SIFTER Web Server Preparation

You must install a web server that can run CGI programs. Most common web servers should work with SIFTER. We developed SIFTER using Apache.

If an SSL-encrypted web server (e.g. Apache wih mod_ssl) is not available, seriously consider installing and configuring one. If any of your users intend to access the data from outside your local (and presumably securre) area network, SSL will ensure that your data is securely encrypted. While SSL encryption is not required, it is strongly recommended. Using a CGI accelerator, such as mod_perl, is also a good idea when load is an issue.

This section simply describes the considerations for installing SIFTER on your web server. The web requirements are simple and should not be surprising:

• HTDOCS directory - you should create a directory where the SIFTER install process can copy its files. You may want to name it according to the SIFTER realm name that you have chosen, thus making the SIFTER URL something like http://somehost.domain/progeria/. The SIFTER install process will ask for the path to this area and copy html, cgi scripts and images to this directory.

• SIFTER CGI scripts will be copied to the HTDOCS directory defined above and will have the extension '.cgi'. You should make sure that these CGI scripts can be executed.

• Writable directory - you should create a directory into which the web server can write temporary files. This area is used to upload data to the Golden Path. The code makes use of a URL which will load data and display map details using user provided data. This directory must be accessable with no password protection to UCSC.EDU. If you do not provide this area, this option will not be available to SIFTER users.

• Security - SIFTER will work with normal HTTP protocol or SSL encrypted pages (HTTPS protocol). You may also use password protected pages. Unless your entire web server and network is secure, it would be a good idea to establish a protected web server realm for the SIFTER directory and grant access to the approbriate web users. For example, you might have an .htaccess file like this:

    AuthName "SIFTER Web Pages"
    AuthUserFile /usr/local/apache/conf/sifter.htaccess
    AuthGroupFile /usr/local/apache/conf/sifter.group
    AuthType Basic
  
    <Limit POST PUT GET>
    require group progeria
    </Limit>
  

Continue with Server/Client Installation