The main differences in Apache for Windows are:

• Because Apache for Windows is multithreaded, it does not use a separate process for each request, as Apache does with Unix. Instead there are usually only two Apache processes running: a parent process, and a child which handles the requests. Within the child each request is handled by a separate thread. So, "process"-management directives are different:
• MaxRequestsPerChild - Like the Unix directive, this controls how many requests a process will serve before exiting. However, unlike Unix, a process serves all the requests at once, not just one, so if this is set, it is recommended that a very high number is used. The recommended default, MaxRequestsPerChild 0, does not cause the process to ever exit.
• ThreadsPerChild - This directive is new, and tells the server how many threads it should use. This is the maximum number of connections the server can handle at once; be sure and set this number high enough for your site if you get a lot of hits. The recommended default is ThreadsPerChild 50.
• The directives that accept filenames as arguments now must use Windows filenames instead of Unix ones. However, because Apache uses Unix-style names internally, you must use forward slashes, not backslashes. Drive letters can be used; if omitted, the drive with the Apache executable will be assumed.
• Apache for Windows has the ability to load modules at runtime, without recompiling the server. If Apache is compiled normally, it will install a number of optional modules in the modules directory. To activate these, or other modules, the new LoadModule directive must be used. For example, to activate the status module, use the following (in addition to the status-activating directives in httpd.conf - see the mod_status docs for more details.):

·                    LoadModule status_module modules/mod_status.so

Information on creating loadable modules is also available. Note that some 3rd party modules may be distributed in the old style names, ApacheModuleFoo.dll. Always set the LoadModule command as directed by the 3rd party module's own documentation.

• Apache for Windows version 1.3 series is implemented in synchronous calls. This poses an enormous problem for CGI authors, who won't see unbuffered results sent immediately to the browser. This is not the behavior described for CGI in Apache, but it is a side-effect of the Windows port. Apache 2.0 is making progress to implement the expected asynchronous behavior, and we hope to discover that the NT/2000 implementation allows CGI's to behave as documented.

·         Apache can also load ISAPI Extensions (i.e., Internet Server Applications), such as those used by Microsoft's IIS, and other Windows servers. More information is available. Note that Apache CANNOT load ISAPI Filters.

• When running CGI scripts, the method Apache uses to find the interpreter for the script is configurable using the ScriptInterpreterSource directive.
• Since it is often difficult to manage files with names like .htaccess under windows, you may find it useful to change the name of this configuration file using the AccessFilename directive.

Running Apache in a Console Window

The Start menu icons and the NT Service manager can provide a simple interface for administering Apache. But in some cases it is easier to work from the command line.

When working with Apache it is important to know how it will find the configuration files. You can specify a configuration file on the command line in two ways:

• -f specifies a path to a particular configuration file:

    apache -f "c:\my server\conf\my.conf"

    apache -f test\test.conf

• -n specifies the configuration file of an installed Apache service (Apache 1.3.7 and later):

    apache -n "service name"

In these cases, the proper ServerRoot should be set in the configuration file.

If you don't specify a configuration file name with -f or -n, Apache will use the file name compiled into the server, usually "conf/httpd.conf". Invoking Apache with the -V switch will display this value labeled as SERVER_CONFIG_FILE. Apache will then determine its ServerRoot by trying the following, in this order:

• A ServerRoot directive via a -C switch.
• The -d switch on the command line.
• The current working directory
• A registry entry, created if you did a binary install.
• The server root compiled into the server.

The server root compiled into the server is usually "/apache". invoking apache with the -V switch will display this value labeled as HTTPD_ROOT.

When invoked from the start menu, Apache is usually passed no arguments, so using the registry entry is the preferred technique for console Apache.

During a binary installation, a registry key will have been installed, for example:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Apache Group\Apache\1.3.13\ServerRoot

This key is compiled into the server and can enable you to test new versions without affecting the current version. Of course you must take care not to install the new version on top of the old version in the file system.

If you did not do a binary install then Apache will in some scenarios complain about the missing registry key. This warning can be ignored if it otherwise was able to find its configuration files.

The value of this key is the "ServerRoot" directory, containing the conf directory. When Apache starts it will read the httpd.conf file from this directory. If this file contains a ServerRoot directive which is different from the directory obtained from the registry key above, Apache will forget the registry key and use the directory from the configuration file. If you copy the Apache directory or configuration files to a new location it is vital that you update the ServerRoot directory in the httpd.conf file to the new location.

To run Apache from the command line as a console application, use the following command:

    apache 

Apache will execute, and will remain running until it is stopped by pressing control-C.

Controlling Apache in a Console Window

You can tell a running Apache to stop by opening another console window and running:

    apache -k shutdown

Note: This option is only available with Apache 1.3.3 and later.

For earlier versions, you must use Control-C in the Apache console window to shut down the server.

From version 1.3.3 through 1.3.12, this should be used instead of pressing Control-C in a running Apache console window, because it allowed Apache to end any current transactions and cleanup gracefully.

As of version 1.3.13 pressing Control-C in the running window will cleanup Apache quite gracefully, and you may use -k stop as an alias for -k shutdown. Earlier versions do not understand -k stop.

You can also tell Apache to restart. This makes it re-read the configuration files. Any transactions in progress are allowed to complete without interruption. To restart Apache, run:

    apache -k restart

Note: This option is only available with Apache 1.3.3 and later. For earlier versions, you need to use Control-C in the Apache console window to shut down the server, and then restart the server with the Apache command.

Another very useful feature is the configuration files test option. To test the Apache configuration files, run:

    apache -t

This is especially useful following alterations to the configuration files while Apache is still running. You can make the changes, confirm that the syntax is good by issuing the "apache -t" command, then restart Apache with "apache -k restart". Apache will re-read the configuration files, allowing any transactions in progress to complete without interruption. Any new request will then be served using the new configuration.

Note: for people familiar with the Unix version of Apache, these commands provide a Windows equivalent to kill -TERM pid and kill -USR1 pid. The command line option used, -k, was chosen as a reminder of the "kill" command used on Unix.

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