What is WebDAV protocol? Do you know?

This article will introduce the basic concepts, application scenarios and some famous applications of the WebDAV protocol. Then, we will focus on how to use NGINX to build your own WebDAV server and provide the corresponding code and analysis. Finally, we will recommend some commonly used WebDAV client software to connect to your server.

1. Basic concepts of WebDAV protocol

WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is an extension based on HTTP protocol, used to create, modify and manage files on a Web server. It provides the ability to operate and control network resources through a set of HTTP methods and attributes.

The basic elements of the WebDAV protocol include:

• Resources: Resources in the WebDAV protocol can be files, folders, or collections, which are uniquely identified by URLs.
• Properties: Resources can have a series of properties that are used to describe and manage metadata about the resource, such as file size, creation date, etc.
• Collections: A collection is a special resource that can contain other resources, forming a folder or directory structure.
• Locking: The WebDAV protocol supports resource locking mechanisms to control the consistency of concurrent editing by multiple users.
• Versioning: The WebDAV protocol also provides a versioning feature that allows version management and rollback of resources.

2. Application scenarios of WebDAV protocol

The WebDAV protocol is widely used in the following scenarios:

• Collaborative editing: Multiple users can edit the same resource at the same time, and ensure editing consistency through locking and version control.
• Remote file management: Users can access and manage files and folders on remote servers through the WebDAV protocol, which is similar to the functions of local file management.
• Backup and synchronization: Using the WebDAV protocol, users can back up local files to a remote server and perform synchronization operations to ensure file security and consistency.

3. Famous WebDAV applications

The following are some well-known applications based on the WebDAV protocol:

• Microsoft SharePoint: SharePoint is an enterprise-oriented collaboration platform that uses the WebDAV protocol to enable access to and collaborative editing of document libraries.
• Nextcloud: Nextcloud is an open source, self-hosted cloud storage platform that provides file management, synchronization, and sharing capabilities through the WebDAV protocol.
• Google Drive: Google Drive is a cloud storage and collaboration platform that uses the WebDAV protocol as the basis for file management and collaborative editing.

4. Use NGINX to build a WebDAV server

NGINX is a high-performance web server that can also be used to build a WebDAV server. The following are the steps to build a WebDAV server and the corresponding NGINX configuration code:

4.1 Install NGINX

First, install the NGINX server. The specific installation steps depend on your operating system and distribution.

4.2 Configure NGINX

Open the NGINX configuration file, usually located at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf. Add the following code block:

 http { server { listen 80; server_name example.com; location /webdav { dav_methods PUT DELETE MKCOL COPY MOVE; dav_ext_methods PROPFIND OPTIONS; create_full_put_path on; dav_access user:rw group:rw all:r; auth_basic "WebDAV Authentication"; auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd; } } }

In the above code, we define a /webdav path using the WebDAV protocol and the corresponding permissions and authentication configuration. Please note that the .htpasswd file is used here to store usernames and passwords. You need to adjust it according to the actual situation.

4.3 Create a password file

Use the htpasswd command to create a password file and specify the username and password:

 sudo htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd username

4.4 Start NGINX

After completing the configuration, save and close the configuration file. Then, start or restart the NGINX service to make the configuration take effect.

 sudo systemctl restart nginx

Now, you have successfully set up a WebDAV server.

5. WebDAV Client Software

To connect to your WebDAV server, you can use a variety of WebDAV client software. Here are some commonly used WebDAV client software:

• Windows: Windows Explorer has built-in support for WebDAV. You can access a WebDAV server directly through Explorer.
• macOS: The Finder of macOS also supports the WebDAV protocol. Select "Go" in the menu bar of the Finder, then select "Connect to Server", and enter the URL of the WebDAV server to connect.
• Linux: Linux users can connect using a file manager that supports WebDAV, such as the Dolphin file manager (KDE desktop environment) or the Nautilus file manager (GNOME desktop environment).
• Cross-platform: Cross-platform WebDAV client software includes Cyberduck, FileZilla, and WinSCP, which are available on multiple operating systems.

Through these client software, you can connect to the WebDAV server you built and perform operations such as file management, synchronization, and collaborative editing.

in conclusion

The WebDAV protocol is an HTTP-based file management and collaborative editing protocol that is widely used in collaborative work and remote file management. This article introduces the basic concepts, application scenarios, and some well-known applications of the WebDAV protocol. Then, we explain in detail how to use NGINX to build your own WebDAV server, and provide the corresponding code and analysis. Finally, we recommend some commonly used WebDAV client software to connect to your server.

By building your own WebDAV server, you can easily manage, synchronize and collaborate on files, improving work efficiency and teamwork. I wish you success in using the WebDAV protocol and building a WebDAV server!