Pros & Cons for using a Personal Web Server

[news.frontiernet.net]

I am looking for pros and cons to setting up a Personal Web Server.

Is there a web site that discusses this in ordinary garden variety english?

If one wants to publish to web host firms that may be Unix or linux or
Microsoft IIsor something else how does this get dealt with if one chooses
the Microsoft Personal Web Server?

How technical is it? I am a "white-knuckles" person with regard to technical
issues. Anything with techy details freaks me out.

How does it change the FrontPage design/authoring/testing/publishing to the
target web host server?

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

The PWS has nothing to do with the host server. It has to do with your
local PC. It allows you to install FP server extensions if you so choose,
and preview your local web in a browser before publishing.


--
-----
Tom Pepper Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
----
| I am looking for pros and cons to setting up a Personal Web Server.
|
| Is there a web site that discusses this in ordinary garden variety
english?
|
| If one wants to publish to web host firms that may be Unix or linux or
| Microsoft IIsor something else how does this get dealt with if one chooses
| the Microsoft Personal Web Server?
|
| How technical is it? I am a "white-knuckles" person with regard to
technical
| issues. Anything with techy details freaks me out.
|
| How does it change the FrontPage design/authoring/testing/publishing to
the
| target web host server?
|
|

 

[Joseph]

Go to this site. This is FP 2002 On XP Pro see for your
self. HTTPS://LodeStarPublications.net This is not your
average machine please keep inmind but the Software is.

-----Original Message-----
I am looking for pros and cons to setting up a Personal Web Server.

Is there a web site that discusses this in ordinary garden variety english?

If one wants to publish to web host firms that may be Unix or linux or
Microsoft IIsor something else how does this get dealt with if one chooses
the Microsoft Personal Web Server?

How technical is it? I am a "white-knuckles" person with regard to technical
issues. Anything with techy details freaks me out.

How does it change the FrontPage

design/authoring/testing/publishing to the

 

[news.frontiernet.net]

What has that web site got to do with the pros or cons of using a personal
web server to test and develop web sites befroe publishing them to a server?

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

You either want to test/view your web site and components that require FP
server extensions and a web server, asp, etc. before publishing, or you
don't.
--
------------------------------
Tom Pepper Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
------------------------------

| True, but missing the point.
|
| What are the pros and cons of utilizing a PWS for development, testing
| before publishing to a server?
|
| Certainly there must be pros and cons.
|
| That was what I was asking about. Where is there an intelligent, concise,
| garden variety english discussion of the pros and cons of using a PWS?
|
|
| | > The PWS has nothing to do with the host server. It has to do with your
| > local PC. It allows you to install FP server extensions if you so
choose,
| > and preview your local web in a browser before publishing.
| >
| >
| > --
| > -----
| > Tom Pepper Willett
| > Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
| > ----
| > | > | I am looking for pros and cons to setting up a Personal Web Server.
| > |
| > | Is there a web site that discusses this in ordinary garden variety
| > english?
| > |
| > | If one wants to publish to web host firms that may be Unix or linux or
| > | Microsoft IIsor something else how does this get dealt with if one
| chooses
| > | the Microsoft Personal Web Server?
| > |
| > | How technical is it? I am a "white-knuckles" person with regard to
| > technical
| > | issues. Anything with techy details freaks me out.
| > |
| > | How does it change the FrontPage design/authoring/testing/publishing
to
| > the
| > | target web host server?
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

The biggest con, is that you need to be more concerned about security when
running any web server locally, and especially under Windows 98/SE where you
don't really have any built-in security.

The pros are that have a web server installed locally allow you see how 1)
FP features will work once published to a remote host, with the exception of
having FP email from forms, as that required you to have a SMTP server
installed. 2) Ability to test and run server-side scripts, such as ASP, PHP
or Perl without have to publish in most cases.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Very Joyful \(Victoria\)]

I think maybe the site is "hosted" on a pws?

What has that web site got to do with the pros or cons of using a personal
web server to test and develop web sites befroe publishing them to a server?

 

[news.frontiernet.net]

I presently use my local hard disk for development. I can focus upon my
projects and not be concerned with technical details about server issues.

My simple projects are in the standard Win 98 "c:/My Documents/My Webs"
folder as FrontPage webs.

In certain cases where I need to be able to use root absolutes "/" in the
navigations system, I move the web to a device letter so that , for example,
"/Shopping/shop.htm" will find "G:/Shopping/shop.htm" no matter what
subdirectory is the curent hard disk directory when the link is clicked
upon. When I am sure the process works, I publish it from my local hard disk
to the server.

It is being suggested here that I use PWS for this as a better method. Why
is PWS a better method? It sounds alot more complicated. It sounds like
server issues will take the focus off design and testing.

If one has a PWS installed so that each web is a self-contained entity where
its navigations system is based upon the root as in "/Shopping/shop.htm"
will this navigation work from any directory or subweb on PWS OR not? This
is why I presently use a device letter like "G:/" to store my projects on my
local hard disk for each of my major webs. It allows my to locally test and
debug my web-wide JS scripts based upon the root absolute "/" on my local
hard disk before publishing them.

I have many major webs. Some have subwebs some dont. Do I need a separate
copy of PWS for each and every major web to do this navigations system based
upon root absolute?

If I would have a professional install and maintain a PWS for me what would
a rough, ballpark estimate of what it would cost to install and anual
maintain? $100/$100 or $1,00/$1,000 or what?

If I publish to servers of different types as in Unix or IIs or Linux . .
does it make sense to install PWS or would it be better to have a
professsional install Unix or IIs or Linux?

 

[Ronx]

You can only have one web when using PWS, but as many subwebs as needed.
The navigation will work exactly as in your present setup, though in your
situation I would look at a server OS - this allows unlimited, independent
web sites. I am currently using MS Server 2003 (until the license runs out
in December) - easy to install, not too difficult to configure. Takes five
minutes to set up a new Web Site. As mentioned below, I would not let my
configuration loose on the internet, it is far too insecure for that, but
easy to use internally.
Using the PWS:
The only difference is that you publish to http://localhost/ instead of to
G:/ , and you can test any server-side scripting as well. You also open the
webs as http://localhost/ I have never noticed any server issues getting
in the way of development.
My own webs are hosted on Unix. Apart from case sensitivity issues (which
exist in disc based webs as well) I have no problems designing and testing
on PWS/IIS servers, and publishing to the Unix host.

My own experiences with PWS (Win98 version) over 3 years, IIS5.1 (WinXP Pro)
over 20 months:
PWS - installation = 5 minutes
PWS - maintenance and issues = Nil

IIS - installation = 5 minutes
IIS - setup = 5 minutes
IIS - install and configure 2002 extensions = 5 minutes
IIS - maintenance and issues = Nil
How much does a professional charge for 10 minutes work?

These servers are used for my own LAN - definitely not for serving to the
internet.
As Thomas says, you *must* take security measures, have (as a minimum) a
decent firewall - examples:
Zone Alarm - free and easy to use
Kerio - free, more configurable than Zone Alarm, harder to set up.

HTH
Ron