The Installation Manual is for Consultants, Developers, and sophisticated organizations who are installing their own timeLines servers. Normally, we expect a developer will be quite familiar with the installation of Windows NT and Windows 2000, but if not, we have detailed sections on these installations (with the optimal options/settings for a timeLines server installation).
________________
Windows/IIS/ASP
System Hardware Requirements:
Internet:
- A 24x7 Internet connection is needed, with a dedicated IP address (DHCP is not usable), and a registered domain name. A small organization can manage with a DSL line or cable modem, as long as you get a dedicated IP address. Two DSL lines (with different IP addresses on separate networks, from different vendors) can be shared to increase uptime. Typical starting costs for business DSL lines are $125/month.
A computer colocated at a web hosting service (Internet data center) will have a faster and more reliable connection, but access to your database file will be only over the Internet. This will be more expensive ($400/month up) since most web hosting services will want you to rent a dedicated server to run a database-backed web application like skyBuilders timeLines.
- Domain Name Server(s), or Domain Name Service from your ISP/Web Host. The DNS can be configured to load balance between two Internet connections. If one connection fails, requests are directed to the other automatically (details below). To add a DNS Service, go to Network Control Panel. In WinNT, go to Services tab, and say Add. Windows will build the available services list. Select DNS Service. You may need the Windows CD. In Win2000, go to Advanced menu, choose Optional Network Components... Select Networking Services (don't check the box). Click Details. The services list appears. Choose DHS Service. You may need the W2000 disk or a Service Pack disk.
- Mail Server (recommended?). Note that SMTP Server is needed for timeLined Emails, and some Mail Servers conflict (compete for resources) with SMTP Server.
Computer Hardware:
- Celeron, Pentium II, III class PC, 300MHz or higher recommended.
- 128 MB of RAM (256MB or more will improve scalability).
- Adequate hard drive space and speed. 100MB of free space minimum.
UltraDMA ATA drives are fine for small organizations (20GB to 80GB are very affordable). Raided Ultra-SCSI drives are more scalable for large organizations.
- SVGA Monitor (800x600 minimum, small fonts).
- Additional PCs on the LAN
(e.g., the database server can be on a separate machine).
(e.g., the administrator can work from a separate PC).
(e.g., hourly, daily, and weekly backups of all your files to another PC).
Network cards:
- Two Ethernet Network Interface Cards (NICs) are desirable in each machine.
Power Supply:
- A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) with at least one hour running time is strongly recommended. If your power fails, your telephone lines will probably not fail, so you can still serve.
- An AC generator (gasoline or propane powered).
Site Monitoring:
- Site Monitor software located off-site, preferably on a different networking company than the two DSL lines (available as a skyBuilders service).
- Pagers, Alphanumeric Messaging, Cell phones with web messaging for site monitor to notify of failures.
Backup computers:
- A backup PC connected on the LAN, with scheduled backups of the database.
- An off-site PC, with Internet-based backup of the database (available as a skyBuilders service).
-
Operating System
- Windows NT Server 4.0 (Windows NT Service Pack 4 or later and Option Pack 4 or later)
- Windows 2000 Server, 2000 Advanced Server
During the Server installation, make sure that you include the SMTP Server, so you can send group email even if you don't have an alternate mail server. The SMTP Server is installed as part of NT Option Pack 4, where it is a subcomponent of IIS - make sure it is checked for installation.
Web Server:
- Microsoft IIS 4 or later with ASP 2.0 or later
Relational Database:
- Microsoft Access
- Filemaker Pro
- Microsoft SQL Server
________________
Download and Install timeLines
ftp download the timeLines.zip file and unzip it inside your web site. You need to be a registered skyBuilder. Log in at www.skybuilders.com/Developers.
You have three possible locations for the web site, each requiring different settings in the Internet Service Manager (MMC).
- In the Inetpub/wwwroot folder itself, it can become the Default Web Site - www.orgName.com.
- In a Directory or Virtual Directory under the Default Web Site - www.orgName.com/directory.
- In a separate Web Site registered with the Internet Service Manager - www.otherName.com (requires HTTP 1.1 enabled on server and browsers).
See below for details on setting up these three possibilities - wwwroot, directories, multiple sites.
If you choose multiple sites, you will be able to demonstrate timeLines to many clients by running multiple sites at one IP address. You can run a small ISP/ASP and offer community computers to local non-profits to get familiar with timeLines.
The set of unzipped files includes:
- a global.asa file at the root level of your site
- an optional starting index.html skyPage and optional starter skyPages in a Pages folder at the outer level
(Many organizations would like to merge timeLines with their existing web site, and may already have an index.html, which is fine.)
- the timeLines directory/folder with 200+ timeLines serverPages, several include files, image files, some DLLs, and an index.html for timeLines.
________________________________
Setting up your web server:
Windows NT 4.0
Web Site Properties settings (Internet Service Manager/MMC).
For Windows NT 4.0
Start > Programs > Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack > Microsoft Internet Information Server > Internet Service Manager.
For Windows 2000 (separate instructions)
Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Internet Services Manager.
The MMC opens. (Illustrations are for Windows NT. Windows 2000 illustrations soon.)
Right click on the wwwroot Default Web Site or your web site directory (if you are running multiple web sites on your server - details on how to do this below).
In the examples we will look at the settings for sandBox.skyBuilders.com, which is one of multiple web sites on dev.skyBuilders.com (machine name skySpec2).
Properties opens on the Web Site tab.
To enable HTTP1.1 multiple sites, you must click on Web Site Identification/Advanced
Under "Multiple Identities for this web site," you must enter the host header name that HTTP1.1 will pass along. If the host header name is not present, you will get a "document not found" error. In our case, we enter sandbox.skybuilders.com. We have two NIC cards in all our machines, so each IP address needs each host header name, (e.g., www.domain.com and domain.com).
In the Properties for your Home Directory, make sure Read and Write Access Permissions are on. Log and Index are also very valuable.
Also under the Home Directory tab, under Application Settings, make sure Script Permission (but not Execute) is enabled at the web root. (You will get an HTTP 500 error if there are no write privileges.)
Also under the Home Directory tab, under Application Settings, click Configuration. You will get the Application Configuration dialog with three tabs.
Under the App Mappings tab, you must Add the extension .html and .xml, and map it to the asp.dll. In our case, we give it the path C:\WINNT\System32\inetsrv\asp.dll. Study the settings for the .asp extension, and make the new settings for the .html extension identical.
Under the App Debugging tab, turn on Client-side script debugging. You chould have the Microsoft Script Debugger installed on your principal testing machine (browser).
Make sure that the Allow Anonymous option is enabled for the virtual root created, for the /scripts directory, and for the web root (e.g, default web site). This option is set as follows (three times).
MMC > [virtual root, /scripts, web root] > Properties > Directory Security Tab >
Under Anonymous Access and Authentication Control, click Edit. Check Anonymous Access checkbox, uncheck Basic Authentication and Windows NT Challenge/Response, as follows:
Control Panel > Regional Settings Date Tab. Set short date preference to M/d/yyyy. This setting is often lost on rebooting Windows NT (it returns to M/d/yy which causes a Y2K problem). Reset short date preference to M/d/yyyy as shown and problems should clear.
Note some familiar files in the timeLines folder.
scrrun.dll is the Windows Scripting Host. It is needed for FSO filesystem accesses. By having it in the timeLines folder we always know the correct path to it.
______________________
Setting up FTP privileges. Careful. Do not normally allow ftp access to the timeLines folder.
In the MMC,
Create a Virtual Directory (not new site) under the default FTP site.
Browse to web site folder, e.g., C:\InetPub\wwwroot\wgbh
Turn off Anonymous Access for the default FTP site.
In Programs > Administrative Tools > User Names and Domains
Add User... username and password
In Exploring,
Right click properties on the folder > Security tab
Remove Everyone, Add username (Change), Add IUSR (Read & Add or Change, otherwise web access fails)
If you forget to add back the IUSR, you will get a 500 error.
______________
To install the Domain Name Service Manager, go to Control Panel > Network > > Services tab > Server > Add
The services list is built.
Choose Microsoft DNS Server (you will need the NT Server CD-ROM)
The DNS Manager will appear under Administrative Tools > DNS Manager
______________
Permissions/Security
Everyone default should be removed at the drive levels. Make sure Administrator has been restored.
IUSR needs R/W/D on the web serving directories, ftp directories, and the mailroot directory.. Also SYSTEM needs usual permissions plus Deletes on the Mailroot folder under INetPub.
______________
Tips
Running multiple virtual skyBuilders hosts on a single Windows NT or Windows 2000 system. Requires HTTP1.1 enabled browsers (4.0 and above)
Using twin DSL lines to increase your effective pipe size and system up time.
skyBuilders timeLines Operating System/Language combinations
Linux/Apache/JSP 4Q 2002
Linux/Apache/Perl 3Q 2002
Linux/Apache/PHP 3Q 2002
Windows/Apache/JSP 4Q 2002
Windows/Apache/PHP 3Q 2002
Windows/Apache/Perl 3Q 2002
Windows/IIS/ASP 1Q 2001
Windows/IIS/JSP 4Q 2002
Windows/IIS/Perl 4Q 2002
Windows/IIS/PHP 3Q 2002
MacOS (OSX) Apache/Perl 4Q 2002
