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Load Status Apache

Managing Apache web server performance in an AlmaLinux 8 environment requires careful monitoring of server workload. One important, often overlooked, yet incredibly useful feature is Apache Load Status. This module allows system administrators and DevOps administrators to monitor real-time server load, active connections, and ongoing HTTP request responses. In this guide, we'll cover in detail how to enable, configure, and optimize Apache mod_status on an AlmaLinux 8 system to ensure peak server performance.

mod_status is a built-in Apache module that allows us to access detailed information about the current server status. The data displayed includes:

  • Number of HTTP requests being processed
  • Active connections
  • Idle workers
  • Average request processing time
  • Apache CPU load

By enabling Apache Load Status, administrators can perform troubleshooting, make scalability decisions, and monitor system load more precisely.

Prerequisites​

  • Full root access
  • Basic Linux Command Line
  • Security
  • Apache/HTTPD installed
  • Domain (optional)
  • Timezone configured

Configure mod_status​

Before enabling mod_status, ensure that Apache is installed and running on your AlmaLinux 8 system. If not, please install it with the following command:

dnf update -y
dnf install httpd -y
systemctl enable --now httpd

Also make sure that ports 80 and 443 are open on the firewall:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service={http,https}
firewall-cmd --reload

By default, the mod_status module is usually included during Apache installation. To verify this, run:

httpd -m | grep status

Output example:

status_module (shared)

If it is not already active, add the following line to the main Apache configuration file:

nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

Fill in the following parameters at the very bottom:

/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
LoadModule status_module modules/mod_status.so

Virtualhost for Load Status​

info

Apache Load Status (mod_status) should only be accessed by administrators, not per VirtualHost. mod_status provides the status of the entire Apache instance, not just per-VirtualHost. If customers view /server-status, they can:

  • Identify other domains hosted on the shared server
  • Determine high and low traffic levels from other domains
  • View the URI path being accessed

To be more structured and in line with production practices, add the mod_status configuration in the VirtualHost context, for example:

nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/status.focusnic.biz.id.conf

Fill in the following parameters:

/etc/httpd/conf.d/status.focusnic.biz.id.conf
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@focusnic.biz.id
    ServerName status.focusnic.biz.id

    <Location "/server-status">
        SetHandler server-status
        AuthType Basic
        AuthName "Restricted Access"
        AuthUserFile /etc/httpd/.htpasswd
        Require valid-user
    </Location>

</VirtualHost>

Then create a user and password file:

htpasswd -c /etc/httpd/.htpasswd adminstatus

Restart Apache to save changes:

apachectl configtest
systemctl restart httpd

Access the browser http://$DOMAIN_NAME/server-status and enter the username adminstatus and the password that has been set:

Troubleshooting​

If the /server-status page doesn't appear:

  • Check Module: Ensure mod_status is enabled
  • Check Firewall: Ensure port 80 is open
  • Check Access IP: Ensure your IP is listed in Require ip
  • Check Error Log: Check /var/log/httpd/error_log for configuration errors

Conclusion​

Configuring Apache Load Status on AlmaLinux 8 systems is a crucial step in managing performance and monitoring web server infrastructure in real-time. By understanding and correctly implementing this feature, we can improve efficiency, speed up response times, and prevent downtime due to server overload.

Q: What is Apache Load Status (mod_status)?
A: Apache Load Status is a built-in feature of the Apache HTTP Server, via the mod_status module, that allows administrators to view real-time server status, including the number of active connections, idle workers, and system load.

Q: Is mod_status enabled by default?
A: Not always. In some installations, this module is available but not enabled. You can check this with the command:

httpd -M | grep status

If it is not already active, add LoadModule status_module in the Apache configuration.

Q: How do I access the /server-status page?
A: Once the module is enabled and configured, you can access it via the URL: http://localhost/server-status

Q: Who can access the Load Status page?
A: Only administrators should access this page. Never make this page available to the public or customers, as the data displayed is sensitive and reflects all server activity.

Q: Can mod_status be set per VirtualHost?
A: Functionally, no. mod_status displays the status of the entire Apache server, not just within the context of a single domain or VirtualHost. Therefore, it is not recommended for customers to access it.

Q: Is it safe to enable mod_status on a public server?
A: Not safe if unrestricted. It is highly recommended to:

  • Restrict IP access
  • Use Basic authentication
  • Place status on an internal subdomain

Contoh konfigurasi:

<Location "/server-status">
    SetHandler server-status
    Require ip 127.0.0.1
</Location>

Q: What if a customer wants to monitor their traffic?
A: Use a more suitable solution such as:

  • AWStats or Webalizer
  • Dedicated log files per VirtualHost
  • Monitoring dashboards such as Grafana with Prometheus that only display their data

Q: Can the /server-status page be used as a monitoring tool?
A: Yes. Many tools like Zabbix, Nagios, and Prometheus can utilize this page for data scraping and notification systems.

Q: Does mod_status cause additional server load?
A: Not significantly. This module is very lightweight because it only reads Apache's internal status. However, frequent access from bots or monitoring tools should be controlled to avoid unnecessary load.

Q: What if the status page doesn't display?
A: Check the following:

  • The mod_status module is active
  • The configuration is correct
  • It's not blocked by the firewall
  • Your IP is included in the `Require ip`` list
  • There are no configuration errors (see the /var/log/httpd/error_log log)

Q: Can you display Apache status via the command line without mod_status?
A: Yes, although it's limited. Use:

apachectl status

Output example:

● httpd.service - The Apache HTTP Server
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
  Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/httpd.service.d
           └─php-fpm.conf
   Active: active (running) since Mon 2025-07-21 23:57:49 WIB; 12min ago
     Docs: man:httpd.service(8)
  Process: 21228 ExecReload=/usr/sbin/httpd $OPTIONS -k graceful (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
 Main PID: 85761 (httpd)
   Status: "Total requests: 7; Idle/Busy workers 100/0;Requests/sec: 0.0096; Bytes served/sec:  36 B/sec"
    Tasks: 278 (limit: 11143)
   Memory: 131.4M
   CGroup: /system.slice/httpd.service
           ├─85761 /usr/sbin/httpd -DFOREGROUND
           ├─85763 /usr/sbin/httpd -DFOREGROUND
           ├─85764 /usr/sbin/httpd -DFOREGROUND