a-virtual-host-file.txt

# Rewrite rules
# On any incoming POST requests, we want to rewrite from http://hostname/resource
# to http://hostname/node/resource
RewriteEngine On
# We only want HTTP POSTs
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} "POST"
# If we've already added "/node/" skip the rewrite rule 
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !./node
# Once rewritten, pass thru to the next handler 
RewriteRule (.*) /node$1 [PT] 

# Depending on your setup, you may need to load required modules in your Virtual Host file.
LoadModule proxy_http_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_proxy_http.so

# Access control for proxying
<Proxy *>
 Order deny,allow
 Allow from all
</Proxy>

# Set up reverse proxy rules
# Any request URL with "/node/" goes to Node.js script listening to port 9000 on localhost
ProxyRequests Off
ProxyPass /node/ http://127.0.0.1:9000/
ProxyPassReverse /node/ http://127.0.0.1:9000/

get-zip-code.js

/**
* A very simple node web server that demonstrates how to collect
* a 5 digit zip code from a user (via voice, SMS or IM).
*/

var http = require('http');
var tropo = require('../lib/tropo-webapi');

var server = http.createServer(function (request, response) {  

  // Get the pathname for the current request.
  var pathname = require('url').parse(request.url).pathname;
  
  // Add a listener for the data event (incoming data from the HTTP request)
  request.addListener('data', function(data){
    json = data.toString();
  });
    
  // Add a listener for the EOF event on the incoming stream.
  request.addListener('end', function() {
  
  	 try {
  	 	
  	 	 // Create a new instance of the TropoWebAPI object.
		 var tropo = new TropoWebAPI();
	      
	     // The path for the first step in the application flow (ask the caller for input). 
	     if(pathname == '/start') {
	     
	     	var say = new Say("Please enter your 5 digit zip code.");
			var choices = new Choices("[5 DIGITS]");
			tropo.ask(choices, 3, false, null, "zip", null, true, say, 5, null);
			tropo.on("continue", null, '/finish', true);
			response.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'application/json'});   
		    response.end(TropoJSON(tropo));
	     
	     }
	     
	     // The second step in the application flow - input is submitted via Result JSON delivered from Tropo.
	     else if(pathname == '/finish') {
	     
	     	// Create a new instance of the Result object and give it the JSON delivered from Tropo.
	    	var result = Result(json);
	    	
	    	// Read out the zip code entered by the caller.
	    	// Obviously you could do lots of cool things with this information if you wanted (e.g., look up the weather in the zip code).
	    	// But to keep things simple, we'll just read it back to the caller. 
		    tropo.say("Your zip code is, " +  result.interpretation + ". Goodbye.");
		    tropo.hangup();
		    response.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'application/json'});   
		    response.end(TropoJSON(tropo));
	     
	     }
	     
	     // If an invalid resource is requested, return am HTTP 404.
	     else {
	     	response.writeHead(404, {'Content-Type': "text/plain"});
	     	response.end("The requested resource does not exist.");
	     }
  	 }
  	 
  	 // If an exception occurs, return an HTTP 500.
  	 catch(e) {
  	 	response.writeHead(500, {'Content-Type': "text/plain"});
      	response.end(e.message + "");
  	 }
  })  

}).listen(9000, "127.0.0.1"); // Listen to port 9000 on localhost for requests.

• Apache is a nice compliment to a Node.js based web server app because it already does things like access control and logging.
• No need to replicate this functionality in the Node app.
• Node app can simply listen to a specified port on localhost.
• Apache rewrite rules ensure POST requests only get routed to reverse proxy, which sends requests to Node app to be processed.
• Simple, clean, easy.