Running Multiple Apache Instances?
 

Good morning,

I have been given the task of creating multiple instaces of Apache as a reverse proxy on a single server. We are running Sles11sp1 and Apache 2.2.12-1.28.1. What is the best way to do this? I have found numerous articles but none so far that tell you how to do from start to finish, with detailed instructions. Does this type of documentation exist for this? Any recommendations?

Thanks
Scott

What issues specifically can't you overcome? Or what guidance do you need specifically need? If you have Linux and Apache installed all ready you're 2/3 the way there. Any guide that shows you how to do one site via reverse proxy should do, just repeat the steps for each site. As far as multiple instances of Apache all you have to do is configure how many threads you want at start up, it will dynamically generate more threads to handle requests as it runs low.

Here is some history on this. Currently we have Apache reverse proxy instances running on mayny SLES9 servers, a very old version Apache. The person who created this is not longer with the company and no one else knows how to do it. So we want to migrate the instances over to SLES11. However this person did not configure Apache with the installation defaults, for example on SLES 11 the default installation directory is /etc/apache2. The creator of the SLES9 Apache instances has the instances running in /opt/apache2/instancename/. There are three files that control each instance, http_instancename.conf, apachectl_instancename, and apache_instancename. There are a dozen or more instances running on each server. So what I have tried to do so far, I installed Apache2 to the default directory /etc/apache2/. Then I have created /etc/apache2/instancename/ directories. Each of my instances contains for files, default-server.conf, httpd.conf, listen.conf, instancename.sh and a folder named sysconfig.d. Also each instancename has to have it's own logs and log file directory which I have done. I have the log directories for each instance in /var/log/apache2/instancename. I am able to get all the instances running. However, I have not put the proxypass/reverse proxy code into each instance. Simple trying to figure out what is the best way to do this and also to get it working at the basic level.

So from what I have told you so far, am I doing this correctly or is there a better way? Any suggestions or help you can provide is greatly appreciated.


Scott

You said you needed separate logs, so I guess you are doing it the way you need to do it. I would have simplified my life if I could. But everyone's needs are different.

At this point it sounds like everything you need to do is done except configure the proxy part of Apache. Just configure each instance for reverse proxy for the site it's supposed to service. You should then be done.