Use Apache2 as Webserver

Warning

This section has not been updated since v.3.2. Bots in the current version may operate differently than described below.

• Bots uses cherrypy webserver Out of the Box and in order to scale it, you need to run it on an Apache2 Web Server

• One advantage with this is that apache2 will take care of starting the Bots Monitor so there is no need to create a daemon for the bots webserver.

Procedure

1. Ensure that apache2 is installed and running on the system. (try httpd -M)

2. The mod_wsgi package is needed for this set up, so install it and add the line LoadModule wsgi_module modules/mod_wsgi.so to apache httpd.conf file.

3. Restart the apache server, run the command httpd -M and you should see the wsgi_module at the end.

4. Now we need to shuffle a few directories, create a base directory called bots_app in your home folder (do not run under root)

5. Move the folders botssys, usersys, media and config from the bots installation directory to bots_app folder.

6. Do not forget to create sym links for these folders in the installation dir to this new location.

7. Now add the following files to the bots_app folder:

   ##bots.wsgi
   
   import sys
   import django.core.handlers.wsgi
   import mod_wsgi
   
   #set PYTHONPATH...not needed if bots is already on PYTHONPATH
   #sys.path.append('/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages')
   from bots import apachewebserver
   
   config = mod_wsgi.process_group
   apachewebserver.start(config)
   application = django.core.handlers.wsgi.WSGIHandler()
   

   ##apache2.conf
   
   Listen {PORT}
   NameVirtualHost \*:{PORT}
   ## Use this if you run into socket errors on linux
   WSGISocketPrefix /var/run/wsgi
   
   <VirtualHost \*:{PORT}>
      WSGIScriptAlias /{PATH TO UR HOME}/bots_app/bots.wsgi
      WSGIDaemonProcess config user={System User} group={System User Group}
      WSGIProcessGroup config
   
   ## Use this section only when enabling https for bots app
      SSLEngine on
      SSLCertificateFile /path/to/www.example.com.cert
      SSLCertificateKeyFile /path/to/www.example.com.key
   
      Alias /media {PATH TO UR HOME}/bots_app/media
   
      <Directory {PATH TO UR HOME}/bots_app/>
           Order deny,allow
           Allow from all
      </Directory>
   
      <Directory {PATH TO UR HOME}/bots_app/media>
           Order deny,allow
           Allow from all
      </Directory>
   
   </VirtualHost>
   

8. Add execute permission to the bots.wsgi file and add the line Include {PATH TO UR HOME}/bots_app/apache2.conf at the end of the apache2 httpd.conf file.

9. Restart apache server and open http://{ip}:{port}/, you should see the bots welcome screen. If you get permission errors or images are not loading then correct permissions need to be given to bots_app and its parent directory.

10. Once the server is running the logs will be generated in the folder botssys/logging as apache_webserver_config.log

11. The script bots-webserver should not be used now as apache2 will automatically start up the application.

12. Add botsengine_path = /usr/local/bin/bots-engine in the Bots ini file.