To create and configure a custom VFS for switch deployments, perform these steps on the target server:

Install the Publishing Web agent on the target server

If the custom VFS is not located on an ATG server, you must install the Publishing Web agent on the target server in order to enable deployment from the asset management server. For more information, see Installing the Publishing Web Agent.

Note: The Publishing Web agent is configured with the VFS WWWFileSystem, as a convenience for users whose sites require that static content be deployed directly to the Web server, where it is served quickly. However, you can install the Publishing Web agent on any non-ATG server where you want to deploy files, whether or not that server is a Web server. If you do not require the WWWFileSystem on the server, either remove its configuration file or exclude it from your deployment topology (see Plan Deployment Agent Responsibilities).

Create and configure the switchable VFS

Configure a SwitchableLocalFileSystem instance and place the configuration file in each server’s localconfig directory:

../localconfig/atg/epub/file/

You can use the WWWFileSystem.properties file that is installed with the Publishing Web agent as the template for your custom VFS. If your site does not use WWWFileSystem, you can create the custom VFS by renaming the WWWFileSystem.properties file and modifying its class and properties.

For example, the following properties file configures a switchable VFS /mycompany/FTPFileSystem that stores files on an FTP server. (This example continues the example used in Configure Support for Other File Assets.)

$class=atg.vfs.switchable.SwitchableLocalFileSystem

liveDirectory={atg.dynamo.server.home}/MyConfig/ftpFiles/live
stagingDirectory={atg.dynamo.server.home}/MyConfig/ftpFiles/staging
dataDirectory={atg.dynamo.server.home}/MyConfig/ftpFiles/data

name1=firstDataStore
name2=secondDataStore

For detailed information on SwitchableLocalFileSystem properties, see Appendix B, Virtual File Systems.

Configure the DeploymentAgent with the custom VFS

Add the custom VFS to the DeploymentAgent’s list of switchable data stores by setting the agent’s switchableDataStores property in:

../localconfig/atg/epub/DeploymentAgent.properties

Be sure to specify ConfigFileSystem by its fully qualified Nucleus path.