How to enable access to remote directories through Apache.

(Last modified: 14Jan2005)

This document (10094643) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

fact

Novell NetWare 6.5 SP2

Novell Apache 2.0.48

goal

How to enable access to remote directories through Apache.

symptom

Error:  "could not create path context. error: 117" in the Apache error log when trying to access remote directories or user home directories on remote servers.

fix

Access to directories on remote servers can either be given to all users or restricted through authentication.  Here are two examples of enabling Apache to provide content located on remote NetWare servers.  In both examples the parameters were added to the httpd.conf file located in sys:/apache2/`:

PUBLIC ACCESS - No Authentication

<IfModule mod_edir.c>

hDirSearchContexts o=novell

RemoteDirEnabled on

Alias /remote "SERVERNAME/SYS:/remotetest"

<Directory "SYS:/remotetest">

            Options Indexes MultiViews

            Order allow,deny

            Allow from all

</Directory>

</IfModule>

 

 

Restricted Access - Authentication Required

 

<IfModule mod_edir.c>

hDirSearchContexts o=novell

RemoteDirEnabled on

Alias /remote "SERVERNAME/SYS:/remotetest"

<Directory "SYS:/remotetest">

            Options Indexes MultiViews

            Order deny,allow

            Allow from all

            AuthType Basic

            AuthName "Protected"

            require valid-user

            AuthLDAPAuthoritative On

            AuthLDAPURL ldap://myserver.somewhere.com/o=novell?uid?sub

</Directory>

</IfModule>

 

 

For the directive "AuthLDAPURL"  you can also replace the "uid" with "cn", but the value on the attribute "cn" for the user must be unique in the tree otherwise authentication and remote access will fail.

 

In both instances you must create the ALIAS that will be used as part of the URL and will redirect users to the remote directory as defined by the directives.  In both of the previous examples the ALIAS was defined as "/remote" and the path pointed to a remotetest directory on a secondary server [Alias /remote "SERVERNAME/SYS:/remotetest"].

 

In some instances you may need to add an entry into SYS:/etc/hosts for the remote servers address.  If having problems with remote directories set the apache log level to "debug" and test.  The error that will usually display in the log file if server address resolution fails is "Unable to set server path context" or "could not create path context. error: 117".  If this error appears try adding the entry into your host file.  Here's an example of the entry:

 

 

10.10.10.10      myserver.somewhere.com  MYSERVER
10.10.10.11      remote.somewhere.com      REMOTE_SERVER

.

Currently there is a problem displaying indexes of directories on the remote servers.  If there is not default index file then no content displays.  This has been reported to engineering as a defect.

document

Document Title:	How to enable access to remote directories through Apache.
Document ID:	10094643
Solution ID:	NOVL98906
Creation Date:	16Sep2004
Modified Date:	14Jan2005
Novell Product Class:	Web Services

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