Over the Sun Developer Network, Joe McCabe has posted an article describing the various ways to get PHP installed on the ‘Sun Java Server’. For the uninitiated, Sun Java System Web Server is a server that provides process redundancy, request scalability, and application programming interfaces (APIs) to create and serve dynamic content.

He lists the contents. They are:

• Understanding PHP and Web Server: this section contains a background in understanding PHP. For the same, he provides detailed notes on PHP modules, web server architecture and configuration files.
• Running the PHP Engine: the PHP engine can run with web server as a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) program, as a FastCGI server, or as a plug in using that Web Server’s native API, NSAPI. He provides a brief description of each.
• Installing the PHP Engine as a CGI Program: the CGI interface affords versatility in how you install and manage the PHP engine. Unfortunately, CGI imposes performance and state penalties. The pros and cons of the PHP engine as a CGI is tabulated. He also includes, sub sections like compiling the PHP engine as a CGI, configuring web server to use CGI and additional notes on the PHP Engine as a CGI with illustrative examples to facilitate better understanding.
• Installing the PHP Engine as a FastCGI Server: the FastCGI interface provides the scalability of native APIs with the versatility of the CGI interface by keeping the executed binary running from request to request instead of terminating after a single request. He presents a table to determine the pros and cons of the PHP engine as FastCGI. Also, he provides sub-sections like compiling the PHP Engine as a FastCGI, configuring Web Server to use the PHP FastCGI server, additional notes on the PHP Engine as a FastCGI Server with hands-on examples.
• Installing the PHP Engine as an NSAPI Plugin: he provides a table discussing the pros and cons of NSAPI. He adds sub-sections like compiling the PHP engine as an NSAPI, configuring Web Server to use PHP NSAPI and additional notes on the PHP Engine as an NSAPI with code examples to put forth the ideas.


He concludes by saying that the combination of PHP and the Sun Java System Server delivers a stability and versatility required by web sites and web developers.