Intro into HTTP

HTTP plugin is used to pass HTTP/HTTPS/fCGI/HTTP2(h2c)/HTTP3 requests to the PHP worker.

Configuration reference

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

# HTTP plugin settings.
http:
  # Host and port to listen on (e.g.: `127.0.0.1:8080`).
  #
  # This option is required.
  address: 127.0.0.1:8080

  # override http error code for the internal RR errors
  #
  # Default: 500
  internal_error_code: 505

  # HTTP access logs
  #
  # Default: false
  access_logs: false

  # Maximal incoming request size in megabytes. Zero means no limit.
  #
  # Default: 0
  max_request_size: 256

  # Send raw body (unescaped) to the PHP worker for the application/x-www-form-urlencoded content type
  #
  # Optional, default: false
  raw_body: false

  # Middlewares for the http plugin, order is important. Allowed values is: "headers", "gzip", "static", "sendfile",  [SINCE 2.6] -> "new_relic", [SINCE 2.6] -> "http_metrics", [SINCE 2.7] -> "cache"
  #
  # Default value: []
  middleware: [ "headers", "gzip" ]

  # Allow incoming requests only from the following subnets (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserved_IP_addresses).
  #
  # Default: ["10.0.0.0/8", "127.0.0.0/8", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.168.0.0/16",  "::1/128", "fc00::/7", "fe80::/10"]
  trusted_subnets: [
    "10.0.0.0/8",
    "127.0.0.0/8",
    "172.16.0.0/12",
    "192.168.0.0/16",
    "::1/128",
    "fc00::/7",
    "fe80::/10",
  ]

  # File uploading settings.
  uploads:
    # Directory for file uploads. Empty value means to use $TEMP based on your OS.
    #
    # Default: ""
    dir: "/tmp"

    # Deny files with the following extensions to upload.
    #
    # Default: [".php", ".exe", ".bat"]
    forbid: [ ".php", ".exe", ".bat", ".sh" ]

    # [SINCE 2.6] Allow files with the following extensions to upload
    #
    # Default: empty
    allow: [ ".html", ".aaa" ]

  # Settings for "headers" middleware.
  headers:
    # Allows to control CORS headers. Additional headers "Vary: Origin", "Vary: Access-Control-Request-Method",
    # "Vary: Access-Control-Request-Headers" will be added to the server responses. Drop this section for this
    # feature disabling.
    cors:
      # Controls "Access-Control-Allow-Origin" header value (docs: https://mzl.la/2OgD4Qf).
      #
      # Default: ""
      allowed_origin: "*"

      # Controls "Access-Control-Allow-Headers" header value (docs: https://mzl.la/2OzDVvk).
      #
      # Default: ""
      allowed_headers: "*"

      # Controls "Access-Control-Allow-Methods" header value (docs: https://mzl.la/3lbwyXf).
      #
      # Default: ""
      allowed_methods: "GET,POST,PUT,DELETE"

      # Controls "Access-Control-Allow-Credentials" header value (docs: https://mzl.la/3ekJGaY).
      #
      # Default: false
      allow_credentials: true

      # Controls "Access-Control-Expose-Headers" header value (docs: https://mzl.la/3qAqgkF).
      #
      # Default: ""
      exposed_headers: "Cache-Control,Content-Language,Content-Type,Expires,Last-Modified,Pragma"

      # Controls "Access-Control-Max-Age" header value in seconds (docs: https://mzl.la/2PCSdvt).
      #
      # Default: 0
      max_age: 600

    # Automatically add headers to every request passed to PHP.
    #
    # Default: <empty map>
    request:
      input: "custom-header"

    # Automatically add headers to every response.
    #
    # Default: <empty map>
    response:
      X-Powered-By: "RoadRunner"

  # Settings for "static" middleware.
  static:
    # Path to the directory to serve
    #
    # Default: "." (current)
    dir: "."

    # File patterns to forbid
    #
    # Default: empty
    forbid: [ "" ]

    # Etag calculation (base on the body CRC32)
    #
    # Default: false
    calculate_etag: false

    # Weak etag calculation (based only on the content-length CRC32)
    #
    # Default: false
    weak: false

    # Patterns to allow
    #
    # Default: empty
    allow: [ ".txt", ".php" ]

    # Request headers
    #
    # Default: empty
    request:
      input: "custom-header"

    # Response headers
    #
    # Default: empty
    response:
      output: "output-header"

  # Workers pool settings.
  pool:
    # Debug mode for the pool. In this mode, pool will not pre-allocate the worker. Worker (only 1, num_workers ignored) will be allocated right after the request arrived.
    #
    # Default: false
    debug: false

    # Override server's command
    #
    # Default: empty
    command: "php my-super-app.php"

    # How many worker processes will be started. Zero (or nothing) means the number of logical CPUs.
    #
    # Default: 0
    num_workers: 0

    # Maximal count of worker executions. Zero (or nothing) means no limit.
    #
    # Default: 0
    max_jobs: 0

    # [2023.3.10] 
    # Maximum size of the internal requests queue. After reaching the limit, all additional requests would be rejected with error.
    #
    # Default: 0 (no limit)
    max_queue_size: 0

    # Timeout for worker allocation. Zero means 60s.
    #
    # Default: 60s
    allocate_timeout: 60s

    # Timeout for the reset timeout. Zero means 60s.
    #
    # Default: 60s
    reset_timeout: 60s

    # Timeout for worker destroying before process killing. Zero means 60s.
    #
    # Default: 60s
    destroy_timeout: 60s

    # Supervisor is used to control http workers (previous name was "limit", video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdrlZhyFqyQ).
    # "Soft" limits will not interrupt current request processing. "Hard"
    # limit on the contrary - interrupts the execution of the request.
    supervisor:
      # How often to check the state of the workers.
      #
      # Default: 1s
      watch_tick: 1s

      # Maximum time worker is allowed to live (soft limit). Zero means no limit.
      #
      # Default: 0s
      ttl: 0s

      # How long worker can spend in IDLE mode after first using (soft limit). Zero means no limit.
      #
      # Default: 0s
      idle_ttl: 10s

      # Maximal worker memory usage in megabytes (soft limit). Zero means no limit.
      #
      # Default: 0
      max_worker_memory: 128

      # Maximal job lifetime (hard limit). Zero means no limit.
      #
      # Default: 0s
      exec_ttl: 60s

  # SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) (TLS) settings.
  ssl:
    # Host and port to listen on (e.g.: `127.0.0.1:443`).
    #
    # Default: ":443"
    address: "127.0.0.1:443"

    # Use ACME certificates provider (Let's encrypt)
    acme:
      # Directory to use as a certificate/pk, account info storage
      #
      # Optional. Default: rr_cache
      certs_dir: rr_le_certs

      # User email
      #
      # Used to create LE account. Mandatory. Error on empty.
      email: you-email-here@email

      # Alternate port for the http challenge. Challenge traffic should be redirected to this port if overridden.
      #
      # Optional. Default: 80
      alt_http_port: 80


      # Alternate port for the tls-alpn-01 challenge. Challenge traffic should be redirected to this port if overridden.
      #
      # Optional. Default: 443.
      alt_tlsalpn_port: 443

      # Challenge types
      #
      # Optional. Default: http-01. Possible values: http-01, tlsalpn-01
      challenge_type: http-01

      # Use production or staging endpoint. NOTE, try to use staging endpoint to make sure, that everything works correctly.
      #
      # Optional, but for production should be set to true. Default: false
      use_production_endpoint: true

      # List of your domains to obtain certificates
      #
      # Mandatory. Error on empty.
      domains: [
        "your-cool-domain.here",
        "your-second-domain.here"
      ]

    # Automatic redirect from http:// to https:// schema.
    #
    # Default: false
    redirect: true

    # Path to the cert file. This option is required for SSL working.
    #
    # This option is required.
    cert: /ssl/server.crt

    # Path to the cert key file.
    #
    # This option is required.
    key: /ssl/server.key

    # Path to the root certificate authority file.
    #
    # This option is optional (required for the mTLS).
    root_ca: /ssl/root.crt

    # Client auth type (mTLS)
    #
    # This option is optional. Default value: no_client_certs. Possible values: request_client_cert, require_any_client_cert, verify_client_cert_if_given, require_and_verify_client_cert, no_client_certs
    client_auth_type: no_client_certs

  # FastCGI frontend support.
  fcgi:
    # FastCGI connection DSN. Supported TCP and Unix sockets. An empty value disables this.
    #
    # Default: ""
    address: tcp://0.0.0.0:7921

  # HTTP/2 settings.
  http2:
    # HTTP/2 over non-encrypted TCP connection using H2C.
    #
    # Default: false
    h2c: false

    # Maximal concurrent streams count.
    #
    # Default: 128
    max_concurrent_streams: 128

HTTPS

You can enable HTTPS support by adding ssl section into http config.

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  address: 127.0.0.1:8080

  ssl:
    # host and port separated by semicolon (default :443)
    address: :8892
    redirect: false
    cert: fixtures/server.crt
    key: fixtures/server.key
    root_ca: root.crt

Let's Encrypt

RR can automatically obtain TLS certificates for your domain. The folder with your certs might be moved between servers, RR will check the certs_dir and obtain a new certificate if the old one is above to expire.

RR will track your certificate's expiration date and refresh it automatically.

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  # other HTTP sections are omitted 
  # .......

  ssl:
    address: '0.0.0.0:443'
    # ACME section
    #
    # TLS provider
    acme:
      # directory to store your certificate and key from the LE
      #
      # Default: rr_cache_dir
      cache_dir: rr_le_certs
      # Your email
      #
      # Mandatory. Error on empty.
      email: you-email-here@email
      # Alternate port for the HTTP challenge (make sure, that you redirected traffic to the specified port from 80)
      #
      # Default: 80
      alt_http_port: 80
      # Alternate port for the TLS-ALPN challenge (make sure, that you redirected traffic to the specified port from 443)
      #
      # Default: 443
      alt_tlsalpn_port: 443
      # Challenge type to use
      #
      # Default: http-01
      challenge_type: http-01
      # Use staging or production endpoint
      #
      # Would be a good practice to test your setup, before obtaining a real certificate
      use_production_endpoint: false
      # List of your domains
      #
      # Mandatory. Error on empty
      domains:
        - your-cool-domains.here

  # other HTTP sections are omitted
  # ........

mTLS

To enable mTLS use the following configuration:

.rr.yaml

http:
  pool:
    num_workers: 1
    max_jobs: 0
    allocate_timeout: 60s
    destroy_timeout: 60s
  ssl:
    address: :8895
    key: "server-key.pem"
    cert: "server-cert.pem"
    root_ca: "rootCA.pem"
    client_auth_type: require_and_verify_client_cert 

Options for the client_auth_type are:

• request_client_cert

• require_any_client_cert

• verify_client_cert_if_given

• require_and_verify_client_cert

• no_client_certs

Redirecting HTTP to HTTPS

To enable an automatic redirect from http:// to https:// set redirect option to true (disabled by default).

Root certificate authority support

Root CA supported by the option in .rr.yaml

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  ssl:
    root_ca: root.crt

HTTP/2

You can enable HTTP2 support by adding http2 section into http config.

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  address: 127.0.0.1:8080

  http2:
    h2c: false
    max_concurrent_streams: 128

Upgrade connection from http1.1 to h2c [v2.10.2]

Connection might be upgraded from the http/1.1 to h2c: rfc7540

Headers, which should be sent to upgrade connection:

1. Upgrade: h2c

2. Connection: HTTP2-Settings

3. Connection: Upgrade

4. HTTP2-Settings: AAMAAABkAARAAAAAAAIAAAAA RFC

HTTP/2 Push Resources

RoadRunner support HTTP/2 push via virtual headers provided by PHP response.

script.php

return $response->withAddedHeader('http2-push', '/test.js');

Note that the path of the resource must be related to the public application directory and must include / at the beginning.

HTTP2 push only works under HTTPS with static service enabled.

H2C

You can enable HTTP/2 support over non-encrypted TCP connection using H2C:

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  http2.h2c: true

FastCGI

There is FastCGI frontend support inside the HTTP module, you can enable it (disabled by default):

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  fcgi:
    # FastCGI connection DSN. Supported TCP and Unix sockets.
    address: tcp://0.0.0.0:6920

HTTP/3

HTTP3 support is experimental and might be changed in the future. Docs are available in the experimental section.

Overriding HTTP default error code

.rr.yaml

version: "3"

http:
  # override http error code for the internal RR errors (default 500)
  internal_error_code: 505

http.internal_error_code code is used for the SoftJob, allocation, all kinds of TTL, Network, errors. But for example, for the load balancer might be better to use a different code. So, you may override the default one.

Middleware order

Since all middleware are independent, they can remove/update headers set by the previous one.

Note that the request (imagine) comes from the right:

.rr.yaml

http:
  middleware: # RESPONSE FROM HERE --> [ "static", "gzip", "sendfile" ] # <-- REQUEST COMES FROM HERE

So in this case the request gets into the sendfile middleware, then gzip and static. And vice versa from the response.

Request queues

RR has an internal queue for requests. The allocate_timeout is used to assign a worker to the request. If your worker works for 1 minute for example, but allocate_timeout is equal to 30 seconds, after this timeout, RR will start rejecting the first request in queue. Then +30s for the second, and so on and so forth.