Apache httpd's mod_alias is part of your standard web server build ... it's the part that allows you to put alias directives into your configuration file httpd.conf to that different parts of your web tree can reside on different parts of your computer's file system. As an example, the manual that's supplied with Apache httpd will be usually be found in /usr/local/apache2/manual rather than somewhere like /home/website/htdocs/manual, and an alias command will be used to cause any requests to be served appropriately.

Mod_alias has other uses too. The Redirect directive lets you give the server that requests for a particular URL are to be passed back to the browser with a note that the file in now to be found in a new location. This uses a location header, and you can set up the redirect to be temporary or permanent.

If you have retired a whole directory of URLs and want to have any remaining request that are made for resources in it to be passed on, you can use a redirectMatch ... for example:
  RedirectMatch 301 ^/modules(/.*) http://www.wellho.net/resources$1

This example is from the .htaccess file within the /modules directory on our server, and it refers all requests to the /resources directory (where they should have pointed in the first place!). So if you type http://www.wellho.net/modules/H999.html into your URL bar, you'll see that you get the page http://www.wellho.net/resources/H999.html instead, the URL bar is changed (usually - it's browser specific), and the same rule applies to any other URLs in that directory.

The complete .htaccess file, engineered to deal with mod_rewrite issues and more fully commented, is available for your use. And we would love to teach you more httpd deployment techniques on our Linux Web Server course.
(written 2009-01-03)

 A603 - Web Application Deployment - Further httpd Configuration
  [3449] Apache Internal Dummy Connection - what is it and what should I do with it? - (2011-09-19)
  [3133] An image from a website that occasionally comes out as hyroglyphics - (2011-01-14)
  [2900] Redirecting a page - silent, temporary or permanent? - (2010-08-03)
  [2478] How did I do THAT? - (2009-10-26)
  [2272] Monitoring and loading tools for testing Apache Tomcat - (2009-07-07)
  [2060] Database connection Pooling, SSL, and command line deployment - httpd and Tomcat - (2009-03-01)
  [1955] How to avoid duplicating web page maintainance - (2008-12-20)
  [1954] mod_rewrite for newcomers - (2008-12-20)
  [1939] mod_proxy_ajp and mod_proxy_balancer examples - (2008-12-13)
  [1778] Pointing all the web pages in a directory at a database - (2008-08-30)
  [1767] mod_proxy and mod_proxy_ajp - httpd - (2008-08-22)
  [1762] WEB-INF (Tomcat) and .htaccess (httpd) - (2008-08-20)
  [1707] Configuring Apache httpd - (2008-07-12)
  [1636] What to do if the Home Page is missing - (2008-05-08)
  [1619] User and Group settings for Apache httpd web server - (2008-04-22)
  [1566] Strange behaviour of web directory requests without a trailing slash - (2008-03-06)
  [1564] Default file (MiMe types) for Apache httpd and Apache Tomcat - (2008-03-04)
  [1554] Online hotel reservations - Melksham, Wiltshire (near Bath) - (2008-02-24)
  [1551] Which modules are loaded in my Apache httpd - (2008-02-23)
  [1381] Using a MySQL database to control mod_rewrite via PHP - (2007-10-06)
  [1377] Load Balancing with Apache mod_jk (httpd/Tomcat) - (2007-10-02)
  [1355] .php or .html extension? Morally Static Pages - (2007-09-17)
  [1351] Compressing web pages sent out from server. Is it worth it? - (2007-09-14)
  [1207] Simple but effective use of mod_rewrite (Apache httpd) - (2007-05-27)
  [1121] Sharing the load with Apache httpd and perhaps Tomcat - (2007-03-29)
  [1080] httpd.conf or .htaccess? - (2007-02-14)
  [1009] Passing GET parameters through Apache mod_rewrite - (2006-12-27)
  [934] Clustering, load balancing, mod_rewrite and mod_proxy - (2006-11-21)
  [853] To list a directory under httpd on a web server, or not? - (2006-09-02)
  [755] Using different URLs to navigate around a single script - (2006-06-11)
  [662] An unhelpful error message from Apache httpd - (2006-03-30)
  [649] Denial of Service ''attack'' - (2006-03-17)
  [631] Apache httpd to Tomcat - jk v proxy - (2006-03-03)
  [550] 2006 - Making business a pleasure - (2006-01-01)
  [526] Apache httpd - serving web documents from different directories - (2005-12-12)
  [466] Separating 'per instance' data from binaries and web sites - (2005-10-16)
  [345] Spotting a denial of service attack - (2005-06-12)

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From spam to mod_alias - finding resources
Going round the block
Where is this IP address, IPv4 and IPv6
Well House Manor Hotel - on plan for 2009 business guests
Moving a directory on your web site
Required Request
Pettifog and forum boards away from public view
Telling Google which country your business trades in
Plagarism - who is copying my pages?
Search Engines. Getting the right pages seen.