Re: CGI and typing files by suffix

Charles Henrich ([email protected])
Thu, 30 Dec 1993 10:40:08 -0500 (EST)


> I fail to see how:
> http://server/path/cmd;args
> Is really any clearer or better than:
> http://server/path/cmd/args
>
> The `;' scheme simply has too many drawbacks (namely you can't front-end
> existing directory hierarchies with scripts).

It's a matter of taste of what's cleaner, and thats not what im pushing for,
its the useless stat calls that are driving me nuts here. Let me explain what
happens on an AFS filesystem when you stat something thats not existant.

The call goes into the unix kernel, is re-directed to the AFS cache-manager who
check's the local disk cache, obviously the directory isnt there since it isnt
real, so the cache-manager sends a request over the network to the AFS server
for an update of that directory, since it doesnt exist the server returns "it
aint here". Talk about a waste of a few billion clock cycles! It places undue
strain on bot the client machine, and the server! And when a server is using
this sort of embedded information all over the place for 80% of the accesses
its rediculus! Can you imagine what this would do to the network/client/server
if the box was anywhere near as active as NCSA's (2.4 million hits per month!)

> Using the execute bit, where available, is probably the best plan.

I concur, and agree, and wish it were so. :)

-Crh

Charles Henrich Michigan State University [email protected]

http://rs560.msu.edu/~henrich/