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This arrangement lets you test each layer independently: Apache directly on port 8080, then Varnish publicly on port 80. That separation is the key to diagnosing the common 503 error after moving Apache.
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How the Apache–Varnish layout works
Varnish is the front-end HTTP cache. Apache remains the backend, also called the origin server: it generates responses that Varnish can store and serve to later clients. Varnish’s documentation describes this relationship in terms of a “backend” or “origin” server.
On one machine, both daemons cannot bind the same IP address and TCP port. Move Apache to an alternate HTTP port, normally 8080, and reserve port 80 for Varnish. Varnish’s quick-start guidance identifies 8080 as a suitable alternative HTTP port for the web server.
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| Component | Typical address | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Varnish | :80 |
Receives client HTTP requests, serves cached objects, and forwards misses to Apache. |
| Apache | 127.0.0.1:8080 |
Origin server that renders dynamic pages and supplies uncached responses. |
| VCL backend | .host = "127.0.0.1", .port = "8080" |
Defines where Varnish connects when it needs an origin response. |
If Apache is on another host, Varnish can stay on port 80 locally and the VCL backend can use that origin host’s address and port. The port numbers are not magic; they must match the listeners that are actually running.
Before you change ports
Confirm the operating system and package source
The detailed commands below target Debian and Ubuntu, where Apache is managed as apache2 and configuration is normally under /etc/apache2. RHEL-compatible systems use the httpd service and configuration under /etc/httpd; an equivalent procedure appears later.
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Make sure Apache works by itself
Before introducing a cache, request the site directly from Apache on its current port and confirm that the expected virtual host, application, logs, and permissions work. If the origin is already broken, adding Varnish makes the symptoms harder to interpret.
Inventory all Apache bindings
Do not edit only the first site you see. List the enabled sites and included configuration files, then search for every Listen 80 and every <VirtualHost *:80> (or an equivalent address-specific binding). A single remaining port-80 directive can prevent Varnish from starting or leave one site bypassing the intended layout.
Install Varnish on Debian or Ubuntu
1. Refresh package metadata and install the package
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install varnishThe package supplies the daemon, a systemd service, and the standard VCL location. Do not assume the package’s default listener is already the final configuration; inspect the installed unit before changing it.
2. Move Apache’s main listener to port 8080
Open /etc/apache2/ports.conf and change the HTTP listener:
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3. Change every enabled virtual host binding
For each enabled Apache site, replace the port-80 binding with port 8080:
<VirtualHost *:8080>
ServerName example.test
# existing directives
</VirtualHost>Apply the change in every file that is actually included, including sites enabled through Apache’s site-management commands and any administrator-created include. Keep the ServerName, aliases, document roots, proxy rules, and logging directives intact.
Validate the Apache configuration before restarting:
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sudo apache2ctl configtestA successful syntax check does not prove that all sites are reachable, but it catches malformed edits and duplicate or invalid directives.
4. Restart Apache and test the origin directly
sudo systemctl restart apache2
curl -I http://127.0.0.1:8080/If name-based virtual hosting is used, send the intended hostname in the request so Apache selects the correct site:
curl -I -H 'Host: www.example.test' http://127.0.0.1:8080/Resolve any failure here before configuring Varnish. The origin must answer on the exact address and port that will appear in the VCL.
5. Define Apache as the Varnish backend
Edit /etc/varnish/default.vcl and use VCL 4.1 with the actual Apache endpoint:
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vcl 4.1;
backend default {
.host = "127.0.0.1";
.port = "8080";
}A backend must specify either a .host or a .path attribute, not both. For a TCP connection to Apache, use .host and .port as shown. If Apache binds to a different local address, use that address instead of 127.0.0.1.
6. Configure Varnish to listen on port 80
Inspect the package unit and any distribution-specific defaults:
systemctl cat varnishChange the daemon arguments so the listener is -a :80 and the loaded VCL file is -f /etc/varnish/default.vcl. Use the package’s supported configuration mechanism: either edit the unit where the distribution expects local changes or create a systemd drop-in with sudo systemctl edit varnish. Preserve the other arguments supplied by the distribution, such as storage, privilege, or runtime options. Do not replace the complete command with a shortened example that silently drops required settings.
When a drop-in overrides an existing ExecStart, systemd generally requires clearing the old command before defining the complete replacement. Copy the installed command from systemctl cat varnish, alter only the listener and VCL path, and retain the remaining options exactly as appropriate for that package.
7. Reload systemd and restart Varnish
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart varnishdaemon-reload is required after changing a unit file or drop-in. Without it, systemd can continue using the previous service definition even though the file on disk has changed.
8. Check both services and the sockets
sudo systemctl status varnish apache2
sudo ss -ltnpLook for Varnish bound to port 80 and Apache bound to port 8080. Then request the public listener:
curl -I http://127.0.0.1/Use an appropriate Host header when several virtual hosts share the listener. These commands are operational checks; they do not imply a particular cache-hit ratio or latency result.
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What belongs in default.vcl
The minimal backend declaration
The backend block is the connection map between Varnish and Apache. The hostname or address is resolved when the VCL is compiled. With a numeric loopback address, the endpoint is stable unless the local binding changes. With a hostname, Varnish uses the address available at compilation time.
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A hostname can be useful when the origin is on another server or when an address is managed through DNS. However, changing the DNS record alone does not make a running Varnish process discover the new address. Reload or restart the VCL after the DNS change so Varnish recompiles the backend and resolves the hostname again.
One backend versus several
A single backend default is sufficient for one Apache origin. Multiple backends can support failover or load balancing, but they require explicit routing and health-check decisions. Decide which backend handles a request, how an unhealthy origin is detected, and what happens to existing cached objects before adding that complexity.
Deployment choices and their trade-offs
| Decision | Option A | Option B | What changes operationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin placement | Same host: Varnish on 80, Apache on 8080. | Separate origin host: Varnish on 80, remote Apache address in VCL. | Same-host deployments avoid a network hop but require coordinated local port changes. Remote origins add network reachability and firewall considerations. |
| HTTP and TLS | HTTP-only Varnish listener. | TLS terminated by another proxy, with Varnish receiving the resulting HTTP traffic. | Varnish’s listener, headers, and trust boundaries must match the component that terminates TLS. Do not expose an unencrypted origin unintentionally. |
| Backend count | One Apache backend. | Clustered or failover backends. | Several origins need routing rules, health checks, and a policy for failures and cache consistency. |
| Service management | Edit the package-managed unit where supported. | Use a local systemd override. | Overrides are easier to preserve across package upgrades, but the complete effective ExecStart must still include required distribution arguments. |
| Backend address | Numeric address such as 127.0.0.1. |
Hostname. | Numeric addresses avoid DNS re-resolution issues. Hostnames are convenient but require a VCL reload after an address change. |
RHEL-compatible installation
On RHEL-compatible distributions, follow the Varnish Cache repository and package workflow supported for that distribution. The service is normally named varnish, while Apache is managed as httpd.
- Install Varnish using the distribution’s supported repository and package method.
- Confirm Apache serves the application directly before introducing the cache.
- Change Apache’s HTTP listener under
/etc/httpdfrom port 80 to 8080, using the distribution’s included configuration files. - Change every enabled Apache virtual host binding to port 8080, not just the first file.
- Set the VCL backend to the real Apache address and port, commonly
127.0.0.1:8080. - Configure Varnish’s listener for port 80 and retain the package’s required daemon arguments.
- Run
sudo systemctl daemon-reloadafter unit or drop-in edits, then restart Varnish. - Check
systemctl status varnish httpd, inspect listeners withss -ltnp, test Apache directly on 8080, and finally test Varnish on 80.
File names and include layouts differ between releases, so use the active httpd configuration and the effective Varnish unit on the target machine rather than copying a Debian path verbatim.
Diagnose a 503 response
A Varnish 503 in this setup usually means Varnish could not connect to the configured backend. Work from the origin outward so each layer is isolated.
1. Test Apache on its new port
curl -I http://127.0.0.1:8080/
# or, for a named virtual host:
curl -I -H 'Host: www.example.test' http://127.0.0.1:8080/If this fails, inspect Apache’s status and error log, confirm the configuration test, and verify that the process is listening on the address and port you placed in VCL.
2. Compare the VCL endpoint with the actual listener
Check that .host and .port in /etc/varnish/default.vcl exactly match Apache. Common mistakes include leaving .port = "80", using an address Apache does not bind, or changing Apache to 8080 while leaving one virtual host or include on port 80.
3. Check whether Apache still owns port 80
sudo ss -ltnpIf Apache is still bound to port 80, Varnish cannot bind there. Search all Apache Listen and VirtualHost directives, including included and enabled files, then restart Apache after correcting them.
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4. Confirm systemd loaded the new unit
If changing the listener appears to have no effect, run:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart varnish
systemctl cat varnishThe last command shows the merged unit and drop-ins that systemd is using. Check that the effective command contains port 80 and the intended VCL path.
5. Reload after DNS changes
When the backend is a hostname whose DNS address changed, reload or restart Varnish so the VCL is compiled again. Merely waiting for DNS propagation does not update an already compiled backend definition.
6. Test the public layer last
curl -I http://127.0.0.1/If Apache succeeds on 8080 but this request fails, focus on Varnish startup, its listener, VCL compilation, and connectivity from Varnish to the backend. If both requests succeed but the wrong site appears, send the expected Host header and review Apache’s name-based virtual-host order.
Quick Recap
Operational checks after the first successful request
- Keep a repeatable direct-origin command for port 8080 and a public-listener command for port 80. They provide a fast way to identify which layer changed after an upgrade or configuration edit.
- Record the effective Varnish unit with
systemctl cat varnishso future package updates do not overwrite an undocumented listener or VCL choice. - After editing VCL, restart or otherwise reload Varnish through the service mechanism and check its status before testing traffic.
- When adding another backend, define routing and health behavior deliberately instead of assuming Varnish will fail over automatically.
- When a proxy terminates TLS in front of Varnish, document which headers identify the original scheme and client, and ensure the origin receives the headers your application expects.
Configuration checklist
- Varnish package is installed and its service uses
/etc/varnish/default.vcl. - Varnish listens on port 80.
- Apache listens on port 8080 on the address named in VCL.
- Every enabled Apache virtual host uses port 8080.
sudo apache2ctl configtest(or the equivalenthttpdvalidation) succeeds.- Apache responds directly on 8080 before Varnish is tested.
sudo systemctl daemon-reloadhas been run after unit or drop-in changes.- Varnish and Apache both report active status.
ss -ltnpshows the intended ownership of ports 80 and 8080.- A request through port 80 reaches the expected virtual host.
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