[ANNOUNCE] - New AWS (Ada Web Server) version (0.9.11)

[ANNOUNCE] - New AWS (Ada Web Server) version (0.9.11)

[Pascal Obry]

			    A W S - Ada Web Sever
                                 0 . 9 . 11
				       
May 1st, 2001.


Dmitriy Anisimkov and I are happy to announce the availability of the 
AWS 0.9.11 release. This version is close to the 1.0 version. We plan to
change slightly the API at this stage but it should be mostly stable.

AWS stand for Ada Web Server. It is not a real Web Server like Apache. It is
an HTTP component to embedded in any applications. It means that you can
communicate with your application using a standard Web browser and this
without the need for a Web Server. AWS is fully developed in Ada with GNAT.

Here are the main changes:

  - Fix bug in Keep-Alive connection handling in the server. If client does
    not ask for a non Keep-Alive connection we assume a Keep-Alive
    connection. This conform to RFC 2616.

  - New rountine AWS.Response.URL to jump to a given Web page.

  - AWS now use the new Templates_Parser API. This version should be
    stable now. Templates_Parser is used to display the status page.

  - The main demo (runme) can now be launched as a Windows NT/2000
    service. This uses Ted Dennison Ada Services library.

  - It is now possible to specify the certificate to use for the SSL 
    connection.

  - Improve (slightly) the documentation.

  - Do not use GIF images anymore, we use PNG images.

  - As always some bugs have been fixed.

At this stage we feel that AWS is ready to build small to medium Web
server. AWS has been reported to work under Windows NT, Linux and FreeBSD 4.1.

With this new version you'll need at least version 0.1.11 of the Socket binding
from ENST. It has been tested and works fine with version 0.1.13 too.

You can download AWS and the Sockets binding for Win32 directly from:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/contrib.html

An online version of the documentation can be found at
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/aws.html.

The OpenSSL libraries (optional) distributed are for Windows GNAT 3.13. GNAT
3.12 users must build the libraries from sources or obtain Win32 binaries from 
http://vagul.tripod.com/libssl.zip.

Under UNIX you'll have to build the libraries from sources, it is quite easy 
to do so. This has been tested under Linux without trouble.

See documentation for build information.


Pointers:
---------

AWS documentation: 
   http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/aws.html

AWS sources: 
   http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/contrib.html

Templates_Parser sources: 
   Templates_Parser module is provided with AWS distribution. Latest version
   of this module and the documentation can be found at:

   http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/contrib.html

Socket binding:

   for Win32:
      http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/contrib.html

   for UNIX:
      http://www.infres.enst.fr/ANC/

POSIX Binding (optional) :

   for Win32:
      http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry/contrib.html

   for UNIX:
      http://www.cs.fsu.edu/~baker/florist.html

OpenSSL library (optional) :

   Sources for UNIX or Win32:
      http://www.openssl.org
      (we have used and we distribute OpenSSL version 0.9.5a with AWS
      v0.9.11, we have also tested AWS with OpenSSL 0.9.6a without trouble)

   binaries for Win32 with GNAT 3.13 (and later):
      Included with the main AWS distribution.

   binaries for Win32 with GNAT 3.12:
      http://vagul.tripod.com/libssl.zip

Windows Services API (optional):

   To build runme demo as a Windows NT/2000 services you must download
   the services API made by Ted Dennison for his SETI@Home project.
      http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/SETI/SETI_Service.html


Reporting bugs:
---------------

You can report bugs to:

   Dmitriy Anisimkov	anisimkov@yahoo.com
   Pascal Obry		p.obry@wanadoo.fr

It would be nice if you could also sent us a note if you are using AWS just
to know if it is used at all or not :)


Thanks to all who have reported bugs and have sent us patches.

Dmitriy & Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: [ANNOUNCE] - New AWS (Ada Web Server) version (0.9.11)

[Ted Dennison]

In article <uy9shceow.fsf@wanadoo.fr>, Pascal Obry says...
>  - Fix bug in Keep-Alive connection handling in the server. If client does
>    not ask for a non Keep-Alive connection we assume a Keep-Alive
>    connection. This conform to RFC 2616.

Hmmm. Perhaps this relates to a bug I was seeing. Some of my users were
reporting that my web server would stop responding after 5 hits. I was calling
AWS.Server.HTTP with a Max_Connection of 5, and it was reported that raising
that to a huge number fixed the problem. Most users have never reported this
problem. I personally could not duplicate the problem, except very occasionally
when I wasn't trying to. :-( I'm curious if it might have had anything to do
with this fix.

>  - The main demo (runme) can now be launched as a Windows NT/2000
>    service. This uses Ted Dennison Ada Services library.

I'm glad to see it getting some good use. I wrote it in response to a thread
here a few months back. I think its a very good example of how Ada can be used
to drasticly simplify system calls that are a total pain in the keister for C
and C++ developers. I still intend to make a GMGPL release of it sometime with
some of my other bindings, but in the meantime anyone wanting to make use of it
can get a copy from the SETI@Home Service sources. It is currently GPL, because
I think that license works best in the context of the SETI@Home Service as a
whole. However, if the licensing terms won't work for you, contact me and we'll
see what arrangements can be made.

>At this stage we feel that AWS is ready to build small to medium Web
>server. AWS has been reported to work under Windows NT, Linux and FreeBSD 4.1.

A previous version of AWS has been in use for more than a month in the SETI@Home
Service, which I think would now qualify as a "small Web Server". Other than the
bug mentioned above, it has been working beautifully. 

>Windows Services API (optional):
>
>   To build runme demo as a Windows NT/2000 services you must download
>   the services API made by Ted Dennison for his SETI@Home project.
>      http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/SETI/SETI_Service.html

I have no objection to you guys including the services sources directly in AWS,
if you'd prefer to do things that way.

Much kudos go to Pascal and Dmitriy and everyone else involved for developing
and maitaining such a useful package. I know what a strain on their free time it
must be, but its very much appreciated.

---
T.E.D.    homepage   - http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/TED.html
          home email - mailto:dennison@telepath.com

Re: [ANNOUNCE] - New AWS (Ada Web Server) version (0.9.11)

[Ted Dennison]

In article <uy9shceow.fsf@wanadoo.fr>, Pascal Obry says...
>  - Fix bug in Keep-Alive connection handling in the server. If client does
>    not ask for a non Keep-Alive connection we assume a Keep-Alive
>    connection. This conform to RFC 2616.

Hmmm. Perhaps this relates to a bug I was seeing. Some of my users were
reporting that my web server would stop responding after 5 hits. I was calling
AWS.Server.HTTP with a Max_Connection of 5, and it was reported that raising
that to a huge number fixed the problem. Most users have never reported this
problem. I personally could not duplicate the problem, except very occasionally
when I wasn't trying to. :-( I'm curious if it might have had anything to do
with this fix.

>  - The main demo (runme) can now be launched as a Windows NT/2000
>    service. This uses Ted Dennison Ada Services library.

I'm glad to see it getting some good use. I wrote it in response to a thread
here a few months back. I think its a very good example of how Ada can be used
to drasticly simplify system calls that are a total pain in the keister for C
and C++ developers. I still intend to make a GMGPL release of it sometime with
some of my other bindings, but in the meantime anyone wanting to make use of it
can get a copy from the SETI@Home Service sources. It is currently GPL, because
I think that license works best in the context of the SETI@Home Service as a
whole. However, if the licensing terms won't work for you, contact me and we'll
see what arrangements can be made.

>At this stage we feel that AWS is ready to build small to medium Web
>server. AWS has been reported to work under Windows NT, Linux and FreeBSD 4.1.

A previous version of AWS has been in use for more than a month in the SETI@Home
Service, which I think would now qualify as a "small Web Server". Other than the
bug mentioned above, it has been working beautifully. 

>Windows Services API (optional):
>
>   To build runme demo as a Windows NT/2000 services you must download
>   the services API made by Ted Dennison for his SETI@Home project.
>      http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/SETI/SETI_Service.html

I have no objection to you guys including the services sources directly in AWS,
if you'd prefer to do things that way.

Much kudos go to Pascal and Dmitriy and everyone else involved for developing
and maitaining such a useful package. I know what a strain on their free time it
must be, but its very much appreciated.

---
T.E.D.    homepage   - http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/TED.html
          home email - mailto:dennison@telepath.com

Re: [ANNOUNCE] - New AWS (Ada Web Server) version (0.9.11)

[Pascal Obry]

Ted Dennison<dennison@telepath.com>   writes:

> In article <uy9shceow.fsf@wanadoo.fr>, Pascal Obry says...
> >  - Fix bug in Keep-Alive connection handling in the server. If client does
> >    not ask for a non Keep-Alive connection we assume a Keep-Alive
> >    connection. This conform to RFC 2616.
> 
> Hmmm. Perhaps this relates to a bug I was seeing. Some of my users were
> reporting that my web server would stop responding after 5 hits. I was
> calling AWS.Server.HTTP with a Max_Connection of 5, and it was reported that
> raising that to a huge number fixed the problem. Most users have never
> reported this problem. I personally could not duplicate the problem, except
> very occasionally when I wasn't trying to. :-( I'm curious if it might have
> had anything to do with this fix.

There is a lot of chances that it is the bug that gets fixed. I had this
problem too from time to time but was unable to catch the bug... BTW, the
problem append more with Netscape than IE...

> I'm glad to see it getting some good use. I wrote it in response to a thread
> here a few months back. I think its a very good example of how Ada can be
> used to drasticly simplify system calls that are a total pain in the keister
> for C and C++ developers. I still intend to make a GMGPL release of it
> sometime with some of my other bindings, but in the meantime anyone wanting
> to make use of it can get a copy from the SETI@Home Service sources. It is
> currently GPL, because I think that license works best in the context of the
> SETI@Home Service as a whole. However, if the licensing terms won't work for
> you, contact me and we'll see what arrangements can be made.

I think we will include the service API when it is released under GMGPL.
Please let us now when it is ready.

> A previous version of AWS has been in use for more than a month in the
> SETI@Home Service, which I think would now qualify as a "small Web
> Server". Other than the bug mentioned above, it has been working
> beautifully.  

Thanks, that's a nice feedback. I'm currently migrating a medium Web server to
the AWS framework, I'll let all of you know how it works...


> Much kudos go to Pascal and Dmitriy and everyone else involved for developing
> and maitaining such a useful package. I know what a strain on their free
> time it must be

Indeed :) But it is so much fun !

> but its very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: [ANNOUNCE] - New AWS (Ada Web Server) version (0.9.11)

[Ted Dennison]

In article <usnind4po.fsf@wanadoo.fr>, Pascal Obry says...
>
>Ted Dennison<dennison@telepath.com>   writes:
>
>> Hmmm. Perhaps this relates to a bug I was seeing. Some of my users were
>
>There is a lot of chances that it is the bug that gets fixed. I had this

That'd be a relief.

>I think we will include the service API when it is released under GMGPL.
>Please let us now when it is ready.

I currently have way more projects than time, but keep an eye on this space.

For those unacquainted with what we are talking about, the SETI@Home Service
comes with a very small set of thick Win32 bindings. No attempt was made in them
to completely cover all of Win32; I just wrote what I needed for the SETI@Home
Service. Right now this amounts to a nice facility for creating an NT service,
support for dealing with the registry, and support for creating and controlling
Win32 processes. I'm looking at possibly adding a package for reading NT/2K
"performance stats" (process and task lists, CPU utilization, etc).

---
T.E.D.    homepage   - http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/TED.html
          home email - mailto:dennison@telepath.com