How can I set #HOST# variable referenced in the Chart template?

Question

#HOST# and #HOST_PROTOCOL# are being set incorrectly by APEX from CGI variables when I create a chart. I am using APEX 4.1 and Oracle 11g. The get the continual "Loading data..." and then after it times out I get "Error loading file".
Before we changed to a secure http environment, our charts worked. After we changed to the new web layer, the charts do not work. The #HOST# substitution was set to http://correctservername/ and #HOST_PROTOCOL# was set to http. We set PlsqlCGIEnvironmentList REQUEST_PROTOCOL=https in the dads configuration file and now the #HOST# displays https but it also includes the default port number which we do not want (https://correctservername:port/) The charts work without the port. REQUEST_PROTOCOL is not in the cgi list and setting this variable set #HOST_PROTOCOL#. What variable can we set to make #HOST# correct. It seems like #HOST# is being set by #REQUEST_PROTOCOL#'://'||HTTP_HOST||':'||SERVER_PORT||SCRIPT_NAME||'/'. SERVER_NAME could also be used in of HTTP_HOST. I don't know how APEX is setting #HOST#. Does it come from a host alias somewhere in the environment?
I don't want to add a new cgi variable called HOST because HOST sounds so generic and it might interfere with something else running in our environment. Or, I don't want to change the plsql cgi environment variable (such as HTTP_HOST) because many developers may use owa_util.get_cgi_env('HTTP_HOST') to get the current server. If the SERVER_PORT is part of the #HOST# then what could I change it to if it needs to be null. If you leave it blank, then the default SERVER_PORT comes from the CGI variables.
I would rather not create a global variable (hard-coding) and create a new chart template using the global variable or create a before header application process to re-direct url without a port.
Edited by: Donna C-Houston on Oct 10, 2012 1:06 PM

Answer 1

Hi Donna,
changing the CGI environment variables HTTP_HOST, REQUEST_PROTOCOL and SERVER_PORT is the correct way how to resolve this, because it appears that your hiding the web server where you have installed mod_plsql or EPG by a different outside facing web server (also called reverse proxy). That's why APEX gets the host name, protocol and port of the internal web server, but should actually get the values of your reverse proxy web server. Can can fix that by changing the following CGI environment variables.
HTTP_HOST should just contain the domain name (no protocol or port). For example: www.oracle.com
REQUEST_PROTOCOL should contain http or https
SERVER_PORT should be the port for https
I don't want to add a new cgi variable called HOST because HOST sounds so generic and it might interfere with something else running in our environment. Or, I don't want to change the plsql cgi environment variable (such as HTTP_HOST) because many developers may use owa_util.get_cgi_env('HTTP_HOST') to get the current server. If the SERVER_PORT is part of the #HOST# then what could I change it to if it needs to be null. If you leave it blank, then the default SERVER_PORT comes from the CGI variables.The value of HTTP_HOST is wrong anyway and points to your internal web server, but I assume your developers actually want to get the host name of your external web server if they use it to generate absolute URLs. That's why I wouldn't bother and set it to the correct host name.
Regards
Patrick
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