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by: Michael Meulemans
ABSTRACT: This piece explains the procedure for configuring a Windows NT Server or NT Workstation computer as an internal, corporate World Wide Web (WWW) server. Topics addressed include: Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) server configuration, Wide Area Information Services (WAIS) server configuration, Mosaic installation, Transport Control Protocol/Interface Program (TCP/IP) implementation, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) authoring, and domain name/IP address resolution. An annotated bibliography lists TechNet CD sources of tools, documentation, and additional information.
Introduction
Since late in 1994, TechNet has been providing Information Superhighway commuters with up-to-date, technical information via the World Wide Web (WWW): the hyperlinked treasure trove of multimedia goodies almost everyone who surfs the Internet is learning to understand and use. This month we want to consolidate a number of TechNet and Internet resources to give you a better idea of how to use Microsoft Windows NT™ and the Web to better support individuals within your company.
As you probably already know, the Web has greatly facilitated world-wide information dissemination by uniting existing protocols and formats into an easy-to-use interface. With Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) users can download documentation, software, video, most anything, from anywhere in the world. But corporate support professionals can also use the Web as an internal support medium. With an intuitive, graphical interface such as Mosaic, procedure manuals, corporate style guides, human resources job listings, and employee identification video/audio databases can be made readily available to everyone in your company. This approach has several benefits, not the least of which is that a Web server eliminates the need to remember path names, document titles, or fileserver locations: resource locations are tracked by the Web server administrator invisibly to users. Surprisingly, it is not that difficult to configure and implement a Web server. With TCP/IP configured on the Web server and all of its clients, and HTTP (the protocol upon which the Web is based) setup on the server, you can have a multitude of clients accessing an abundance of information in no time, cheaply and easily. Add a WAIS server, and you have a fully searchable support index ideal for large databases of textually rich documents.
To use this article, you should have a basic understanding of Windows NT 3.5, the Internetand the Web. This is not intended to be an Internet dictionary or handbook; technical terms are not explained in-depth. The TechNet CD's Glossary of Acronyms and Terms Online Resource (GATOR) can help you find explanations and meanings. Instead, I hope to give you an understanding of the tools you need to get an internal Web server, using Windows NT 3.5, up and running. Full Internet access outside your corporate network, with a computer configured for Web use, introduces the complexities of firewalls and security, both of which will be addressed in a future TechNet piece. For now, let's concern ourselves with getting your computer configured to be a fully functional Web server. After all, you can't start surfing if you don't have a well-waxed board.
A Common Starting Point
Before introducing the tools you need to configure your computer, we need to establish a common starting point so that we can deal with the array of platforms, possible configurations, and software. The scenario I will discuss assumes the following resources, usage guidelines, and hardware/software configurations:
· The Web server is configured on either a Windows NT 3.5 server or workstation. Although either will function successfully, you should use the server if more than ten clients are connected at any given time. This only applies to connections made via the server service; it has no effect on the number of Web clients. See the article titled, "A Technical Comparison of Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation 3.5," in the MS BackOffice and Enterprise Systems, MS BackOffice, MS Windows NT Server, Product Facts bin on TechNet for further information regarding the differences between the server and workstation versions.
· The TCP/IP protocol is configured on the server and all of its clients. TCP/IP protocol setup and configuration is thoroughly discussed in Chapter 11 of the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit.
· The Windows NT computer is a 486-class or Pentium-based PC with at least 16 Mb of memory or uses either MIPS or Digital Alpha processors.
· The server and clients have had no previous versions of HTTP or WAIS installed.
· The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) Mosaic Web browser, or an equivalent browser, has been downloaded from NCSA's FTP site and properly installed and configured on the Web server and all of the Web clients.
Now let's discuss the essential elements.
Surfboard Basics: The Building Blocks
Like designing a customized surfboard, successfully implementing a Web server on a corporate LAN requiresthe correct materials, careful preparation, and attention to detail. To use Web technologies on your corporate LAN you have to perform these high-level tasks:
· Install and configure the HTTP server software.
· Install and configure the WAIS server software.
· Install and configure a Web browser. This article uses
NCSA's Mosaic software.
· Install and use Microsoft's Internet Assistant (for creating
a homepage and documents).
Fortunately, you can acquire the necessary software painlessly right here on the TechNet CD. The HTTP server software and WAIS server software are available in the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit. Microsoft's Internet Assistant debuted last month as the PSS (Product Support Services) Tool of the Month; see the article titled, "PSS Tool of the Month - June 1995 - MS Internet Assistant." You'll find the latest version of the Mosaic Web browser at NCSA's FTP site: <ftp://ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Web/Mosaic/Windows/wmos20a7.zip>
HTTP Server
The first step to establishing an internal Web server is to install and configure the HTTP server software. The HTTP protocol is extremely fast, supports the client/server model upon which the Web is based, and controls operations ranging from simple get commands to complex authentication mechanisms. HTTP is conceptually similar to protocols like Gopher and FTP in that it acts as a communications link; however, Gopher and FTP protocols connect Gopher and FTP servers to Web browsers and other client software, while only HTTP connects a Web server to Web browsers. Lightweight and providing capabilities not found in earlier protocols, HTTP is currently designed to run on top of the Transport Control Protocol (TCP).
HTTP works with Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addressing. Consider the following URL address:
http://www.microsoft.com/pages/bussys/internet/general/ing24000.htm
This address specifies a hypertext (HTML tagged) document named ING24000.HTM in a directory called /pages/bussys/internet/general on the server called www.microsoft.com, which uses the HTTP protocol. Every file found on the Internet has a unique address, allowing any user to access it by typing its exact location and using the appropriate protocol.
Developed at the European Microsoft Windows NT Academic Center (EMWAC) at Edinburgh University, the HTTP software (version 0.94) is called https, as it was specifically designed for Windows NT. (Note: the latest version is available from emwac.ed.ac.uk via anonymous FTP) The HTTP software you will be installingis developed for Intel, MIPS, or Digital Alpha processors on the Windows NT platform. The server implements the HTTP/1.0 protocol and runs it as a Windows NT service, as it does FTP, WAIS, and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). There are three steps to successful HTTP server use:
· Installation
· Configuration
· Operation
HTTP Server Installation
1. Log into your Windows NT system as a user with administrative privileges.
2. Set up the TechNet CD, find the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit Utilities book, and open the document titled, "Resource Kit Utilities for Alpha, MIPS and i386 Computers."
3. Select the appropriate version of the HTTP software for your configuration: Intel, MIPS, or DEC Alpha architectures. Clicking the Setup button creates a subdirectory on your hard drive called reskit35\emwac and copies the HTTP software and documentation to it. Double-check your processor type so that you have located the correct software version to your hard drive.
4. Move HTTPS.EXE to the winnt35\system32 subdirectory. Other Windows NT services are located here.
5. Move HTTPS.CPL and HTTPS.HLP to the winnt35\system32 subdirectory. Start Control Panel from Program Manager and verify that the HTTP server applet is represented as an icon there.
6. From the MS-DOS command prompt, check the IP address of your machine using the command:
https -ipaddress
This displays the name of your machine and its IP address(es) as reported by the Windows Sockets API. If this information is not correct, you need to reconfigure TCP/IP on your machine: the HTTP server will not function correctly if this address (or list of addresses if your machine has more than one network interface) and its corresponding computer name do not match the address and name specified in your company's DNS database, WINS database, or your hosts/lmhosts file.
7. Using the -install flag, install https into the table of Windows NT services. From the Windows NT command line type:
https -install
The command registers the program with the Service Manager and the Event Logger. When installation is complete, you receive the following message:
https installed successfully
If installation fails, refer to the HTTP Server Manual Version 0.94 that can be downloaded by clicking the manual installation button located at the end of this article.
8. Verify successful HTTP server installation by opening the Windows NT Control Panel and double-clicking the Services icon. You should see HTTP server listed in the dialog box as one of the many installed Windows NT services.
HTTP Server Configuration
Now that the HTTP server is installed, it must be correctly configured using the HTTP server applet. Here is the procedure:
1. In File Manager, create a directory that will act as a repository for the files you wish to make available. Create a directory (called web_serv) and subdirectory (called files) at the root of your hard drive. Create another subdirectory in the web_serv directory called log to act as a repository for all of the log files created when users access your server.
2. Double-click the HTTP server icon in Control Panel to display the HTTP Server dialog box (Figure 1).
Figure 1 HTTP Server dialog box
3. In the Data Directory text box, type the root of the directory tree containing the files you wish to make available on your internal Web server.
4. In the TCP/IP text box, identify the TCP/IP port on which the HTTP server listens for incoming HTTP connections. The value must be a positive integer representing a legal, unused port. I left the value at the default, 80, for my configuration. If you change this value the URLs used to access your site will have to include additional parameters and values to reflect the new port value.
5. Enable the Log HTTP transactions check box if you want the HTTP server to record each HTTP request it receives in a log file.
6. In the Log file directory text box, identify the location of the subdirectory that will hold the generated log files, in this case:
c:\web_serv\log
7. Select the Permit directory browsing check box if you wish to permit the HTTP Data Directory tree to be browsed by HTTP clients. I suggest you initially leave this box cleared. More detailed information on this function can be obtained from EMWAC's HTTP Server Manual, Version 0.94.
8. Click the OK button when you are finished making changes to the HTTP server's configuration. The configuration changes you made will take effect the next time HTTP server is started. If HTTP server is currently running, a dialog box reminding you to stop and restart the server appears.
This setup assumes that the information you want available to your internal Web clients is physically located on your Windows NT machine. However, in some situations you may wish to locate the repository and accompanying documents on a fileserver. To do this, specify the HTTP data directory in the HTTP Server dialog box using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) form of the directory name. For example, if the files are on a server called wordsupport and the sharename is articles enter this in the Data directory text box:
\\wordsupport\articles
See the HTTP Server Manual, Version 0.94 for more information. Now, let's make the HTTP server operational.
HTTP Server Operation
1. In Program Manager, double-click the Services icon located in Control Panel.
2. From the list of available services, locate the HTTP server service. Select it and choose Start. A message box with a rotating timer appears as the HTTP server starts. When the message box disappears the status of the HTTP server service changes to Started.
3. Select the Startup button.
4. In the Service dialog box choose the Automatic radio button so that the HTTP server automatically starts each time your Windows NT machine is started.
5. Select the OK button and close the Services dialog box.
Now that you have HTTP server installed, configured, and operational, the next step is to install the WAIS server and the WAIS Toolkit.
WAIS Server
Use the WAIS server (and the WAIS Toolkit, discussed in the next section) to enable internal Web clients to search the documents that make up your Web site. Like HTTP server, WAIS server operates as a service in Windows NT and follows a similar installation procedure. WAIS server installation is only necessary if you are going to be using WAIS clients. If you use Mosaic clients exclusively, you only need to install https, waislook.exe, and waisindex.exe (waislook.exe and waisindex.exe are tools in the WAIS Toolkit and will be discussed later); the Web server sees a special tag in an indexing document you create and executes waislook directly. This article's scenario assumes that WAIS as well as Mosaic clients will be accessing our server.
WAIS was developed in response to Internet surfers' never-ending need to sort through the huge amount of information available through the Internet. Developed by a consortium of four companies (Thinking Machines Corp., Apple Computer, Dow Jones, and KPMG Peat Marwick) as an intuitive, easy-to-use searching mechanism, WAIS was originally intended to be used only with an Apple Macintosh graphical client. Today, instead of using WAIS clients, most surfers access WAIS servers using either Gopher or WWW clients.
When you construct a WAIS index you create a database of searchable terms and phrases based on the documents you index. By submitting a query of terms and/or phrases to the WAIS server, a WAIS user can attain a list of the indexed documents that contain those words. If the user selects one of the documents from the list, it is displayed on the WWW or Gopher client. The Search Index field in Figure 2 illustrates a sample WAIS query.
Figure 2 A 'Windows 95' WAIS query from the TechNet home page
To properly configure WAIS you must install the WAIS server and the WAIS Toolkit. The WAIS server implements a subset of the Z39.50-88 protocol, with WAIS-specific extensions, and runs as a Windows NT service, while the WAIS Toolkit provides a set of tools for preparing and searching full-text WAIS databases:
· waisindex-an indexing utility.
· waislook-a searching utility.
· waisserv-a Z39.50 protocol handler and search engine.
The first step is to install, configure, and operate WAIS server.
WAIS Server Installation
1. In File Manager, move the file WAISS.EXE from the reskit35\emwac subdirectory to the winnt35\system32 subdirectory.
2. Move the WAISS.CPL file to the winnt35\system32 subdirectory.
3. Return to Program Manager and verify in Control Panel that the WAIS server icon is present.
4. Using the -install flag, install waiss into the table of Windows NT services. From the Windows NT command line type:
waiss -install
The command registers the program with the Service Manager and Event Logger. You should receive a message indicating complete installation:
waiss installed successfully
If installation fails, refer to the WAIS Server Manual Version 0.3, that can be downloaded by clicking the manual installation button located at the end of this article.
5. Verify successful WAIS server installation by starting the Windows NT Control Panel and double-clicking the Services icon. You should see WAIS server listed in the dialog box as one of the installed Windows NT services.
WAIS Server Configuration
1. Double-click the WAIS server icon in Control Panel to present the WAIS Server dialog box (Figure 3).
Figure 3 WAIS Server dialog box
2. Type the location of the files you want to make available using WAIS in the Data directory text box. In this case:
c:\web_serv\files
3. Specify the TCP/IP port on which the WAIS server listens for incoming connections in the TCP/IP port text box. When I was doing this, I left the TCP/IP port value as the default: 210.
4. Set the WAIS transaction logging level for each WAIS transaction. Because I felt the HTTP logs would sufficiently track logons to my homepage, I left this value as None. The Log file location remains c:\winnt35 by default. If you choose to log your clients' WAIS transactions, create a log file directory and enter the corresponding location in the Log file location text box. See the WAIS Server Manual, Version 0.3 for further details on WAIS transaction logging.
5. Click the OK button when you are finished making changes to the WAIS server configuration. The changes will take effect the next time WAIS server is started. If WAIS server is currently running, a dialog box appears reminding you to stop and restart the server.
WAIS Server Operation
1. From the Program Manager, double-click the Services icon located in Control Panel.
2. From the list of available services, locate the WAIS server service. Select it and choose Start. A message box with a rotating timer appears as the WAIS server starts. When the message box disappears the status of the WAIS server service changes to Started.
3. Select the Startup button.
4. In the Service dialog box choose the Automatic radio button. WAIS server starts automatically each time your Windows NT machine is started.
5. Select the OK button and close the Services dialog box
Now that you have both the HTTP and WAIS servers set up, you can install the WAIS Toolkit.
WAIS Toolkit
The three WAIS tools in the toolkit work with WAIS server to provide Web clients with full-text search capabilities.
WAIS Toolkit Installation
1. In File Manager, move the tool executables, WAISINDX.EXE, WAISLOOK.EXE, and WAISSERV.EXE, from the reskit35\emwac directory to the winnt35\system32 subdirectory.
2. If you are using NTFS, rename the WAISINDX.EXE file to WAISINDEX.EXE.
WAIS Tool Functionality
Each WAIS tool is thoroughly documented in the WAIS Toolkit, Version 0.6, available by clicking the button at the end of this article; however, here's a brief description of what each tool does:
· waisindex-This builds the WAIS index that enables waisserv to search a collection of files. When indexing files, waisindex first reads the files that contain the data (that is, the terms and phrases) for the database, parses the data according to the format indicated on the command line, then builds the index files. It creates seven index files (one for each type of file-.dct, .inv, .doc, .fn, .hl, .cat, and .src) to use in the database. Five of the files are used only by waisindex, waisserv, and waislook and two are for users. Here's a quick synopsis of what each file does, as described in the book, Managing Internet Information Services, by C. Liu, J. Peek, R. Jones, B. Buus, and A. Nye:
'Dictionary file (.dct)-a file that contains all of the words, sorted alphabetically, indexed by the waisindex tool. All of the words point to a distinct location in the .inv file.
Inverted file (.inv)-a file made up of pointers between the indexed words and the documents they are located in. Word occurrence frequencies are also kept in this file in the form of numerical ratings (weights).
Document table (.doc)-a document table that contains pointer and other information concerning the indexed documents.
Filename table (.fn)-a listing of filenames used to create the source.
Headline table (.hl)-a listing of the headlines in the documents in the source.
Catalog (.cat)-a listing of all of the headlines that appear within the source and their corresponding document Ids.
Source description (.src)-a file that contains information on the WAIS source and its server, such as the following: email address of the source administrator, description of the server, and name of the source.'
Waisindex's support of an array of document formats makes it extremely powerful and versatile. A more in-depth description of waisindex and the file types created during index construction is available in the book, Managing Internet Information Services.
· waislook-This examines the files created by waisindex, performs a search based on a query, and prepares responses based on the results of its search. In preparing a response, waislook notes the names of files where specific search items are located and ranks the file titles according to frequency of occurrence of the queried terms. Waislook generates an HTML document or a Gopher menu of the top 40 ranked documents identified.
· waisserv-This functions like waislook in that it searches WAIS databases and helps rank documents according to the frequency of occurrence of queried terms and phrases.
Now, let's create an index of documents and try using waisindex and waislook to see the results of a query.
Creating and Searching a WAIS Database from the Command Line
1. In File Manager, move four or five text files into the c:\web_serv\files subdirectory.
All the files I used on my server were HTML files, so I could assume that only files with an .htm extension were relocated to this subdirectory. This assumption allowed me to use the *.htm parameter referred to next.
2. At the MS-DOS command prompt, make c:\web_serv\files the current subdirectory. Execute waisindex using the following parameters:
waisindex -d configur *.htm
The -d option identifies and assigns the index's filename. In this case we've named the index configur. Notice that the seven files created by waisindex are all named configur, each having one of the seven extensions listed under waisindex above.
3. Verify that waisindex created the seven database files in the c:\web_serv\files subdirectory.
4. After making sure c:\web_serv\files is the current subdirectory, execute waislook with these parameters:
waislook -d configur computer
The preceding query searches the configur index files for the term computer and provides a list of documents containing it.
5. Perform another query on a different word. Use the same syntax, but substitute a different search term for computer.
From this point, getting your internal Web page operational involves some creativity and minor tweaking, for most of which you use Microsoft's Internet Assistant and a simple text editor.
Standing Up: Putting the Pieces Together
To complete the installation and operation of your internal Web server, you have to mock up a Web server homepage, author a WAIS search index HTML page, and implement a means to resolve computer names and IP addresses. The first two steps require that you have a Web browser (in this case, NCSA's Mosaic) and some means of authoring an HTML file (Microsoft's Internet Assistant). I also used the following tools in preparing my internal homepage:
· HTML Assistant-A point-and-click text editor that facilitates HTML tagging using toolbar buttons. I found it useful when modifying HTML source code, specifically, graphics locations.
· Microsoft Imager-A stand alone imaging application that allows you to adjust the colors in a photo, clean up unwanted specks, create a negative image, resize, crop, and rotate. Most useful, however, is its ability to convert .bmp files to .gif files. The .gif file format is fully supported on the Web, .bmp is not.
Microsoft Imager is included in MS Word and Bookshelf CD-ROM and the MS Office and Bookshelf CD-ROM. To order a copy separately call 1-800-360-7561 and request:
FULFILL WIN/WORD 6.0 IMAGER KIT
Part Number: 059-151-655
It is available to anyone who owns a licensed copy of Word 6.0 of Office 4.x , and there is a $5 shipping and handling fee.
· Microsoft Paintbrush-A graphics application that ships with Windows. Ideal for .bmp image editing.
With Microsoft Internet Assistant and these tools you can design an intuitive, graphical homepage that provides links to documents on your server. Here's a quick sampling of the homepage I mocked up here at TechNet. A Web client can connect to my Web server using my computer name or my IP-associated address. After viewing the Web page title and splash screen users can scroll down to use my WAIS 'Web Tip page search utility' jump (I'll show you the HTML code for this page later) or to peruse other documents concerning Web server configuration (Figure 4).
Figure 4 Document links on homepage
When creating your homepage, you must save it with the filename DEFAULT.HTM, and you should locate it in the c:\web_serv\files subdirectory, where the other files available on your server are kept. This directory is the only directory on your server that Web clients can access. Files with 'hidden,' or 'system' attributes are not accessible.
When a Web client connects to your homepage, one of three things will happen:
· If you have created a file named DEFAULT.HTM in the \\web_serv\files directory, your Web server sends this file to the client.
· If there is no DEFAULT.HTM file, your Web server checks to see if the Directory Browsing option in the HTTP server is enabled. If enabled, the server sends a list of files and sub-directories within \\web_serv to the client.
· If Directory Browsing is disabled (as we have done in this article) your server sends an error message to the client.
After creating your homepage you have to create an HTML file that allows users to run the WAIS search utility. As mentioned earlier, this file is accessible from your homepage.
Authoring a WAIS Indexing Page
To author a WAIS search index page, create an HTML file that resembles the following:
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="Internet Assistant for Word 1.00">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Web Tip Search Page</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<P>
Posted/Update Date: 05/04/95<BR>
Pull Date: 15 days after CD releases with article
<P>
<A HREF="[unarchived-link]" >
<IMG SRC="[unarchived-media]" >
Go To TechNet Home Page </A>
<H1>Web Tip Search Page</H1>
<HR>
<P>
You can search the Web Tip page for specific key words.
<P>
Please enter the terms(s) to search for in the Search Index box below.
<ISINDEX>
<P>
Microsoft TechNet CD<BR>
May 1995<BR>
Volume 3, Issue 5 <HR>
<P>
<A HREF="[unarchived-link]" >
<IMG SRC="[unarchived-media]" >
Go To TechNet Home Page </A>
<P>
<A HREF="[unarchived-link]">
<IMG SRC="[unarchived-media]" >
Go To Microsoft Home Page </A>
</BODY>
</HTML>
This generates the following HTML indexing page (Figure 5):
Figure 5 WAIS search index page
Obviously you would not include the TechNet-specific information located on my WAIS search index page. For your HTML indexing page to work, three things must be true:
· the HTML code must include the <ISINDEX> tag
· the page must be saved with the name given to your WAIS index files, in this case configur with the appropriate HTML extension: CONFIGUR.HTM
· the file must have the same path as the homepage, the files to be accessed by your Web clients, and the seven generated WAIS index files.
After creating your WAIS search index page and your homepage, index all of the files located in the c:\web_serv\files subdirectory using the command and parameters previously discussed in the Creating and Searching a WAIS Database from the Command Line section:
waisindex -d configur *.htm
When a client enters a query in the Search Index: text box shown in Figure 5, the HTTP server invokes the waislook program to search the index. The program identifies the files containing the queried terms and returns a list of corresponding files.
Computer Name and IP Address Resolution
The final step to establishing your internal Web server is to decide on a method of mapping the computer names to the IP addresses that make up your network. This issue is greatly simplified if you have access to Domain Name Service (DNS) or Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server software. DNS maps friendly computer names to numeric IP addresses while WINS maps the computer names of computers running Windows or Windows NT to IP addresses. The fundamental difference between the two services is that DNS requires static configuration for computer name-to-IP address mapping, while WINS is fully dynamic and requires minimal administration.
For a complete overview of how DNS works and is configured see Chapter 21.3.1 DNS Server, in the Networking section of the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit. For detailed information on how to install and configure WINS servers see Chapter 14 Installing and Configuring WINS Servers, in the Networking section of the Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit.
If you do not have access to DNS or WINS server software you'll have to make some minor adjustments to your hosts file, located typically in the c:\winnt35\system32\drivers\etc directory. If you configured TCP/IP correctly and have selected the Enable Automatic DHCP Configuration check box (located in the TCP/IP Configuration window; available through Network in Control Panel) you have a hosts file.
The hosts file is used as a local DNS equivalent in that it maps host names to IP addresses. Take a look at Appendix G HOSTS and LMHOSTS Files for Windows 95 in the Windows 95 Resource Kit for a more thorough discussion of hosts file functionality and editing.
To adjust your hosts file:
1. Open the hosts file in a text editor such as Notepad.
2. Associate your IP address with a specific name:
11.0.0.1 www.michme.microsoft.com
Type this into your hosts file.
3. Save the file, making sure you haven't renamed it to HOSTS.TXT.
Any Web clients accessing your server need to enter this line in their hosts file. Internal Web clients can then access your homepage by either connecting to your IP address or your established Web server name.
Riding the Wave
Rest assured, you will not be alone if your initial efforts result in an array of faulty messages or error-related dialog boxes. With all of the command lines, filenames, and sub-directories you edit and create, it would be impressive if things worked smoothly the first time through. If you do come to sticking points or areas that have you stumped, as I did, refer to the EMWAC documentation sets available via clicking the documentation setup button located at the end of this article. They examine specific Web issues in much more depth and detail.
However, this article should help you get your Web server and clients operational and help you find resources and locations where further information can be obtained. After you've indexed some files, authored a homepage and jumps, and had Web clients successfully access files on your server, remember to update your homepage and experiment with other media. A significant selling point of the World Wide Web is its support for a plethora of media types, including video and audio: take full advantage of this versatility and be creative. Your next step is to make your Web server available to the public. In a coming issue of TechNet News, we'll discuss the issues of external Web access and availability.
Additional Sources of Information in TechNet
The following resources are all available in the TechNet CD.
Document Location
EMWAC documentation sets: WAIS Click the button located at the
Toolkit Version 0.6, HTTP Server end of this document.
Manual, Version 0.94, and WAIS
Server Manual, Version 0.3.
Windows NT 3.5 Resource Kit MS BackOffice and Enterprise
Systems, MS Windows NT
Workstation, Resource Kit Version
3.5
Windows 95 Resource Kit Personal Systems, MS Windows 95,
Resource Kit
Q94069: Microsoft TCP/IP Summary and Microsoft Knowledge Base
Frequently Asked Questions
Q122928: Description of the Microsoft Knowledge Base
WINSOCK.DLL File
Q120687: Internet Basics Microsoft Knowledge Base
Q120734 Microsoft Windows NT Microsoft Knowledge Base
Internet Servers
Q126246: Internet Assistant Supports Microsoft Knowledge Base
HTTP, FTP, and Gopher
Q110651: Information Services Microsoft Knowledge Base
Q123101: Questions and Answers: Microsoft Knowledge Base
Microsoft Internet Assistant for
Word
Q126364: Internet Assistant: How to Microsoft Knowledge Base
View Raw HTML Markup
Q126793: Limitations of Word HTML Microsoft Knowledge Base
Converter
Q126548: Internet Word Styles Use Microsoft Knowledge Base
Two Templates
Microsoft TechNet
July 1995
Volume 3, Issue 7
Article resources included:
Cricket Liu, Jerry Peek, Russ Jones, Bryan Buus and Adrian Nye. Managing Internet Services. Sebastopol, CA.: O'Reilly & Associates, 1994.
Dale Dougherty and Richard Koman. The Mosaic Handbook. Sebastopol, CA.: O'Reilly & Associates, 1994.
EMWAC documentation sets: WAIS Toolkit Version 0.6, HTTP Server Manual, Version 0.94, and WAIS Server Manual, Version 0.3.
Friesenhahn, Bob. "Build Your Own WWW Server." BYTE, April, 1995, pp. 83-90.
Vacca, John R., "Mosaic: Beyond Net Surfing." BYTE, January, 1995, pp. 75-86.
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