[WEB4LIB] Microsoft Web Server Products Questions

[Dan Lester]

Friday, February 11, 2000, 8:44:55 AM, you wrote:

JSH> Thanks in adavnce to all who reply--I appreciate it.

JSH> 1. I believe that the best way to publish MS Access databases is to use
JSH> Microsoft
JSH>     server products--in particular, Windows 2000 Server (formerly NT), and
JSH> the Internet
JSH>     Information Server (IIS) that comes with.  Would you agree?

All of these things can be done with other server products too.  I'm
particularly fond of O'Reilly's WebSite. It is only a couple hundred
bucks for an educational license and is MUCH easier to administer than
IIS under NT4 (haven't tried IIS on 2000 yet).  You'll find it is well
worth the money in the time saved.  Yes, WebSite can handle .asp,
.cfm, etc.

JSH> 2. The Windows 2000 ADVANCED Server is somewhat pricey, given that we are a
JSH>     Library in a state-funded University. But there's a Windows 2000 Server
JSH> (not ADVANCED)
JSH>     product available. Which is less expensive and should work fine. Do you
JSH> agree,
JSH>     disagree?

I can't imagine you'd need the advanced server right away.  If you
find you do later, then you can consider the investment, or another
product.

JSH> 3. As far as the actual PUBLISHING of MS Access databases, research tells
JSH> me that this
JSH>    could be done a number of ways in the IIS Web Server environment:
JSH>    The IIS environment would allow us to use Active Server Pages coding. Is
JSH> this true? Do
JSH>    we need to purchase anything else to make Active Server Pages?

No.  But you'll find .cfm pages MUCH easier to create and implement.

JSH>  I see
JSH> that Macromedia's
JSH>    Drumbeat 2000 product makes ASP code FOR you. Would this be a worthwhile
JSH> tool
JSH>    to invest in?

I wouldn't, but only because I'd not use .asp.  Why write six lines of
code when you can write one in CF?

JSH>    -I suspect we could always write ASP code ourselves with Notepad. Yes/No?

Yes, if you're into that kind of pain and suffering.

JSH>    -I suspect I could go the .CGI route in IIS, that is, coding .CGI's in
JSH> Visual Basic or Visual
JSH>     C++. Agree/disagree?

You could.

JSH>    -Allaire's COLD FUSION looks like an excellent product, but then again
JSH> we're on a tight
JSH>     budget. Still, would it work well for publishing MS Access databases?

It works well with any database system....at least any you're likely
to run across.

JSH> 3. How LARGE are some of your MS Access databases? I got to believe that
JSH> there's a limit
JSH>     to how large these files can be before performance suffers and you need
JSH> to go to
JSH>     MS SQL Server or Oracle. What is the limit?

I'm not sure there's a simple answer to that.  My feeling is to go
with what you've got.  If the load or database size starts to become
too much, then move the database to a different server, if you haven't
already.


JSH> I administer a NOVELL 3.12 server for local CD-ROM resources, and a
JSH> Linux/Apache web server
JSH> for in-house developed web pages and .cgi's. So, I'm getting into new
JSH> territory with Microsoft
JSH> Web Server products.

Stay out of that territory.  Of course if you really wanted, I could
tell you what I really think.  o-)

cheers

dan

-- 
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID  83716-7115  USA
dan at 84.com   www.84.com   www.postcard.org  208-383-0165