URL redirection

World-Wide Web (Or "URL forwarding")

When a web server tells the client browser to obtain a

certain requested page from a different location. This is

controlled by directives in the server's configuration files

or a "Location: header output by a CGI script.

The web server stores all its documents in a directory tree

rooted at some configured directory, known as its "document

root". Normally the URI part of the URL (the part after

the hostname) is used as a relative path from the document

root to the desired file or directory. A redirect directive

allows the server administrator to specify exceptions to this

general mapping from URL to file name by telling the browser

"try this URL instead". The new URL may be on the same server

or a different one and may itself be subject to redirection.

The user is normally unaware of this process except that it

may introduce extra delay while the browser sends the new

request and the browser will usually display the new URL

rather than the one the user originally requested.

(1997-07-15)