How to deploy multiple django apps on apache in Windows?

Question

I want to deploy multiple django apps on apache on Windows but only know how to deploy one.

Overriding the localhost of the Wamp Server I can deploy the app without problem but I need to deploy more and don't know how. I've sehen virtual hosts and think are good but don't know how to configurate them. Anyone know how can I do this? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

hosting severel django apps with Apache is possible using virtual hosts (vhosts)

important to care about:

0. during config of Apache I recommend to start apache from command line as "httpd.exe" as in XAMPP or WAMP you will not see some of the initial start-up error messages in error.log files.

1. you can only use 1 python version even in different virt.env for each vhost as apache module mod_wsgi compilation needs to fit to it and is loaded once at startup of apache

something like this in httpd.conf (you should have this already in place because of your running single app config):

LoadFile "c:/.../python/python38/python38.dll"
LoadModule wsgi_module "c:/..../mod_wsgi.cp38-win_amd64.pyd"

2. how to set path to virt.env and app folders:

   with 1 host you would point to your virt.env by setting WSGIPythonHome and WSGIPythonPath to point to your app folders in httpd.conf:

WSGIPythonHome "d:/..../django_project/env_folder"
WSGIPythonPath "d:/..../django_project/app_name" 

but: you can not place WSGIPythonHome/WSGIPythonPath inside the VirtualHost declaration in httpd-vhosts.conf.... it will cause an error message

Solution: set paths in wsgi.py dynamically and remove WSGIPythonHome/WSGIPythonPath from apache *.conf:

wsgi.py:

# replacement for WSGIPythonHome "d:/..../django_project/env_folder"
# choose one:
sys.path.append('d:/.../env_folder/lib/site-packages')              # add individual virt.environment packages at the end of sys.path;  global env packages have prio
sys.path.insert(0,'d:/.../env_folder/lib/site-packages')            # add individual virt.environment packages at the beginning of sys.path;  indiv. virt.env packages have prio over global env
    
# replacement   WSGIPythonPath "d:/..../django_project/app_name"    
sys.path.append('d:/.../django_project/app_name')                   # add indiv. app folder to search path      
    

3. here is example for apache conf:

(why the dummy host: there is a (strange or buggy) behavior of apache... if none of the virtual host names match the request, then automatically apache will dispatch the request to the first vhost in the config - no matter which server name is defined ther. This can lead to confusion because the total wrong app is called and an error messages will most certainly pop-up from inside django, not indicating that the error is on the Apache conf level. A dummy host with a simple index.html and an error message can make this tranparent)

httpd-vhost.conf:

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName Dumme_Host
     DocumentRoot "d:/WEBSPACES/Dummy_Host"

     <Directory d:/WEBSPACES/Dummy_Host>
         Require all granted
     </Directory>
</VirtualHost>


<VirtualHost *:80>

     ServerName  xxxx1
     WSGIScriptAlias / "d:/.... /wsgi.py" application-group=app_name1
     Alias /media/ d:/.../media/
     Alias /static/ d:/.../static/

     <Directory d:/.../app_name1>
         Require all granted
     </Directory>


     <Directory d:/.../media>
         Require all granted
     </Directory>

     <Directory d:/.../static>
         Require all granted
     </Directory>

</VirtualHost>


<VirtualHost *:80>

     ServerName  xxxx2
     WSGIScriptAlias / "d:/.... /wsgi.py" application-group=app_name2
     Alias /media/ d:/.../media/
     Alias /static/ d:/.../static/

     <Directory d:/.../app_name2>
         Require all granted
     </Directory>

    .....

</VirtualHost>