Yep I appreciate that, DB2 is supported by some of the apps we host but
that's really where the list dries up, but I take your point some apps
will require other database but I'd consider SQLS, Oracle and DB2 to be
the main ones for the apps we deal with.

 

I think it's all about flexibility, offering whoever is doing the
installation the freedom to choose. 

 

On a different note - one of the things that threw me yesterday (and got
me worked up) may be a bug with the 6.0 installer that needs
investigated. Under 2003 at least in uninstalled 5.04 but it didn't
delete every trace of itself. When I put 6.0 on (as a fresh install I
thought not an upgrade) it started to behave differently, e.g. it asked
for the credentials to the PostgresSQL server and didn't offer to
install it. That's when I had to go and source/install it myself -
painful.

 

It clicked that something was not right when even after getting the
Postgres installed it also started to complain that some OpenSSL DLL's
were of an incompatible version. When I went and checked where they were
(because this server didn't have OpenSSL installed!) I found them in
Windows and the Ipswitch Notification service directory. 

 

That's when I realised that the uninstall hadn't been as clean as I'd
hoped. When I rebooted and zapped the directories (put an "_" at the
start) and re-ran the 6.0 installer it looked much better, offering to
install Postgres etc for me.

 

(apologies to the multitudes on this mailing list who don't want to get
these e-mails - this must have been a quiet list or something!)

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: 13 June 2007 15:40
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [WS_FTP Forum] Top directory on UNC path - is this
possible?

 


As a passing observation, Oracle and SQL Server are not the only
databases out there that could be in shops where there is little or no
postgresql knowledge in-house.  There are some (actually, quite a few)
shops running Teradata as their database and some of them object to
having even SQL Server as a requirement for tools/apps to work.   

I've done a couple of gigs at places that were looking for FTP Servers
and have suggested WS-FTP but, were I to recommend 6.0, they would
probably wind up looking elsewhere. 

Respectfully,

Ralph D. Wilson II
Senior Programmer Analyst
Information Technology Department 
9311 San Pedro Suite 600
San Antonio TX 78216
(800) 527-0066 x7368
(210) 321-7368 (direct)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 



"Chris Totten" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 

06/13/2007 09:32 AM 

Please respond to
[email protected]

To

<[email protected]> 

cc

        
Subject

RE: [WS_FTP Forum] Top directory on UNC path - is this possible?

 

                




In terms of database access I think you should assume that someone will
either have SQL-Server/Oracle already installed (and wish to use it) or
that they won't and won't be bothered with installing a standalone
database instance. Even if they didn't have SQLS or Oracle installed I
would imagine they would prefer to install an instance of either and
point WS_FTP server at their newly installed instance rather than trust
an installer (no matter how competent it may be) to do the installation
as part of the install. Remember that first and foremost someone like
myself wants an FTP server and would prefer an uncomplicated
installation over something that tried to do doo much. 
  
I'm having some problems with v6.0's management web site, I can
understand why you've switched from MMC/EXE to a HTML front end but it
does make the product unusable if there is no fallback management
client. For reasons I can't cover here I can't just use the default web
site for the management front end so I created a new blank site for it.
However when I used that site it doesn't seem to work, the site uses
host headers so even when I changed the URL for the WS_FTP server
manager from http://127.0.0.1/WSFTPSVR/default.asp
<http://127.0.0.1/WSFTPSVR/default.asp>  to 
http://ftpadmin.ctechs.co.uk/wsftpsvr/default.asp
<http://ftpadmin.ctechs.co.uk/wsftpsvr/default.asp>  all I get is a
blank page... 
  
I'll keep trying - but again I stress that having a web front end should
be optional and not a requirement, a good "old fashioned" EXE always
works, but having the webby version only introduces a risk that the
product won't work unless it's on a dedicated server (which this isn't).

  
To respond to the detailed response from Pete, we have tried a lot of
this and know all about the pitfalls of using UNC paths (domain accounts
etc etc), but didn't try Virtual Directories. When the Top Dir didn't
allow UNC paths I stopped there. I may have to go back (depending on
experiences with 6.0) and try out your suggestions, but I do like the
sound of 6.0 on paper, with the caveats explained above (insistence on a
web management interface and proprietary database format). 
  
Regards, 
Chris 
  
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kevin Gillis
Sent: 12 June 2007 20:25
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [WS_FTP Forum] Top directory on UNC path - is this
possible? 
  
hi peter, 
  
great feedback!  you definitely found a nice way implement a HA
solution! 
  
so would sql server express work or  would you require full sql/oracle? 
  
note that the lightweight postgresql is included with the installation
of WS_FTP Server 6 with SSH and at the end of the Server 6 install, you
are fully up and running with your ftp/s and your ssh server, hosts,
groups, users, notifications, rules, etc.   
  
but we COMPLETELY the need and requirement to leverage your existing db
infrastructure. 
  
bye for now, 
  
kg 
  

 

  
--------------------------------------------------------

Chris Totten 
Technical Services Manager

 
028 9448 0000
www.ctechs.co.uk 




 

________________________________



From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Pete Simpson
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 14:32
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [WS_FTP Forum] Top directory on UNC path - is this
possible? 
Chris, 
  
Use WS_FTP Server 5.04 with all patches.  Use a UNC path (NOT A DRIVE
LETTER!) as part of a Virtual Directory mapped to a third host (your
"fileserver").  Ensure you setup WS_FTP server process to run as a
DOMAIN account (not local system as is the default) and it will maintain
permissions on the UNC while "not logged on" interactively to the
system,  WS_FTP server can use standard SQL server (or Oracle) for
storing user account credentials if you want -- just create a table per
the documentation, define an System ODBC connection, and drop in the
DLL.  All very well documented by WS_FTP and simple to deploy.  However,
the configuration data of WS_FTP server is NOT in the database (just
username, password, etc.) so you'll need a mechanism to ensure your
changes to Virtual Directories etc are duplicated on both machines (IE,
setting synchronization will be a Manual Process). 

For HA, you CAN cluster WS_FTP Server 5.04. We have done it three times.
No problems.  Setup a standard Windows Active/Passive cluster with your
shared disk, quorum resource, and a virtual IP.  Install WS_FTP server
on one machine with the destination directory being the shared disk
resource (NOT THE QUORUM DISK).  Failover to other node.  RUN THE
INSTALLATION FOR  WS_FTP AGAIN AND SELECT THE EXACT SAME OPTIONS, again
with binaries being on the shared disk resource.  Define a new "generic
service" type of clustered resource.  The program to run is the WS_FTP
Server executable from the shared disk.  Run it as a "service account"
(valid domain account, NOT LOCAL SYSTEM).  make sure you set that on
both nodes.  And the BIG KEY is to use Registry Replication (part of the
generic service definition) to REPLICATE the IPSwitch registry key path
between nodes.  This ensures if you make changes to Virtual Directories,
etc. on the active node and then fail-over to the second node that your
changes still exist.  Make sure when you define your FTP site inside the
server manager you use the Clustered VIRTUAL IP address -- it'll default
to the local hosts IP on each node.  You just have to remember NOT to
use that one since it's NOT the clustered address. 
  
It'll take you a bit of time to setup, but it ABSOLUTELY works and WORKS
GREAT.  Of course, it's not officially "supported" by IpSwitch...  but
they were VERY interested when we told them how we did it.  I suspect
they integrated some of what we told them (the above setup) into the
officially "clusterable" version 6.  (IPSwitch product manager contacted
me a couple of times while they were laying out specs for v6 about 9
months ago). 
  
I do agree tho that the requirement (is it REALLY a requirement??) to
use Postgres SQL for v6 is a deal killer.  I absolutely, positively,
will NOT go to v6 if that's the case.  We absolutely, positively will
NOT introduce a new database platform just to go to WSFTP 6.  We've been
a customer for years, but if that's truly a requirement (that I can't
use SQL or Oracle) we will find an alternative product to WSFTP Server. 

Good Luck. 

Pete 
  
  

 

________________________________


From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Totten
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:50 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [WS_FTP Forum] Top directory on UNC path - is this possible? 
Hi there, 
We have a pair of servers each one of which will be running WS_FTP
server (to replace the buggy Microsoft Windows 2000 FTP server that's
already there). 
The FTP site FQDN will be a VIP that could be directed to either of the
two web servers. We need to set it up in such a way that both machines
work with the same set of files, so their top directory should ideally
be a UNC path. 
The problem is I can't seem to get WS_FTP server to recognise a UNC path
- it complains with the following error message: 
"Only local fixed drives can be used for a Host's Top Directory!" (the
exclamation is a nice touch, like only a fool would want to be doing
this) 
Is there a way to do this, to get two or more servers to "see" the same
set of files? 
TIA, 
Chris 
  

 

________________________________


Chris Totten   
Technical Services Manager 
  
028 9448 0000
www.ctechs.co.uk <http://www.ctechs.co.uk/>  
  
 

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Chris Totten   
Technical Services Manager 
  
028 9448 0000
www.ctechs.co.uk <http://www.ctechs.co.uk/>

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