Network Working Group                                       C. Ahrweiler
Internet-Draft                                                foxyfy.net
Intended status: Experimental                            5 November 2025
Expires: 9 May 2026


                   Passive Hot Reload for Web Servers
                      draft-ahrweiler-hotreload-00

Abstract

   This document defines a passive, file-based mechanism for automatic
   hot reloading of configuration files and TLS certificates in web
   servers.  Unlike traditional web servers that require explicit reload
   commands, this design uses file modification time (mtime) to detect
   changes and reloads in memory automatically.

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on 9 May 2026.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   4.  Reference Implementation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   5.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2

1.  Introduction

   Most web servers require manual intervention or explicit signals to
   reload configuration or TLS certificates.  This document presents a
   passive strategy, based entirely on filesystem modification times, to
   perform reloads automatically and safely.

2.  Mechanism

   At startup, the server stores the current mtime of its configuration
   and TLS certificate files.  A periodic timer (e.g. every 10 minutes)
   checks if those mtimes have changed.  If so, the server reloads the
   updated configuration and certificates in memory without affecting
   active connections.

3.  Security Considerations

   Ensure proper file permissions to avoid unauthorized tampering.
   Always validate config and certificate contents before applying them.
   Avoid race conditions when reloading.

4.  Reference Implementation

   The FoxyFy web server implements this mechanism in Go.  See [FOXYFY-
   SPEC] for full source and deployment notes.

5.  Informative References

   [FOXYFY-SPEC]
              foxyfy.net, "FoxyFy Hot Reload (Full Specification)", URL 
              https://foxyfy.net/spec/draft-foxyfy-hotreload-00.txt, 5
              November 2025.

Author's Address

   Chris Ahrweiler
   foxyfy.net
   Email: info@foxyfy.net




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