Protocol API

[Ben Laurie <be...@gonzo.ben.algroup.co.uk>]

Here's some initial thoughts on a Protocol API:

1. Its going to be very difficult to make Apache general enough to talk
anything which isn't essentially an encoding of HTTP (in the non-crypto sense).

2. The core protocol code does not need to change for SSL or SHTTP, but does
for HTTP-NG (I assume).

3. The main problem with Apache as it stands is that it assumes, all over the
place, that the connections are files.

4. A way needs to be found to bind incoming connections to a protocol module.

3 is easily, if tediously, fixed. 4 is trivial if _all_ connections use a
particular protocol. If some conversation has to occur first it gets a little
harder.

I could get a better handle on 2 if someone would point me at a spec for
HTTP-NG.

1 is beyond the scope of this document  ;-)

I am inclined to get 3 out of the way early on, as it is a large patch, and
will likely clash with lots of others. It is also the vast majority of the SSL
patch, so will reduce my maintenance load on Apache-SSL (and thus release time
for work on Apache).

I'll have to change the way I do it, to make it runtime configurable, but
that's cool.

Is there any reason that Apache shouldn't listen on multiple ports (and bind
different protocols to each one)?

Cheers,

Ben.

-- 
Ben Laurie                  Phone: +44 (181) 994 6435
Freelance Consultant        Fax:   +44 (181) 994 6472
and Technical Director      Email: ben@algroup.co.uk
A.L. Digital Ltd,           URL: http://www.algroup.co.uk
London, England.