Apache Server Virtual Host – A Comprehensive Guide for Dev

Welcome Dev, as a developer, you might have come across the term “Virtual Host” while configuring a web server. Virtual host allows you to run multiple websites on a single server with different domain names. In this journal article, we will guide you through the process of setting up a Virtual Host on the Apache Server.

Understanding Virtual Host

Before we dive deep into the setup process, let’s understand what a Virtual Host is. In simple terms, a Virtual Host allows you to serve multiple websites on a single server with separate domain names. For example, you can run example.com and test.com on the same server using Virtual Host. By default, Apache Server serves content from the document root directory, but with Virtual Host, you can specify a different document root directory for each website.

Virtual Host can be of two types – Name-based Virtual Host and IP-based Virtual Host. In Name-based Virtual Host, multiple websites can share the same IP address and serve content based on the domain name. In IP-based Virtual Host, each website has a unique IP address.

Setting up Virtual Host on Apache Server

Now let’s move on to the setup process. Follow the below steps to set up Virtual Host on the Apache Server:

Step 1: Enabling Virtual Host

The first step is to enable Virtual Host on the Apache Server. Open the Apache configuration file httpd.conf and uncomment the line “Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf” by removing the ‘#’ symbol at the beginning of the line. Save the file and restart the Apache Server.

Step 2: Creating Virtual Host Configuration File

Next, create a Virtual Host configuration file in the Apache configuration directory. The name of the file should end with .conf extension. For example, if you want to create a Virtual Host for example.com, create a file named example.com.conf in the Apache configuration directory.

Step 3: Configuring Virtual Host

Now, it’s time to configure the Virtual Host. Here is a sample Virtual Host configuration file:

ServerName	DocumentRoot	Directory Index	ErrorLog	CustomLog
example.com	/var/www/html/example.com	index.html index.htm index.php	/var/log/httpd/example.com-error.log	/var/log/httpd/example.com-access.log

In the above configuration file, replace example.com with your domain name, /var/www/html/example.com with the document root directory of your website, index.html index.htm index.php with the directory index of your website, and /var/log/httpd/example.com-error.log and /var/log/httpd/example.com-access.log with the error and access log files of your website respectively. Save the configuration file and restart the Apache Server.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the difference between Name-based Virtual Host and IP-based Virtual Host?

A: In Name-based Virtual Host, multiple websites can share the same IP address and serve content based on the domain name. In IP-based Virtual Host, each website has a unique IP address.

Q: Can I run multiple Virtual Hosts on the same Apache Server?

A: Yes, you can run multiple Virtual Hosts on the same Apache Server.

Q: How do I access my Virtual Host from a web browser?

A: To access your Virtual Host from a web browser, enter the domain name in the address bar. For example, if you have set up a Virtual Host for example.com, enter http://example.com in the address bar.

Q: Can I host multiple domains on a single Virtual Host?

A: Yes, you can host multiple domains on a single Virtual Host, but you need to configure the Virtual Host accordingly to serve content for each domain.