Web Server...HOW? 1

[gats]

I don't know if this post is in the right place, so please forgive me if not!

I've spent a great amount of time, over the last year, developing 4 applications which are Web versions of my Company's applications. (I can't go into too much detail here for obvious reasons but they involve Document Management). These have been developed in ASP/Javascript for the front end, calling ISAPI extension dlls to carry out all the business logic, database searches etc. This was all done using MS InterDev and Visual C++ 6.0.

They all work very well using my PC and IIS as a personal web Server, so that anyone on our intranet can access the applications.

However, several of our Customers are now asking us to specify what they will need in order to use the software and, as I am the only person in our small Company with any Web programming experience at all, I have been asked (told!) to research this and come up with some answers.

As a lowly C, C++, MFC, ASP, JavaScript developer, with not that much IT experience and even less in Web applications, I have absolutely no idea where to start.

What software do we need to recommend? OS? Security?

Can any one help or point me at someone (or somewhere) that can?

Many thanks

 

[figmatalan]

As they seem to be MS apps and most companies run MS servers you could be OK. As you've developed it on your personal web server it should port quite easily over to IIS which is part of NT Server.

If your clients have an NT server for intranet purposes already then you should be sorted. For security it depends on the requirements of the clients, you could do this using Windows Security and restricting access to the directories depending on the users logon ID using an NT group.

If your application is big and/or thrashes your PC it would be worth looking at putting it on a dedicated server but that's obviously going to cost money.

Bottom line is it depends on the app and the requirement of the clients.

 

[gats]

OK - thanks for your reply - but I probably didn't make the point clear.

I've developed it and tested them on our Company network using IIS, which works OK because anyone in the office can enter my computer name into their Browser and IIS will serve them the app. In other words, with my PC acting as a Web Server on the intranet. However, our Customers want to use it on the WWW, not on an Intranet.

We also need them to be able to host all 4 (and any others that follow) at the same time. Isn't IIS limited to just 1?

Someone (on another Forum!) mentioned Apache HTTP Server software. Know anything about it?

Thanks again for your help - much appreciated. I'm in deep here and really need a lifeline!

 

[ChrisHirst]

the pro versions of 2k and XP are limited to only one site, Server versions are not.


Chris.

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So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[figmatalan]

Apache is the preferred choice for web sites on the internet.

I'd recommend trying a cheap hosting package for a short while and uploading your stuff there.

I think you may have some problems running it on Apache though as you've mentioned you've developed this in C++.

You can install Apache on your PC and try it using that (

http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi)

and see if you can configure it to run yourself, but you are still running it on a Windows platform there.

It boils down to your application, what does it require to run? Does it have to be an MS OS, and if so what with what installed? Will it run on Linux (which is what most Apache installations will be on)?

Have a look at

http://www.1and1.co.uk

as they do lots of different hosting packages including Windows based hosting which I suspect you are going to require.

 

[gats]

So the easy route would be to recommend that our Customer tries it out using a "cheap?" MS hosting package then, if it's all sweet, host their own Site using 2000/2003 Server/IIS on a dedicated machine. The apps should work straight away with no tweaks. Right?

What about Browsers? If it's an MS Server e.g. 2003 Server - how would the likes of Netscape cope with the FP Extensions? And what about the JavaScript?

Again, as this is not a public Site but purely for use by the Customers' satellite employees/offices, I suppose the easy way out would be to recommend that they all use IE!

Sounds like a bit of an MS monopoly thing to me - maybe something I should bear in mind when I develop the next versions!

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[figmatalan]

If you are going to set this up for one customer and their satellite offices are going to use it they should have network access from the other offices surely?

If not, look at setting up VPN's between the offices and maybe homeworkers too so that a general internet site is not required and you can use an intranet which can be accessed via VPN.

You really need to get the exact requirements of your appilcation sorted first before doing anything.

If it has to run on an IIS/MS platform (and I'd be surprised if it doesnt given the app was written in Visual C++) then see how hard the server is hit when requests are made for it.

If you have an MS server there you should try installing it there and make sure you note down any quirks you have to ensure you can install it again on another IIS server.

There would be no point having a hosting package on the internet if you could do this on the companies intranet though, and the intranet solution would be a lot more secure.

 

[gats]

Yes I see no reason why the VPN thing shouldn't be all that's required, although I'll have to sound out the Customers on that one. As you correctly said, it would make things a great deal easier and more secure. Nice idea, thanks.

It's already running on our network on a W2000 Server at our office and works Okay after a few start up gliches.

I'm feeling a lot happier about this than I was this morning!

I'll let you know how this pans out.

Thanks.