Re: Application using Apache and URL schema inquiry

Steve Finkelstein <sf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Sun, 01 Jul 2007 15:37:40 -0400

Thanks for the response. The users don't have any accounts on the 

application web server(s). Their username is just how I currently 

identify each user through a unique URL. The web content should be the 

same for all users, they just need to each connect to a separate database.

- sf

Lindsay Hausner wrote:

-----Original Message-----

From: Steve Finkelstein [mailto:sf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 

Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 11:06 PM

To: users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject:  Application using Apache and URL schema inquiry

Hi all,

Hope this forum is appropriate for my dilemma.

I'm currently looking for an elegant solution to the following problem.
I have an application where each individual user logs into
http://username.foo.com to access their vhost/own document root.
Unfortunately, when you have a great deal of users, this adds quite the
administrative overhead with maintaining each document root amongst a
myriad of other issues. I'm looking for a more proper approach. If
anyone can suggest how they solve this matter, I'd appreciate it. Here's
my current thoughts:

a) We ditch username.foo.com. EVERY user gets redirected to
http://application.foo.com/appname or whatever URL we decide
on. The backend database however, will be unique for each user. The
variables for database connectivity will come from PHP's environment.
The application will keep track of the username and dynamically connect
to the appropriate backend database.

b) Completely arbitrary URLs. Using mod_rewrite and mod_auth, the
following is maybe possible? This seems the most elegant approach if
it's possible.

http://md5value.foo.com/application

This way users can't just guess away at URLs. They'd almost be dynamic,
if that makes sense. I don't want users being able to do
http://username.foo.com/hack.php?foo=bar etc.

Is there a way to use hashed directories and perhaps a mix of
mod_rewrite to make something happen?

Thank you kindly for your insight.

- sf

Why not use mod_userdir?

lh..

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