Virtual host collection
Use this page to create and manage virtual hosts. A virtual host is a configuration that enables you manage a single server on a single machine as if the server were multiple servers each on their own host machine.
To view this administrative console page, click .
Each virtual host has a logical name (which you define on this panel) and is known by its list of one or more domain name system (DNS) aliases. A DNS alias is the TCP/IP host name and port number used to request the servlet, for example yourHostName:80. (Port 80 is the default.)
You define one or more alias associations by clicking an existing virtual host or by adding a new virtual host.
When a servlet request is made, the server name and port number entered into the browser are compared to a list of all known aliases in an effort to locate the correct virtual host to serve the servlet. No match returns an error to the browser.
An application server profile provides a default virtual host with some common aliases, such as the internet protocol (IP) address, the DNS short host name, and the DNS fully qualified host name. The alias comprises the first part of the path for accessing a resource such as a servlet.
For example, the alias is localhost:80 in the request http://localhost:80/myServlet.
A virtual host is not associated with a particular profile or node (machine), but is associated with a particular server instead. It is a configuration, rather than a "live object." You can create a virtual host, but you cannot start or stop it.
For many users, creating virtual hosts is unnecessary because the default_host that is provided is sufficient.
Adding the host name and IP address of the localhost machine to the alias table lets a remote user access the administrative console.
Resources associated with one virtual host cannot share data with resources associated with another virtual host, even if the virtual hosts share the same physical machine.
Name
Specifies a logical name for configuring web applications to a particular host name. The default virtual host is suitable for most simple configurations.
Virtual hosts enable you to isolate, and independently manage, multiple sets of resources on the same physical machine. Determine whether you need a virtual host alias for each port associated with an HTTP transport channel or an HTTP transport. There must be a virtual host alias corresponding to each port used by an HTTP transport channel or an HTTP transport. There is one HTTP transport channel or HTTP transport associated with each web container, and there is one web container in each application server.
When you create a virtual host, a default set of 90 MIME entries is created for the virtual host.
- You use the internal HTTP transport with a port other than the default value of 9080, or for some reason the virtual host does not contain the usual entry for port 9080.
- You create multiple application servers that are using the same virtual host.
On single-server installations, you can create stand-alone application servers.
On multiple-server installations, you also can create managed servers or cluster members.
Because each server must be listening on a different HTTP port, you need a virtual host alias for the HTTP port of each server.
- You use a web server that listens on a port not already specified in your virtual host aliases.