PHP Installed on IBM i - the Nickel Tour

© 2016 Rogue Wave Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1
PHP installed on IBM i
The Nickel Tour
Rod Flohr, IBM i Support Specialist
ZendCon 2016 link
https://legacy.joind.in/19478

Who am I, and Why Should You Trust Me?
My name is Rod Flohr, and I have been
providing support for Zend products on
IBM i for the last decade. In Support, we
do not all know everything about the
product, although we try to know as
much as we can. What we do is
investigate, classify, and explain. We do
a lot of explaining. Fortunately, I like to
explain things. I might even go a little
overboard from time to time. Here is a
photograph wherein I attempt to explain
the operation of an iPhone to a cat:

The Nickel Tour – Taking a look around
• What is a Nickel Tour?
– The Nickel Tour is an informal tour
– It is a casual orientation, not an in depth education
– When I do a WebEx with a customer, I often like to show them the
locations of various objects placed by the Zend Server installation,
and how they all relate. I started calling this the Nickel Tour.
– This is an administrative tour. This is about where things are
installed, and how they interact. There will be no PHP coding.
• Why take the Nickel Tour?
– It helps to know where things are, and it helps to know that things
exist.
– Provides a foundation for understanding complicated systems or
places.
• So come on in. Let me show you around.

PHP on IBMi, illustrated
IFS PASE IBM i The Net
TCP/IP
(address)
Apache
(port)
FastCGI
(handler)
PHP Parent
Zend Server
Components
PHP Child
(many)
Ibm_db2
Toolkit
mysqli
Monitor
Job Queue
Deployment
prngd
Java Bridge
Content
DB2
Jobs, Library
Objects
PHP
html
css
js
pdf
xls
etc
Configs
Apache
FastCGI
PHP
Data
MariaDB
MariaDB
Server
*PGM
*CMD
SPLF
*DTAARA
Logs,
Sessions,
etc.

Installing Zend Server

Install Zend Server to get PHP on IBM i
• The way to get PHP on IBM i is to install Zend Server
– IBM includes a Zend Server installation file with IBM i OS, but
don’t use it. It is almost always out of date.
– Download from:
http://www.zend.com/en/products/server/downloads#IBM i
– Always use the RSTLICPGM installer for new installations or
migrations
– Always use the APYPTF installer for upgrades
– Instructions are included in the download package
– Additional tips:
https://support.zend.com/hc/en-us/articles/203501993

Download from this page

Unzip the downloaded file

Create the save file first!
1. Log on to the IBM i system with a user profile of *SECOFR user class
with all the special authorities.
Create a SAVF in QGPL under the name zendphp7.
This can be done by running the following command:
CRTSAVF FILE(QGPL/zendphp7) TEXT('Zend Server 9 product save file')

CRTSAVF command

FTP the SAVF – verify FTP is up
2. Transfer the package by binary FTP to the SAVF zendphp7 in QGPL.
This can be done by executing the following steps:
a. Verify that FTP is running on your IBM i system by running the
following command and looking for 'FTP' or '21' in the Local Port
column:
NETSTAT *CNN

Use netstat *cnn to verify FTP

Netstat unsorted display

Use F13 to sort the display

Netstat sorted by local port

Netstat after F14 to show port numbers

FTP the SAVF – set current directory
b. Open a command prompt and change the directory to the directory
that contains the files you extracted from the ZIP file.

Copy the current directory

Type cd, a space, then paste

FTP the SAVF – FTP session
c. Run the FTP command, specifying the name of your i5/OS system. e.g.:
ftp IBM_i_system_name/TCP address
d. If requested, enter a valid user profile and password.
Enter the bin command to specify a binary transfer.
e. Transfer the save file to the IBM i system by running the following
command:
put zendphp7.savf qgpl/zendphp7

FTP the SAVF – FTP session

DSPSAVF to make sure it is a valid SAVF

Verify prerequisites
3. Before installing Zend Server for IBM i, please verify that the
prerequisite IBM software is installed.
You can find a listing of the required software at:
http://files.zend.com/help/Zend-Server-IBMi/zend-server-
ibmi.htm#i5_installing_zend_server.htm

Verify prerequisites

Verify prerequisites – go licpgm – option 10

Verify prerequisites – 5733SC1 release check

RSTLICPGM to install Zend Server 9
4. When the SAVF is loaded into the IBM i QGPL library, return to your
5250 session and run the following command (choose one):
a. Silent installation:
SBMJOB CMD(RSTLICPGM LICPGM(7PHPZND) DEV(*SAVF)
SAVF(QGPL/zendphp7))
b. Interactive installation:
RSTLICPGM LICPGM(7PHPZND) DEV(*SAVF) SAVF(QGPL/zendphp7)

Optional CHGJOB step

RSTLICPGM to install Zend Server 9

RSTLICPGM – Welcome!

RSTLICPGM – EULA – Please read

RSTLICPGM progress messages

RSTLICPGM – Success!

Verify Success – go licpgm – option 10

go zendphp7/zsmenu

Library objects are in ZENDPHP7
• The library for Zend Server 9 is ZENDPHP7. For version 6-8, it is
ZENDSVR6. For version 5, it is ZENDSVR.
• Library objects include menus, subsystem descriptions, job
descriptions, job queue descriptions, various controller programs (start
and stop, etc.), XMLSERVICE (Toolkit service), data areas, and so on.
• There is also an Autostart Job Entry added to subsystem description
QSYSWRK. This entry starts the ZENDPHP7 subsystem, the Zend
Server component jobs, and the ZENDPHP7 Apache instance. The
entry is named ZS9_STRSBS.

Access the Zend Server User Interface (UI)
• The Zend Server User Interface provides a graphical control center for
PHP and Zend Server components accessible from a web browser.
• The internet address for your Zend Server UI is in this format:
http://<your IBM i IP address>:10091
• For example, if your IBM i is assigned address 162.209.30.134:
http://162.209.30.134:10091
• When you go to this address in your browser, /ZendServer/ will be
appended:
http://162.209.30.134:10091/ZendServer/
• The first time you visit the UI, you will encounter some set up pages.

First UI access – License Agreement

First UI access – Profile always Production!

First UI access – Set admin password

First UI access – Deploy Libraries

First UI access – Summary – All done!

Zend Server UI – Welcome!

TCP/IP and Apache

TCP/IP and Apache
TCP/IP
(address)
Apache
(port)
FastCGI
(handler)
PHP Parent
Zend Server
Components
PHP Child
(many)
Ibm_db2
Toolkit
mysqli
Monitor
Job Queue
Deployment
prngd
Java Bridge
Content
DB2
Jobs, Library
Objects
PHP
html
css
js
pdf
xls
etc
Configs
Apache
FastCGI
PHP
Data
MariaDB
MariaDB
Server
*PGM
*CMD
SPLF
*DTAARA
Logs,
Sessions,
etc.
You are here
And here

TCP/IP – IP addresses (IPv4)
• The IP address consists of four bytes, in decimal (range 0 to 255), separated
by periods. Here is an example:
162.209.30.134
• The IP address identifies the server computer. Services on that server may
each use a different port. The port is a 16 bit number (range 0 to 65535). It
may be appended to the IP address after a colon:
162.209.30.134:10091
• IP addresses on the Web can be given Domain Names, which are easier to
remember than numbers:
www.zend.com
zend.com
• You can ping a domain to discover its IP address (provided it will respond to
pings).

TCP/IP – IP addresses telephone analogy
• The IP address is like a phone number, and the port is like a phone
extension.
• Like a company with many phone extensions, the server will have one or a
few IP addresses. Like an employee or department with an extension, each
service will respond on a specific port number. Also, an employee can
answer more than one extension, and a service may use more than one
port.
• Two services on the same IP address cannot share a port.
• Unlike an extension, a service can have many conversations active at the
same time on a single port. The service listens to the port for any traffic. It
is like the phone is always off the hook, and anyone can connect.
• Domain Names are mapped to IP addresses by a Domain Name Server
(DNS), which itself is accessed at an IP address.
• The DNS is like a Contact List on your smart phone. You can call a person
without knowing their number.
• Multiple names can be assigned to the same number. Apache can sort
them out using name entered (like caller ID) and Virtual Hosts definitions.

TCP/IP – Default Ports
• For many TCP/IP services, there is a default port. If the service is listening
on the default port, the port does not have to be specified on the request.
For example, the default port for http is 80, so these are the same:
http://www.zend.com == http://www.zend.com:80
• Some common port defaults:
http 80
https 443
ftp 21
ssh 22
telnet 23
• Use WRKSRVTBLE to see reserved port numbers on IBM i.
• The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA):
http://www.iana.org/assignments/service-names-port-numbers/service-
names-port-numbers.xml
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers

Apache – your web site, at your service
• Apache is a service that handles http and https requests. It is your web
server.
• On IBM i you can have many instances of Apache. Each instance is a
service that listens on specified port(s) that cannot be shared.
• The typical request begins when a browser user clicks a link or types in a
URL. If the IP address matches your server, the internet will send that
request to your server, and TCP/IP will give it to a service based on the port.
• The http request will typically be for a file. Apache locates the file on your
server and returns it to the requester. If it is an html file, the web browser
can display it as a web page.
• The request may have parameters to request a dynamic web page. This
web page will be created on demand by a process on the server, using
some language like PHP, Python, Node.js, Ruby, Java, and so forth.

Apache – the Zend Server instance
• The name of the Zend Server instance of Apache depends on the
release:
Version 9 – ZENDPHP7
Version 6, 7, and 8 – ZENDSVR6
Version 5 – ZENDSVR
• On IBM i, Apache instances are typically stored under the /www
directory. The Zend Server 9 instance is found at /www/zendphp7
• There are three subdirectories:
/www/zendphp7/conf – Apache and FastCGI configurations
/www/zendphp7/htdocs – Content
/www/zendphp7/logs – Logs, and the FastCGI socket

Apache config file httpd.conf

ZENDPHP7 httpd.conf file
• The ZENDPHP7 Apache instance configuration is defined in:
/www/zendphp7/conf/httpd.conf
• You can manage your Apache configuration in a web browser at:
http://<your IBM i IP address>:2001/HTTPAdmin/
(Apache instance ADMIN must be active)
• You can also edit the httpd.conf file in Navigator. Right click Integrated
File System, select properties, and set “Enable edit menu option for” to
“All files”. Now, the Edit option will never be grayed out for any file.
Please remember never to edit a binary file!
• Like all configurations, ALWAYS make a back up copy before changing.
• Yes, ALWAYS!

Enable all file editing in Navigator

Zend Server instance listens on 3 ports
• When the Zend Server Apache instance is active, it listens on 3 ports.
TCP/IP will direct traffic for those ports to the Zend Server Apache
instance.
• ZENDPHP7 (Zend Server 9) ports:
10090 – Default port for applications
10091 – Zend Server User Interface
10093 – User Server (internal use by Zend Server components)
• ZENDSVR6 (Zend Server 6, 7, 8) ports:
10080 – Default port for applications
10081 – Zend Server User Interface
10083 – User Server (internal use by Zend Server components)
• Defined in the httpd.conf file

Listen Directives in httpd.conf
• The Listen directives can be listed anywhere in the configuration. The
Listen directives for ports 10091 and 10090 are listed near the top:
Listen *:10091
NameVirtualHost *:10091
Listen *:10090
NameVirtualHost *:10090
• The Listen directive for port 10093 is found by the Virtual Host definition for
the User Server:
Listen 127.0.0.1:10093
NameVirtualHost 127.0.0.1:10093
<VirtualHost 127.0.0.1:10093>
• Directive placement in the Apache configuration is arbitrary so long as the
directive is in the correct container. It is best to be consistent in placement
to make things easier to understand.

PHP – your web page machine
• PHP receives a request from Apache, and uses the information in the
request to construct a web page. It then passes that web page back to
Apache.
• Apache receives the web page from PHP and sends it back to the requester,
just as if Apache had retrieved a file instead of asking for PHP to create one.
• So how does Apache know when to get a file by itself, and when to ask PHP
to create one?

FastCGI will handle that for you
• So how does Apache know when to get a file by itself, and when to ask PHP
to create one? Short answer - .php suffix
• Apache can handle requests itself, or pass requests to a handler.
• “A "handler" is an internal Apache representation of the action to be
performed when a file is called.”
ref: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/handler.html
• The FastCGI handler needs the QZFAST module to be loaded:
LoadModule zend_enabler_module /QSYS.LIB/QHTTPSVR.LIB/QZFAST.SRVPGM
• This allows the handler to be set:
# zend fastcgi
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
AddHandler fastcgi-script .php
• The AddHandler directive sets the handler for the given extension, which is
.php .

FastCGI sets the environment for PHP
• The FastCGI configuration sets up the PASE environment for PHP.
• It defines the path to the runtime, the library path, how many parent and child
processes, php config file location, timeouts, and more.
• Most of it is on one line, and must be on that one line, and not as it is shown here:
Server type="application/x-httpd-php"
CommandLine="/usr/local/zendphp7/bin/php-cgi.bin"
StartProcesses="1" SetEnv="LIBPATH=/usr/local/zendphp7/lib"
SetEnv="PHPRC=/usr/local/zendphp7/etc/"
SetEnv="PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN=10" SetEnv="PHP_FCGI_MAX_REQUESTS=0"
ConnectionTimeout="30" RequestTimeout="60" SetEnv="CCSID=1208"
SetEnv="LANG=C" SetEnv="INSTALLATION_UID=100313092679"
SetEnv="LDR_CNTRL=MAXDATA=0x40000000"
SetEnv="ZEND_TMPDIR=/usr/local/zendphp7/tmp"
SetEnv="TZ=<PST>8<PDT>,M3.2.0,M11.1.0”
• A separate line tells where to place the socket.
IpcDir /www/zendphp7/logs

PHP runs in PASE, controlled by batch jobs
• On IBM i, programs compiled for AIX run in PASE processes
• A PASE process can be controlled by a batch job. Typically, a CL
program calls QP2SHELL, which is the PASE shell.
• When PASE processes run in batch, the stdout and stderr output is
spooled to the job default, usually QPRINT. This is where you can find
normal output and error messages written by a program running in
PASE. These are often overlooked when troubleshooting.
• On the next slide we will see the call stack for a PHP child process that
is at rest.

PHP Child Process, Resting

Apache instances run in QHTTPSVR sbs
• To view the status of your Apache server instance jobs:
wrkactjob sbs(qhttpsvr)
• One instance of Apache has many jobs:
Function Status What it is for
PGM-QZHBMAIN SIGW Mainline
PGM-QZSRLOG SIGW Logs (Two of these, access and error)
PGM-QZSRHTTP SIGW Apache (HTTP Server)
PGM-zfcgi SELW FastCGI
PGM-php-cgi.bi THDW PHP Parent (one of these, by default)
PGM-php-cgi.bi TIMW
TIMA
Others
PHP Child (many of these, 10 by
default) This is where the PHP scripts
run.

wrkactjob sbs(qhttpsvr)

IBM Web Administration for i
• http://<your IP address>:2001/HTTPAdmin/

Apache Instance IFS Files Locations
• IBM i keeps Apache instance files under the /www folder
• Typically the instance name matches the job name when running
• ZENDPHP7 is for Zend Server 9. ZENDSVR6 is for Zend Server 6, 7, or 8.
• /conf holds the fastcgi.conf and httpd.conf files. httpd.conf can be
extended with include files in other folders. httpd.conf directives can
be overridden in directories using .htaccess files.
• /htdocs is the default content folder, specified by the DocumentRoot
directive. Content can be found in other directories, based on various
directives, includes in scripts, and the include path defined in PHP.
• /logs is where the access and error logs are found. These are created
new every day (with date stamp) by IBM Apache. FastCGI errors and
the FastCGI socket also reside here.

Apache Instance IFS Files Locations

Zend Server Components

TCP/IP
(address)
Apache
(port)
FastCGI
(handler)
PHP Parent
Zend Server
Components
PHP Child
(many)
Ibm_db2
Toolkit
mysqli
Monitor
Job Queue
Deployment
prngd
Java Bridge
Content
DB2
Jobs, Library
Objects
PHP
html
css
js
pdf
xls
etc
Configs
Apache
FastCGI
PHP
Data
MariaDB
MariaDB
Server
*PGM
*CMD
SPLF
*DTAARA
Logs,
Sessions,
etc.
You are here

• Zend Server components are not part of PHP. You do not have to run
them to run PHP.
• Zend Server does include many PHP APIs that interact with these
components. Obviously, those API methods won’t work if the
components are not active.
• Components run as PASE processes in batch jobs. Typically
components run in two jobs. One job runs the watchdog program,
which is a kind of controller. The other job runs the executable binary.
• Zend Server component jobs run in subsystem ZENDPHP7 (or
ZENDSVR6 for versions 6-8).

Zend Server Components in ZENDPHP7 sbs
Job name Component What it is for
ZS_STR_PRN prngd Pseudo Random Number Generator
for SSL (optional)
ZSDAEMON Server Daemon Manage UI operations (default)
ZSDEPLMNG Deployment Manage applications, hosts, libraries
(default)
ZSJAVA_BRG Java Bridge Use Java objects in PHP scripts
(optional)
ZSJOBQMNG Job Queue Schedule PHP scripts to run (default)
ZSMONMNG Monitor Record and display Events (default)

Zend Server Components in ZENDPHP7 sbs

Zend Server Components in Zend Server UI

Zend Server Components set a directive

Zend Server Components restart needed

Zend Server Components restart needed
After saving the change, the directive enters a pending status
and the value(s) pending change are highlighted in green.

Restart Zend Server
• To restart, click the restart icon, found in the upper right corner. It is
orange when a restart is due.
• The restart will take your web site down for a couple of minutes, so
plan accordingly.

Component change has taken effect
• After the restart, the changed directive value is now in effect.
• The component is no longer in pending status, and the value is no
longer highlighted in green.

PASE component configs in ../etc
• For components that use daemons or other parts that run in the OS
(PASE), configs can be found in /usr/local/zendphp7/etc
• This includes the main config file for PHP, which is php.ini
• Never change configs in the config files! Always use the UI. This
prevents conflicts with the configurations stored in the database. It
also helps prevent invalid values.
• Exception 1 – the UI will not start until the configuration is changed.
This is very rare.
• Exception 2 – the directive is not available in the UI. This is also very
rare.

Daemon component configs in ../etc

PHP Component configs in ../etc/conf.d
• For things that run in PHP, the configs are in conf.d.
• This includes components, and also PHP extensions.
This is very rare.
rare.

Finding our changed directive for OPcache

Viewing the directive in the .ini file

Did I mention?
• It bears repeating:
This is very rare.
rare.

PHP and PHP Extensions

PHP on IBMi, illustrated
TCP/IP
(address)
Apache
(port)
FastCGI
(handler)
PHP Parent
Zend Server
Components
PHP Child
(many)
Ibm_db2
Toolkit
mysqli
Monitor
Job Queue
Deployment
prngd
Java Bridge
Content
DB2
Jobs, Library
Objects
PHP
html
css
js
pdf
xls
etc
Configs
Apache
FastCGI
PHP
Data
MariaDB
MariaDB
Server
*PGM
*CMD
SPLF
*DTAARA
Logs,
Sessions,
etc.
You
are
here

phpinfo() displays versions, directives, more

phpinfo() core (php.ini) directives

phpinfo() extensions - mysqli example

Configure PHP directives

Core directives are grouped into categories

max_execution_time is in the RL&T category

max_execution_time search

max_execution_time search result

Changing directives is all the same
• Changing directives for PHP works pretty much the same as changing
directives for components. So, we won’t go through it all again. Please
review the Components section for this procedure.
• You can change more than one directive per restart. Change and save
as many as you need. Restart once.
• Keep track of your configuration changes. You may need to reinstall
some day.
• Make your config changes in the UI.
• A common mistake is to attempt to set an extension directive in
php.ini. Internet examples often show this. Extension directives need
to be changed in the .ini file for that extension, in the conf.d directory.
Using the UI insures the change is made in the correct file.

.ini files go in ../etc and../etc/conf.d
• As we discovered when discussing components, configs for things that
run directly in PASE, like php.ini, can be found in
/usr/local/zendphp7/etc, and configs for extensions and components
that run under PHP are found in /usr/local/zendphp7/etc/conf.d.
• conf.d is defined in php.ini:
[Zend]
zend.install_dir=/usr/local/zendphp7
zend.conf_dir=/usr/local/zendphp7/etc
zend.ini_scandir=conf.d
• Graphic slides showing these directories can be found in the
Components section, above.
• Please don’t edit files in these directories. Instead, use the UI to make
changes to the directives.

Logs

PHP and Zend Server Component logs
• The PHP log and the logs for Zend Server components are kept in
directory /usr/local/zendphp7/var/log
• They are also viewable in the Zend Server UI. In the UI, you display the
last however many lines you specify (up to 10000, 200 by default) of a
selected log. You may choose to auto refresh the log every however
many seconds (up to 600) you specify, and you can search the log for a
string.
• The log directory is the first thing I look at when you send me a Support
Tool output file. A bloated log directory is the most likely reason your
Support Tool is to large to send.
• You should rotate your php.log file once in a while:
https://support.zend.com/hc/en-us/articles/203765456

Looking at logs in the UI

Looking at logs in the UI - continued

Clearing out detached logs

Content

Content can be anywhere
• Content is any file that Apache or PHP can go and get and return to the
requester.
• The Apache DocumentRoot directive sets the default content folder. This
can be set for the entire server, and then set different DocumentRoot
directives for virtual hosts.
• Apache can also use directives like Alias or the mod_rewrite directives to
further modify where it will find content.
• PHP can go further, plucking files from an include_path or just directly by
the full path name. PHP can also grab data from your data bases, and
content from servers on the internet.
• The IFS even makes it possible to access files stored as objects in libraries
using the /QSYS.LIB directory.
• So really, your content can be anywhere. It is one of the tasks of the
developer to know where things are supposed to be, and make sure they
are where they ought to be.
• But don’t be overwhelmed. It is very simple to get started.

Content – a simple start
• The default DocumentRoot for the ZENDPHP7 instance is:
/www/zendphp7/htdocs
• Use your editor to make a file /www/zendphp7/htdocs/hello.php. Type
this into your hello.php file:
<?php
echo "Hello World!“
?>
• Save your file.
• Go to your browser and type in this address:
http://<your IBM i IP address>:10090/hello.php
• Hello World! should appear in your browser.

Content – a simple start

ZendCon 2016 link
https://legacy.joind.in/19478

PHP Installed on IBM i - the Nickel Tour

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