[Catalyst] serving static files

[Perrin Harkins]

On Thu, 2007-01-11 at 00:38 +0200, Octavian Rasnita wrote:
> Sorry for off topicness, but please tell me, does it have a bad effect if
> the files are just some files sitting in a directory, and they are served by
> apache directly, with no relations with the directories that are handled by
> a perl-script handler?

Yes, because the apache processes are large (they contain a perl
interpreter) and may be holding an open database connection.  You don't
want them sitting around sending bytes to someone's slow modem.  Run a
proxy server that just handles the static stuff and you solve the issue.

> Does it happen the same in case of FastCGI applications?

No, FastCGI is essentially the same architecture as mod_perl with a
proxy server.

> Do you have a recommendation for a text for learning how to use a reverse 
> proxy?

This is all documented pretty well on the mod_perl site and in books
like this one: http://modperlbook.org/

- Perrin