Re: custom proxy setup with mod_perl

On 11/23/2012 06:39 PM, André Warnier wrote:
> 1) is that "early enough" to be before the Apache ProxyPass step ?

yes, the proxy works as usual in the response phase.

> 2) can I set the "(corresponding hostname)" above in such a Perl
> handler, or otherwise manipulate the URI before it gets proxy-ed ?

yes

> 3) do I need this ProxyPass directive in my configuration, or can I just
> set the Apache response handler to be mod_proxy_http, in one of the Perl
> handlers ? and if yes, how ?

no, the fixup handler can configure the request to be handled by mod_proxy.

  # Perhaps 2 is better here, since your server actually acts as
  # reverse proxy. The differences are subtle. Have a look at the code
  # for better understanding.
  $r->proxyreq(1);
  $r->filename("proxy:".$url);
  $r->handler('proxy_server');

That's what I would begin with. $url is then 'http://www.site-...'.

A problem here is perhaps if the user wants to use https. You can of
course fake up a certificate. You perhaps can even have the browser
accept it without warning. But nevertheless, a user with sufficient
knowledge can identify the man in the middle.

See also

  http://foertsch.name/ModPerl-Tricks/using-modproxy-as-useragent.shtml

for a different but also unusual usage of mod_proxy.

Torsten