Hi everybody, I am attempting to write a module that implements a binary protocol that is not http and is not fully request and response based using apache. I have looked at mode echo and some others and I have Nick Kew's book.
I want my module to convert incoming messages into http requests so that Apache is going to serve them using normal application server infrastructure. This is what I, based on the info I have can easily do using an input and output filter. What I also need the protocol to be able to do is to send messages to the client with no incoming data from the client. This may be based on a timeout or based on a request coming from somewhere else (a tier-2 application server sending me a request on a totally different connection). >From what I have read so far, I could not find a hook that allows me to do so. The only way that I could figure out how to do that is to modify http_core.c and in ap_process_http_sync_connection query for either the timeout or the separate even to have occured using some shared memory technique. This however does not feel right to me. I would ideally like to keep using http_core as it is without touching it. Is there a way for me to wake up trigger the input filter chain even when there is no data on the actual connection? I could then create a request from the context of my persistent connection for a handler that I have written that triggers the output filter chain to send the correct message. Or even better is there a way I can trigger the output filter chain? Are there hooks for this purpose? I would very much appreciate a hint in the right direction. Best regards, Robert
