mod_perl

mod_perl is a terrific fusion of the Apache Web server and the Perl language that embeds a copy of the Perl interpreter inside Apache, allowing you to not only speed up existing CGI scripts but also extend your Web server in ways previously unavailable to most webmasters. This tutorial explains from how to install mod_perl to Databasing with Mod_perl.

This tutorial explains how to use the Apache::Registry Perl module to improve the performance of your CGI scripts, as well as how to implement SSIs and <Perl> sections with mod_perl.

The excerpt from Perl in a Nutshell (O'Reilly & Associates), provides an overview of mod_perl including how to install it on your machine, how to improve CGI performance using mod_perl, as well as a listing of the most commonly used mod_perl modules.