Staging environment for two asp developers?

[jason]

What is the best way to allow a second developer access to existing html and
asp files in the office from a development point of view. At the moment, I
have been developing locally and then uploading my files to my web host but
I now need to create a usuable office environment which allows a second
developer to work my folder structures and files.

We do not have a big budget.

I am thinking of asking the company to buy a second hard drive loaded with
Office XP professional and use this to server files locally in a staging
environment before pushing the files to the remote web host.

Am I on the right track?


Many thanks
Jason

 

[Ray at]

I guess this means that you do not have a test server, huh. That kinda
sucks.

You can share your wwwroot on your machine with the other person and have
him map a drive to the share.

Ray at work

 

[jason]

Yeah - we don't have a test server. I am kind of reluctant to do a share as
it seems 'ineffecient' but I may be able to persuade company to buy a test
server.

I am I right in thinking all I really need is the latest harddrive Pentium
III with enough memoery and Win XP PROFFESIONAL loaded which has IIS built
in and then test sites locally using multiple site functionality found in
ISS along the lines of:

http://local.mysite.com
http://local.mysite2.com

....which allows multiple domains pointing to various root folders in the
wwwroot of the newly acquired server machine...

Could this work Ray?

Many thanks
Jason

 

[Ray at]

<inline replies>

Yeah - we don't have a test server. I am kind of reluctant to do a share as
it seems 'ineffecient' but I may be able to persuade company to buy a test
server.

There wouldn't be anything inefficient about sharing a directory on your
machine. That's what the NT server service is there for. :]

I am I right in thinking all I really need is the latest harddrive Pentium
III with enough memoery and Win XP PROFFESIONAL loaded which has IIS built
in and then test sites locally using multiple site functionality found in
ISS along the lines of:

http://local.mysite.com
http://local.mysite2.com

...which allows multiple domains pointing to various root folders in the
wwwroot of the newly acquired server machine...

You will not be able to setup multiple sites in XP Pro. You would need a
server operating system for this (NT Server, 2000 Server, 2003 Server).
With the desktop OSes, IIS only supports one single website. So, since
you'd need a server OS, add another $800 to your budget.

But, you should have a test server. Hopefully you can swing it. I mean, if
nothing else, is your DESKTOP workstation on the backup rotation? Probably
not!

BTW, you're site's really nice looking. It makes me want to buy a
catamaran.

Ray at work

 

[jason]

Hi Ray - you guessed it - my workstation is not on a BACKUP rotation. Not
sure what you mean by "rotation".....

If I do swing a test server I guess we would both still access the files in
the root like this: localhost/mysite/index.asp - right?

I actually do have a copy of windows 2000 server which seems to be the one
that could do the sites with multiple sites locally.

Do you think this would be a good idea - I get the company to get a test
server, load the 2000 server edition, configure IIS
and bam! Or is it going to be a lot more complicated to get a simple staging
environment up and running on a test server?

By the way check out www.catamaranco.com for other principle catamaran
sites.

- Jason

<inline replies>

Yeah - we don't have a test server. I am kind of reluctant to do a share as
it seems 'ineffecient' but I may be able to persuade company to buy a test
server.

There wouldn't be anything inefficient about sharing a directory on your
machine. That's what the NT server service is there for. :]

I am I right in thinking all I really need is the latest harddrive Pentium
III with enough memoery and Win XP PROFFESIONAL loaded which has IIS built
in and then test sites locally using multiple site functionality found in
ISS along the lines of:

http://local.mysite.com
http://local.mysite2.com

...which allows multiple domains pointing to various root folders in the
wwwroot of the newly acquired server machine...

You will not be able to setup multiple sites in XP Pro. You would need a
server operating system for this (NT Server, 2000 Server, 2003 Server).
With the desktop OSes, IIS only supports one single website. So, since
you'd need a server OS, add another $800 to your budget.

But, you should have a test server. Hopefully you can swing it. I mean, if
nothing else, is your DESKTOP workstation on the backup rotation? Probably
not!

BTW, you're site's really nice looking. It makes me want to buy a
catamaran.

Ray at work

 

[Ray at]

--
Will trade ASP help for SQL Server help

Hi Ray - you guessed it - my workstation is not on a BACKUP rotation. Not
sure what you mean by "rotation".....

Ah, backup strategy, plan, rotation, or whatever. Just being backed up. :]

If I do swing a test server I guess we would both still access the files in
the root like this: localhost/mysite/index.asp - right?

No, localhost is your machine, and to the guy next to you, localhost is his
machine. You would access it by http://testserver or any other name you
want. When the time comes for that, post in the IIS group or even a W2K
group, and someone will explain DNS, WINS, HOSTS files, and other such
options for name resolution in addition to host headers in IIS to allow you
to host multiple web sites on a single server.

I actually do have a copy of windows 2000 server which seems to be the one
that could do the sites with multiple sites locally.

If you have a license for it, that'll save your company some cash. W2K
Server can host an infinite number of sites (okay, not infinite, but close
enough).

Do you think this would be a good idea - I get the company to get a test
server, load the 2000 server edition, configure IIS
and bam! Or is it going to be a lot more complicated to get a simple staging
environment up and running on a test server?

It will be somewhere in between there. It's really not that big of a deal
compared to some other things. You'd install IIS, setup your first site,
share inetpub or whatever is appropriate, set your share permissions, map
some drives, and just start working off of Q:\wwwroot instead if
C:\inetpub\wwwroot. And then instead of going to http://localhost, you'll
go to http://testserver, at first.

By the way check out www.catamaranco.com for other principle catamaran
sites.

That was the site I went to. :]

Ray at home, gotta go back to work in a few hours though.

 

[TomB]

I agree, nice site.
I've always wanted a catamaran, just so I can say "Catamaran".

 

[jason]

Hey Ray - Thanks for your help - always have insight!
- Jason

--
Will trade ASP help for SQL Server help

Hi Ray - you guessed it - my workstation is not on a BACKUP rotation. Not
sure what you mean by "rotation".....

Ah, backup strategy, plan, rotation, or whatever. Just being backed up. :]

If I do swing a test server I guess we would both still access the files in
the root like this: localhost/mysite/index.asp - right?

No, localhost is your machine, and to the guy next to you, localhost is his
machine. You would access it by http://testserver or any other name you
want. When the time comes for that, post in the IIS group or even a W2K
group, and someone will explain DNS, WINS, HOSTS files, and other such
options for name resolution in addition to host headers in IIS to allow you
to host multiple web sites on a single server.

I actually do have a copy of windows 2000 server which seems to be the one
that could do the sites with multiple sites locally.

If you have a license for it, that'll save your company some cash. W2K
Server can host an infinite number of sites (okay, not infinite, but close
enough).

Do you think this would be a good idea - I get the company to get a test
server, load the 2000 server edition, configure IIS
and bam! Or is it going to be a lot more complicated to get a simple staging
environment up and running on a test server?

It will be somewhere in between there. It's really not that big of a deal
compared to some other things. You'd install IIS, setup your first site,
share inetpub or whatever is appropriate, set your share permissions, map
some drives, and just start working off of Q:\wwwroot instead if
C:\inetpub\wwwroot. And then instead of going to http://localhost, you'll
go to http://testserver, at first.

By the way check out www.catamaranco.com for other principle catamaran
sites.

That was the site I went to. :]

Ray at home, gotta go back to work in a few hours though.

 

[jason]

Sure - "Catamarans" seems to be a popular search key word on Google too
these days!

Jason

 

[Ray at]

Heh. Thanks Chris. At the moment, no. I almost posted twice to the SQL
programming group today, but both times, I had my "ah-ha" moment as I was
writing out my problem. Sometimes that's all it takes. I just have that in
my signature so that when I do post in the sql groups, some kind SQL-expert
soul may say to himself, "alright, fine, I'll help him out since he tries to
help out people in other places" I guess...

I spend half of my day in the asp groups and the other half just reading the
sql.programming group. And the third half of my day is spent working. ;]

Ray at work

 

[Chris Hohmann]

Color me curious, but is there something specific in SQL Server you need
help with? I love to try, considering how often you appear on the answer
side of things.

-Chris

 

[jason]

Hey Ray,

Just some further clarification:

I am pitching this new server to our current administrator who is well
versed in mapped drives and network link ups etc.

But, obviously a new server running Win2k server would be operating
principablly via IIS to SERVER web files.

I am unsure how this scenario clashes/FITS/complements or unhinges the
network environment.

I mean, do we first install the new machine in our network and then make
sure everyone in the office is mapped to it or is the different scenario to
make sure that they are able to view web files like this:

http://newserver/test/homepage.asp

I realise it is a naive quesiton but networking is not my strong suite and I
just need to understand some of the key steps to getting it up and running -
not the entire tecnical process!

Much appreciated
Jason

<inline replies>

Yeah - we don't have a test server. I am kind of reluctant to do a share as
it seems 'ineffecient' but I may be able to persuade company to buy a test
server.

There wouldn't be anything inefficient about sharing a directory on your
machine. That's what the NT server service is there for. :]

I am I right in thinking all I really need is the latest harddrive Pentium
III with enough memoery and Win XP PROFFESIONAL loaded which has IIS built
in and then test sites locally using multiple site functionality found in
ISS along the lines of:

http://local.mysite.com
http://local.mysite2.com

...which allows multiple domains pointing to various root folders in the
wwwroot of the newly acquired server machine...

You will not be able to setup multiple sites in XP Pro. You would need a
server operating system for this (NT Server, 2000 Server, 2003 Server).
With the desktop OSes, IIS only supports one single website. So, since
you'd need a server OS, add another $800 to your budget.

But, you should have a test server. Hopefully you can swing it. I mean, if
nothing else, is your DESKTOP workstation on the backup rotation? Probably
not!

BTW, you're site's really nice looking. It makes me want to buy a
catamaran.

Ray at work