Eliminating POST Variables

I am running a virtual host in Apache 2.0.55 using mod_ssl + OpenSSL
0.9.8aon Win 2k3 Server.  It seems to truncate POST requests that
exceed a few
kilobytes.

Here is the scenario:  Apache uses a rewrite / proxy rule to forward
requests to Zope:
        RewriteRule /(.*)
http://localhost:8080/VirtualHostBase/https/denproduction.fqdn:443/VirtualHostRoot/$1
[P,L]<http://localhost:8080/VirtualHostBase/https/denproduction.fqdn:443/VirtualHostRoot/$1%5BP,L%5D>
When this rule is applied to the Virtual Host on the secure port 443, there
is a limit to the size of the request variables that it will forward to
Zope.  When it is applied to the Apache globally and requests are done over
port 80, any size variables will be passed to Zope.  The large requests are
XML files, so I tried unsetting the LimitXMLRequestBody directive.

Here is my virtual host configuration:

<VirtualHost *:443>

ServerName denproduction.fqdn:443
ServerAdmin wdyk@fqdn
TransferLog logs/access_log

LimitXMLRequestBody 0

SSLEngine on
ServerName denproduction.fqdn

DocumentRoot C:/Apache2/htdocs
ErrorLog logs/ssl_error_log

SSLCipherSuite
ALL:!ADH:!EXPORT56:RC4+RSA:+HIGH:+MEDIUM:+LOW:+SSLv2:+EXP:+eNULL

SSLCertificateFile ssl/denproduction.cert
SSLCertificateKeyFile ssl/denproduction.key

SSLOptions +StdEnvVars +CompatEnvVars

SetEnvIf User-Agent ".*MSIE.*" \
         nokeepalive ssl-unclean-shutdown \
         downgrade-1.0 force-response-1.0

CustomLog logs/ssl_request_log \
          "%t %h %{SSL_PROTOCOL}x %{SSL_CIPHER}x \"%r\" %b"

# Rewrite Rules for Zope

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteLog C:/Apache2/logs/rewrite.log
  RewriteLogLevel 0
  # Default to route everything to Zope
  # If the path starts with /local, then just server Apache's root
  RewriteRule ^/test/ - [L]
  RewriteRule /(.*)
http://localhost:8080/VirtualHostBase/https/denproduction.fqdn:443/VirtualHostRoot/$1
[P,L]<http://localhost:8080/VirtualHostBase/https/denproduction.fqdn:443/VirtualHostRoot/$1%5BP,L%5D>
</IfModule>

</VirtualHost>

The problem has occurred when I make POST requests from the Python client
that I am writing, as well as when I am managing large python scripts
through the Zope management interface over SSL.

Any pointers are appreciated!

Wes Dyk, Production Systems Analyst
Noble Energy Production, Inc.