If the custom VFS is not on an ATG server, you must install the Publishing Web agent on the target server, to enable communication with the asset management server during deployment, (see Installing the Publishing Web Agent).

Note: The Publishing Web agent is configured with an out-of-the-box VFS, the 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. In this case, 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 the local VFS by configuring a LocalVFSService instance and placing the configuration file in your localconfig directory.

Note: You can use the WWWFileSystem.properties file that is installed with the Publishing Web agent as the template for your custom VFS. If you do not require the WWWFileSystem on the given server, you can create a custom VFS simply by renaming the WWWFileSystem.properties file and modifying its localDirectory property.

For example, the following is the configuration file for a local VFS /mycompany/FTPFileSystem that stores files on an FTP server. (This continues the example used in the Configure Support for Other File Assets section of the earlier chapter Setting Up an Asset Management Server. )

$class=atg.service.vfs.LocalVFSService
localDirectory={atg.dynamo.server.home}/MyConfig/ftpFiles

In the localDirectory property, specify the directory to which the files should be deployed from the asset management server. Also make sure the directory does not store files used by other services; it should contain only files deployed from the corresponding custom VFS on the asset management server.