Stopping and restarting Apache httpd cleanly

If you'r running an Apache httpd server and you need to restart it, then you may be used to running:
apachectl stop
apachectl start
and in close succession, those should cause only a minor blip in service of perhaps a second or two; the sort of thing that can be put down to a "sticky internet". But you can do better

apachectl restart
Runs a configuration test before it stops the old daemon so that if you've editied your configuration file and introduced a fatal error, it won't go ahead with the stop. It also means that the restart is at electronic speed after the stop, curtting the blip. But you can do better

apachectl graceful
Runs the configuration test, AND allows currently open connections to be concluded before rebooting - thus ensuring that no-one gets a partial page as you cycle your httpd.

Note - if you have allowed per-directory changes to the configuration via .htaccess files, then you don't need to restart the server in any way when they're changed - they are checked at every web site "hit".
(written 2006-03-29, updated 2006-06-05)

Associated topics are indexed under

A602 - Web Application Deployment - Apache httpd - Sourcing, Installation, Testing
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  [1945] Summary - Apache httpd build on Linux - (2008-12-14)
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  [1731] Apache httpd, MySQL, PHP - installation procedure - (2008-08-01)
  [1707] Configuring Apache httpd - (2008-07-12)
  [1455] Connecting to MySQL 5 from PHP on Mac OSX Leopard - (2007-12-03)
  [1449] Upgrade Mac OSX to Leopard, Web Server Apache httpd config lost - (2007-11-29)
  [1292] DHCP automatic IP address v Static IP - (2007-08-06)
  [1095] Apache httpd , browser, MySQL and MySQL client downloads - (2007-02-28)
  [982] Notes from the white board - (2006-12-14)
  [907] Browser -> httpd -> Tomcat -> MySQL. Restarting. - (2006-10-28)
  [550] 2006 - Making business a pleasure - (2006-01-01)
  [526] Apache httpd - serving web documents from different directories - (2005-12-12)
  [523] Apache httpd release 2.2 - (2005-12-10)

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