In the server configuration file, use the AddHandler directive to associate ISAPI files with the isapi-handler handler, and map it to them with their file extensions. To enable any .dll file to be processed as an ISAPI extension, edit the httpd.conf file and add the following line:

There is no capability within the Apache server to leave a requested module loaded. However, you may preload and keep a specific module loaded by using the following syntax in your httpd.conf:

Whether or not you have preloaded an ISAPI extension, all ISAPI extensions are governed by the same permissions and restrictions as CGI scripts. That is, Options ExecCGI must be set for the directory that contains the ISAPI .dll file.

Review the Additional Notes and the Programmer's Journal for additional details and clarification of the specific ISAPI support offered by mod_isapi.

Apache's ISAPI implementation conforms to all of the ISAPI 2.0 specification, except for some "Microsoft-specific" extensions dealing with asynchronous I/O. Apache's I/O model does not allow asynchronous reading and writing in a manner that the ISAPI could access. If an ISA tries to access unsupported features, including async I/O, a message is placed in the error log to help with debugging. Since these messages can become a flood, the directive ISAPILogNotSupported Off exists to quiet this noise.

Some servers, like Microsoft IIS, load the ISAPI extension into the server and keep it loaded until memory usage is too high, or unless configuration options are specified. Apache currently loads and unloads the ISAPI extension each time it is requested, unless the ISAPICacheFile directive is specified. This is inefficient, but Apache's memory model makes this the most effective method. Many ISAPI modules are subtly incompatible with the Apache server, and unloading these modules helps to ensure the stability of the server.

Also, remember that while Apache supports ISAPI Extensions, it does not support ISAPI Filters. Support for filters may be added at a later date, but no support is planned at this time.

If you are programming Apache 2.0 mod_isapi modules, you must limit your calls to ServerSupportFunction to the following directives:

HSE_REQ_SEND_URL_REDIRECT_RESP

Redirect the user to another location.
This must be a fully qualified URL (e.g. http://server/location).

HSE_REQ_SEND_URL

Redirect the user to another location.
This cannot be a fully qualified URL, you are not allowed to pass the protocol or a server name (e.g. simply /location).
This redirection is handled by the server, not the browser.

In their recent documentation, Microsoft appears to have abandoned the distinction between the two HSE_REQ_SEND_URL functions. Apache continues to treat them as two distinct functions with different requirements and behaviors.

HSE_REQ_SEND_RESPONSE_HEADER

Apache accepts a response body following the header if it follows the blank line (two consecutive newlines) in the headers string argument. This body cannot contain NULLs, since the headers argument is NULL terminated.

HSE_REQ_DONE_WITH_SESSION

Apache considers this a no-op, since the session will be finished when the ISAPI returns from processing.

HSE_REQ_MAP_URL_TO_PATH

Apache will translate a virtual name to a physical name.

HSE_APPEND_LOG_PARAMETER

This logged message may be captured in any of the following logs:

• in the \"%{isapi-parameter}n\" component in a CustomLog directive
• in the %q log component with the ISAPIAppendLogToQuery On directive
• in the error log with the ISAPIAppendLogToErrors On directive

The first option, the %{isapi-parameter}n component, is always available and preferred.

HSE_REQ_IS_KEEP_CONN

Will return the negotiated Keep-Alive status.

HSE_REQ_SEND_RESPONSE_HEADER_EX

Will behave as documented, although the fKeepConn flag is ignored.

HSE_REQ_IS_CONNECTED

Will report false if the request has been aborted.

Apache returns FALSE to any unsupported call to ServerSupportFunction, and sets the GetLastError value to ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER.

ReadClient retrieves the request body exceeding the initial buffer (defined by ISAPIReadAheadBuffer). Based on the ISAPIReadAheadBuffer setting (number of bytes to buffer prior to calling the ISAPI handler) shorter requests are sent complete to the extension when it is invoked. If the request is longer, the ISAPI extension must use ReadClient to retrieve the remaining request body.

WriteClient is supported, but only with the HSE_IO_SYNC flag or no option flag (value of 0). Any other WriteClient request will be rejected with a return value of FALSE, and a GetLastError value of ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER.

GetServerVariable is supported, although extended server variables do not exist (as defined by other servers.) All the usual Apache CGI environment variables are available from GetServerVariable, as well as the ALL_HTTP and ALL_RAW values.

Since httpd 2.0, mod_isapi supports additional features introduced in later versions of the ISAPI specification, as well as limited emulation of async I/O and the TransmitFile semantics. Apache httpd also supports preloading ISAPI .dlls for performance.