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6 Copyright 2002-2004 The Apache Software Foundation
8 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
9 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
10 You may obtain a copy of the License at
12 http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
14 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
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16 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
17 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
18 limitations under the License.
21 <modulesynopsis metafile="mpm_common.xml.meta">
23 <name>mpm_common</name>
24 <description>A collection of directives that are implemented by
25 more than one multi-processing module (MPM)</description>
29 <name>AcceptMutex</name>
30 <description>Method that Apache uses to serialize multiple children
31 accepting requests on network sockets</description>
32 <syntax>AcceptMutex Default|<var>method</var></syntax>
33 <default>AcceptMutex Default</default>
34 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
35 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>perchild</module>
36 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
40 <p>The <directive>AcceptMutex</directive> directives sets the
41 method that Apache uses to serialize multiple children accepting
42 requests on network sockets. Prior to Apache 2.0, the method was
43 selectable only at compile time. The optimal method to use is
44 highly architecture and platform dependent. For further details,
45 see the <a href="../misc/perf-tuning.html">performance tuning</a>
48 <p>If this directive is set to <code>Default</code>, then the
49 compile-time selected default will be used. Other possible
50 methods are listed below. Note that not all methods are
51 available on all platforms. If a method is specified which is
52 not available, a message will be written to the error log
53 listing the available methods.</p>
56 <dt><code>flock</code></dt>
57 <dd>uses the <code>flock(2)</code> system call to lock the
58 file defined by the <directive module="mpm_common"
59 >LockFile</directive> directive.</dd>
61 <dt><code>fcntl</code></dt>
62 <dd>uses the <code>fcntl(2)</code> system call to lock the
63 file defined by the <directive module="mpm_common"
64 >LockFile</directive> directive.</dd>
66 <dt><code>posixsem</code></dt>
67 <dd>uses POSIX compatible semaphores to implement the mutex.</dd>
69 <dt><code>pthread</code></dt>
70 <dd>uses POSIX mutexes as implemented by the POSIX Threads
71 (PThreads) specification.</dd>
73 <dt><code>sysvsem</code></dt>
74 <dd>uses SySV-style semaphores to implement the mutex.</dd>
77 <p>If you want to find out the compile time chosen default
78 for your system, you may set your <directive module="core"
79 >LogLevel</directive> to <code>debug</code>. Then the default <directive
80 >AcceptMutex</directive> will be written into the <directive
81 module="core">ErrorLog</directive>.</p>
83 <note type="warning"><title>Warning</title>
84 <p>On most systems, when the <code>pthread</code> option
85 is selected, if a child process terminates abnormally
86 while holding the <code>AcceptCntl</code> mutex the
87 server will stop responding to requests. When this
88 occurs, the server will require a manual restart to
90 <p>Solaris is a notable exception as it provides a
91 mechanism, used by Apache, which usually allows the
92 mutex to be recovered after a child process terminates
93 abnormally while holding a mutex.</p>
94 <p>If your system implements the
95 <code>pthread_mutexattr_setrobust_np()</code> function,
96 you may be able to use the <code>pthread</code> option safely.</p>
102 <name>CoreDumpDirectory</name>
103 <description>Directory where Apache attempts to
104 switch before dumping core</description>
105 <syntax>CoreDumpDirectory <var>directory</var></syntax>
106 <default>See usage for the default setting</default>
107 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
108 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
109 <module>mpm_winnt</module><module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
110 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
113 <p>This controls the directory to which Apache attempts to
114 switch before dumping core. The default is in the
115 <directive module="core">ServerRoot</directive> directory, however
116 since this should not be writable by the user the server runs
117 as, core dumps won't normally get written. If you want a core
118 dump for debugging, you can use this directive to place it in a
119 different location.</p>
121 <note><title>Core Dumps on Linux</title>
122 <p>If Apache starts as root and switches to another user, the
123 Linux kernel <em>disables</em> core dumps even if the directory is
124 writable for the process. Apache (2.0.46 and later) reenables core dumps
125 on Linux 2.4 and beyond, but only if you explicitly configure a <directive
126 >CoreDumpDirectory</directive>.</p>
132 <name>EnableExceptionHook</name>
133 <description>Enables a hook that runs exception handlers
134 after a crash</description>
135 <syntax>EnableExceptionHook On|Off</syntax>
136 <default>EnableExceptionHook Off</default>
137 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
138 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>perchild</module>
139 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module>
140 <module>worker</module></modulelist>
141 <compatibility>Available in version 2.0.49 and later</compatibility>
144 <p>For safety reasons this directive is only available if the server was
145 configured with the <code>--enable-exception-hook</code> option. It
146 enables a hook that allows external modules to plug in and do something
147 after a child crashed.</p>
149 <p>There are already two modules, <code>mod_whatkilledus</code> and
150 <code>mod_backtrace</code> that make use of this hook. Please have a
151 look at Jeff Trawick's <a
152 href="http://www.apache.org/~trawick/exception_hook.html"
153 >EnableExceptionHook site</a> for more information about these.</p>
159 <description>Group under which the server will answer
160 requests</description>
161 <syntax>Group <var>unix-group</var></syntax>
162 <default>Group #-1</default>
163 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
164 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
165 <module>mpmt_os2</module><module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
166 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
167 <compatibility>Only valid in global server config since Apache
171 <p>The <directive>Group</directive> directive sets the group under
172 which the server will answer requests. In order to use this
173 directive, the server must be run initially as <code>root</code>. If
174 you start the server as a non-root user, it will fail to change to the
175 specified group, and will instead continue to run as the group of the
176 original user. <var>Unix-group</var> is one of:</p>
179 <dt>A group name</dt>
180 <dd>Refers to the given group by name.</dd>
182 <dt><code>#</code> followed by a group number.</dt>
183 <dd>Refers to a group by its number.</dd>
186 <example><title>Example</title>
190 <p>It is recommended that you set up a new group specifically for
191 running the server. Some admins use user <code>nobody</code>,
192 but this is not always possible or desirable.</p>
194 <note type="warning"><title>Security</title>
195 <p>Don't set <directive>Group</directive> (or <directive
196 module="mpm_common">User</directive>) to <code>root</code> unless
197 you know exactly what you are doing, and what the dangers are.</p>
200 <p>Special note: Use of this directive in <directive module="core"
201 type="section">VirtualHost</directive> is no longer supported. To
202 configure your server for <a href="mod_suexec.html">suexec</a> use
203 <directive module="mod_suexec">SuexecUserGroup</directive>.</p>
205 <note><title>Note</title>
206 <p>Although the <directive>Group</directive> directive is present
207 in the <module>beos</module> and <module>mpmt_os2</module> MPMs,
208 it is actually a no-op there and only exists for compatibility
216 <description>File where the server records the process ID
217 of the daemon</description>
218 <syntax>PidFile <var>filename</var></syntax>
219 <default>PidFile logs/httpd.pid</default>
220 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
221 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
222 <module>mpm_winnt</module><module>mpmt_os2</module>
223 <module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
224 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
227 <p>The <directive>PidFile</directive> directive sets the file to
228 which the server records the process id of the daemon. If the
229 filename is not absolute then it is assumed to be relative to the
230 <directive module="core">ServerRoot</directive>.</p>
232 <example><title>Example</title>
233 PidFile /var/run/apache.pid
236 <p>It is often useful to be able to send the server a signal,
237 so that it closes and then re-opens its <directive
238 module="core">ErrorLog</directive> and <directive
239 module="mod_log_config">TransferLog</directive>, and
240 re-reads its configuration files. This is done by sending a
241 SIGHUP (kill -1) signal to the process id listed in the
242 <directive>PidFile</directive>.</p>
244 <p>The <directive>PidFile</directive> is subject to the same
245 warnings about log file placement and <a
246 href="../misc/security_tips.html#serverroot">security</a>.</p>
248 <note><title>Note</title>
249 <p>As of Apache 2 it is recommended to use only the <a
250 href="../programs/apachectl.html">apachectl</a> script for
251 (re-)starting or stopping the server.</p>
258 <description>IP addresses and ports that the server
259 listens to</description>
260 <syntax>Listen [<var>IP-address</var>:]<var>portnumber</var></syntax>
261 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
262 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
263 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>mpm_winnt</module>
264 <module>mpmt_os2</module><module>perchild</module>
265 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
267 <compatibility>Required directive since Apache 2.0</compatibility>
270 <p>The <directive>Listen</directive> directive instructs Apache to
271 listen to only specific IP addresses or ports; by default it
272 responds to requests on all IP interfaces. <directive>Listen</directive>
273 is now a required directive. If it is not in the config file, the
274 server will fail to start. This is a change from previous versions
277 <p>The <directive>Listen</directive> directive tells the server to
278 accept incoming requests on the specified port or address-and-port
279 combination. If only a port number is specified, the server listens to
280 the given port on all interfaces. If an IP address is given as well
281 as a port, the server will listen on the given port and
284 <p>Multiple <directive>Listen</directive> directives may be used to
285 specify a number of addresses and ports to listen to. The server will
286 respond to requests from any of the listed addresses and ports.</p>
288 <p>For example, to make the server accept connections on both
289 port 80 and port 8000, use:</p>
296 <p>To make the server accept connections on two specified
297 interfaces and port numbers, use </p>
300 Listen 192.170.2.1:80<br />
301 Listen 192.170.2.5:8000
304 <p>IPv6 addresses must be surrounded in square brackets, as in the
305 following example:</p>
308 Listen [fe80::a00:20ff:fea7:ccea]:80
311 <seealso><a href="../dns-caveats.html">DNS Issues</a></seealso>
312 <seealso><a href="../bind.html">Setting which addresses and ports Apache
317 <name>ListenBackLog</name>
318 <description>Maximum length of the queue of pending connections</description>
319 <syntax>ListenBacklog <var>backlog</var></syntax>
320 <default>ListenBacklog 511</default>
321 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
322 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
323 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>mpm_winnt</module>
324 <module>mpmt_os2</module><module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
325 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
328 <p>The maximum length of the queue of pending connections.
329 Generally no tuning is needed or desired, however on some
330 systems it is desirable to increase this when under a TCP SYN
331 flood attack. See the backlog parameter to the
332 <code>listen(2)</code> system call.</p>
334 <p>This will often be limited to a smaller number by the
335 operating system. This varies from OS to OS. Also note that
336 many OSes do not use exactly what is specified as the backlog,
337 but use a number based on (but normally larger than) what is
343 <name>LockFile</name>
344 <description>Location of the accept serialization lock file</description>
345 <syntax>LockFile <var>filename</var></syntax>
346 <default>LockFile logs/accept.lock</default>
347 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
348 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>perchild</module>
349 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
353 <p>The <directive>LockFile</directive> directive sets the path to
354 the lockfile used when Apache is used with an <directive
355 module="mpm_common">AcceptMutex</directive> value of either
356 <code>fcntl</code> or <code>flock</code>. This directive should
357 normally be left at its default value. The main reason for changing
358 it is if the <code>logs</code> directory is NFS mounted, since
359 <strong>the lockfile must be stored on a local disk</strong>. The PID
360 of the main server process is automatically appended to the
363 <note type="warning"><title>Security</title>
364 <p>It is best to <em>avoid</em> putting this file in a world writable
365 directory such as <code>/var/tmp</code> because someone could create
366 a denial of service attack and prevent the server from starting by
367 creating a lockfile with the same name as the one the server will try
371 <seealso><directive module="mpm_common">AcceptMutex</directive></seealso>
375 <name>MaxClients</name>
376 <description>Maximum number of child processes that will be created
377 to serve requests</description>
378 <syntax>MaxClients <var>number</var></syntax>
379 <default>See usage for details</default>
380 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
381 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
382 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
386 <p>The <directive>MaxClients</directive> directive sets the limit
387 on the number of simultaneous requests that will be served. Any
388 connection attempts over the <directive>MaxClients</directive>
389 limit will normally be queued, up to a number based on the
390 <directive module="mpm_common">ListenBacklog</directive>
391 directive. Once a child process is freed at the end of a different
392 request, the connection will then be serviced.</p>
394 <p>For non-threaded servers (<em>i.e.</em>, <module>prefork</module>),
395 <directive>MaxClients</directive> translates into the maximum
396 number of child processes that will be launched to serve requests.
397 The default value is <code>256</code>; to increase it, you must also raise
398 <directive module="mpm_common">ServerLimit</directive>.</p>
400 <p>For threaded and hybrid servers (<em>e.g.</em> <module>beos</module>
401 or <module>worker</module>) <directive>MaxClients</directive> restricts
402 the total number of threads that will be available to serve clients.
403 The default value for <module>beos</module> is <code>50</code>. For
404 hybrid MPMs the default value is <code>16</code> (<directive
405 module="mpm_common">ServerLimit</directive>) multiplied by the value of
406 <code>25</code> (<directive module="mpm_common"
407 >ThreadsPerChild</directive>). Therefore, to increase <directive
408 >MaxClients</directive> to a value that requires more than 16 processes,
409 you must also raise <directive module="mpm_common"
410 >ServerLimit</directive>.</p>
415 <name>MaxMemFree</name>
416 <description>Maximum amount of memory that the main allocator is allowed
417 to hold without calling <code>free()</code></description>
418 <syntax>MaxMemFree <var>KBytes</var></syntax>
419 <default>MaxMemFree 0</default>
420 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
421 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
422 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>prefork</module>
423 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module><module>mpm_winnt</module></modulelist>
426 <p>The <directive>MaxMemFree</directive> directive sets the
427 maximum number of free Kbytes that the main allocator is allowed
428 to hold without calling <code>free()</code>. When not set, or when set
429 to zero, the threshold will be set to unlimited.</p>
434 <name>MaxRequestsPerChild</name>
435 <description>Limit on the number of requests that an individual child server
436 will handle during its life</description>
437 <syntax>MaxRequestsPerChild <var>number</var></syntax>
438 <default>MaxRequestsPerChild 10000</default>
439 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
440 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>mpm_netware</module>
441 <module>mpm_winnt</module><module>mpmt_os2</module>
442 <module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
443 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
446 <p>The <directive>MaxRequestsPerChild</directive> directive sets
447 the limit on the number of requests that an individual child
448 server process will handle. After
449 <directive>MaxRequestsPerChild</directive> requests, the child
450 process will die. If <directive>MaxRequestsPerChild</directive> is
451 <code>0</code>, then the process will never expire.</p>
453 <note><title>Different default values</title>
454 <p>The default value for <module>mpm_netware</module> and
455 <module>mpm_winnt</module> is <code>0</code>.</p>
458 <p>Setting <directive>MaxRequestsPerChild</directive> to a
459 non-zero limit has two beneficial effects:</p>
462 <li>it limits the amount of memory that process can consume
463 by (accidental) memory leakage;</li>
465 <li>by giving processes a finite lifetime, it helps reduce
466 the number of processes when the server load reduces.</li>
469 <note><title>Note</title>
470 <p>For <directive module="core">KeepAlive</directive> requests, only
471 the first request is counted towards this limit. In effect, it
472 changes the behavior to limit the number of <em>connections</em> per
479 <name>MaxSpareThreads</name>
480 <description>Maximum number of idle threads</description>
481 <syntax>MaxSpareThreads <var>number</var></syntax>
482 <default>See usage for details</default>
483 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
484 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
485 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>mpmt_os2</module>
486 <module>perchild</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
490 <p>Maximum number of idle threads. Different MPMs deal with this
491 directive differently.</p>
493 <p>For <module>perchild</module> the default is
494 <code>MaxSpareThreads 10</code>. This MPM monitors the number of
495 idle threads on a per-child basis. If there are too many idle
496 threads in that child, the server will begin to kill threads
497 within that child.</p>
499 <p>For <module>worker</module>, <module>leader</module> and <module
500 >threadpool</module> the default is <code>MaxSpareThreads 250</code>.
501 These MPMs deal with idle threads on a server-wide basis. If there
502 are too many idle threads in the server then child processes are
503 killed until the number of idle threads is less than this number.</p>
505 <p>For <module>mpm_netware</module> the default is
506 <code>MaxSpareThreads 100</code>. Since this MPM runs a
507 single-process, the spare thread count is also server-wide.</p>
509 <p><module>beos</module> and <module>mpmt_os2</module> work
510 similar to <module>mpm_netware</module>. The default for
511 <module>beos</module> is <code>MaxSpareThreads 50</code>. For
512 <module>mpmt_os2</module> the default value is <code>10</code>.</p>
514 <note><title>Restrictions</title>
515 <p>The range of the <directive>MaxSpareThreads</directive> value
516 is restricted. Apache will correct the given value automatically
517 according to the following rules:</p>
519 <li><module>perchild</module> requires <directive
520 >MaxSpareThreads</directive> to be less or equal than <directive
521 module="mpm_common">ThreadLimit</directive>.</li>
523 <li><module>mpm_netware</module> wants the value to be greater than
524 <directive module="mpm_common">MinSpareThreads</directive>.</li>
526 <li>For <module>leader</module>, <module>threadpool</module> and
527 <module>worker</module> the value must be greater or equal than
528 the sum of <directive module="mpm_common">MinSpareThreads</directive>
529 and <directive module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive>.</li>
533 <seealso><directive module="mpm_common">MinSpareThreads</directive></seealso>
534 <seealso><directive module="mpm_common">StartServers</directive></seealso>
538 <name>MinSpareThreads</name>
539 <description>Minimum number of idle threads available to handle request
541 <syntax>MinSpareThreads <var>number</var></syntax>
542 <default>See usage for details</default>
543 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
544 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
545 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>mpmt_os2</module>
546 <module>perchild</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
550 <p>Minimum number of idle threads to handle request spikes.
551 Different MPMs deal with this directive
554 <p><module>perchild</module> uses a default of
555 <code>MinSpareThreads 5</code> and monitors the number of idle
556 threads on a per-child basis. If there aren't enough idle threads
557 in that child, the server will begin to create new threads within
558 that child. Thus, if you set <directive module="perchild"
559 >NumServers</directive> to <code>10</code> and a <directive
560 >MinSpareThreads</directive> value of <code>5</code>, you'll have
561 at least 50 idle threads on your system.</p>
563 <p><module>worker</module>, <module>leader</module> and
564 <module>threadpool</module> use a default of <code>MinSpareThreads
565 75</code> and deal with idle threads on a server-wide basis. If
566 there aren't enough idle threads in the server then child
567 processes are created until the number of idle threads is greater
570 <p><module>mpm_netware</module> uses a default of
571 <code>MinSpareThreads 10</code> and, since it is a single-process
572 MPM, tracks this on a server-wide bases.</p>
574 <p><module>beos</module> and <module>mpmt_os2</module> work
575 similar to <module>mpm_netware</module>. The default for
576 <module>beos</module> is <code>MinSpareThreads 1</code>. For
577 <module>mpmt_os2</module> the default value is <code>5</code>.</p>
579 <seealso><directive module="mpm_common">MaxSpareThreads</directive></seealso>
580 <seealso><directive module="mpm_common">StartServers</directive></seealso>
584 <name>ScoreBoardFile</name>
585 <description>Location of the file used to store coordination data for
586 the child processes</description>
587 <syntax>ScoreBoardFile <var>file-path</var></syntax>
588 <default>ScoreBoardFile logs/apache_status</default>
589 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
590 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
591 <module>mpm_winnt</module><module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
592 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
595 <p>Apache uses a scoreboard to communicate between its parent
596 and child processes. Some architectures require a file to facilitate
597 this communication. If the file is left unspecified, Apache first
598 attempts to create the scoreboard entirely in memory (using anonymous
599 shared memory) and, failing that, will attempt to create the file on
600 disk (using file-based shared memory). Specifying this directive causes
601 Apache to always create the file on the disk.</p>
603 <example><title>Example</title>
604 ScoreBoardFile /var/run/apache_status
607 <p>File-based shared memory is useful for third-party applications
608 that require direct access to the scoreboard.</p>
610 <p>If you use a <directive>ScoreBoardFile</directive> then
611 you may see improved speed by placing it on a RAM disk. But be
612 careful that you heed the same warnings about log file placement
613 and <a href="../misc/security_tips.html">security</a>.</p>
615 <seealso><a href="../stopping.html">Stopping and Restarting
620 <name>SendBufferSize</name>
621 <description>TCP buffer size</description>
622 <syntax>SendBufferSize <var>bytes</var></syntax>
623 <default>SendBufferSize 0</default>
624 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
625 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>leader</module>
626 <module>mpm_netware</module><module>mpm_winnt</module>
627 <module>mpmt_os2</module><module>perchild</module><module>prefork</module>
628 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
631 <p>The server will set the TCP buffer size to the number of bytes
632 specified. Very useful to increase past standard OS defaults on
633 high speed high latency (<em>i.e.</em>, 100ms or so, such as
634 transcontinental fast pipes).</p>
636 <p>If set to the value of <code>0</code>, the server will use the
642 <name>ServerLimit</name>
643 <description>Upper limit on configurable number of processes</description>
644 <syntax>ServerLimit <var>number</var></syntax>
645 <default>See usage for details</default>
646 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
647 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>perchild</module>
648 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
652 <p>For the <module>prefork</module> MPM, this directive sets the
653 maximum configured value for <directive
654 module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> for the lifetime of the
655 Apache process. For the <module>worker</module> MPM, this directive
656 in combination with <directive
657 module="mpm_common">ThreadLimit</directive> sets
658 the maximum configured value for <directive
659 module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> for the lifetime of the
660 Apache process. Any attempts to change this directive during a
661 restart will be ignored, but <directive
662 module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> can be modified during
665 <p>Special care must be taken when using this directive. If
666 <directive>ServerLimit</directive> is set to a value much higher
667 than necessary, extra, unused shared memory will be allocated. If
668 both <directive>ServerLimit</directive> and <directive
669 module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> are set to values
670 higher than the system can handle, Apache may not start or the
671 system may become unstable.</p>
673 <p>With the <module>prefork</module> MPM, use this directive only
674 if you need to set <directive
675 module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> higher than 256 (default).
676 Do not set the value of this directive any higher than what you
677 might want to set <directive
678 module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> to.</p>
680 <p>With <module>worker</module>, <module>leader</module> and
681 <module>threadpool</module> use this directive only
682 if your <directive module="mpm_common">MaxClients</directive> and
683 <directive module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive>
684 settings require more than 16 server processes (default). Do not set
685 the value of this directive any higher than the number of server
686 processes required by what you may want for <directive
687 module="mpm_common">MaxClients </directive> and <directive
688 module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive>.</p>
690 <p>With the <module>perchild</module> MPM, use this directive only
691 if you need to set <directive
692 module="perchild">NumServers</directive> higher than 8 (default).</p>
694 <note><title>Note</title>
695 <p>There is a hard limit of <code>ServerLimit 20000</code> compiled
696 into the server (for the <module>prefork</module> MPM 200000). This is
697 intended to avoid nasty effects caused by typos.</p>
700 <seealso><a href="../stopping.html">Stopping and Restarting Apache</a></seealso>
704 <name>StartServers</name>
705 <description>Number of child server processes created at startup</description>
706 <syntax>StartServers <var>number</var></syntax>
707 <default>See usage for details</default>
708 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
709 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>mpmt_os2</module>
710 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
714 <p>The <directive>StartServers</directive> directive sets the
715 number of child server processes created on startup. As the number
716 of processes is dynamically controlled depending on the load,
717 there is usually little reason to adjust this parameter.</p>
719 <p>The default value differs from MPM to MPM. For
720 <module>leader</module>, <module>threadpool</module> and
721 <module>worker</module> the default is <code>StartServers 3</code>.
722 For <module>prefork</module> defaults to <code>5</code> and for
723 <module>mpmt_os2</module> to <code>2</code>.</p>
728 <name>StartThreads</name>
729 <description>Number of threads created on startup</description>
730 <syntax>StartThreads <var>number</var></syntax>
731 <default>See usage for details</default>
732 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
733 <modulelist><module>beos</module><module>mpm_netware</module>
734 <module>perchild</module></modulelist>
737 <p>Number of threads created on startup. As the
738 number of threads is dynamically controlled depending on the
739 load, there is usually little reason to adjust this
742 <p>For <module>perchild</module> the default is <code>StartThreads
743 5</code> and this directive tracks the number of threads per
744 process at startup.</p>
746 <p>For <module>mpm_netware</module> the default is
747 <code>StartThreads 50</code> and, since there is only a single
748 process, this is the total number of threads created at startup to
751 <p>For <module>beos</module> the default is <code>StartThreads
752 10</code>. It also reflects the total number of threads created
753 at startup to serve requests.</p>
758 <name>ThreadLimit</name>
759 <description>Sets the upper limit on the configurable number of threads
760 per child process</description>
761 <syntax>ThreadLimit <var>number</var></syntax>
762 <default>See usage for details</default>
763 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
764 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>mpm_winnt</module>
765 <module>perchild</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
767 <compatibility>Available for <module>mpm_winnt</module> in Apache 2.0.41
768 and later</compatibility>
771 <p>This directive sets the maximum configured value for <directive
772 module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive> for the lifetime
773 of the Apache process. Any attempts to change this directive
774 during a restart will be ignored, but <directive
775 module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive> can be modified
776 during a restart up to the value of this directive.</p>
778 <p>Special care must be taken when using this directive. If
779 <directive>ThreadLimit</directive> is set to a value much higher
780 than <directive module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive>,
781 extra unused shared memory will be allocated. If both
782 <directive>ThreadLimit</directive> and <directive
783 module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive> are set to values
784 higher than the system can handle, Apache may not start or the
785 system may become unstable. Do not set the value of this directive
786 any higher than your greatest predicted setting of <directive
787 module="mpm_common">ThreadsPerChild</directive> for the
788 current run of Apache.</p>
790 <p>The default value for <directive>ThreadLimit</directive> is
791 <code>1920</code> when used with <module>mpm_winnt</module> and
792 <code>64</code> when used with the others.</p>
794 <note><title>Note</title>
795 <p>There is a hard limit of <code>ThreadLimit 20000</code> (or
796 <code>ThreadLimit 15000</code> with <module>mpm_winnt</module>)
797 compiled into the server. This is intended to avoid nasty effects
804 <name>ThreadsPerChild</name>
805 <description>Number of threads created by each child process</description>
806 <syntax>ThreadsPerChild <var>number</var></syntax>
807 <default>See usage for details</default>
808 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
809 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>mpm_winnt</module>
810 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module></modulelist>
813 <p>This directive sets the number of threads created by each
814 child process. The child creates these threads at startup and
815 never creates more. If using an MPM like <module>mpm_winnt</module>,
816 where there is only one child process, this number should be high
817 enough to handle the entire load of the server. If using an MPM
818 like <module>worker</module>, where there are multiple child processes,
819 the <em>total</em> number of threads should be high enough to handle
820 the common load on the server.</p>
822 <p>The default value for <directive>ThreadsPerChild</directive> is
823 <code>64</code> when used with <module>mpm_winnt</module> and
824 <code>25</code> when used with the others.</p>
829 <name>ThreadStackSize</name>
830 <description>The size in bytes of the stack used by threads handling
831 client connections</description>
832 <syntax>ThreadStackSize <var>size</var></syntax>
833 <default>65536 on NetWare; varies on other operating systems</default>
834 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
835 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>mpm_netware</module>
836 <module>mpm_winnt</module><module>perchild</module>
837 <module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
839 <compatibility>Available in Apache 2.1 and later</compatibility>
842 <p>The <directive>ThreadStackSize</directive> directive sets the
843 size of the stack (for autodata) of threads which handle client
844 connections and call modules to help process those connections.
845 In most cases the operating system default for stack size is
846 reasonable, but there are some conditions where it may need to be
850 <li>On platforms with a relatively small default thread stack size
851 (e.g., HP-UX), Apache may crash when using some third-party modules
852 which use a relatively large amount of autodata storage. Those
853 same modules may have worked fine on other platforms where the
854 default thread stack size is larger. This type of crash is
855 resolved by setting <directive>ThreadStackSize</directive> to a
856 value higher than the operating system default. This type of
857 adjustment is necessary only if the provider of the third-party
858 module specifies that it is required, or if diagnosis of an Apache
859 crash indicates that the thread stack size was too small.</li>
861 <li>On platforms where the default thread stack size is
862 significantly larger than necessary for the web server
863 configuration, a higher number of threads per child process
864 will be achievable if <directive>ThreadStackSize</directive> is
865 set to a value lower than the operating system default. This type
866 of adjustment should only be made in a test environment which allows
867 the full set of web server processing can be exercised, as there
868 may be infrequent requests which require more stack to process.
869 A change in the web server configuration can invalidate the
870 current <directive>ThreadStackSize</directive> setting.</li>
877 <description>The userid under which the server will answer
878 requests</description>
879 <syntax>User <var>unix-userid</var></syntax>
880 <default>User #-1</default>
881 <contextlist><context>server config</context></contextlist>
882 <modulelist><module>leader</module><module>perchild</module>
883 <module>prefork</module><module>threadpool</module><module>worker</module>
885 <compatibility>Only valid in global server config since Apache
889 <p>The <directive>User</directive> directive sets the user ID as
890 which the server will answer requests. In order to use this
891 directive, the server must be run initially as <code>root</code>.
892 If you start the server as a non-root user, it will fail to change
893 to the lesser privileged user, and will instead continue to run as
894 that original user. If you do start the server as <code>root</code>,
895 then it is normal for the parent process to remain running as root.
896 <var>Unix-userid</var> is one of:</p>
900 <dd>Refers to the given user by name.</dd>
902 <dt># followed by a user number.</dt>
903 <dd>Refers to a user by its number.</dd>
906 <p>The user should have no privileges that result in it being
907 able to access files that are not intended to be visible to the
908 outside world, and similarly, the user should not be able to
909 execute code that is not meant for HTTP requests. It is
910 recommended that you set up a new user and group specifically for
911 running the server. Some admins use user <code>nobody</code>, but
912 this is not always desirable, since the <code>nobody</code> user
913 can have other uses on the system.</p>
915 <note type="warning"><title>Security</title>
916 <p>Don't set <directive>User</directive> (or <directive
917 module="mpm_common">Group</directive>) to <code>root</code> unless
918 you know exactly what you are doing, and what the dangers are.</p>
921 <p>With the <module>perchild</module> MPM, which is intended to
922 server virtual hosts run under different user IDs, the
923 <directive>User</directive> directive defines the user ID for the
924 main server and the fallback for <directive type="section"
925 module="core">VirtualHost</directive> sections without an
926 <directive module="perchild">AssignUserID</directive> directive.</p>
928 <p>Special note: Use of this directive in <directive module="core"
929 type="section">VirtualHost</directive> is no longer supported. To
930 configure your server for <a href="../suexec.html">suexec</a> use
931 <directive module="mod_suexec">SuexecUserGroup</directive>.</p>
933 <note><title>Note</title>
934 <p>Although the <directive>User</directive> directive is present
935 in the <module>beos</module> and <module>mpmt_os2</module> MPMs,
936 it is actually a no-op there and only exists for compatibility