5.1

4 vFabric Web Server
4 Overview of vFabric Web Server
Many applications can be built to support FastCGI; consult your language or application documentation for details. The
application providing FastCGI services is launched by mod_fcgid on the initial request, and reused for subsequent requests to that
application or language environment.
For details on configuring an application, including the number of persistent processes created, see Apache Module mod_fcgid.
Differences Between vFabric Web Server and vFabric ERS
The vFabric Cloud Application Platform includes two HTTP server and load-balancing products: vFabric Web Server and
vFabric Enterprise Ready Server (ERS). vFabric ERS is nearing its end-of-life and VMware highly recommends that ERS
customers migrate to vFabric Web Server. The following table describes the major differences between the two products and
provides high-level actions that existing ERS customers can take as they prepare for the migration.
Table 2.1. Differences Between vFabric Web Server and vFabric ERS
vFabric Web Server vFabric ERS Customer Action
Available as part of vFabric Suite (Standard
and Advanced) or as a standalone product.
Not included in vFabric Suite. Originally
designed for only physical computers.
Select licensing based on vFabric integration
or dedicated hardware.
Strictly an Apache HTTPD Server-based
product. vFabric tc Server, a separate
product, is strictly an Apache Tomcat-based
product.
Includes both Apache HTTPD and Apache
Tomcat packages.
Migrate ERS Apache HTTPD instances to
vFabric Web Server. Separately migrate ERS
Tomcat instances to vFabric tc Server.
Runs on current, vendor-supported 32-
and 64-bit releases of RHEL, Microsoft
Windows, Solaris, and AIX. See Supported
Configurations and System Requirements for
the exact versions.
Runs on now-unsupported, or "twilighted",
versions of RHEL, Windows, Solaris, AIX, and
HPUX. See ERS Supported Platforms for the
exact versions.
Upgrade to a vendor-supported operating
system version for all vFabric Web Server
instances, and apply all patch releases (such
as service packs) issued by that vendor
no later than 12 months from their vendor
release.
Includes the current enterprise-ready release
of Apache HTTPD Server 2.2.
Includes the current release of Apache
HTTPD Server 2.2, as well as the now-
deprecated 2.0 and 1.3 versions.
Migrate all Apache HTTPD 2.0 and 1.3
instances to vFabric Web Server 2.2
instances. The migration requires updates to
the *.conf file.
During installation or upgrade, the Apache
HTTPD binaries are written to a path
in the format vfabric-web-server/
httpd-2.2.xx.x-32. This preserves any
existing Apache HTTPD binaries without
overwriting them.
During installation or upgrade, the Apache
HTTPD binaries are always written to the
same directory (ers-install-path/
apache2.2-64), which means on upgrade
any existing binaries are overwritten.
Point all server instances to the common
symlink vfabric-web-server/
httpd-2.2, modify it to revert/roll back/
change 32-64 bit modes.
Includes the most commonly-used modules.
See Complete Packages and Modules in
vFabric Web Server 5.1.
Included additional modules, such as
mod_perl, mod_php, and mod_snmp.
Migrate PHP and Perl applications to the
supported, and more optimal, mod_fcgid
environment.
Closely tracks Apache Software Foundation
(ASF) naming and directory layout
conventions. In particular:
• install-dir/httpd-2.2/modules/
directory contains the loadable modules
• Binaries and configuration file names use
httpd prefix
• install-dir/newserver.pl|vbs
creates new instances
• instance-dir/bin/httpdctl controls
each deployed instance
• instance-dir/conf/extras/ offers
feature-based small config templates
Has a number of now-stale, legacy file and
path conventions. In particular:
• install-dir/apache2.2/modules/
standard directory contains the loadable
modules
• Binaries and configuration file names use
httpsd prefix
• install-dir/ers-server.pl creates
new instances
• install-dir/servers/instance-
dir/bin/apache_startup.sh|bat
controls each deployed instance
• install-dir/servers/instance-
dir/conf/httpsd.conf is one large,
monolithic configuration template.
Create a new vFabric Web Server instance,
then migrate customizations from your
existing vFabric ERS instance. Alternatively,
modify a copy of the deployed vFabric
ERS instance tree to use vFabric Web
Server path and file name conventions.
Use smaller functional .conf snippets to
make the configuration more organized and
maintainable.