File serving on Windows XP Pro 3

[Dweezel]

Hi all. Some preliminary info about my problem:

We have an XP Pro machine running at our office that has some specialist server software running on it. The software is running a remote telemetry system and it's based around the Tomcat web server. The default web port at the IP address for this system defaults to a page served from a telemetry gateway ( a piece of hardware that controls the telemetry system).

The software is producing data that is being generated to a csv file on the XP machine. I can't edit any of the files in the telemetry software so trying to make the files available using some part of the Tomcat server isn't an option.

All I need to do is make the csv files available to internet access (either http or ftp). Would setting up an ftp server and accessing them that way be feasible? I'm planning on getting access via a PHP script (using fopen or ftp curl).

I'm a web developer by trade and have hardly any experience with this type of thing, so any advice or pointers would be great.

TIA
Chris

 

[vacunita]

All I need to do is make the csv files available to internet access (either http or ftp). Would setting up an ftp server and accessing them that way be feasible?

It would be feasible. Installing a FTP server daemon on the PC holding these files should be easy. Depending on your router it may a little harder to open up the network to access from the internet though.

I'm planning on getting access via a PHP script (using fopen or ftp curl).

If PHP is running on the server these files are on, they'd be local to it. So using opendir() and readdir() functions to list the available files would be a easier solution than the FTP daemon.


forum434 may be a better place for this though.

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Phil AKA Vacunita
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[Diancecht]

Well, if http is an option, a simple Apache HTTP server would do the trick.

Cheers,
Dian

 

[Dweezel]

Thanks for your replies Phil and Dian.

It would be feasible. Installing a FTP server daemon on the PC holding these files should be easy. Depending on your router it may a little harder to open up the network to access from the internet though.

Yeah, I think I'll need some help with that, but I have someone I can call on so it should be OK. I was looking at third party FTP servers, but apparently XP Pro has it's own, built in FTP server that just needs to be activated. Is that the best way to go?

If PHP is running on the server these files are on, they'd be local to it. So using opendir() and readdir() functions to list the available files would be a easier solution than the FTP daemon.

I'll be using PHP on a remote web server to access csv files on this XP machine.

Well, if http is an option, a simple Apache HTTP server would do the trick.

I did consider that as an option, but thought it may cause too many problems as the software currently running on the computer has it's own Tomcat based server already in use. Do you think it's a workable solution given that scenario?

Many thanks,
Chris

 

[JockMullin]

I use Filezilla FTP server under XP Pro and it works just fine.

Re your app - it occurs to me you may have problems accessing that csv file reliably if it is open and being appended to by the telemetry software.

It might be a good idea to schedule a task (every min or whatever, depending on file size) to robocopy the csv file into a folder from where it will be ftp'd. Robocopy can be configured to play nice with active files, and then you can copy it out to timestamped or generationally named target files and publish those.

Jock

 

[Diancecht]

I did consider that as an option, but thought it may cause too many problems as the software currently running on the computer has it's own Tomcat based server already in use. Do you think it's a workable solution given that scenario?

I don't see any problems. You can set up an Apache HTTP server (that has nothing to do with Apache Tomcat Server) separately that won't interfere.

Cheers,
Dian

 

[Dweezel]

Thanks for the replies.

I installed Filezilla FTP server yesterday (as suggested by JockMullin) on the XP Pro machine and all went smoothly. I'm going to try sorting out the router and firewall when I'm back there tomorrow so that I can connect.

Having looked through the documentation I'm guessing allowing communications on ports 20 to 22 should be sufficient. I'll give it a go and post back.

Many thanks,
Chris