vqServer Files and aliases


Web browsers ask web sites for files by name. vqServer interprets this name as an alias and translates it to the file's real name using an internal list. Each alias is also associated with information which tells vqServer how to handle the request.

There is a different list of aliases for each server. To display the aliases for the main web server, click on Aliases under Main web server in the control centre menu. To display a directory listing together with the aliases corresponding to each file and directory, click on Files under Main web server. To display the aliases or directory listing for another server, click on Server in the control centre menu, then click on the name of the server you are interested in, then click on either Aliases or Files.

vqServer processes requests by searching its list of aliases (from most specific to least specific) until it finds an alias which matches the request. The part of the requested file name which matches the alias is replaced with the real name corresponding to the alias to determine the real name of the file requested.

For example, suppose that a web browser requests the file /index.html form your web site. The first alias which matches this is / (the last alias in the standard list of aliases). The real name associated with / is public/. vqServer therefore responds to the request by sending the file public/index.html where public/ is interpreted as a subdirectory of the website/ directory.

The information associated with each alias also determines how vqServer handles a request. There are four possibilities:

  1. Send file: just return the file requested.
  2. Redirect: redirect the request to the translated location. The real name must be something like http://host/path/filename.ext.
  3. Run java servlet: the servlet corresponding to the real name is loaded if necessary and run. See calling servlets and servlet aliases for more information on servlet aliases.
  4. Run CGI script: runs the CGI script corresponding to the real name. The real name must be something like cgidirectory/progname.exe.

Aliases always begin with /. If an alias refers to a directory the alias and its real name also end with /. Whenever you change an alias' settings vqServer checks it against your computer's file system and adds or removes /s as necessary.

An alias can also refer to a Java package. In this case the alias and its real name should end with a dot. In the default configuration supplied with vqServer, this method is used to alias the special internal servlets. It's almost impossible for vqServer to check such aliases (the package might be in an archive or on the CLASSPATH) so you'll have to carefully check any such aliases yourself. You can't use this method if the package is on the CLASSPATH and its name confilicts with the name of a subdirectory of website/.

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Files page
Aliases page
Alias settings
Alias parameters

Files page

The files page for a server is displayed when Files in the server's options submenu of the control centre menu is clicked. The page contains an alphabetically ordered list of files in your website/ directory. To change the directory displayed, you can:

  • click on the Parent directory link at the top of the list.
  • click on the name of a subdirectory.
  • type the name (including drive letter, if applicable on your operating system) of any directory accessible to your computer in the edit box at the bottom of the page and click the Goto button.

The following is displayed for each file or directory.

Aliases

A list of the aliases by which the file or directory can be accessed on your web site. Aliases in brackets (...) are duplicate aliases by which the file or directory can never actually be accessed because an identical alias has a higher priority.
Read access The name of the read access control list corresponding to the corresponding alias.
Hits The number of times this file has been requested from your web site since the log files were last reset. Clicking on the number displays a list of links to HTML pages which contain references to the file. Only displayed if the hits log is enabled and the item is a file, not a directory.

You can:

  • create a new alias corresponding to a file or directory by clicking on the ellipsis (...) next to the name of the file or directory.
  • view and edit the settings for an existing alias which controls access to a file or directory by clicking on the blue part of the alias.
  • create a new alias which corresponds exactly to a file or directory (and will therefore override the existing alias) by clicking on the ellipsis (...) next to the alias.
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Aliases page

The aliases page for a server is displayed when Aliases in the server's options submenu of the control centre menu is clicked. Aliases are displayed in the order vqServer searches them to find the alias matching a request, which is reverse alphabetical order.

The following is displayed for each alias.

Alias

The name of the alias. This is what is compared with the name of a requested file. It always begins with /.
Action
Real name
How vqServer handles a request which matches this alias and the Real name of the file or directory associated with this alias.
Settings Displays the settings for this alias.
Parameters Displays the parameters for this alias.
Delete Deletes the alias.

The New alias link on the control centre menu on this page allows you to add a new alias to the list.

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Alias settings

This form is displayed when some links on a files page are clicked or when a icon in an aliases page is clicked. It provides control over the main characteristics of an alias.

The form is context-sensitive: only options appropriate to the alias are displayed. If different options become appropriate as a result of editing an alias the form is redisplayed with the appropriate options.

Alias

The name of the alias. This is what is compared with the name of a requested file. It must begin with / and must end with / if the alias corresponds to a directory.

Real name

The part of the request which matches the alias is replaced with this to determine the real file name. It must ends with / if the alias corresponds to a directory.

Default file

If a request translates to the name of a directory instead of a specific file, vqServer looks for the default file in the directory and sends it if available. This is the mechanism by which visitors to your web site are sent your index.html file if they don't specify a particular file in their request. Not displayed unless the alias corresponds to a directory.
Allow directory listings This check box determines whether vqServer can send directory listings if these are requested. Directory listings are only generated if the alias corresponds to a directory and no default file is specified. Not displayed unless the alias corresponds to a directory.

Action

How vqServer handles a request which matches this alias.

Filter:

Allows you to specify a filter servlet or a chain of filter servlets through which files matching the alias are passed prior to dispatch. Filters set on this form override any file type specific filters. Filter servlets must be specified by their alias and must begin with /. Several filter servlets can be chained by separating their aliases with ;. Displayed only if the aliases' action is serve file.
Load on startup If this box is checked vqServer will attempt to load and initialise the corresponding servlet when the server starts up. Only displayed if the alias corresponds to a single servlet.
Load now or Unload now If this box is checked vqServer will attempt to load and initialise (or destroy) the corresponding servlet when the Ok button is clicked. Only displayed if the alias corresponds to a single servlet.

Read access

If this is not Anyone, vqServer restricts read access to files and directories matching this alias to persons listed in the access control list specified. See the security page.

Choosing New ACL here creates a new access control list, restricts read access to files and directories matching this alias to persons listed in the new access control list and takes you to the new access control list's settings page when the Ok button is pressed.

Publish access

Restricts web page publishing to files and directories matching this alias to persons listed in the access control list specified. See the security page. Only displayed for aliases whose action is Serve file.

Choosing New ACL here creates a new access control list, restricts publishing access to files and directories matching this alias to persons listed in the new access control list and takes you to the new access control list's settings page when the Ok button is pressed.

Show parameters

If this box is checked, vqServer displays the parameters for the alias when the Ok button is clicked.

Delete

If this box is checked, vqServer deletes the alias from its internal list when the Ok button is clicked (after displaying a confirmation page).
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Alias parameters

Each alias is associated with a list of parameters. Parameters are meaningful only in the context of Java servlets and CGI scripts:

  • Java servlets: The alias parameters are treated as servlet initialisation parameters which can be accessed using the getParameterNames() and getParameter() methods of the ServletConfig interface. See JavaSoft's servlet documentation for more information about these methods.
  • CGI scripts: The alias parameters are passed to the script as environment variables.

To display the parameters associated with an alias click on the icon in the Parameters column next to the alias in a list of aliases.

The following is displayed for each parameter.

Name

The name of the parameter.
Value
Real name
The value of the parameter.
Edit Displays a form which allows you to edit the name and value of the parameter.
Delete Deletes the parameter.

If the alias corresponds to a single servlet which is currently initialised a button labelled Reinitialise this servlet is displayed underneath the list of parameters which allows you to reinitialise the servlet after changing its initialisation parameters.

The New parameter link on the control centre menu on this page allows you to add a new parameter to the list.


vqServer version 1.9. Copyright © 1997-2000 Steve Shering and vqSoft. Last updated 13 March 2000.
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