Configuring the Documentation Server

To view the current server configuration, select View Current Configuration from the Admin GUI. To change these settings, select Modify Server Configuration from the Admin GUI.

Viewing Documentation Server Configuration

The View Current Configuration page lists the settings shown in Table 3-1 and Table 3-2. These settings are stored in the server_config_path/dwhttpd.cfg file (which defaults to /usr/lib/ab2/dweb/data/config/dwhttpd.cfg).

If you are running a CGI-based server rather than the default NSAPI-based server, only some server configuration options are visible in the Admin GUI's interface. For more information, see "Configuration Issues when Running the Server as a CGI Process".

The document administrator should not manually change the settings shown in Table 3-2. The system configures these settings when you install the server software.

You can also use the following command to view the current server configuration:

% /usr/lib/ab2/bin/ab2admin -o view_config [-m server_name] [-p server_port]

Changing Documentation Server Configuration

When you install the AnswerBook2 server software, certain variables are set to default values. Use the fields on the Modify Server Configuration page to change these values. You can change the following server settings:

• Server name -- When you install the documentation server, AnswerBook2 automatically sets this variable to the current host name (for example, cats). If you want anyone outside of your domain to access documents on this server, change the name to a fully qualified name (for example, cats.house.pets.com ).

• Server port number -- To use a port other than 8888 for the AnswerBook2 server, enter the port number in this field. To use a port number below 1024, you need to perform some additional steps. For more information, see "Using a Port Number Less Than 1024".

• Maximum threads -- This is the maximum number of concurrent AnswerBook1 searches the server will perform. If you have lots of AnswerBook1 collections and people search them frequently, you might want to increase this number. If you increase this number, however, it might slow your server's response time.

• Maximum server requests -- This tells the server how often to perform "housekeeping" activities and restart itself. The number indicates the number of http requests to the server.

• Access log file -- Click the appropriate item to turn on or turn off access logging. If you anticipate many users accessing your documentation server, you might want to periodically save and restart this log file. For more information about rotating the access log file, see "Rotating Log Files".

• Error log file -- Click the appropriate item to turn on or turn off error logging. If you experience large numbers of server errors, you might need to periodically save and restart this log file. For more information about rotating the error log file, see "Rotating Log Files".

• Administration access control -- Click the appropriate item to turn on or turn off administrative access control. When access control is turned on, only those users who have administrative access defined can perform administrative functions for this server.

These functions are also available through the administration command-line interface (ab2admin). For detailed information about the command-line interface, see the ab2admin(1m) man page. You can also edit the server_config_path/dwhttpd.cfg file (which defaults to /usr/lib/ab2/dweb/data/config/dwhttpd.cfg) to change these values.

If you change any of these values, you must stop and start the documentation server. Log in as root on the server machine and type the following commands:

# /usr/lib/ab2/bin/ab2admin -o stop
# /usr/lib/ab2/bin/ab2admin -o start

Using a Port Number Less Than 1024

Port numbers below 1024 are reserved for system use. To use one of these numbers (for example, port number 80) for the AnswerBook2 server, perform the following steps:

1. Either use the Modify Configuration Settings function in the Admin GUI or edit the /usr/lib/ab2/dweb/data/config/dwhttpd.cfg file and change the following line:

   set ServerPort 8888

   To this:

   set ServerPort 80

2. Edit the /usr/lib/ab2/dweb/data/config/nsapi.cfg file and change the following line:

   set ServerPort 8888

   To this:

   set ServerPort 80

3. Edit the /etc/init.d/ab2mgr file and change the following line:

   su daemon -c "LD_PRELOAD=$pre_load;LANG=$LNG;AB2_ORIG_LANG=$ORGLNG;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBP;EBT_REGISTRY=$ER;export LD_PRELOAD LD_LIBRARY_PATH LANG AB2_ORIG_LANG LC_ALL EBT_REGISTRY; $AB2BIN/dwhttpd $AB2CFG > /dev/null"

   To this:

   su root -c "LD_PRELOAD=$pre_load;LANG=$LNG;AB2_ORIG_LANG=$ORGLNG;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBP;EBT_REGISTRY=$ER;export LD_PRELOAD LD_LIBRARY_PATH LANG AB2_ORIG_LANG LC_ALL EBT_REGISTRY; $AB2BIN/dwhttpd $AB2CFG > /dev/null"

   This allows the parent dwhttpd process to run as root, which can then use port 80. Note that the child dwhttpd process still runs as daemon.

Configuration Issues when Running the Server as a CGI Process

Because the AnswerBook2 server follows standard web protocols, you can run the AnswerBook2 server as a CGI process on an existing server, rather than as the default NSAPI server. For information on how to configure your server to run this way, see "Running the AnswerBook2 Documentation Server as a CGI Process".

If you run your documentation server as a CGI process, the following configuration settings will not display on the View Configuration Settings page of the Admin GUI:

• Maximum Threads

• Maximum Server Request

• Server Configuration Path

• Server User

• Plug-in File

• Mime File

• Doc Root

• Log Directory

The only option available on the Modify Server Configuration page will be turning on or turning off access control. All other functions will not display.

The following options for the ab2admin command will not work:

• -o access_on

• -o access_off

• -o error_off

• -o error_on

• -o modify_server_name

• -o modify_server_port