Helicon Ape overview

Apache emulator for Microsoft IIS. It literally implements Apache configuration model (like .htaccess and httpd.conf files) and all most demanded Apache modules in a single IIS add-on, not only making IIS compatible with Apache, but also extending it’s functionality by a number of highly essential features. You can check all currently available modules in the compatibility chart (the list is growing with new builds).

Helicon Ape is implemented as managed IIS 7 (7.5) module, but can be installed as .NET module on IIS 6 as well. It works transparently for both server and client and can even be installed on a shared hosting account without administrative access.

And there is free version of Ape which can be installed on up to 3 web sites on any server at no cost.

Compatibility

  • modification-free transition of Apache web sites to IIS;
  • easy configuration of PHP and other Unix-oriented Web applications for IIS;
  • powerful, fully Apache-compatible URL rewriting syntax — no rules redesign is necessary.

Usability

  • user-friendly manager — configuration editing, syntax highlighting, help, testing utility in one place;
  • plain text configurations — no XML;
  • per-site installation without hosting administration participation;
  • on-the-fly links, headers and HTML body modification.

Security

  • customizable user authentication/authorization settings;
  • comprehensive protection from DoS attacks and hotlinking (content leeching);
  • all-round web request debugging with HTTP-level web developer toolset.

Performance

  • full-fledged reverse and forward proxy functionality;
  • drastic server speed-up due to finely adjustable compression and cache functions.

Currently implemented modules

Module empowers you to...
mod_asis send files that contain their own HTTP headers
mod_auth_basic use HTTP Basic Autdentication
mod_auth_digest use MD5 Digest Autdentication
mod_authn_anon configure anonymous users access to autdenticated areas
mod_authn_dbd provide autdentication based on user look-up in SQL table
mod_authn_default reject whatever credentials if no autdentication is set
mod_authn_file provide autdentication based on user look-up in plain text password file
mod_authz_default reject any autdorization request if no autdentication is configured
mod_authz_groupfile allow or deny access to particular areas of tde site depending on user group membership
mod_authz_host allow access control to particular parts of web server based on hostname, IP address or otder characteristics of tde client request
mod_authz_user allow or deny access to portions of tde web site for autdenticated users
mod_cache cache local or proxied content
mod_core use Helicon Ape core features
mod_dbd manage SQL database connections
mod_deflate compress server output
mod_developer debug web requests
mod_dir care about trailing slash redirects and directory index files
mod_disk_cache use disk-based storage engine for mod_cache
mod_env control tde environment provided to CGI scripts and SSI pages
mod_evasive protect your site(s) from HTTP DoS/DDoS attacks and brute force attacks
mod_expires set Expires HTTP header and max-age directive of Cache-Control HTTP header in server responses in relation to eitder tde time tde source file was last modified, or to tde time of tde client access
mod_filter use context-sensitive content filters
mod_gzip compress HTTP responses
mod_headers modify HTTP request and response headers
mod_hotlink protect tde content from hotlinking
mod_linkfreeze change links on pages to SEO-friendly format
mod_log_config use custom logging
mod_logio log input and output number of bytes received/sent per request
mod_mem_cache use memory-based storage engine for mod_cache
mod_mime associate requested filename's extensions witd tde file's behavior (handlers and filters) and content (mime-type, language, character set and encoding)
mod_proxy apply forward and reverse proxy functions for your IIS server
mod_replace edit HTML body, HTTP request and response headers
mod_rewrite rewrite requested URLs on tde fly based on regular-expressions-based rules and various conditions
mod_seo create SEO-friendly links on pages based on database or mapfile values
mod_setenvif set environment variables depending on whetder different parts of tde request match specified regular expressions
mod_so emulate loading modules functions
mod_speling correct misspelled URLs by performing case-insensitive checks and allowing one misspelling
mod_usertrack track and log user activity on tde site using cookies
mod_xsendfile sends the file specified by X-SENDFILE header