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1 - Web Servers- IIS and Apache

OBJECTIVES
In this chapter you will learn:
• To understand a web server’s functionality.
• To introduce Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS) and Apache HTTP Server.
• To set up virtual directories from which
content can be served.
• To test whether you set up the virtual
directory properly.
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5.1 Introduction
5.2 HTTP Transactions
5.3 Multitier Application Architecture
5.4 Client-Side Scripting versus Server-Side Scripting
5.5 Accessing Web Servers
5.6 Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
5.6.1 Microsoft Internet Information Services
(IIS) 5.1 and 6.0
5.6.2 Microsoft Internet Information Services
(IIS) 7.0
5.7 Apache HTTP Server
5.8 Requesting Documents
5.9 Web Resources
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5.1 Introduction
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• A web server responds to client requests (typically from a

web browser) by providing resources such as XHTML
documents.
▫ When users enter a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
address, such as www.deitel.com, into a web browser, they
are requesting a specific document from a web server. The
web server maps the URL to a resource on the server (or to a
file on the server’s network) and returns the requested
resource to the client.

• A web server and a client communicate using the platform-

independent Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a
protocol for transferring requests and files over the
Internet or an intranet.
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5.2 HTTP Transactions

• The HTTP protocol allows clients and servers to interact and
exchange information in a uniform and reliable manner.
• HTTP uses URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) to identify data on
the Internet.
• URIs that specify document locations are called URLs (Uniform
Resource Locators). Common URLs refer to files, directories or
objects that perform complex tasks, such as database lookups and
Internet searches.
• A URL contains information that directs a browser to the resource
that the user wishes to access.
• http:// indicates that the resource is to be obtained using the
HTTP protocol.
http://www.deitel.com/books/downloads.html
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5.2 HTTP Transactions (Cont.)

• Fully qualified hostname- www.deitel.com
▫ the name of the server on which the resource resides, called the host
• A hostname is translated into an IP address—a unique numerical value
which identifies the server
▫ Translation is performed by a domain name system (DNS) server—a computer
that maintains a database of hostnames and their corresponding IP addresses—
and the process is called a DNS lookup
• The remainder of the URL after the hostname specifies both the name of
the requested resource and its path, or location, on the web server
• For security reasons the path normally specifies the location of a virtual
directory. The server translates the virtual directory into a real location
on the server (or on another computer on the server’s network), thus
hiding the true location of the resource
• Some resources are created dynamically and do not reside anywhere on
the server
http://www.deitel.com/books/downloads.html
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5.2 HTTP Transactions (Cont.)

• When given a URL, a web browser performs a simple HTTP
transaction to retrieve and display the web page found at that
address.
• HTTP method get indicates that the client wishes to obtain a
resource from the server. The remainder of the request provides the
path name of the resource (e.g., an XHTML document) and the
protocol’s name and version number (HTTP/1.1).
GET /books/downloads.html HTTP/1.1
• Any server that understands HTTP can receive a get request and
respond appropriately.
• HTTP status code 200 indicates success. Status code 404 informs the
client that the web server could not locate the requested resource.
HTTP/1.1 200 Ok HTTP/1.1 404 Not found

• A complete list of numeric codes indicating the status of an HTTP

transaction can be found at
www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec10.html
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5.2 HTTP Transactions (Cont.)

• In a response, the server sends one or more HTTP headers, which
provide additional information about the data that will be sent.
• Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is an Internet
standard that specifies data formats so that programs can interpret
data correctly. The MIME type text/plain indicates that the sent
information is text that can be displayed directly, without any
interpretation of the content as XHTML markup. The MIME type
image/jpeg indicates that the content is a JPEG image. When the
browser receives this MIME type, it attempts to display the image.
• The header or set of headers is followed by a blank line, which
indicates to the client browser that the server is finished sending
HTTP headers.
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Fig. 5.1 | Client interacting with web server. Step 1: The GET request.

Fig. 5.2 | Client interacting with web server. Step 2: The HTTP response.
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5.2 HTTP Transactions (Cont.)

• Two most common HTTP request types
▫ get and post
▫ get request typically gets (or retrieves) information from a server. Common uses of get
requests are to retrieve an XHTML document or an image, or to fetch search results based
on a user-submitted search term.
▫ post request typically posts (or sends) data to a server. Common uses of post requests are
to send information to a server, such as authentication information or data from a form that
gathers user input.
▫ An HTTP request often posts data to a server-side form handler that processes the data.
▫ A get request sends information to the server as part of the URL in a query string. A ?
separates the query string from the rest of the URL in a get request. A name/value pair is
passed to the server with the name and the value separated by an equals sign (=). If more
than one name/value pair is submitted, each pair is separated by an ampersand (&).
▫ A get request may be initiated by submitting an XHTML form whose method attribute is
set to "get", or by typing the URL (possibly containing a query string) directly into the
browser’s address bar
▫ A post request is specified in an XHTML form by the method "post". The post method
sends form data as an HTTP message, not as part of the URL.
▫ A get request limits the query string to a specific number of characters (2083 in IE; more in
other browsers).
▫ Large pieces of information must be sent using the post method.
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Software Engineering Observation 5.1

The data sent in a post request is not part

of the URL and the user can’t see the data
by default. However there are tools available
that expose this data, so you should not
assume that the data is secure just because a
post request is used.
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5.2 HTTP Transactions (Cont.)

• Browsers often cache web pages so they can
quickly reload the pages. If there are no changes
between the version stored in the cache and the
current version on the web, this helps speed up
your browsing experience.
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5.3 Multitier Application Architecture

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• Web-based applications are multi tier applications that divide functionality

into separate tiers. Although tiers can be located on the same computer,
the tiers of web-based applications typically reside on separate computers.
• The bottom tier (also called the data tier or the information tier) maintains
the application’s data.
• The middle tier implements business logic, controller logic and
presentation logic to control interactions between the application’s clients
and its data.
• Business logic in the middle tier enforces business rules and ensures that
data is reliable before the server application updates the database or
presents the data to users.
Business rules dictate how clients can and cannot access application data, and
how applications process data.
• The top tier, or client tier, is the application’s user interface. In response to
user actions, the client tier interacts with the middle tier to make requests
and to retrieve data from the information tier. The client tier then displays
the data retrieved for the user. The client tier never directly interacts with
the information tier.
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Fig. 5.3 | Three-tier architecture.

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5.4 Client-Side Scripting versus Server-Side Scripting

• Client-side scripting can be used to validate user input, to
interact with the browser, to add Ajax functionality…
• Client-side scripting does have limitations, such as browser
dependency; the browser or scripting host must support the
scripting language and capabilities.
• Client-side scripts can be viewed by the client by using the
browser’s source-viewing capability.
• Sensitive information, such as passwords or other
personally identifiable data, should not be stored or
validated on the client.
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5.4 Client-Side Scripting versus Server-Side Scripting(Cont.)

• Placing large amounts of JavaScript on the client can
open web applications to attack and other security
issues.
• Code executed on the server often generate custom
responses for clients.
• Server-side scripting languages have a wider range of
programmatic capabilities than their client-side
equivalents. For example, server-side scripts often can
access the server’s file directory structure, whereas
client-side scripts cannot access the client’s directories.
• Properly configured server-side scripts are not visible to
the client; only XHTML and any client-side scripts are
visible to the client.
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Software Engineering Observation 5.2

Properly configured server-side script source code
is not visible to the client; only XHTML and any
client-side scripts are visible to the client.
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5.5 Accessing Web Servers

• To request documents from web servers, users
must know the hostnames on which the web
server software resides.
• Users can request documents from local web
servers or remote web servers.
• Local web servers can be accessed through your
computer’s name or through the name
localhost—a hostname that references the
local machine and normally translates to the IP
address 127.0.0.1 (also known as the
loopback address).
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5.6 Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

• Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) is a web server
that is included with several versions of Windows. Installing
IIS on a machine allows that computer to serve documents.
• To install IIS 5.1 on Windows XP, you may need your
original operating-system disk. For IIS 6.0 (Windows Server
2003) and IIS 7.0 (Windows Vista), the software should
already be installed, but is also available on your installation
disk.
• You place documents that will be requested from IIS either
in the default directory or in a virtual directory. A virtual
directory is an alias for an existing directory that resides on
the local machine or on the network.
• In Windows Vista, before you can use IIS, you must enable
the World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3SVC).
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Fig. 5.4 | Internet Information Services window of IIS 5.1.

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Fig. 5.5 | Virtual Directory Creation Wizard welcome page.

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Fig. 5.6 | Virtual Directory Alias page of the Virtual Directory

Creation Wizard.
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Fig. 5.7 | Web Site Content Directory page of the Virtual Directory
Creation Wizard.
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Fig. 5.8 | Access Permissions page of the Virtual Directory Creation Wizard.
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Fig. 5.9 | Internet Information (IIS) Services Manager window (IIS 7.0).

The current shipping version of IIS is IIS 7.5, included in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008
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Fig. 5.10 | Add Virtual Directory dialog.

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5.7 Apache HTTP Server

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• The Apache HTTP Server, maintained by the Apache Software

Foundation, is currently the most popular web server. It is open source
software that runs on UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and numerous
other platforms.
• Mac OS X and many versions of Linux come preinstalled with Apache.
• You can obtain the Apache HTTP Server for a variety of platforms from
httpd.apache.org/download.cgi.
• All documents that will be requested from an Apache HTTP Server must
be either in the default directory or in a directory for which an Apache
HTTP Server alias is configured. An alias is Apache’s equivalent to
Microsoft IIS’s virtual directory. It is a pointer to an existing directory
that resides on the local machine or on the network.
• The httpd.conf file contains all the information that the Apache
HTTP Server needs to run correctly and serve web documents. An
introductory comment at the top of the httpd.conf file explains how
the file is organized. After this comment, the configuration information
starts with the most important, global settings.
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Fig. 5.11 | Apache Service Monitor.

(Courtesy of The Apache Software Foundation, <http://www.apache.org/>.)

The current version of the Apache HTTP Server is Apache 2.2.21

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Good Programming Practice 5.1

Place a small comment near any changes
you make to the Apache httpd.conf file.
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Error-Prevention Tip 5.1

If you place a forward slash (/) at the end of the alias

name, Apache will require this slash when a document
is requested from the server. For example, if your alias
is /myExamples/, then a user request for
http://localhost/myExamples will not work
as expected. The user will need to request
http://localhost/myExamples/ to access the alias. If
the forward slash (/) is not placed at the end of the alias
name, Apache will not require this slash, and will work as
expected whether or not it is present in the request.
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5.8 Requesting Documents

• The server sends XHTML documents to the client as static web pages.
The server response for a given XHTML document is always the same.
• For other types of documents, such as PHP, Ruby on Rails, ASP.NET
and JavaServer Faces, the appropriate language interpreter or
scripting engine first generates XHTML content, then transmits it to
the client over HTTP. These are often referred to as dynamic web
pages, because the results of these requests might vary based on
numerous factors, such as user input, the time of day and current
database content.
• A file cannot be copied directly to a virtual directory, because a virtual
directory is only a name referring to a physical local directory.
• To request the document from IIS or Apache, start the server, launch a
web browser and enter the XHTML document’s URL (i.e.,
http://localhost/Chapter21Test/test.html) in the Address
field.
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Fig. 5.12 | Requesting test.html.

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Examples - Requesting Documents

• Requesting five different documents
▫ XHTML
▫ ASP.NET
▫ Perl
▫ PHP
▫ Python
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1. XHTML
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• Request XHTML documents from IIS 6.0 or Apache

▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter XHTML document’s location in Address field

Fig. 5.14 Requesting test.html from IIS 5.

Fig. 5.15 Requesting test.html from IIS 6 or Apache.

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2. ASP.NET
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• Request ASP.NET document from IIS 5 or 6

▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter ASP.NET document’s location in Address field
• Apache support ASP Classic but doesn’t support ASP.NET

Fig. 5.16 Requesting test.aspx from IIS 5.

Fig. 5.17 Requesting test.aspx from IIS 6.

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3. Perl
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• Request Perl document from IIS 5 or 6

▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter the Perl document’s location in the Address field
• Request Perl document on Apache Web server
▫ Put all Perl documents in cgi-bin directory
▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter Perl document’s location in Address field

Fig. 5.18 Requesting test.pl from IIS 5.

Fig. 5.19 Requesting test.pl from IIS 6.

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3. Perl

Fig. 5.20 Requesting test.pl from Apache.

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4. PHP
• Request PHP documents from IIS 5 and 6
▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter PHP document’s location in the Address
field
• Request PHP documents from Apache
▫ Save PHP documents in the htdocs directory
▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter PHP document’s location in Address field
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4. PHP
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Fig. 5.21 Requesting test.php from IIS 5.

Fig. 5.22 Requesting test.php from IIS 6.

Fig. 5.23 Requesting test.php from Apache.

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5. Python
• Request Python documents from IIS 5 and 6
▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter Python document’s location in the Address
field
• Request Python documents from Apache Web
server
▫ Put Python documents in cgi-bin directory
▫ Launch Internet Explorer
▫ Enter Python document’s location in Address field
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5. Python
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Fig. 5.24 Requesting test.py from IIS.

Fig. 5.25 Requesting test.py from IIS 6.

Fig. 5.26 Requesting test.py from Apache.

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5.9 Web Resources

• www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ntoptionpack/askwiz.asp
• www.w3.org/Protocols
• www.apache.org
• httpd.apache.org
• httpd.apache.org/docs-2.0
• www.apacheweek.com
• linuxtoday.com/stories/18780.html
• www.iisanswers.com
• www.iisadministrator.com