=7633 
IMAGE=/pmdf/bin/http_server 
LOGFILE=/pmdf/log/http_server.log

Example 12-3 Sample HTTP Service Definition for NT 

! 
! HTTP server 
! 
[SERVICE=HTTP] 
PORT=7633 
IMAGE=C:\pmdf\bin\http_server 
LOGFILE=C:\pmdf\log\http_server.log

Example 12-4 Sample http.cnf File 

METHODS=GET,POST,HEAD 
! 
[PATH=/dispatcher/] 
GET=PMDF_HTTP_DISPATCHER 
! 
[PATH=/doc/] 
GET=PMDF_HTTP_GET 
! 
[PATH=/monitor/] 
GET=PMDF_MONITOR_CGI 
POST=PMDF_MONITOR_CGI 
! 
[PATH=/qm/] 
GET=PMDF_QM_CGI 
POST=PMDF_QM_CGI 
! 
[PATH=/mailbox_filters/] 
GET=PMDF_MAILBOX_FILTERS_CGI 
POST=PMDF_MAILBOX_FILTERS_CGI 
! 
[PATH=/configure/] 
GET=PMDF_CONFIG_CGI 
POST=PMDF_CONFIG_CGI 
! 
[PATH=/images/] 
GET=PMDF_HTTP_GET 
HIDDEN=1 
! 
! The next three lines activate the password change web page 
[PATH=/chng_pwd/] 
GET=PMDF_POPSTORE_PWD_CGI 
POST=PMDF_POPSTORE_PWD_CGI 
! 
! The next three lines activate the popstore/MessageStore user interface 
![path=/msps_user/] 
!GET=PMDF_POPSTORE_USER_CGI 
!POST=PMDF_POPSTORE_USER_CGI 
! 
! The next three lines activate the popstore management interface 
![path=/popstore/] 
!GET=PMDF_POPSTORE_CGI 
!POST=PMDF_POPSTORE_CGI 
! 
! The next three lines activate the MessageStore management interface 
![path=/msgstore/] 
!GET=PMDF_MSGSTORE_CGI 
!POST=PMDF_MSGSTORE_CGI 
!

The following options can be specified in the HTTP server configuration file:

ALLOW_ROBOTS (integer)

By default, the HTTP server prevents robots from trawling through the HTTP server tree. ALLOW_ROBOTS controls the fetching of the file /robots.txt. ALLOW_ROBOTS=0 (the default) will send back a response that should prevent robots from trawling through the HTTP server directory tree, while ALLOW_ROBOTS=1 will send back a permissive response.

DEBUG (0 or 1)

The DEBUG option can be set to 1 to enable debugging of HTTP server activity.

Caution
Since entire transactions are logged, this means that if users use the popstore/MessageStore password changing CGI or set their mailbox filters, then the user's entire transaction including their password will be written to the debugging file.

DESCRIPTION (string)

Use the DESCRIPTION option to specify an alternate title to appear for the service on the HTTP server main page.

DOMAINNAME (string)

Use the DOMAINNAME option to specify a hostname that the HTTP server should use in the URLs that it generates. By default, the HTTP server uses the hostname returned by the TCP/IP stack. DOMAINNAME is a global option.

GET (string)

The GET HTTP method is used to retrieve documents or information. The value of the GET option should be a shareable image (VMS) or shared library (UNIX) or DLL (NT), which contains the code that implements the GET operation. The value can be a name from the PMDF tailor file.

HEAD (string)

The HEAD HTTP method is similar to the GET method, except that only the header information is retrieved and not the actual contents. The value of the HEAD option should be a shareable image (VMS) or shared library (UNIX) or DLL (NT), which contains the code that implements the HEAD operation. The value can be a name from the PMDF tailor file.

HIDDEN (0 or 1)

By default, all service definitions in the HTTP server configuration file are displayed on the HTTP server main page. Specify the HIDDEN option with a value of 1 on a service definition to prevent that service from being displayed.

LOGGING (0 or 1)

The LOGGING option can be used to cause PMDF to write out a single log line showing successful and failed HTTP requests. Setting LOGGING=1 enables the logging; LOGGING=0, the default, disables it.

Caution
Since entire transactions are logged, this means that if users use the popstore/MessageStore password changing CGI or set their mailbox filters, then the user's entire transaction including their password will be written to the log file.

METHODS (string)

The METHODS option is used to declare a list of HTTP methods that the HTML sources can use. The standard ones are GET, POST, and HEAD.

PATH (string)

The PATH option creates a new service definition. Specify the PATH option in square brackets (see Example 12-4). The value of the option should be the subdirectory of the PMDF WWW directory that contains the files for the services. (The PMDF WWW directory is usually PMDF_ROOT:[WWW] on VMS, /pmdf/www on UNIX, and C:\pmdf\wwww on NT.)

PORT (integer)

Specifies the port for the HTTP server to listen on. It only applies to the HTTP server running in standalone mode. For the regular HTTP server, the port is specified in the dispatcher configuration file.

POST (string)

The POST HTTP method is used to submit infromation. The value of the POST option should be a shareable image (VMS) or shared library (UNIX) or DLL (NT), which contains the code that implements the POST operation. The value can be a name from the PMDF tailor file.

REDIRECT (string)

Specifying the REDIRECT option on a service definition causes PMDF to refer over to a different service definition for what pages should be displayed and what actions should be done. The value of the REDIRECT option is the path of another service definition in the HTTP server configuration file.

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