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iPlanet Web Server, Enterprise Edition Administrator's Guide



Appendix E   Server Extensions for Microsoft FrontPage


This appendix describes using server extensions on your iPlanet Web Server that provide support for Microsoft's FrontPage. These extensions provide the internal server-side support you need if you are using FrontPage webs.

This appendix includes the following sections:



Overview

FrontPage server extensions are CGI programs that provide iPlanet Web Server support for FrontPage webs. Client-server communication takes place through standard HTTP POST requests that are forwarded to the appropriate extension's CGI program.  If you use FrontPage webs, the extensions provide support for FrontPage authoring and publishing, access permission, and WebBot functions. For example:

  • When a user moves a page between folders in a FrontPage web, the extensions automatically update all links to that page from every other page in the web.

  • You can specify which users have permission to administer, author or browse a FrontPage web.

  • When FrontPage web users participate in a discussion group, the extensions take advantage of the available WebBots to maintain an index of links to discussion articles, tables of contents, and search forms.

The extensions can minimize file transfers over the Internet. For example, when a user opens a FrontPage web from an iPlanet Web Server with the extensions, web metadata, such as its map of links, is downloaded to the user's machine but the full set of web pages remain on the server. A page is downloaded only when it is opened for editing.

Once you have installed the extensions on your server, FrontPage web publishing, administering, and discussion group functionality is available from any computer that is on the Internet or a local Intranet, although you need the FrontPage client program for authoring and administrative functions.

This section includes the following topics:


Types of FrontPage Webs

There are two kinds of FrontPage webs:

  • Root webs are the top-level content directory of a Web server or, in a multi-hosting environment, of a virtual Web server. There can only be one root web per Web Server or virtual Web server. A single root web can support a number of sub-webs.

  • Sub-webs are complete FrontPage webs that are subdirectories of the root web. Sub-webs can only exist one level below the root web. Each sub-web can have many levels of subdirectories, making up its content.

Even though sub-webs appear below the root web in the Web server's file system and URL space, the root web does not include the content in its sub-webs. This separation of content is done by the FrontPage Server Extensions.

The root web and all sub-webs on a server must have separate copies of the extensions installed or have stub executables of the extensions programs. Having separate copies of the extensions for each FrontPage web lets the server administrator enforce different end-user, author, and administrator permissions on each FrontPage web, since FrontPage uses the server's built-in security mechanism to control access.


Domain Names and FrontPage Webs

FrontPage webs can be implemented on an iPlanet Web Server and accessed by web browsers in the following ways:

  • As private domain names, such as www.mycompany.com. These are usually implemented as virtual servers on the same physical server machine using multi-hosting. Private domain name customers each get their own root web and have the option of creating sub-webs.

  • As a common or shared domain but with private virtual servers, as in www.mycompany.myprovider.com, where myprovider.com is a shared domain and www.mycompany is a private virtual server. Private virtual server customers on a shared domain each get their own root web and have the option of creating sub-webs.

  • As a URL on an Internet service provider's server machine, as in www.myprovider.com/mycompany. URL customers get a single sub-web.


Security Issues

FrontPage implements web security on your web server by changing the access-control lists (ACLs) for all files and directories in each FrontPage web. Installing FrontPage always modifies the ACLs of the Server Extensions stub executables contained in the /_vti_bin directory in each web. A new installation of FrontPage will additionally modify the ACLs of the web content files, but an upgrade of an existing installation of the Server Extensions will not modify the content file ACLs and consequently will leave the security settings at a less secure level than the default FrontPage settings. You can upgrade the ACLs of your web content by using the Check and Fix option of the FrontPage Server Administrator utility.

In addition to modifying the security ACLs of the web content files, FrontPage modifies the ACLs of any system DLLs that are used as a result of a FrontPage DLL call, to ensure that the system DLLs will have the correct level of permissions to run under any administrator, author, or end-user's account. For the complete set of ACLs set on FrontPage files, along with a discussion of security considerations when installing the Server Extensions and the reasons why the ACLs of the system DLLs must be modified, see the additional resources available at Ready-to-Run Software and Microsoft's web sites.



Downloading the Extensions


The first step towards installing the extensions is to download them. You can use Microsoft's FrontPage sites or, if you want to install the Unix /Linux extensions, you can use Ready-to-Run Software's site, which also provides a great deal of information and instruction.

  • FrontPage 97 Server Extensions (version 2.0):

    • [NT] You can download an executable file.

    • [Unix /Linux] You can download from Ready-to-Run Software's web site an install script and a set of server extensions. Download two tar files for your platform (for Solaris, they are vt20.solaris.tar.z and wpp.solaris.tar.z, which is part of the WPP Kit Software).

    • [Unix /Linux] You can download from Microsoft's web site an install script and a set of server extensions. Download two tar files for your platform (for Solaris, they are vt20.solaris.tar.z and wpp.solaris.tar.z, which is part of the WPP Kit Software.)

  • FrontPage 98 Server Extensions (version 3.0):

    • [NT] You can download an executable file.

    • [Unix /Linux] You can download from Ready-to-Run Software's web site an install script and a set of server extensions. Download the fp_install.sh file and the tar file for your platform (for Solaris, it is fp30.solaris.tar.z)

    • [Unix /Linux] You can download from Microsoft's web site an install script and a set of server extensions. Download the fp_install.sh file and the tar file for your platform (for Solaris, it is fp30.solaris.tar.z).

  • FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions (version 4.0):

    • [NT] You can download an executable file, fp2kserk.exe, which gives information on how to set up and use a FrontPage-extended web. You can download a set of server extensions from the Microsoft web site, fpse2k_x86_ENG.exe.

    • [Unix /Linux] You can download an install script and a set of server extensions from the Ready-to-Run Software web site. Download the
      fp_install.sh file and the tar file for your platform (for Solaris, it is fp40.solaris.tar.Z).

    • [Unix /Linux] You can download an install script and a set of server extensions from the Microsoft web site. Download the fp_install.sh file and the tar file for your platform (for Solaris, it is fp40.solaris.tar.Z).

Before you install the FrontPage Server Extensions, you need to be sure you have enough disk space available on your local machine, that you have a document root directory, that you have enabled authentication, and that you are aware of some important post-install issues such as access permissions.

This section includes the following topics:


Space Requirements

On Windows NT systems, you need to have approximately 6MB of disk space available. The downloaded file is 3MB and the installed files total 2.5MB.

On Unix /Linux systems, you should have at least 32MB available on your server. The Unix /Linux FrontPage extensions need 9MB of disk space in the /usr/local/frontpage directory. If you install the extensions onto your web content, you need an extra 5MB per virtual host unless your web content is in the same disk partition as /usr/local/frontpage.


Preliminary Tasks

You need to have a document root directory for your iPlanet Web Server, which is created when you start up your server for the first time. This means you must start up your server at least once before installing the extensions.

When the document root exists, replace $docroot in NameTrans fn=document root root="$docroot" with the absolute path to the document directory in the obj.conf file of the web server configuration directory.


Some Additional Considerations

  • Do not remove any of the internal files needed by FrontPage such as the .nsconfig file. Doing so disables access control for content upload.

  • You cannot set a web to be restricted to valid end-users only. If you set this, you receive a message that says "This server does not support restricting end user access."

  • [Unix /Linux only] When you install the stub extensions, you should set the web owner to be the same as the iPlanet Web Server user. This is so that the FrontPage extensions have write permissions to certain directories, namely the https-instance/config directory and the doc root. The fpsrvadm.exe script, which installs stub extensions to the webs, asks for the web owner.



Installing FrontPage Server Extensions

You can install the FrontPage 97, the FrontPage 98, or FrontPage 2000 extensions on Windows NT or Unix /Linux platforms. This document provides instructions for the following platforms:

  • Windows NT systems

  • Unix /Linux systems - FrontPage97 extensions

  • Unix /Linux systems - FrontPage98 extensions

  • Unix /Linux systems - FrontPage2000 extensions


Installing FrontPage Server Extensions on Windows NT Systems

The installation process for the FrontPage97, FrontPage98, and FrontPage 2000 extensions on a Windows NT system is relatively straightforward. You download and run an executable file, which installs several files and folders on your system. The extensions require a specific directory structure, which is discussed later in this section. After installation, you must perform some additional administrative tasks for setting permissions and accessing specific webs.

These installation instructions are for the standalone FrontPage Server Extensions that are in a self-extracting executable that is downloadable from the Microsoft FrontPage web site.

Note You must log into your NT system as Administrator or have administrator permission to install the FrontPage Server Extensions.


Make sure to install one copy of FrontPage and the Server Extension Resource Kit on the same machine as your web server. To install FrontPage Server Extensions on Windows NT, perform the following steps:

  1. Run the server extensions setup program for your language and processor type.

    For example, for English FrontPage98 extensions, it is the fp98ext_x86_enu.exe file. The server extensions are copied to the folder C:\Program Files\MicrosoftFrontPage\Version 3.0. For English FrontPage2000 extensions, it is the fpse2k_x86_ENG.exe file. The server extensions are copied to the folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\40.

  2. After installing FrontPage 2000 with the Server Extensions Resource Kit, launch the Server Extensions Administrator under Start | Programs | Administrative Tools, right-click on your machine's host name under Console Root | FrontPage Server Extensions, and select New Web. Follow the steps in the wizard to select your server instance and configure it for FrontPage Server Extensions.

  3. Select the virtual servers on which the FrontPage Server Extensions should be installed and click OK.

  4. Enter the name of a new FrontPage administrator account and a password.

You can add other administrator accounts after installing the server extensions using the Permissions command in the FrontPage Explorer.

Installing the server extensions on each FrontPage web may take several minutes and may increase the CPU load on your computer. If this is a new installation of the FrontPage Server Extensions, each page's contents are parsed to expand FrontPage components (such as Include components and Substitution components), create a hyperlink map of the FrontPage web, and extract page titles and base URLs.

The installation also updates the text indices and recalculates the links in the Web, adds a FrontPage administration account, password, and IP address restriction, and reminds the web administrator to restart the server if new ObjectType directives were added to the obj.conf file.

For FrontPage97 extensions, these components are installed in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft FrontPage directory, where C is your default hard drive. The components are as follows:

  • The FrontPage Server Extension .dll and .exe files are copied to the \bin subdirectory and to the default \windows\system directory.

  • The ISAPI (.dll) or CGI (.exe) files used by FrontPage to implement the Server Extensions functionality in the user's webs are copied to the \isapi and \_vti_bin directories, respectively. They are also copied into the document root of each virtual server on which you are installing the FrontPage extensions.

  • The FrontPage Server Administrator (fpsrvwin.exe) and a command line version (fpsrvadm.exe) are copied to the \bin directory. The FrontPage Server Administrator is a tool for installing, updating, verifying, or removing the FrontPage Server Extensions.

For FrontPage98 extensions, these components are installed in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft FrontPage\version 3.0 directory, where C is your default hard drive:

  • The FrontPage Server Extensions .dll and .exe files are copied to the \bin subdirectory and to the default \windows\system directory.

  • The three ISAPI (.dll) or CGI (.exe) files used by FrontPage to implement the Server Extensions functionality in the user's webs are copied to the \isapi and \_vti_bin directories, respectively. They are also copied into the document root of each virtual server on which the FrontPage extensions are installed.

  • The FrontPage Server Administrator (fpsrvwin.exe) and a command line version (fpsrvadm.exe) are copied to the \bin directory. The FrontPage Server Administrator is a tool for installing, updating, verifying, or removing the FrontPage Server Extensions.

  • The Server Extensions Resource Kit.

  • HTML Administration forms, a set of HTML forms for remotely administering the FrontPage Server Extensions via web browsers. Also a command line utility (fpremadm.exe) for remote administration of the FrontPage Server Extensions is installed in the \bin directory.

For FrontPage2000 extensions, these components are installed in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\40 directory, where C is your default hard drive:

  • The FrontPage Server Extensions .dll and .exe files are copied to the \bin subdirectory and to the \WINNT\system32 directory.

  • The three ISAPI (.dll) or CGI (.exe) files used by FrontPage to implement the Server Extensions functionality in the user's webs are copied to the \isapi and \_vti_bin directories, respectively. They are also copied into the document root of each virtual server on which the FrontPage extensions are installed.

  • The FrontPage Server Administrator (fpsrvwin.exe) is not used or installed with FrontPage 2000. You must use the Server Extensions Administrator (under Start | Programs | Administrative Tools) or the command line version (fpsrvadm.exe), which is copied to the \bin subdirectory. The FrontPage Server Administrator is a tool for installing, updating, verifying, or removing the FrontPage Server Extensions.

  • The Server Extensions Resource Kit is copied to the \serk subdirectory.

  • HTML Administration forms, a set of HTML forms for remotely administering the FrontPage Server Extensions via web browsers, are copied to the \admcgi and \admisapi subdirectories. Also a command line utility (fpremadm.exe) for remote administration of the FrontPage Server Extensions is installed in the \bin directory.

Installation also modifies or adds the following files and directories:

  • Modifies the magnus.conf file

  • Modifies the server's configuration file (obj.conf) to add ObjectType directives, marking three of the \_vti_ directories as containing executables.

  • Adds the following seven subdirectories are created under your server's document root:

    \_private
    \_vti_bin (contains shtml.exe)
    \_vti_bin\_vti_adm (contains admin.exe)
    \_vti_bin\_vti_aut (contains author.exe)
    \_vti_cnf
    \_vti_log
    \_vti_pvt
    \_vti_txt
    \images

  • Creates .nsconfig files in the \_vti_bin, \_vti_adm,\_vti_aut directories and the document root directory.

Once you have completed the installation process, you must also perform the following administrative tasks:

  • For FrontPage 97 and 98, execute the fpsrvwin.exe file (located in the \bin directory of your FrontPage directory) to set the server port, test the extensions, install the extensions to other virtual servers, and update extensions.

  • For FrontPage 2000, run the Server Extensions Administrator (under Start | Programs | Administrative Tools) or the command line version (fpsrvadm.exe).

  • Select the server and web you want to work with:

    • A remote machine must have the FrontPage97, FrontPage98, or FrontPage 2000 program installed (Macintosh or Windows only). Once the FrontPage program is started, the user is prompted for the name of a server to edit or open.

    • If the user wants to edit a web on a different machine, click on "MoreWebs", on the line to select a web server or disk location enter the servername:portnumber of the web to edit then click OK.

    • Select the web you wish to edit from the list of webs on the host machine.

  • You need to provision each additional web. You can do this from the client side, with the FrontPage client provided the client has the right authorization (the administrator username and password) for the root web. You can also provision user webs from the server side by using the program fpsrvadm.exe to set the password for an individual web. You need to make sure that the new FrontPage web does not inherit the administrator username and password from the root web.

  • Locate the fpadmin.htm file, typically in the \admin\cgi directory (97 and 98) or \admcgi directory (2000) of your FrontPage program directory. You can use this to configure your FrontPage web.

  • Users can edit the local web that is displayed when FrontPage is started, but they must have a valid user ID and password to modify it.


Installing FrontPage97 Server Extensions on Unix /Linux Systems

The installation process on a Unix /Linux system requires you to have the appropriate file permissions and directories set up beforehand. The extensions require a specific directory structure, which is discussed later in this section. After installation, you must perform some additional administrative tasks for setting permissions and accessing specific webs.

These installation instructions are for the standalone FrontPage Server Extensions that are in a tarred file that is downloadable from the Microsoft FrontPage web site or the Ready-To-Run Software website.

Note You must be logged in as the root user to perform the installation. Also, the root user must have write permission for the /usr/local directory, even if this is not the directory where you will install the extensions. If you install the extensions in a different directory, a soft link is added automatically to /usr/local.


To install the extensions, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in as the root user so you can install the FrontPage Server Extensions from the tar file:

    cd /usr/local

  2. Untar the downloaded file.

    This creates a /usr/local/FrontPage/version2.0 directory and installs several other new directories under the document root directory. For example, for the FrontPage 97 extensions on a Solaris platform, you untar the vt20.solaris.tar.z file:

    tar xvf /usr/tmp/vt20.solaris.tar

  3. Change directories to /usr/local/frontpage/version2.0.

    cd frontpage/version2.0

  4. Create a directory named /extensions and move the _vti_bin directory into it.

    mv _vti_bin extensions

  5. Install the WPP kit to /usr/local/frontpage/version2.0.

    For Solaris, use this code:

    tar xvf /usr/tmp/wpp.solaris.tar

  6. Rename the directory /executables (/usr/local/frontpage/version2.0/executables) to /_vti_bin:

    mv executables _vti_bin

  7. Move the file fpsrvadm.suid.exe to the /bin directory:

    mv fpsrvadm.suid.exe bin

  8. Run the fp_install.sh shell program and follow the on-screen instructions, which ask for the information described in the following table.

    When you are prompted for the name of the server configuration file, enter the pathname of your server's magnus.conf file.


    Table E-1    Installation parameter information

    -fpdir <dir>  

    default  

    FrontPage Directory  

    -httpdconfdir <dir>  

    default  

    Directory where server's configuration file is located  

    -web <webname>  

    required  

    Web where the Server Extensions are being installed (/ for root web)  

    -user <webowner>  

    required  

    User ID of the web owner  

    -group <webgroup>  

    optional  

    GroupID of the web owner  

    -host <host>  

     

    Name of virtual host where the Server Extensions are being installed. The host specified should be the same as that specified by the Virtual Host directive in the server's httpd.conf file.  

    -admuser <fpadmin>  

    required  

    FrontPage Administrator user name  

    -admpass <fppass>  

    required  

    FrontPage Administrator password  

    -admaddr <ipaddr>  

    optional  

    IP address restriction of FrontPage Administrator. If not IP address mask is specified, the FrontPage Administrator will have access from all IP addresses.  

Installing the Server Extensions on each FrontPage web may take several minutes and may increase the CPU load on your computer. If this is a new installation of the FrontPage Server Extensions, each page's contents are parsed to expand FrontPage components, such as Include components and Substitution components, create a hyperlink map of the FrontPage web, and extract page titles and base URLs.

The installation process also updates the text indices and recalculates the links in the Web, adds a FrontPage administration account, password, and IP address restriction, and reminds the web administrator to restart the server if new ObjectType directives were added to the obj.conf file.

During installation, the install shell modifies or adds the following files and directories:

  • Modifies magnus.conf

  • Creates a configuration file named /usr/local/frontpage/hostname:port.cnf

  • Modifies the server's configuration file (obj.conf) to add ObjectType directives, marking three of the /_vti_ directories as containing executables.

  • Adds seven subdirectories under the server's document root:

    /_vti_bin (contains shtml.exe)
    /_vti_bin/_vti_adm (contains admin.exe)
    /_vti_bin/_vti_aut (contains author.exe)
    /_vti_cnf
    /_vti_pvt
    /_private
    /_vti_log
    /_vti_txt
    /images

  • Creates .nsconfig files in the /_vti_bin, /_vti_adm, /_vti_aut and the document root directories.

Once you have completed the installation process, you must perform the following administrative tasks:

  1. Execute the fpsrvwin.exe file to set the server port, test the extensions, install the extensions to other virtual servers, and update extensions.

  2. A remote machine must have the FrontPage 97, 98, or 2000 program installed (Macintosh or Windows only).

    Once the FrontPage program is started, the user is prompted for the name of a server to edit or open.

  3. If the user wants to edit a web on a different machine, click on "MoreWebs" on the line to select a web server or disk location enter in the servername:portnumber of the web to edit. Choose OK.

  4. Select the proper web from the list of webs on the host machine to edit.


Installing FrontPage98 Server Extensions on Unix /Linux Systems

These installation instructions are for the stand-alone FrontPage Server Extensions that are in a tarred file that is downloadable from the Microsoft FrontPage web site or the Ready-To-Run Software website.

After installation, you must perform some additional administrative tasks for setting permissions and accessing specific webs.

Note You must be logged in as the root user to perform the installation. Also, the root user must have write permission for the /usr/local directory, even if this is not the directory where you will install the extensions. If you install the extensions in a different directory, a soft link is added automatically to /usr/local.


To install the extensions, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in as the root user so you can install the FrontPage Server Extensions from the tar file.

  2. Enter cd /usr/local, or cd to the directory where the two downloaded files (fp30.solaris.tar.Z and fp_install.sh) are located.

  3. Run the fp_install.sh shell program and follow the on-screen instructions, which ask for parameter information.

    When you are prompted for the name of the server configuration file, enter the pathname of your server's magnus.conf file.

Installing the Server Extensions on each FrontPage web may take several minutes and may increase the CPU load on your computer. If this is a new installation of the FrontPage Server Extensions, each page's contents are parsed to expand FrontPage components, such as Include components and Substitution components, create a hyperlink map of the FrontPage web, and extract page titles and base URLs.

The installation process also updates the text indices and recalculate the links in the Web, adds a FrontPage administration account, password, and IP address restriction, and reminds the web administrator to restart the server if new ObjectType directives were added to the obj.conf file.

During installation, the install shell modifies or adds the following files and directories:

  • Modifies magnus.conf

  • Creates a configuration file named /usr/local/frontpage/hostname:port.cnf

  • Modifies the server's configuration file (obj.conf)to add ObjectType directives, marking three of the /_vti_ directories as containing executables.

  • Adds seven subdirectories under the server's document root:

    /_vti_bin (contains shtml.exe)
    /_vti_bin/_vti_adm (contains admin.exe)
    /_vti_bin/_vti_aut (contains author.exe)
    /_vti_cnf
    /_vti_pvt
    /_private
    /_vti_log
    /_vti_txt
    /images

Creates .nsconfig files in the /_vti_bin, /_vti_adm, /_vti_aut and the document root directories.


Installing FrontPage2000 Server Extensions on Unix /Linux Systems

These installation instructions are for the stand-alone FrontPage Server Extensions that are in a tarred file that is downloadable from the Microsoft FrontPage web site or the Ready-To-Run Software website.

After installation, you must perform some additional administrative tasks for setting permissions and accessing specific webs.

Note You must be logged in as the root user to perform the installation. Also, the root user must have write permission for the /usr/local directory, even if this is not the directory where you will install the extensions. If you install the extensions in a different directory, a soft link is added automatically to /usr/local.


To install the extensions, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in as the root user so you can install the FrontPage Server Extensions from the tar file.

  2. Enter cd /usr/local, or cd to the directory where the two downloaded files (fp40.solaris.tar.Z and fp_install.sh) are located.

  3. Run the fp_install.sh shell program and follow the on-screen instructions, which ask for parameter information.

  4. Enter the pathname of your server's magnus.conf file when you are prompted for the name of the server configuration file.

Installing the Server Extensions on each FrontPage web may take several minutes and may increase the CPU load on your computer. If this is a new installation of the FrontPage Server Extensions, each page's contents are parsed to expand FrontPage components, such as Include components and Substitution components, create a hyperlink map of the FrontPage web, and extract page titles and base URLs.

The installation process also updates the text indices and recalculate the links in the Web, adds a FrontPage administration account, password, and IP address restriction, and reminds the web administrator to restart the server if new ObjectType directives were added to the obj.conf file.

During installation, the install shell modifies or adds the following files and directories:

  • Modifies magnus.conf

  • Creates a configuration file named /usr/local/frontpage/hostname:port.cnf

  • Modifies the server's configuration file (obj.conf)to add ObjectType directives, marking three of the /_vti_ directories as containing executables.

  • Adds seven subdirectories under the server's document root:

    /_vti_bin (contains shtml.exe)
    /_vti_bin/_vti_adm (contains admin.exe)
    /_vti_bin/_vti_aut (contains author.exe)
    /_vti_cnf
    /_vti_pvt
    /_private
    /_vti_log
    /_vti_txt
    /images

Creates .nsconfig files in the /_vti_bin, /_vti_adm, /_vti_aut and the document root directories.



Further Information


Additional detailed information can be obtained from Microsoft's FrontPage web site:

http://www.microsoft.com

For Unix/ Linux only, information can also be obtained from the Ready-to-Run Software web site:

http://www.rtr.com


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Last Updated May 10, 2001