Apache 404 Surge Indicating Deployment or Configuration Issues
warningconfigurationUpdated Sep 11, 2023
A sudden increase in 404 Not Found errors in Apache logs often signals missing files after deployment, incorrect DocumentRoot configuration, or broken rewrite rules rather than legitimate missing resources.
Sources
Technologies:
How to detect:
Monitor apache_scoreboard or access logs for increasing 404 status codes, especially when concentrated on specific URIs. Compare 404 rate before and after deployments. Check if 404s correlate with apache_uptime resets (service restarts).
Recommended action:
Parse access logs to identify most frequently requested missing resources. Verify DocumentRoot and Alias directives in apache2ctl -S output match expected paths. Check file permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files). Review .htaccess rewrite rules and VirtualHost configuration for path mismatches.