Filemaker Server 9 CWP via XML

[Eric at Chemistry]

I am using two PowerPC G5's as my test servers. They both have Mac OS 10.5.2. One has a trial version of Filemaker 9 Server installed as master. One has Tenon's iTools version 9 (Apache 2.2), Lasso 8.5.5 and Filemaker 9 Server installed as a worker. I presume this loads FM's Web Publishing Engine. I have removed any mention of FMSA 8 and jk_mod from the httpd.conf file.

When I try to connect the master to the worker, it fails. It sees that Apache is loaded and then: "Web Server Test Failed. The Filemaker installation process was unable to communicate with the Web Server you had previously selected." Nothing shows up when I visit http://localhost:16000/ and http://localhost/fmi/config gives me a 404 error.

I think that I have narrowed it down to the Web Publishing Engine. That is either not loaded, running or configured correctly, but the documentation falls short and a google search turns up a lot of interesting stuff for FMSA 8, but not much else.

So what is a Web Publishing Engine? How do I find out if it is working? How is it configured? Does it have anything to do with mod_jk_fm.so?

Thanks!

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Is Apache actually running on the second machine?

Steven

[Eric at Chemistry]

Yes. it is. Lasso is working too. Its just that Filemaker wouldn't connect.

[Eric at Chemistry]

A different track: How does Apache talk to the Web Publishing Engine?

In the past they communicated via a Tomcat service presumably via some sort of Java/XML value pairs. How does it work with Filemaker Server 9? Does this still need the Tomcat server?

[Eric at Chemistry]

Well, this is irritating. I installed a new copy of OS 10.5.2, set up Filemaker in a single computer configuration and all of sudden we have configuration files in the Admin:admin-helper:WEB-INF/conf/ folder! Taa-daa, all you have to do is make sure you have successfully set up the Web Publishing Engine, in order for Filemaker to write the configuration files needed to set up the Web Publishing Engine. They weren't written there when the worker was installed. The mod_jk.conf and workers.properties look like they are created from some .xml files in that conf directory. -AND- the XML files are byte-code gibberish. Shouldn't they be plain text? It seems that there are other pieces missing, since that Admin folder is 2Mg on the worker and 110Mg on the master, but that could be differences between master and worker. So, is it the trial version thats a bust, the trial that is only the Server version and not the Advanced or did I mess up the install with no other options then single/multiple machines and worker/master? I will test this more when I received the boxed copy of FMSA 9.0 I have on order.

The httpd.conf file in the single computer configuration contains

#FMI_Configuration_V1

Include '/Library/FileMaker Server/Admin/admin-helper/WEB-INF/conf/fmi-test.conf'

#FMI_Configuration_V1

Include '/Library/FileMaker Server/Admin/admin-helper/WEB-INF/conf/fm-server-status.conf'

#FMI_Configuration_V1

Include '/Library/FileMaker Server/Admin/admin-helper/WEB-INF/conf/mod_jk.conf'

The mod_jk_fm.so is loaded in the mod_jk call. I'll post some more when I get it to work, if you would like.