NSAPI to FastCGI Interface

Table of Contents

» Revision History

21NOV97

09SEP97

21AUG97

» Overview

The NSAPI to FastCGI interface is a custom Netscape Application Programming Interface module which allows for the use of FastCGI responder type applications with Netscape Web Servers.

This FastCGI interface connects to a FastCGI compliant application through TCP/IP. It then forwards all of the appropriate server information from a request to the FastCGI application and then correctly formats the response, sending it back to the browser. This NSAPI/FastCGI interface will work with most FastCGI compliant applications.

Once installed, all access to your Web Crossing Server will be exactly as it was except that all access is now being provided by the FastCGI interface.

NOTE: This NSAPI Service acts also as a "Filter" and will only run for the URL that has the "Script" name specified in the obj.conf file at the end of the URI.

» Installing NSAPI FastCGI

Installation of the FastCGI interface involves four separate steps:

1. Copying the FastCGI application to the appropriate directory
2. Editing the configuration files for your particular Netscape Server using a simple text editor
3. Apply and restart the Netscape server to reflect the changes in the configuration files and to allow loading of the shared program, FastCgi.
4. Editing the General Settings in the Web Crossing sysop control panel to allow FastCgi access.

» Windows NT Installation

The Windows NT installation consists of a single ".dll" file called "FastCgi.dll" and this help file.

1. Copy the file "FastCgi.dll" to your Netscape Server's bin directory, i.e. "<server root>/bin/httpd/FastCgi.dll". This is typically located in "c:¥netscape¥server¥bin¥httpd¥*".
2. Modify your server's obj.conf file to reflect the following changes. This file is usually located in the directory "c:¥netscape¥server¥<NameOfYourServer>¥config¥obj.conf".

obj.conf Modifications:

At the beginning of obj.conf in the Init section, add the following lines:
Init fn=load-modules shlib=FastCGI.dll funcs=fastcgi,fastcgiinit,fastcgiterm
Init fn=fastcgiinit MaxSockConn=<N>

where <N> is the same number of connections that is specified in the Web Crossing General Settings control panel for FastCgi, e.g. MaxSockConn=10

Inside an object in obj.conf add the following to the beginning of the other Service directives:
Service method=(GET|HEAD|POST) type=* fn=fastcgi IP=xxx.yyy.zzz.www Port=3000 Script=/WebX

The IP parameter must be the IP address of the machine that is running the Web Crossing Server.
The Port parameter must be the port number that is set in the Web Crossing Sysop control panel, FastCGI settings.
The Script parameter is the script that you are currently using to access Web Crossing.
NOTE: This file MUST exist in the correct place on your server, even if the file is empty, as this bypasses Netscape's internal checks to see if a file exists prior to executing the Service directives.

3. Restart your Netscape server to reflect the changes to the obj.conf and to allow the loading of the shared FastCgi.dll program. You might also need to "Apply" the changes through the administration portion of your server.
4. Edit the General Settings of the Web Crossing sysop control panel to reflect the port that you chose in step 2.

» Unix Installation

The Unix installation consists of a single ".so" file called "fastcgi.so" and this help file.

1. Copy the file "fastcgi.so" to your Netscape Server's bin directory, i.e. "<server root>/bin/httpd/fastcgi.so". This is typically located in "/netscape/server/bin/httpd/*".
2. Modify your server's obj.conf file to reflect the following changes. This file is usually located in the directory "¥netscape¥server¥<NameOfYourServer>¥config¥obj.conf".

obj.conf Modifications:

At the beginning of obj.conf in the Init section, add the following lines:
Init fn=load-modules shlib=fastcgi.so funcs=fastcgiinit,fastcgiterm,fastcgi
Init fn=fastcgiinit MaxSockConn=<N>

where <N> is the same number of connections that is specified in the Web Crossing General Settings control panel for FastCgi, e.g. MaxSockConn=10

Inside an object in obj.conf add the following to the beginning of the other Service directives:
Service method=(GET|HEAD|POST) type=* fn=fastcgi IP=xxx.yyy.zzz.www Port=3000 Script=/WebX

The IP parameter must be the IP address of the machine that is running the Web Crossing Server.
The Port parameter must be the port number that is set in the Web Crossing Sysop control panel, FastCGI settings.
The Script parameter is the script that you are currently using to access Web Crossing.
NOTE: This file MUST exist in the correct place on your server, even if the file is empty, as this bypasses Netscape's internal checks to see if a file exists prior to executing the Service directives.

3. Restart your Netscape server to reflect the changes to the obj.conf and to allow the loading of the shared FastCgi.so program. You might also need to "Apply" the changes through the administration portion of your server.
4. Edit the General Settings of the Web Crossing sysop control panel to reflect the port that you chose in step 2.

» Custom Options

You may add an optional parameter to the "obj.conf" file to perform common log and/or error and timestamp logging to a file by inserting the following parameter: LogRequests="/logs/fastcgi.log" to the INIT Directive parameters.

For example:
Init fn=fastcgiinit MaxSockConn=10 LogRequests="/logs/fastcgi.log"CommonLog="/logs/common.log"

When this parameter is present, errors and timestamps are written to a log file named fastcgi.log, and the client info is written to the common log file name common.log.

NOTE: Logging can affect server performance. The log request option is only recommended for debugging purposes.