Oracle WebServer User's Guide

The Oracle Web Listener

The Oracle Web Listener is a commercial quality HTTP server that services document requests from any Web browser. Clients can be located anywhere on a network using the standard HTTP protocol. Under this protocol, the type of the document is sent to the client along with the document itself. The Web Listener supports many different document types are supported. Clients either interpret and display the document appropriately, or pass the document to a program that specifically handles that document type. For example, an MPEG viewer on the client machine may receive a video clip drawn from a newscast.

The Oracle Web Listener can handle a large number of simultaneous requests, and has advanced features which use system resources more efficiently than other HTTP servers available on the market. These features are described in more detail, "Oracle Web Listener".

When the Oracle Web Listener receives a request from a client, it first determines whether that request is for a static document or a dynamic document. If the request is for a static document, the Web Listener sends the file and the associated type information directly to the client. If the request is for a dynamic document, it is created "on the fly" by a program invoked by the Web Listener, in compliance with the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). CGI is an interface that enables HTTP servers to run a program and use the output of that program in a document that is sent to the user. Most HTTP servers support this interface, and the Oracle Web Listener uses it to invoke the Oracle Web Agent when a database procedure is requested. In addition, any other executable program may be invoked through CGI.

For further information about the Web Listener, see Chapter 3.