Web Server: Domains

Domains configures the properties of domains served by the web server. The web server can support one domain, or multiple domains.

The default configuration is one domain, named 'localhost'.

IMPORTANT: if multiple domains are supported, localhost should be deleted before creating a new domain since it makes configuring a default directory somewhat more difficult.

About 'Localhost'

When the web server is first installed, the domain 'localhost' is created. This domain is used to access the server from the machine on which it is running, i.e. as http://localhost/ or http://127.0.0.1/ (the internet address '127.0.0.1' is also known as the loopback address since accessing it 'loops back' to the same machine).

This domain is also set as the default domain; the default domain is used when the web server receives a request for a domain which it does not recognize (the web server is accessed by its IP so it is possible for it to receive such a request).

Localhost can never be accessed from another machine, so it is mainly used for testing.

Domain Configuration Parameters

Each domain is configured with the following parameters. If optional parameters are not given, they will be taken from the default configuration:

Domain: name of the domain (e.g. 'instantservers.com').

If related to an existing domain name, it is also called a subdomain. (e.g. 'www.instantservers.com' is a subdomain of 'instantservers.com', and 'instantservers.instantws.com' is a subdomain of 'instantws.com').

Note: a domain name cannot just be added to the domain configuration and expected to work; each domain must be served by a DNS (must have an IP address) so that it can be located on the internet.

Domain Alias: (optional) (sub)domain names which the server will respond to in addition to the Domain (e.g. 'www').

When a new domain is created, a default Domain Alias is added if the checkbox is marked. If the checkbox is not marked, no Domain Alias is created.

When a domain is edited, the Domain Alias can be specified in complete detail. A Domain Alias may be a single name, or a list of names. The wildcard characters '*' and '?' can be used to match multiple names. A '*' matches any string, and a '?' matches any individual character. (e.g. '*.instantservers.com' matches any domain name that ends with '.instantservers.com', and 'instantservers.???' matches any domain that starts with 'instantservers.' followed by three letters).

Note: as many DNS servers will automatically point subdomains to the same IP address as that of the domain, this parameter can be used by the web server to catch all of these subdomains at once, funneling access to them to the Domain. This saves creating new Domains to handle the subdomains. It is also handy when a dynamic DNS service is used because only one IP update is needed to handle all subdomains of each Domain. Of course, if access to one or more subdomains is intended to go to different web sites than that of the Domain, then additional Domain entries should be created for those subdomains.

Document Directory: directory where files for the web site of the domain are located. Although this directory need not exist when the domain is created, it must be created in order for the domain to be accessed (as a web site). A default which is the same as that for the default domain is used when creating a new domain.

Note: domains can share a Document Directory or have unique values for the Document Directory, but no domain can have a Document Directory that is a subdirectory of any other domain's Document Directory.

CGI Script Directory: location of CGI script files for the domain. The default location is '/cgi-bin'. If another directory is specified, '/cgi-bin' can also be used for script files unless the other directory ends in 'cgi-bin'. In that case, the domain CGI script directory overrides the default CGI script directory.
Domain Admin: (optional) email address for the administrator domain. This address can be used to send error messages about the web site to the administrator. If unspecified, the value of this parameter is taken from the default domain.
Error Log: (optional) file where error messages are logged. If unspecified, the value of this parameter is taken from the default domain.
Access Log: (optional) file where site access messages are logged. If unspecified, the value of this parameter is taken from the default domain.
Directory Listing: what to do if a directory is accessed but none of the Default File(s) are found. Directory access will happen, e.g., if the domain name is entered as the URL. If Directory Listing is enabled, the contents of the directory will be displayed. If Directory Listing is not enabled, a 'Forbidden' page will be displayed, preventing the contents of the directory from being determined by visitors.
Default Domain: domain used when the web server receives a request for a domain which it does not recognize. There is always one default domain.

Several additional options are available to configure a domain for SSL operation:

Enabled: check this box to enable SSL operation for the domain
IP Address: specify the IP address for the domain to be used with SSL. The SSL protocol requires an IP address in order to properly process SSL certificate information (this is because SSL initiation occurs before the server knows the domain name). Note that SSL typically requires an external (non-LAN) IP be used by the server.
SSL Port: port used for SSL connections (default: 443)
SSL Certificate: pathname of SSL certificate
SSL Private Key: pathname of SSL private key file (should be accessible only by Administrator)
SSL CA Certificate: (optional) trusted certificate (chain), if provided by certificate vendor
SSL Document Directory: (optional) separate root directory for SSL content
SSL Log: (optional) separate log file for SSL access
IE5 Compatibility: if checked, SSL will operate in a mode compatible with older versions of IE (generally not necessary).

Adding A New Domain

To add a new domain, click New.

Enter the Domain name and Document Directory. All other fields are optional.

Click Save to save the domain information

Editing a Domain

To edit a domain, click Edit. To edit all domains, click Edit All.

Make any changes to the domain information.

Click Save to save the domain information.

Deleting a Domain

To delete a domain, click Delete.

Viewing a Domain

To view a domain, click View. To view all domains, click View All.