Environment variables on HTTP Server

 

In the IBM HTTP Server for i5/OS, environment variables are supported.

Information for this topic supports the latest PTF levels for HTTP Server for iSeries . IBM recommends that you install the latest PTFs to upgrade to the latest level of the HTTP Server for i5/OS. Some of the topics documented here are not available prior to this update. See IBM Service for more information.

The supported environment variables for HTTP Server are listed here. The environment variables have been divided into two groups: Non-SSL and SSL.

You can provide secure Web serving when you run HTTP traffic over the SSL protocol. To use SSL, your server must have a digital certificate. This is how a retail company on the Internet allows users to look through the merchandise without security. These same users then fill out order forms and send their credit card numbers by using SSL. A browser that does not support HTTPS cannot request URLs by using HTTP over SSL. The Non-SSL browsers will not allow the submission of forms that need secure submission.

Not all environment variables are supported by both HTTP Server types. Make sure to check that the environment variable is supported by your HTTP Server type.

All headers sent by the client (such as Set-Cookie) are prefixed by "HTTP_", and their value can be extracted. To access variables that are headers, prefix the variable name with "HTTP_". You can also create new variables using the HTTP_set() predefined function.

Variable Name	Type	Description
AUTH_TYPE	Non-SSL	If the server supports client authentication and the script is a protected script, this environment variable contains the method that is used to authenticate the client. Example: Cert_Or_Basic
CGI_ASCII_CCSID	Non-SSL	Contains the ASCII CCSID the server used when converting CGI input data. If the server did not perform any conversion, (for Example, in %%BINARY%% mode), the server sets this value to the DefaultNetCCSID configuration directive value. Example: 819
CGI_EBCDIC_CCSID	Non-SSL	Contains the EBCDIC CCSID under which the current CGI job is running (DefaultFsCCSID or CGIJobCCSID configuration directive). It also represents the job CCSID that is used during server conversion (if any) of CGI input data. Example: 37
CGI_JOB_LOCALE	Non-SSL	Allows a locale to be set globally or for a specific CGI job. After the locale is set, country specific information such as date or time format can be accessed. Some ILE C/C++ run-time functions such as ctime() and localtime() are locale sensitive. Example: CGIJobLocale /QSYS.LIB/LOCALELIB.LIB/EN_US.LOCALE
CGI_MODE	Non-SSL	Contains the CGI conversion mode the server is using for this request. The program can use this information to determine what conversion, if any, was performed by the server on CGI input data and what format that data is currently in. Example: EBCDIC
CGI_OUTPUT_MODE	Non-SSL	Determines which output conversion mode the server is using. Example: EBCDIC
CONTENT_LENGTH	Non-SSL	When the method of POST is used to send information, this variable contains the number of characters. Servers typically do not send an end-of-file flag when they forward the information by using stdin. If needed, you can use the CONTENT_LENGTH value to determine the end of the input string. Example: 7034
CONTENT_TYPE	Non-SSL	When information is sent with the method of POST, this variable contains the type of data included. You can create your own content type in the server configuration file and map it to a viewer. Example: Application/x-www-form-urlencoded
DATE_GMT	Non-SSL	The current date and time in Greenwich Mean Time. Example: 2000/12/31:03:15:20
DATE_LOCAL	Non-SSL	The current date and time in the local time zone. Example: 2000/08/14:15:40:10
DOCUMENT_NAME	Non-SSL	The file name of the document requested by the user. Example: /www/myserver/htdocs/html/hello.html
DOCUMENT_PATH_ INFO	Non-SSL	Contains the additional path information as sent by the Web browser for SSI. Example: /wizard
DOCUMENT_ROOT	Non-SSL	Sets the directory from which the HTTP Server will serve files. The server appends the path from the requested URL to the document root and makes the path to the document. Example: /www/myserver/htdocs
DOCUMENT_URI	Non-SSL	The URI of the document requested by the user. Example: /html/hello.html The DOCUMENT_URI and DOCUMENT_URL environment variables are identical
DOCUMENT_URL	Non-SSL	The URL of the document requested by the user. Example: /html/hello.html The DOCUMENT_URI and DOCUMENT_URL environment variables are identical.
FSCP	Non-SSL	The EBCDIC CCSID used to translate the data. Example: 37
GATEWAY_ INTERFACE	Non-SSL	Contains the version of CGI that the server is using. Example: CGI/1.1
HTTP_ACCEPT	Non-SSL	Contains the list of MIME types the browser accepts. Example: image/gif,image/x-xbitmap,image/jpeg,image/pjeg,image/pgn,*/* The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header returns the environment variable.
HTTP_ACCEPT_CHARSET	Non-SSL	Contains the list of character sets the browser accepts. Example: iso-8859-1,*,utf-8 The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header returns the environment variable.
HTTP_ACCEPT_ENCODING	Non-SSL	Contains the list of encoding protocols the browser accepts. Example: gzip The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header returna the environment variable.
HTTP_ACCEPT_ LANGUAGE	Non-SSL	Contains the list of languages the browser accepts. Example: de,fr,en The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header will return the environment variable.
HTTP_CONNECTION	Non-SSL	The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header returns to the environment variable. Example: Keep-Alive
HTTP_COOKIE	Non-SSL	User defined cookie for the response. Example: w3ibmTest=true
HTTP_HOST	Non-SSL	Contains the HTTP host URL. Example: IBM®.COM The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header returns the environment variable.
HTTP_USER_AGENT	Non-SSL	Contains the name of your browser (web client). It includes the name and version of the browser, requests that are made through a proxy, and other information. Example: Mozilla/4.72 [en ](WinNT;U) The header lines received from the client, if any, are placed into the environment variable with the prefix HTTP_* followed by the header name. The header returns the environment variable.
IBM_CCSID_VALUE	Non-SSL	The CCSID under which the current server job is running. Example: 37
NETCP	Non-SSL	The default ASCII CCSID used to translate the data. Example: 819
PATH_INFO	Non-SSL	Contains the additional path information as sent by the web browser. Example: /wizard
PATH_TRANSLATED	Non-SSL	Contains the decoded or translated version of the path information that is contained in PATH_INFO, which takes the path and does any virtual-to-physical mapping to it. Example: /wwwhome/wizard
QIBM_CGI_ LIBRARY_LIST	Non-SSL	This variable is used to set the CGI jobs' library list. The variable can be set using the SetEnv directive. See the SetEnv directive for more information.
QUERY_STRING	Non-SSL	When information is sent using a method of GET, this variable contains the information in a query that follows the "?". The string is coded in the standard URL format of changing spaces to "+" and encoding special characters with "%xx" hexadecimal encoding. The CGI program must decode this information. Example: NAME=Eugene+T%2E+Fox=etfox%7Cibm.net=xyz The supported maximum size of QUERY_STRING is 8K for HTTP Server (powered by Apache).
QZHBHA_MODEL	Non-SSL	Model of the highly available Web server. Example: PRIMARYBACKUP
QZHBIS_FIRST_REQUEST	Non-SSL	This environment variable indicates to a CGI program if this is a subsequent request of some session. The Web server sets this variable to 1 if this is not a subsequent request of any session (this is potentially the first request of a new session). The Web server sets this variable to 0 if this is a subsequent request of some session. Example: 0
QZHBIS_CLUSTER_ ENABLED Variable broken for display purposes only.	Non-SSL	This environment variable indicates to the CGI program that the CGI program is allowed to be cluster-enabled if the request does not belong to any existing session (QZHBIS_FIRST_REQUEST is set to 1). This environment variable indicates to the CGI program that the CGI program is cluster-enabled (QZHBIS_FIRST_REQUEST set to "0"). When the Web server receives a first request to a CGI, it decides if the CGI program is allowed to be cluster-enabled. If the CGI program is allowed to be cluster-enabled, the Web server sets the QZHBIS_CLUSTER_ENABLED environment variable to 1; otherwise the Web server does not define the QZHBIS_CLUSTER_ENABLED environment variable. When the Web server receives a subsequent request to a CGI, it looks to see if the session is cluster-enabled. If the session is cluster-enabled, the Web server sets the QZHBIS_CLUSTER_ENABLED environment variable to 1; otherwise the Web server does not define the QZHBIS_CLUSTER_ENABLED environment variable. Example: 1
QZHBNEXT_SESSION_HANDLE	Non-SSL	This environment variable contains a new session handle for a CGI program to use. If the CGI program is cluster-disabled, it may ignore this session handle. The Web server generates a session handle and sets the QZHBNEXT_SESSION_HANDLE environment variable to this value. If the CGI program decides to be cluster-enabled, it must use the passed session handle in the URLs of subsequent requests; otherwise, the Web server will not associate subsequent requests with this session. Example: 8B739003AB741824899F0004AC009021
QZHBRECOVERY	Non-SSL	Contains whether the highly available Web server has gone through a recovery (primary to backup or backup to primary). If this environment variable is present, recovery has occurred. If it is not present, then recovery has not occurred
REDIRECT_QUERY_ STRING	Non-SSL	Contains QUERY_STRING from a re-directed request. Example: NAME=Eugene+T%2E+Fox=etfox%7Cibm.net=xyz
REDIRECT_QUERY_ URL	Non-SSL	This environment variable is used in the primary/backup models only. This environment variable is used to indicate to a cluster-enabled CGI program that it should perform a recovery operation (for example, restore its state). The Web server passes a session handle to the CGI program through the QZHBRECOVERY environment variable. The Web server passes the CGI's state to the CGI program. If there is no recovery, this environment variable is undefined. In the primary/backup model, the high availability CGI is also treated as a persistent CGI. The high availability CGI state information can also be retained in the CGI job. The next request for the next step in the CGI is automatically run in the same job. Therefore, the CGI program can skip reading its state unless this environment variable is defined. Example: 4D868803AB731824899F0004AC009021
REFERER	Non-SSL	Contains the referrer. Example: http://www.myserver.com/cgi-bin/
HTTP_REFERER	Non-SSL	Contains the referrer. Example: http://www.myserver.com/cgi-bin/
REFERER_URL	Non-SSL	Contains the referrer URL. Example: http://WWW.MYSERVER.COM:8080/perlSetEnv/
REMOTE_ADDR	Non-SSL	Contains the IP address of the remote host (web browser) that is making the request, if available. Example: 10.10.2.3
REMOTE_PORT	Non-SSL	Contains the remote user port number. Example: 3630
REMOTE_IDENT	Non-SSL	Contains the user ID of the remote user. Example: MyIdentityx
REMOTE_USER	Non-SSL	If you have a protected script and the server supports client authentication, this environment variable contains the user name that is passed for authentication. Example: SMITH
REQUEST_METHOD	Non-SSL	Contains the method (as specified with the METHOD attribute in an HTML form) that is used to send the request. Example: GET
REQUEST_URI	Non-SSL	Specifies URI to be requested. Example: /cgi-bin/hello.pgm
RULE_FILE	Non-SSL	Specifies rule file to be used. Example: /www/myserver/conf/httpd.conf
SCRIPT_FILENAME	Non-SSL	The file name of the document requested by the user. Example: /QSYS.LIB/CGI.LIB/HELLO.PGM
SCRIPT_NAME	Non-SSL	A virtual path to the program being run. Use this for self-referring URLs. Example: /cgi-bin/hello.pgm
SERVER_ADDR	Non-SSL	Contains the address of the server. Example: 10.10.2.3
SERVER_ADMIN	Non-SSL	Contains information about the server administrator. Example: [no address given ]
SERVER_NAME	Non-SSL	Contains the server host name or IP address of the server. Example: 10.9.8.7
SERVER_PORT	Non-SSL	Contains the port number to which the client request was sent. Example: 2001
SERVER_PROTOCOL	Non-SSL	Contains the name and version of the information protocol that is used to make the request. Example: HTTP/1.0
SERVER_SIGNATURE	Non-SSL	Allows configuration of a trailing footer line under server generated documents like error messages, mod_proxy ftp directory listings, and mod_info output. Enabling the footer line allows the user to tell which chained servers in a proxy chain produced a returned error message. Example: On
SERVER_SOFTWARE	Non-SSL	Contains the name and version of the information server software that is answering the request. Example: IBM-HTTP-SERVER/1.0
SSI_DIR	Non-SSL	The path of the current file relative to SSI_ROOT. If the current file is in SSI_ROOT, this value is "/". Example: ssi_child_dir/
SSI_FILE	Non-SSL	The file name of the current file. Example: ssi_parent.shtml
SSI_INCLUDE	Non-SSL	The value that is used in the include command that retrieved this file. This is not defined for the topmost file. Example: ssi_child_dir/ssi_child.shtml
SSI_PARENT	Non-SSL	The path and file name of the include, relative to SSI_ROOT. Example: ssi_parent.shtml
SSI_ROOT	Non-SSL	The path of the topmost file. All include requests must be in this directory or a child of this directory. Example: #echo var=SSI_DIR -> You can use echo to display a value set by the set or global directives.
UNIQUE_ID	Non-SSL	Provides a unique magic token and acts as the identifier across all requests under very specific conditions. Example: aK8YOAkFBZkAABsuEC4AAACB
HTTPS	SSL	Returns ON if the system has completed an SSL handshake. It returns OFF if the exchange of signals to set up communications between two modems has failed. Example: OFF
HTTPS_CIPHER	SSL	This is the cipher that is used to negotiate with the client on the SSL handshake. Example: SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT	SSL	The entire certificate passed to the server from the client browser when SSL client authentication is enabled. The format of the certificate is a BASE64 encoded string that represents the DER format of the X.509 certificate. As an environment variable the BASE64 encoded string has been converted to EBCDIC and must be converted back to ASCII before it can be used for typical digital certificate API's. Example: MIIC0DCCAbigAwIBAgIHOL2Yx...
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_COMMON _NAME	SSL	The common name from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: SMITH
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_COUNTRY	SSL	The country code from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: US
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_DN	SSL	The client certificate's distinguished name. Example: :cn=CAPTAIN,ou=downtown,o=fire fighters,l=Minot,st=North Dakota,c=US
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_EMAIL	SSL	The email of the client owning the certificate. Example: me@mycompany.com
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_ COMMON_NAME	SSL	The common came of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: SMITH
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_ COUNTRY	SSL	The country code of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: US
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_DN	SSL	The distinguished name of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: :cn=testsystem.ibm.com CA,ou=Test Organization Unit,o=System test, l=Rochester,st=Minnesota,c=US
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_EMAIL	SSL	The e-mail address of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: me@mydomain.net
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_ LOCALITY	SSL	The locality or city of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: New York
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_ORG_ UNIT	SSL	The organizational unit of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: bird watchers
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_ ORGANIZATION	SSL	The organization name of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: dove
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_ POSTAL_CODE	SSL	The postal code of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: 12344-6789
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ISSUER_STATE_ OR_PROVINCE	SSL	The state or province of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: North Dakota
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_LEN	SSL	The length of the certificate passed in HTTPS_CLIENT_CERT. Example: 968
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_LOCALITY	SSL	The locality or city of the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: New York
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ORG_UNIT	SSL	The organization unit name from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: Pack234
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_ ORGANIZATION	SSL	The organization name from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: Scouts
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_POSTAL_CODE	SSL	The postal code assigned by the issueing certificate authority. Example: 80525
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_SERIAL_NUM	SSL	The serial number assigned by the issuing certificate authority. Example: 3F:E4:83:81:02:D5:58
HTTPS_CLIENT_ CERT_STATE_OR_ PROVINCE	SSL	The state or province from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: Alberta
HTTPS_CLIENT_ ISSUER_EMAIL	SSL	Contains the email address of the Certificate Authority that issued the certificate. Example: jones@mydomain.net
HTTPS_KEYSIZE	SSL	If a valid security product is installed and the SSLMode directive is SSLMode=ON, this will be set to the size of the bulk encryption key used in the SSL session. Example: [ 128 ]
HTTPS_SESSION_ID	SSL	Set to NULL by default when used with HTTP Server (powered by Apache).
HTTPS_SESSION_ ID_NEW	SSL	If the value is TRUE, it indicates that a full handshake was performed for this SSL session. If the value is FALSE, it indicates that an abbreviated handshake was performed for this SSL session. Example: True
SSL_CIPHER	SSL	This is the cipher that is used to negotiate with the client on the SSL handshake. Example: SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5
SSL_CLIENT_C	SSL	The country code from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: USA
SSL_CLIENT_ CERTBODY	SSL	The entire certificate passed to the server from the client browser when SSL Client authentication is enabled. The format of the certificate is a BASE64 encoded string that represents the DER format of the X.509 certificate. As an environment variable the BASE64 encoded string has been converted to EBCDIC and must be converted back to ASCII before it can be used for typical digital certificate API's. Example: MIIC0DCC big IB gIHOL2Yx...
SSL_CLIENT_ CERTBODYLEN	SSL	The length of the certificate passed in SSL_CLIENT_CERT. Example: 828
SSL_CLIENT_ CERT_EMAIL	SSL	The email of the client owning the certificate. Example: me@mycompany.com
SSL_CLIENT_CN	SSL	The common name from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: SMITH
SSL_CLIENT_DN	SSL	The client's distinguished name. Example: :cn=CAPTAIN,ou=downtown,o=fire fighters,l=Minot,st=North Dakota,c=US HTTPS_CLIENT_CERT_DN :cn=CAPTAIN,ou=downtown,o=fire fighters,l=Minot,st=North Dakota,c=US
SSL_CLIENT_ICN	SSL	The common name of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: SMITH
SSL_CLIENT_IC	SSL	The country code of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: CA
SSL_CLIENT_IDN	SSL	The distinguished name of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: :cn=testsystem.ibm.com CA,ou=Test Organization Unit,o=System test, l=Rochester,st=Minnesota,c=US
SSL_CLIENT_EMAIL	SSL	The e-mail of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: me@mycompany.com
SSL_CLIENT_IL	SSL	The locality of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: New York
SSL_CLIENT_IO	SSL	The organization name of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: bird watchers
SSL_CLIENT_IOU	SSL	The organizational unit of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: bird watchers
SSL_CLIENT_IPC	SSL	The postal code of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: 55901
SSL_CLIENT_IST	SSL	The state or province of the certificate authority that issued the client's certificate. Example: MNA
SSL_CLIENT_L	SSL	The locality or city of the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: New York
SSL_CLIENT_ NEWSESSIONID	SSL	If the value is TRUE, it indicates that a full handshake was performed for this SSL session. If the value is FALSE, it indicates that an abbreviated handshake was performed for this SSL session. Example: True
SSL_CLIENT_O	SSL	The organization name from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: bird watchers
SSL_CLIENT_OU	SSL	The organizational unit name from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: bird watchers
SSL_CLIENT_PC	SSL	The postal code from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: 58401
SSL_CLIENT_ SERIALNUM	SSL	The serial number assigned by the issuing certificate authority. Example: 3F:E4:83:81:02:D5:58
SSL_CLIENT_ SESSIONID	SSL	If the value is TRUE, it indicates that a full handshake was performed for this SSL session. If the value is FALSE, it indicates that an abbreviated handshake was performed for this SSL session. Example: True
SSL_CLIENT_ST	SSL	The state or province from the client certificate's distinguished name. Example: North Dakota
SSL_PROTOCOL_ VERSION	SSL	The SSL protocol version negotiated on the SSL handshake with the client. Example: SSLV3
SSL_SERVER_C	SSL	The country where the server is located in. Example: Denmark
SSL_SERVER_CN	SSL	The common name from the server certificate's distinguished name. Example: WWW.MYDOMAIN.COM
SSL_SERVER_DN	SSL	The server's distinguished name. Example: :cn=TESTSYSTEM.IBM.COM,ou=MyTestOrganizationUnit, o=Software test, l=Rochester,st=Minnesota,c=US
SSL_SERVER_EMAIL	SSL	The e-mail address of the server certificate. Example: me@mydomain.net
SSL_SERVER_L	SSL	The locality of the server certificate's distinguished name. Example: New York
SSL_SERVER_OU	SSL	The organization unit name from the server certificate's distinguished name. Example: bird watchers
SSL_SERVER_O	SSL	The organization name from the server certificate's distinguished name. Example: bird watchers
SSL_SERVER_ST	SSL	The state or province from the server certificate's distinguished name. Example: North Dakota
HTTP_AS_ AUTH_PROFILETKN	SSL and Non-SSL	A 32-bit value used to identify or authenticate the user. See the ProfileToken directive for more information.

 

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Reference documentation for HTTP Server