How to manually start and re-start Apache with mod_wsgi powering a password protected Python WSGI app?
- by Mahmoud Abdelkader
I'm working on a project where I have to meet some regulatory requirements that require at least 3 out of 5 authorized users to start a backend web service that handles very sensitive information using pre-assigned passwords.
Right now, the prototype has been approved and is running using Python's wsgiref.simple_server(), which I have programmed to manually prompt for the passwords. Now that the prototype has been approved, I have to migrate the web application to a production environment where I will need to run it behind Apache and mod_wsgi.
I have two questions:
Right now, I use a thin Python wrapper around expect to programmatically allow for remote password entry. How do I get Apache to prompt me for a password before starting? Will this have to be in the app.wsgi script that's executed by mod_wsgi? How would that work since Apache daemonizes, and thus, has no stdin!
Will I have to worry about some type of code reload? Apache probably has some maximum number of requests before it kills and restarts another worker process, but, would this require a password prompt as well?
