Chapter 3
Installing WebSite

Installing WebSite takes only a few minutes. Following installation, you must test the server. These tests include making sure the server is running and testing the server from both the local computer and a remote computer. Running these tests is important to ensure that the server is installed correctly and operating properly.

During installation, WebSite uses the information you provide as well as information from your Windows 95 or Windows NT system Registry and configuration files to set the basic parameters for the server. This general information is recorded in the General property sheet page of Server Admin.

This chapter begins with a quick start summary, followed by detailed installation instructions for both a new installation of WebSite 1.1 and an upgrade from WebSite 1.0 for Windows 95 and Windows NT. Next, it walks through the server tests and the general information included in Server Admin. Finally, it tells you how to activate the administrator's account, install WebSite as a service, and where to find help.

Quick Start Summary

NOTE Depending on how you received the software, some of these steps may differ.

1. Complete the WebSite Installation Requirements checklist (see Chapter 2). You may need to ask your network administrator or Internet Service Provider for information about the Connectivity section.

2. If you are upgrading from a previous version of WebSite, make backup copies of the DENNY and EIT Registry keys.

3. If you are running other Windows applications, close them before starting installation.

4. Start the WebSite Setup program by opening the WebSite folder on the distribution media with File Manager or Windows Explorer and double-clicking setup.exe.

5. Enter your name and company or organization information to personalize your copy of WebSite.

6. Choose the destination directory for the WebSite software.

7. If you have an existing web document structure, provide the full pathname for the existing document root.

8. Choose the server run mode.

9. Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name for the server.

10. Enter the Administrator's email address.

11. Test the server's operation from the local computer.

12. Test the server's operation from a remote computer.

13. Run the server self-test.

14. Review the General page of Server Admin.

15. Activate the WebSite server administrator account.

16. Follow the links on the WebSite Resources page.

Installing the WebSite Software

NOTE
You must have installed TCP/IP as a network protocol in order for WebSite to operate, even if you don't plan to allow Internet access. For more information on installing TCP/IP in Windows NT or Windows 95, see your Windows documentation.

Performing a New Installation

To install WebSite for the first time, complete these steps:

1. Start your computer and log on to Windows NT or Windows 95. If you are installing WebSite under Windows NT, you must be the Administrator or have Administrator privileges.

2. If you received the software on diskettes, insert Disk 1 into the first 3.5" drive (A or B) on your system. If you received the software on CD-ROM, insert the CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.

3. Start the WebSite Setup program by opening the WebSite folder on the distribution media in the File Manager (NT) or Windows Explorer (Windows 95) and double-clicking on the file Setup (or Setup.exe).

4. The WebSite Setup program displays the welcome screen. Click Next to begin installation.

5. In the Registration window, enter your name and company or organization information to personalize your copy of WebSite. Click Next to continue. (See Figure 3-1.)

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   Figure 3-1: WebSite Registration Screen
   

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6. WebSite asks you to confirm this information. Choose Yes to continue, or No to reenter the information.

7. Choose the installation directory for the WebSite software. The default is \WebSite, but you can install the software in another directory. Click Next to accept the default, or click Browse to choose another directory.

8. If you don't have an existing web on your computer, accept the defaults for the document root and home page in the Existing Web dialog box. (See Figure 3-2.) If you do have an existing web, type the root directory of your web documents and the name of your index document.

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   Figure 3-2: Existing Web Dialog Box
   

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9. Choose how you want the WebSite server to run in the Server Run Mode dialog box.

   NOTE
   If you choose to install WebSite as a service under Windows NT, you should be well-acquainted with the subject of Windows NT identity. By default, a service assumes the identity of the system account (you can change this on the services control panel). WebSite requires this default setup to run properly. If you encounter problems running WebSite check the identity of the server's account and make sure it is the system account. We also recommend you first test WebSite as a desktop application.

   If installing under Windows NT, choose one of the following (see Figure 3-3):

   • Application (manual start). Installs the WebSite server as an application that you must start each time you log in to Windows NT. This is the default setting.

   • Application (login start). Installs the WebSite server as an application in the Startup Group, causing it to start automatically when you login to Windows NT.

   • Service (invisible). Installs the WebSite server as a service. The WebSite server icon does not appear on the Desktop.

   • Service (icon visible). Installs the WebSite server as a service. The WebSite server icon appears on the Desktop, and you can interact with it. If you are installing under NT 4.0, the icon is placed in the Tray. You can later change it to a Task Bar icon, if desired.

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   Figure 3-3: Server Run Mode Dialog Box
   

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   If installing under Windows 95, choose one of the following:

   • Application (manual start). Installs the WebSite server as an application that you must start each time you log in to Windows 95. The server icon appears in the Tray, but you can later change it to appear on the Task Bar, if desired. This is the default setting.

   • Application (login start). Installs the WebSite server as an application in the Startup folder, causing it to start automatically when you log in to Windows 95. The server icon appears in the Tray, but you can later change it to appear on the Task Bar, if desired.

   • Service (system start). Installs the WebSite server as a service. The server icon appears in the Tray, but you can later change it to appear on the Task Bar, if desired.

10. Enter the host's fully qualified domain name in the Host's Domain Name dialog box and then click Next (Figure 3-4). The domain name includes the server's specific name and the larger domain name, such as myserver.mycompany.com. This is the name used in URLs to reach your WebSite server and is also called the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). If you don't have an FQDN for your server, use the IP address (for example, 123.333.222.123).

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    Figure 3-4: Host's Domain Name Dialog Box
    

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11. Enter an email address that WebSite will use for mailto: URLs in the Administrator's Email Address dialog box. This address can be at your site or at another site. For example, your website might be comp-bear.com but your email might be received at tech.comp-bear.com. Use the address at which email is received, and then click Next.

12. The WebSite Setup program installs the software on your system. The program displays progress indicators and tells you which files are being installed. Setup also adds information to your Windows Registry and builds the program group or Start menu folder.

13. If you are installing under Windows NT and selected Service as the run mode, Setup displays the Service Startup dialog box with instructions for starting the WebSite server as a service (Figure 3-5). See the section Running WebSite as a Service, later in this chapter, for details. Press Next to continue.

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    Figure 3-5: Windows NT Service Startup Dialog Box
    

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    NOTE
    By default, the service identity is System Account. If you are going to make any changes, be sure you are familiar with ``identity'' under Windows NT.

14. Under Windows NT, Setup next displays information about the Windows NT Performance Monitor (Figure 3-6). The Performance Monitor gives you information about the performance of your system and selected programs and services. For more information about using the Performance Monitor, see your Windows NT documentation and Chapter 13, Logging, in this book.

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    Figure 3-6: Windows NT Performance Monitor Information
    

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15. Setup next displays the WebSite Setup Complete dialog box (Figure 3-7). You can choose to view the README file and/or start WebSite. Click Finish to close the Setup program.

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    Figure 3-7: WebSite Setup is Complete
    

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You're now ready to begin testing the installation as described later in this chapter.

Upgrading from a Previous Version of WebSite

• Back up the Registry keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Denny and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EIT. Use the Registry editor (regedt32.exe or regedit.exe) supplied with Windows NT or Windows 95 to export or save each of these keys and their subtrees. These programs are usually installed in your \Windows directory. Save the keys under a new name.

• If you are upgrading from a previous installation that was installed as a Windows NT service, check the identity under which WebSite is running. If you run as an application, WebSite assumes the identity of the person currently logged on. As a service, it assumes a separate identity, which by default is the system account, configurable by the control panel.

• Back up your entire WebSite installation, from the server root on down. If something goes wrong with the update installation, you'll be glad you did this!

After you've completed the actions in the above list, perform these steps:

1. Start your computer and log on to Windows NT or Windows 95. If you are installing WebSite under Windows NT, you must be the Administrator or have Administrator privileges.

2. Make sure the WebSite server is not running.

3. If you received the software on diskettes, insert Disk 1 into the first 3.5" drive (A or B) on your system. If you received the software on CD-ROM, insert the CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.

4. Start the WebSite Setup program by opening the WebSite folder on the distribution media in the File Manager (NT) or Windows Explorer (Windows 95) and double-clicking on the file Setup (or Setup.exe).

5. The WebSite Setup program displays the welcome screen. Click Next to begin installation.

6. In the Registration window, enter your name and company information to personalize your copy of WebSite and click Next.

7. WebSite asks you to confirm this information. Choose Yes to continue, or No to reenter the information.

8. The Setup program displays the Updating Existing Installation dialog box (Figure 3-8). This dialog box shows the location of the existing WebSite software, and warns you that the format of WebIndex files has changed. You'll need to rebuild your indexes after installing this update.

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   Figure 3-8: Updating Existing Installation Dialog Box
   

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9. The WebSite Setup program installs the selected files on your system. The program displays progress indicators and tells you which files are being installed. Setup also adds information to your Windows Registry.

10. The setup program displays the Windows CGI Update dialog box (Figure 3-9). For more information about CGI programming, see Section 4 of this book.

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    Figure 3-9: Windows CGI Update Information
    

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11. When complete, Setup displays the WebSite Setup Complete dialog box (See Figure 3-7). You can view the README file and start WebSite. Click Finish to close the Setup program.

You're now ready to begin testing the installation as described in the next sections.

NOTE
Remember to rebuild your indexes with the new version of WebIndex. For information on using WebIndex, see Chapter 6, Indexing and Searching Your Documents.

Testing the WebSite Server

• Making sure the server starts properly

• Viewing a WebSite document from the local computer

• Viewing a WebSite document from a remote computer

• Running the server self-test and demonstration (from the default home page)

Is the Server Running?

If the icon doesn't appear and you asked Setup to start the server, then you may have elected to run the server as a service with no desktop icon (under Windows NT only). To check that the server is running, open the Services settings in the Control Panel. Scroll through the list of services until you see Web Server and check the status. If it says ``started,'' the server is running and has passed the first test.

If you didn't ask Setup to start the server, you must do so now. Under Windows 95, click on the WebSite Server item (in the WebSite 1.1 program folder of the Start menu). Under Windows NT, double-click on the WebSite Server icon in the WebSite 1.1 program group (if you are using Windows NT 4.0 with the new user interface shell, follow the Windows 95 instruction). The server should start and minimize to an icon on the desktop.

If the server does not start, check the server log (in the logs directory of WebSite) for possible reasons. The most common is that TCP/IP is not configured properly. Also see Appendix C, Troubleshooting Tips.

Can You View a WebSite Document from the Local Computer?

1. Make sure your TCP/IP connection is open. If you are on a TCP/IP network or have a dedicated connection to the Internet, this is probably transparent to you. If you are on a standalone computer and get your TCP/IP connectivity with a dial-up SLIP or PPP account, make sure that the connection is working.

2. Make sure your WebSite server is running (as described in the preceding section).

3. With your Web browser, open the following file (use Open or Open Location from the File menu):

   	file:///C:/WebSite/wsdocs/index.html
   

   (Use the drive letter and WebSite directory appropriate for your installation.)

4. The browser displays the server's Welcome page file, as shown in Figure 3-10. However, displaying this document does not verify that the server is working because the browser did not find it by contacting the server. (You can view local files in a browser without using the server.)

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   Figure 3-10: WebSite Resources Welcome Page
   

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5. Select the hypertext link Click Here in the Important paragraph. The link is for the URL

   	http://localhost/wsdocs/index.html
   

   The browser sends out the request for this URL, which is interpreted by the browser and server as the Welcome page document on the local computer. (Note that using localhost in a URL won't work when you try to reach your server from another computer.)

   If the server and computer are set up correctly, the server's Welcome page again appears in the browser window, as shown in Figure 3-10. This time, however, the browser contacted the server and the server returned the document. The URL field shows the URL http://localhost/wsdocs/index.html.

6. Next, test the server using the IP address. In the URL field of the browser, type in the URL for the server's Welcome page, using the following format:

   	http://server.IP.address/wsdocs/index.html
   

   where server.IP.address is the IP address of your server, such as 123.234.29.1. The browser should display the same document as shown in Figure 3-10, except that the URL field displays the URL with the server's IP address.

7. If your server's domain name is registered with DNS, test the server using the domain name. In the URL field of the browser, type in the URL for the server's Welcome page, using the following format:

   	http://your.server.name/wsdocs/index.html
   

   where your.server.name is the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your server, such as www.comp-bear.com. The browser should display the document shown in Figure 3-10, except that the URL field displays the URL with the server's name.

Can You View a WebSite Document from Another Computer?

To test the WebSite server from another computer, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your WebSite server is running.

2. From the other computer, launch a Web browser such as Spyglass Mosaic or Netscape Navigator.

3. Specify the URL for your server's Welcome page, using the following format:

   	http://server.IP.address/wsdocs/index.html
   

   where server.IP.address is the IP address of your server. The browser uses the URL to locate your WebSite server. If everything is set up correctly, you will see the WebSite Welcome page (Figure 3-10).

4. If your server's domain name is registered with DNS, test the server by specifying the URL again, using the following format:

   	http://your.server.name/wsdocs/index.html
   

   where your.server.name is the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your server. If everything is set up correctly, you will see the WebSite Welcome page (Figure 3-10), with the domain name in the URL field.

If you performed this test from a computer on your local network and it does not work, make sure the server is running and then check the TCP/IP configuration of the computer and the network. If you continue to have difficulties, consult your network or system administrator.

If you conducted this test from a computer connected to the Internet and it failed, try again. Sometimes heavy traffic on the Internet can cause connections to time-out. If after several tries you still cannot reach the server, recheck the TCP/IP connections on both computers. Also make sure your server's name is a fully qualified domain name and that it is registered with DNS. If you continue to have difficulties, consult your Internet service provider.

Running the Server Self-Test and Demonstration

Depending on what you plan to do with your WebSite server, the self- test can provide valuable examples and plentiful ideas. Note that some of the items in the server self-test are quite advanced. Don't worry if you don't understand them at first. The rest of this book is dedicated to explaining WebSite's features and how (and why!) you use them.

NOTE
Since you will want to run the self-test and demonstration more than once (for example, whenever you make major configuration changes to your web or to collect data for troubleshooting problems), we created a checklist that includes all the server's features tested. You can find the checklist in Appendix A; we recommend you photocopy it, date it, and then complete it as you work through the self-test.

To start the WebSite self-test and demonstration, do one of the following:

• In your Web browser, open the URL http://localhost/wsdocs/32demo/.

• From the WebSite Resources, or server's Welcome, page (see Figure 3-10), click on the link to Server Self-Test and Demonstration.

Note the checklist near the beginning of the self-test. If you are not currently able to meet all these requirements (for example, you may not have all the viewers or programming languages installed), we still recommend you complete the self-test. Just note that some features will not work correctly. For example, if your browser is not configured for sound, you will receive an error message when you test the audio link. Such an error is not a server problem, it only indicates that your browser could be configured differently.

Remember to record the server's responses to each item in the self-test on a copy of the checklist from Appendix A. If you encounter too many errors, please read the Frequently Asked Questions, available from the Welcome page.

Using the Server's Control Menu

The three Control menu items include:

Properties

Displays the server's property sheet. You can change the server's configuration on the property sheet (also called the Server Admin application). The server's general properties are covered in the following section of this chapter; the other properties are covered thoroughly in Section 3 of this book.

Pause

Lets you pause the server without exiting it. Pausing the server is useful for quick updates to your web or for server maintenance. When you pause the server, a dialog box pops up in which you can enter a message that users requesting documents from your web will see. (Note that some browsers replace this message with their own error message.) This message lets the user know that the server is only temporarily offline.

If you are running WebSite as a service under Windows NT, the Pause item is not available from the WebSite Control menu. You must use the Services Control Panel or the utility wsctl. See Running WebSite as a Service, later in this chapter.

Exit or Close

Stops the server and closes the application. Once the server exits, users receive no messages when they request documents.

Reviewing WebSite's General Properties

To view the general information, launch Server Admin from the WebSite program list or group. The General page is displayed, as shown in Figure 3-11.

The top of the page provides information about your WebSite server:

Working Directory

Indicates where WebSite is installed. This directory is also called the server root. We discuss this concept in detail in Chapter 9, Mapping. Do not change this entry unless you move WebSite to a new location.

CGI Temporary Directory

Indicates the temporary location Common Gateway Interface (CGI) programs use. CGI programs are discussed in detail in Section 4. You can change this directory if necessary by typing in a new one.

Administrator Address

Shows the complete email address of the WebSite server administrator. Notice that the address is the Internet address you entered during setup. You can change the address here by typing in a new one.

Run Mode

Specifies how WebSite will run the next time it is started. If you want to change WebSite's mode from an application to a service, you must first select a new run mode and then restart the server. For running WebSite as a service under NT, see the instructions later in this chapter.

Under Windows 95 there are four run modes:

• Application (minimized), login or manual start with the server icon in the Task Bar

• Application (tray), login or manual start with the server icon in the Tray

• System service (minimized), continuously running with the server icon in the Task Bar

• System service (tray), continuously running with the server icon in the Tray

Under Windows NT 3.51 there are three run modes:

• Application (minimized), login or manual start with the server icon on the Desktop (the default)

• System Service (hidden), continuously running with no server icon

• System Service (minimized), continuously running with the server icon on the Desktop

Under Windows NT 4.0 two additional run modes let you choose to show the server's icon in the Tray for both service and application.

The rest of the page provides information about your WebSite server's network connections:

Normal Port

Tells the server what port number to use. The normal (TCP/IP) port is 80. Unless you know what you are doing, don't change this number.

Timeouts (Receive and Send)

Fairly standard settings. You may need to increase the timeouts if you are on a slow line, or if users complain that your server seems "slow" or "cuts off" documents. Increase the timeouts to 180 seconds for a PPP/SLIP connection.

Maximum Simultaneous Connects

Limits the number of simultaneous connections. You may need to adjust this for your line speed, to guarantee a minimum level of service. For example, if you have a 28.8 line and 10 simultaneous connections, each user sees only a 2800 baud line, which is very slow for Web traffic. In this case, you would want to decrease the number of maximum connects. If you are on a high-speed line (ISDN, T1, or T3) or running on an internal network, the number can be higher.

Hold Connections Open for Re-Use

Specifies whether or not the server should use the Connection: Keep Alive feature. Several browsers support Keep Alive (including Spyglass Mosaic) to make the transfer of documents more efficient and less time-consuming. This feature permits the browser to reuse a connection for fetching inline graphics and other elements that are referenced in an HTML document. If your users experience trouble, you should experiment with switching this feature on and off.

Winsock Vendor Information

Lists the valid Winsock programs detected on your system. WebSite uses Microsoft's Winsock Version 1.1. You cannot change this field.

As you can see, much of the information on this page is rarely changed. However, if you have a problem with the server, technical support may ask you to change some of the values on this screen.

NOTE
When you make a change to Server Admin and close it, the server is updated as soon as the server is idle. When the update is made, you'll hear the computer beep, indicating that the server's configuration has been updated. If the server is not running, you will not hear a beep, but the configuration is in effect the next time you start the server.

Activating the Administrator Account

To activate the administrator account, you must first select a password. Then complete these steps:

1. Launch Server Admin from the WebSite program list or program group and click on the tab for the Users page (Figure 3-12).

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   Figure 3-12: Server Admin Users Page
   

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2. In the Users field, select the user Admin from the pulldown list (as shown) and click on the Password button. The Change Password dialog appears.

3. Since there is no old password, put the cursor in the New Password field and type in the new password. Press TAB and type in the new password again. The password is hidden. Press OK when finished.

4. In the Group Membership section of the Users page, highlight Administrators in the Available Groups list and press Add. The group name moves to the Member Of list. Repeat for the group name Users. (You can accomplish the same task by double-clicking on the group name.) Figure 3-13 shows this section with the group memberships assigned.

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   Figure 3-13: Adding Users to Group
   

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5. Press OK to update the server and finish the activation. If the server is running, wait for it to beep before trying to use the new account.

Reaching WebSite Central is simple; point your browser at http://website.ora.com.

We also recommend you visit O'Reilly's umbrella Web site, O'Reilly Software Online (http://software.ora.com ). From this page you can learn about other O'Reilly software products such as PolyForm and WebBoard as well as general news about O'Reilly's products.

Contacting Technical Support