Apache Debugging Postmortem

Have you ever encountered software breakdown when working with Wordpress? It is frustrating especially when you do not know where to start debugging and logs are not helping enough. Wordpress usually run on LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP). These tools allow you to run blogs, portfolios, e-commerce, and company websites. Breakdown of one of these tools deteriorates your efforts to finish the project you are working on. Let’s dive through how I encountered software breakdown and the way I solved the error.

Issue Summary

On the 10th of October 2023, from 9:40pm to 10:12pm, my efforts to start Apache on my terminal were void. I could only get 500 error. I found myself encountering frustration, confusion, and not forgetting, time loss since I had a deadline to beat. The root cause of this error was the server not accessing the class-wp-locale.php file.

Timeline (EAT)

• 9:40pm, I got an alert of 500 error while trying to start Apache.
• 9:44pm, I checked the Apache status.
• 9:53pm, Examined the server to look for the root cause.
• 10:00pm, Fixed the error.
• 10:05pm, Apache2 started running.
• 10:12pm, The container was ready to complete the project.

Root cause and Resolution

At around 9:40pm, I tried to run a certain Wordpress project I was working on, but my efforts were void. I kept getting 500 error every time I tried to run Apache. First, I run curl localhost to get exactly which file was having the error and got it was lack of html in apache. Then I used strace -o apache -p and the address of apache2 in my container to monitor the system call. Afterwards, I opened the apache file and started to check the path projecting error 500, which was /var/www/html/wp-includes/class-wp-locale.phpp. As you can notice, the php extension was having double p making the server not to read the file. So, I navigated to /var/www/html/ directory, opened the wp-settings.php file, and edited class-wp-locale.phpp to class-wp-locale.php. My apache started running upon after I have debugged the error.

Corrective and Preventive Measures

During the analysis of the crash, the following tasks were developed in order to prevent another occurrence and improve recovery time.

• Regular monitoring system was set to keep track of the server's performance and availability. This can include monitoring CPU and memory usage, network traffic, and other critical metrics.
• Security best practices were implemented, including regular updates, security patches, and configurations to minimize vulnerabilities. Tools like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and secure configurations were used to protect the server from potential threats.
• Proper access controls and permissions were set for Apache's configuration files, directories, and content to prevent unauthorized access and modifications.
• Comprehensive troubleshooting guides and documentation were maintained to help administrators quickly identify and resolve common issues related to Apache.
• Resource usage and implement load balancing strategies were monitored to distribute incoming traffic evenly across multiple servers, minimizing the risk of server overload or crashes.
• Automated scripts were set up to periodically check if Apache is running, and if not, automatically restart the service to minimize downtime.

Conclusion

Software breakdowns are normal and you should not feel frustrated once you encounter them. The best way to deal with them is to check for the root cause, debug it, and your software will be up running again.