Question

IP address from browser into the access_log

Asked by: LORD_MINION

First off, let me explain the environment.

We have a web app on 2 machines setup identically running Apache 1.3 on AIX 5.2, which sits behind a F5 BIG IP load balancer. Problem is now in the logs of apache we no longer have the ip's of the users but of the BIG IP device. So no more user tracking and such, this is bad.

So my question is, without modifying the web app, is there a way to capture the browser IP in the access_log? I know you can pull such things are User-Agent and Referrer, is there a IP option in there? We are in a controlled enviro and everyone is using the same build of IE6 so that may be a plus. Any suggestions?

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Asked On
2004-07-08 at 06:47:39ID21051883
Tags

access_log

,

address

,

ip

Topic

Apache Web Server

Participating Experts
4
Points
0
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: yuzhPosted on 2004-07-08 at 23:18:03ID: 11509249

You can use a "php" script to get the "RemoteIP()" and write to your log file.
have a look at :

http://au2.php.net/gethostbyaddr

PS: You might want to post a question in php TA to ask someone to write the script
      for you.
      If you want to use php you need to install it on your webserver.
     

 

by: samriPosted on 2004-07-09 at 05:50:54ID: 11511149

any possibilities to setup the F5 box to pass the IP thru?

 

by: yuzhPosted on 2004-07-09 at 06:27:16ID: 11511511

It is possible to get the IP in the firewall and pass it thru, but
need more work than a php script.

 

by: BigRatPosted on 2004-07-13 at 05:35:53ID: 11538282

>>any possibilities to setup the F5 box to pass the IP thru?

Nope, these things, like Firewalls, accept the incomming connection and make a new forward connection. Strictly they are proxies and they *ought* to add a via header and *perhaps* in the header they'll put sender information in the comment field. Many however don't do this, they just put the protocol and the product, as in :-

Via: 1.1 nowhere.com (Apache/1.1)

The documentation *might* refer to this. The other possibility is that F5 Networks *might* add in a custom header (X-xxxx:)  containing the I/P address and this is accessible in Apache through an HTTP_X_xxx environment variable. Again this *ought* to be in the documentation.

So the answer is that the sender I/P is lost unless F5 pass it in an extra header.

 

by: LORD_MINIONPosted on 2004-07-13 at 08:14:20ID: 11539765

Well thanks for the comments all. I can't use any php scripting due to I have no way of intigrating it in front of the app. As for the F5 device the IP passthrough option isn't avilable and custom headers are not available either.

Thanks anyway and any other comments are welcome!

 

by: yuzhPosted on 2004-07-13 at 18:15:06ID: 11544935

" I can't use any php scripting due to I have no way of intigrating it in front of the app."

To install php is not that hard, you can insert a piece of code in your font page (html file),
to run a php script and save the IP in a file for your app to use.

I have use the simlilar setup for a remote PC to use web broswer to start a X connection and
run app from a HP box. (HP-UX) (from PC -> Solaris WebServer -> HP app server).

 

by: yuzhPosted on 2004-08-24 at 07:25:49ID: 11881770

The information in this page may help the others, please PAQ.

 

by: moduloPosted on 2004-08-28 at 13:38:06ID: 11923006

PAQed, with points refunded (125)

modulo
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