[dancer-users] Multiple apps with Plack and Apache

Chad Wallace cwallace at lodgingcompany.com
Wed Jul 13 19:54:20 BST 2016


On Wed, 13 Jul 2016 19:25:55 +0100
janet davis <oscarjwoofer at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes, it would be fantastic if this method worked and I have tried but
> I get the following error when switching between app1 and app2.  Yes
> Perl 5.14 sadly, we are due to update to Debian 8 shortly which will
> bring us up to 5.20.2.
> 
> Error while loading /var/www/webapp/app2/bin/app.psgi: Can't locate
> app2.pm in @INC (@INC
> contains: /var/www/webapp/app1/bin/../lib /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/perl/5.14.2 /usr/local/share/perl/5.14.2 /usr/lib/perl5
> /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl/5.14 /usr/share/perl/5.14
> /usr/local/lib/site_perl . /etc/apache2) at
> /var/www/webapp/app2/bin/app.psgi line 8.\nBEGIN failed--compilation
> aborted at /var/www/webapp/app2/bin/app.psgi line 8.
> 
> App2 will work after a refresh, but them going back to App1 I get:
> 
> and
> 
> Error while loading /var/www/webapp/app1/bin/app.psgi: Can't locate
> app1.pm in @INC (@INC
> contains: /var/www/webapp/app2/bin/../lib /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/perl/5.14.2 /usr/local/share/perl/5.14.2 /usr/lib/perl5
> /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl/5.14 /usr/share/perl/5.14
> /usr/local/lib/site_perl . /etc/apache2) at
> /var/www/webapp/app1/bin/app.psgi line 8.\nBEGIN failed--compilation
> aborted at /var/www/webapp/app1/bin/app.psgi line 8

Are you using FindBin in your .psgi scripts?  Try adding the line,

FindBin::again();

after the use FindBin line.  I think that'll work at least as far back
as 5.14.  Otherwise, there's another alternative in the Known Issues
section of the FindBin man page.



> Here's my Apache config:
> <Location /app1>
>                 SetHandler perl-script
>                 PerlResponseHandler
> Plack::Handler::Apache2
>                 PerlSetVar psgi_app
> /var/www/webapp/app1/bin/app.psgi
> </Location>
> 
>  <Location
> /app2>
>                 SetHandler
> perl-script
>                 PerlResponseHandler
> Plack::Handler::Apache2
>                 PerlSetVar psgi_app
> /var/www/webapp/app2/bin/app.psgi
> </Location>
> 
> On Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 5:14 PM, Chad Wallace
> <cwallace at lodgingcompany.com> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:28:23 +0100
> > janet davis <oscarjwoofer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Thanks for both of your input, it has really helped a lot.
> >
> > You're welcome!  But I have another suggestion...
> >
> > After re-reading your original post, I looked up the
> > Plack::Handler::Apache2 option, and it looks like it might be
> > better. It's at least worth exploring.
> >
> >  From the example in the deployment guide you mentioned, it looks
> > like all you'd have to do to your existing virtual host is add a
> > <Location> section for each of your apps, like this:
> >
> > <VirtualHost>
> >     ServerName www.myserver
> >
> >     [...]
> >
> >     <Location /app1>
> >         SetHandler perl-script
> >         PerlResponseHandler Plack::Handler::Apache2
> >         PerlSetVar psgi_app /websites/app1/app.psgi
> >     </Location>
> >     <Location /app2>
> >         SetHandler perl-script
> >         PerlResponseHandler Plack::Handler::Apache2
> >         PerlSetVar psgi_app /websites/app2/app.psgi
> >     </Location>
> >     <Location /app3>
> >         SetHandler perl-script
> >         PerlResponseHandler Plack::Handler::Apache2
> >         PerlSetVar psgi_app /websites/app3/app.psgi
> >     </Location>
> >
> >     [...]
> >
> > </VirtualHost>
> >
> > That way, your plack apps will start and stop with your apache
> > server.
> >
> > I don't have any experience with this approach, so hopefully someone
> > else can weigh in on the pros and cons.  It seems much simpler to
> > me.
> >
> > One drawback I can think of is that your apache processes would all
> > load a copy of perl, Plack, Dancer and all the rest.  It may be
> > better for memory usage to use the proxy method, especially if you
> > have dozens of apache workers, but only need a few Dancer workers.
> > The impact of that would depend on the relative weight of your
> > existing website vs. the new apps, and also whether you already use
> > mod_perl and a lot of the same modules....
> >
> > You should definitely try both methods and see which is best.  And
> > be sure to let us know what you find!
> >
> >
> > > On Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 12:25 AM, Chad Wallace
> > > <cwallace at lodgingcompany.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Tue, 12 Jul 2016 22:07:56 +0100
> > > > janet davis <oscarjwoofer at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > The only problem is the uri_base doesn't point to the public
> > > > > directory in my application root it points to / so no css/js
> > > > > etc.
> > > > >
> > > > > I have:
> > > > > ProxyPass /app1 http://localhost:5000
> > > > > ProxyPassReverse /app1 http://localhost:5000
> > > > > And I can reach app1 on myserver.com/app1
> > > > >
> > > > > Is there anywhere in the config that I can specify the correct
> > > > > uri_base per app?
> > > >
> > > > There's the behind_proxy config option (see Dancer2::Config).
> > > >
> > > > > I will try using Plack Builder with some example apps.  Are
> > > > > there any performance implications if I run a lot of Dancer
> > > > > apps in this way (15+) alongside my cgi scripts?  I don't
> > > > > want to go down this route and then discover that I have
> > > > > issues with server resources.
> > > >
> > > > I'm guessing you'll get better performance with them combined.
> > > > They should at least use less memory that way, because the
> > > > single process would load all modules only once, rather than
> > > > loading one process per app, each with its own copy of perl,
> > > > Plack, Dancer, Moo, etc.
> > > >
> > > > Adding the mounts with Plack::Builder probably doesn't add too
> > > > much overhead.  From what I've seen, Plack and Dancer are both
> > > > designed to perform and scale well.
> > > >
> > > > You could test both methods and compare the results.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 9:21 PM, Chad Wallace
> > > > > <cwallace at lodgingcompany.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:55:31 +0100
> > > > > > janet davis <oscarjwoofer at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi there,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have a web server running Apache with a single vhost
> > > > > > > that serves a lot of Perl cgi scripts from cgi-bin.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I've been trying out Dancer, which I really like, but I
> > > > > > > can't figure out the best way to deploy apps in my Apache
> > > > > > > environment. I want to keep my Apache cgi configuration to
> > > > > > > serve legacy scripts but I want to start building new
> > > > > > > projects based on psgi in something like Dancer.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I want Apache to use
> > > > > > > www.myserver/cgi-bin/appname/script.pl for old code
> > > > > > > (which currently works) and www.myserver/app1 for newer
> > > > > > > Dancer based apps. Please don't think I'm being lazy by
> > > > > > > asking, I have read the documentation and looked at the
> > > > > > > example for deploying multiple apps via fcgi but I am
> > > > > > > still confused as I have limited experience with Apache -
> > > > > > > I am working on that. What's the best way to set this up,
> > > > > > > bearing in mind that I may want to run say 10-15 Dancer
> > > > > > > apps from my server alongside my cgi-scripts? Do I have
> > > > > > > to set up a vhost for each app?  I have
> > > > > > > Apache::Plack::Handler but I'm not sure whether I should
> > > > > > > be using Plack::Builder to mount my apps (which is
> > > > > > > mentioned in an older Dancer Cookbook, but not the
> > > > > > > current deployment guide. Can someone help me get on the
> > > > > > > right track please?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'm not sure it matches what you currently have in mind, but
> > > > > > what I would do is set up www.myserver/app1 with mod_proxy
> > > > > > to a standalone Plack/Dancer process for the app.  You
> > > > > > would need something like this in your VirtualHost for each
> > > > > > app:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >     ProxyPass  /app1  http://localhost:5000/app1
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You'd also have to manage starting, stopping and reloading
> > > > > > each of your apps on its own, with a dedicated port, like
> > > > > > 5000 in the line above.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If you wanted to combine your apps into one, you can do that
> > > > > > with Plack::Builder in a single app.psgi script.  Then you
> > > > > > get the benefit of only having one script to start and
> > > > > > stop, and one port. I currently do that with one of my apps
> > > > > > to separate the AJAX-specific stuff, based on code I found
> > > > > > in Dancer2::Cookbook[1]:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > #!/usr/bin/env perl
> > > > > >
> > > > > > use strict;
> > > > > > use warnings;
> > > > > >
> > > > > > use FindBin;
> > > > > > use lib "$FindBin::Bin/../lib";
> > > > > >
> > > > > > use Plack::Builder;
> > > > > > use newtlc;
> > > > > > use newtlc::API;
> > > > > >
> > > > > > builder {
> > > > > >     mount '/'    => newtlc->to_app;
> > > > > >     mount '/api' => newtlc::API->to_app;
> > > > > > };
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [1]
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > https://metacpan.org/pod/distribution/Dancer2/lib/Dancer2/Cookbook.pod#App-specific-feature
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > C. Chad Wallace, B.Sc.
> > > > The Lodging Company
> > > > http://www.lodgingcompany.com/
> > > > OpenPGP Public Key ID: 0x262208A0
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > dancer-users mailing list
> > > > dancer-users at dancer.pm
> > > > http://lists.preshweb.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/dancer-users
> > > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > C. Chad Wallace, B.Sc.
> > The Lodging Company
> > http://www.lodgingcompany.com/
> > OpenPGP Public Key ID: 0x262208A0
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > dancer-users mailing list
> > dancer-users at dancer.pm
> > http://lists.preshweb.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/dancer-users
> >


-- 

C. Chad Wallace, B.Sc.
The Lodging Company
http://www.lodgingcompany.com/
OpenPGP Public Key ID: 0x262208A0



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