Getting Started

It is best to have a full TCP/IP connection (through Open Transport) such as a T1, fractional T1, ISDN or 56k line. A 28.8bps modem connected via PPP or SLIP will work as well, although it is definitely not recommended for any web server to be used this way.

Installation

On CD-ROM:

If your servers came on a CD-ROM, simply copy the Pictorius Net Servers folder to the machine on which you intend to set up your web site. The folder will contain both 68k and PowerMac versions of the servers and configuration app.

If you will not be using one of these, feel free to remove it from your hard drive to conserve disk space.

This folder also contains default index and error files for use with the web server.

From an FTP site:

If you've downloaded your servers, extract the archive onto the hard drive of the machine on which you intend to set up your web site. The folder will contain either 68k or PowerMac versions of the servers and configuration app (depending on which you chose when downloading).

Each of these folders also contains default index and error files for use with the web server. Please read the "License.txt" file before using Pictorius Net Servers.

Your Net Servers are now ready to run!

Technical Support

First, visit our Web Site at http://www.pictorius.com/. There may be bug fixes, tech notes, or new releases of your servers waiting for you.

Also, you may email ns_support@pictorius.com with any questions, comments, or problems. We'll be accepting questions on the Net Servers through that email address only.

If you contact Technical Support please keep in mind the following:

• We'll need the version number of your servers
• We'll need complete specs on your hardware and system software
• We'll need the exact text of any errors messages displayed
• Pictorius Net Servers is free software, so while we'll do what we can to help, no guarantees are made with regard to response time or problem resolution

Quick Tour

Pictorius Net Servers are compiled into one application for increased performance and a low system footprint. This means you don't have to piece together multiple third party products in order to get the functionality you need.

This initial version of the Pictorius Net Servers contains an HTTP, or Web server that supports Open Transport. It is a fully compiled, high performance, commercial grade server. It fully supports CGIs and ACGIs and is a replacement for the WebSTAR Web server. If you are currently using WebSTAR compatible CGIs, you can continue using them with Pictorius Net Servers.

The Net Servers contain layers of object-oriented code for functions that are consistent across the servers, like security, preferences, logging, threading and configuring -- this means no overhead drag and reduced administration. We're also adding database connectivity so you can link your ODBC compliant database to your web site.

Built-in Agents

The Pictorius Net Servers go beyond other Web servers. We've created an "Agent" technology which replaces CGIs and brings that functionality right into the server application. Agents are compiled into the Web server and share resources for faster performance and easy administration. We've included several Agents with the Web server which can be used to replace many popular CGIs. Feel free to try all of them and see the performance difference for yourself.

The Agents supplied with this release of Pictorius Net Servers are:

• Countdown Agent
• Date Agent
• Environment Agent
• HTML Agent
• HTML File Agent
• HTTP Form to File Agent
• HTTP Image Counter Agent
• HTTP Imagemap Agent
• HTTP Page Alias Agent
• HTTP Redirect Agent
• Random HTML Agent
• Text Counter Agent
• Time Agent
• Time of Day Agent

For more information on these Agents, please see the Agents section of this documentation.

Here are just a couple of the Agents we're adding in the near future:

• HTTP Form to EMail Agent
• HTTP Server Push Agent

If you have decided to replace your existing Web server, simply install the Pictorius Net Servers, link in your CGIs or replace them with Agents of equivalent functionality, transfer your HTML files and go.

Quick Configuration

Note: In this release only the Web Server is discussed.

Web Server Quick Configuration and Start-up

Through this set of instructions we will open various configuration windows. Although you may not be instructed to make changes to the default settings you will at least become more familiar with the choices available and the accessibility of the windows.

1) Double-click on the Pictorius Net Servers application icon.

The following screen will appear:

It is possible at this point to simply start up your browser and open the location of your Web site. However, the web page displayed at that point would simply be a default empty page as supplied with the Net Servers. Instead you could proceed to open the Net Servers Configuration application and add specific agents, security, etc. For this quick configuration we'll present a concise method of doing this.

2) Double-click on the Pictorius Net Configuration icon.

The menu at the top of your screen indicates two options; File and Configure.

3) From the Configure menu, select Web.

The following window is displayed with a popup menu indicating Domains as the first choice to configure:

4) Click the Add button and type in your Domain Name (ex. www.pictorius.com).

Supplied with the Net Servers are two HTML files which can be used as templates to help you get started. They are index.html and error.html. These files are shown in the fields Default Page and Error Page and will be used for this quick configuration.

5) Next, select General from the popup menu:

These default settings are correct for this quick configuration. (A more detailed explanation of each field is discussed in the Web Server section of this document.)

6) Next, select File Types from the popup menu:

Scroll through this list to become familiar with the types available. (For more information refer to the Web Server section of this document.)

7) The last popup option to select is CGI Handling:

For our purposes we will not require any of these settings to be enabled.
(For more information on this window refer to the Web Server section of this document.)

8) Click OK to exit the Web Configuration window and return to the main menu.

9) Select Agents from the Configuration menu.

This window will display all installed agents. For this quick configuration we'll show you how to add a couple of simple but effective agents.

10) Click the Add button and from the list of agents select Date Agent:

11) Name this agent longdate, allow the remaining settings to remain unchanged, and click OK:

12) Click the Add button again and this time select Time Agent from the list.

13) Name this agent longtime, allow the remaining settings to remain unchanged, and click OK:

14) The Agent Configuration window should now look like the following:

When configuration is complete and the information saved by either quitting the application or by updating the server, a preferences file is created. This file, as with other preferences files, is stored in the Preferences subfolder, located in the System Folder. This file's main purpose is to "communicate" between the Net Servers Configuration application and the Net Servers application. Therefore, all changes must be updated to this preferences file. At this time no preference file has been created. This can be done by either selecting Quit or Update Server from the File menu (for more information on the importance of the Pictorius Net Servers Preferences file, please see the General Configuration section of this documentation).

15) Click Update Server from the File menu.

16) Open your index.html file (located in the same folder as the config and server applications) into a text editor.

17) Ensure this file resembles the following and close the file.

18) Open the URL of the index file and you will be presented with a Web page which is similar to the following:

In this quick configuration we touched only on a couple of agents. In the next section you will be learning more detailed information about each agent supplied with Pictorius Net Servers.