Apache 1.x Modules

• Apache relies heavily on modules. The core is actually rather dumb
• The modules hook into the "work-flow" of Apache by directives in the configuration file
• Modules contain handlers (functions) which handle various events of the web server operations
• Modules can be static (linked into the web server executable) or loaded dynamically (dll’s in Windows – Shared Objects in Unix)
• Modules handle Apache events
  • Server (virtual host) startup / exit
  • Child startup / exit
  • Request handling (from Apache API notes)
    • URI -> Filename translation
    • Auth ID checking [is the user who they say they are?]
    • Auth access checking [is the user authorized here?]
    • Access checking other than auth
    • Determining MIME type of the object requested
    • 'Fixups' --- there aren't any of these yet, but the phase is intended as a hook for possible extensions like SetEnv, which don't really fit well elsewhere
    • Actually sending a response back to the client
    • Logging the request
• Popular Modules: mod_alias, mod_dir, mod_speling, mod_auth_.., mod_proxy, mod_perl, mod_php, mod_jserv, mod_status, mod_rewrite and many, many more