Asynchronous Web Server (AWS)

Overview

This Asynchronous Web Server (AWS) project is designed to deepen understanding and skills in working with sockets, asynchronous operations, and advanced I/O operations within the Linux operating system. Utilizing advanced I/O operations such as asynchronous file operations, non-blocking socket operations, zero-copying, and I/O multiplexing, this server offers a limited implementation of the HTTP protocol focused on file delivery to clients.

Features

• Multiplexing I/O Operations: Uses epoll for efficient I/O operations over network sockets.
• Asynchronous File Operations: Employs asynchronous API for reading dynamic files, optimizing performance.
• Non-blocking Socket Operations: Ensures that socket operations do not block the server's execution, allowing for handling multiple connections simultaneously.
• Zero-copy File Transfer: Utilizes the zero-copying API (sendfile) for efficient static file transmission.
• HTTP Protocol Support: Handles basic HTTP requests for serving static and dynamically processed files with proper HTTP response codes.

Prerequisites

• Linux operating system with support for epoll, sendfile, and asynchronous I/O operations.
• C compiler (GCC recommended) for building the server.
• Basic knowledge of networking and HTTP protocol.

Installation

1. Clone the repository to your local machine.
2. Navigate to the project directory.
3. Compile the server using the provided Makefile: make

Configuration

Before running the server, configure the following environment variables to specify the document root:

• AWS_DOCUMENT_ROOT: The root directory from which files will be served. It should contain static and dynamic subdirectories for corresponding file types.

Running the Server

To start the server, execute the compiled binary with the command: ./aws

The server listens on port defined by AWS_LISTEN_PORT (default: 8888).

Testing

Automated tests are provided in the tests directory. To run the tests:

1. Ensure the server is compiled and the aws executable is present.
2. Navigate to the tests directory.
3. Run ./run.sh to execute all tests.

Project Structure

• aws.c: Main server implementation file.
• aws.h: Header file with necessary definitions and structure declarations.
• tests/: Directory containing automated tests for the server.
• http-parser/: HTTP parser utilized for request handling.

Contributing

Contributions to improve the server or extend its capabilities are welcome. Please submit pull requests with detailed descriptions of changes or improvements.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.