iTP Secure WebServer System Administrator's Guide (Version 7.0)

Configuration Directives

iTP Secure WebServer System Administrator’s Guide—523346-012

A-16

Description

Use the Browser directive to specify the maximum HTTP redirect URL length

(url-length) that is supported by the specified browser (agent). Many browsers

have a limit (such as 128 characters) for the length of the URL specified in an HTTP

redirect operation. The agent argument matches against the content in the HTTP

User-Agent: field.

For example, the following directive specifies that the maximum redirect URL length for

browsers that have names matching *NCSA Mosaic* is 128 characters:

Browser "*NCSA Mosaic*" -redirectlimit 128

Multiple Browser directives are allowed in the server configuration file (httpd.config);

these directives might have agent patterns that overlap. For example:

Browser "*NCSA*" -redirectlimit 128

Browser "*NCSA Mosaic*" -redirectlimit 256

When the contents of User-Agent: matches more than one agent pattern, the server

uses the Browser directive corresponding to the longest matching pattern. For

example, if User-Agent: contains the string NCSA Web Browser, the server uses the

first Browser directive (with a redirect limit of 128); whereas if User-Agent: contains

the string NCSA Mosaic, the server uses the second Browser directive (with a redirect

limit of 256).

The server uses the information provided by the Browser directive to modify the

HTTP redirect operation such that the Web client operates correctly. If a redirect URL

is shorter than the redirect limit supported by the matched browser, the server returns

an HTTP redirect result directing the Web client to the new location. If the redirect URL

is longer than the limit supported by the matched browser, the server returns a page

containing a link the user can select to go to the new location. This link page can be

customized (as described in Message on page A-34).

For more information about redirect operations, see the description of the Redirect

command in Region

on page A-49.

Default

If no Browser directives are specified, the server assumes there is no limit on the URL

length for redirect operations.

Example

Browser "*WebRover V1.0*" -redirectlimit 1024