Lasso Set up questions

[CaelC]

I am trying to set up a server with Lasso, FMP Unlimited and WebStar on a PowerMac G4/466.

I am just trying to do some test LDML files and a test DB to see how this all works together.

My main questions are:

1. Do I need to have Filemaker Web Companion enabled or not?

2. Where do I put the database that I want to access via the web?

3. Where do I put the LDML files that I want to use?

I don't know if all this stuff just goes in the Webstar root directory folder, the Lasso one or if the DB goes in Filemaker's Web folder with Web Companion on, etc.?!?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Cael.

[flexistentialism]

1, yes it does. I've configured my webcompanion to allow only one IP to access it , the IP of my WebServer (where lasso lives).

2. Put the databases in a folder on your WebSTAR root folder. and

3 put the LDML pages in this folder with the database. So to access the pages you would put """http://www.domain.com/name of folder in webstar root/name of LDML page.htm"""" in your browser (Don't put spaces in file names or page names though! netscape doesn't like it)

WebSTAR listens for a Lasso action call and then passes the request for data to lasso. (its quite simple really, on a user level anyway!)

Make sure to add the database to the Lasso security settings otherwise you wont be able to access it with lasso basically read your Lasso and WebSTAR manuals, they are very good and easy to understand (they explain what the jargon means before using it!!!)

I hope this helps

[CaelC]

Thank you so much. That was a great help. I'm getting a little closer.

Did you have to configure Web Companion to run on Port 8080 instead of the default 80? We are running Lasso, WebStar and FMP Unlimited on the same server.

Also, when setting permissions in Lasso Security, when they talk about 'users' are they talking about the web site/DB visitors? Or are they talking about people allowed to come into Lasso to make administrative changes?

Thanks again, any further info would be greatly appreciated!

Cael.

[scratchmalogicalwax]

1, run the WC on port :591 the request comes in to the WebSTAR server on :80 and the switch is done internally on the network or in your case the same Mac. It's advisable to use :591 because it has been reserved by FileMaker and therefore won't be used by any other "bits" of your server suite.

2, both really depending on whether you give them admin privs. (lasso comes with a user.lasso file that can be used to allow people to add themselves to the security settings) I have set "All Database Settings" "All Users" privilages to nothing (untick all boxes) I then went to each database changing the "All Users" privs depending on what access I want to give everyone. I don't use the specific "username" and "password" for each database apart from setting the "admin" privs for our account managers. We have too many general users visiting to use the Lasso security database adding every person. Record access is done on the particular databases.

Have fun!

[CaelC]

I'm working through this install. A couple bits of info that may be useful to others who read this:

1. You do not need to run Web Companion in FMP. I am running without it just fine. This elimates the port conflicts that require you to run FMP Web Companion on port 591.

2. You do not need (or want) to run the FMP "Web Server Connector"

3. Lasso runs inside the WebStar application space as a plug-in. So Lasso is running inside WebStar's port 80.

4. You keep your .html, .lasso, .jsp, .gif, .jpg, etc files inside a folder inside the WebStar application folder.

5. Lasso will recognize your open FMP DBs no matter where they sit on your hard drive.

6. Set-up of Lasso: Set up Lasso Administrator Password, set up all users with whatever you want users to be able to do (I clicked on everything to make everything active during testing phase). Then go to Instant Database Web Publisher and click on either of the pictures, your open databases should be shown.

7. When you install Lasso, if FMP is sitting on the same server, install the FMP5 plug-in. The manual says you may get better performance if you install the Remote DataSource module but this is untrue according to (BlueWorld Tech Support) if you are running on the same server. You run the Remote DataSource module if you have FMP running on a different server from Lasso/WebStar and in this configuration it will give you about a 33% speed increase.

8. If you are converting from CDML to LDML, be careful because some tags that didn't have an end tag [/] now do, so you have to hand change those, the supplied converter won't work.

9. In "Post-Lasso" pages, such as a search results pages, you have to use absolute URLs to call your images, .js, etc (e.g. http://www.spiritsinstone.com/samplefolder/folder2/runthis.js). In "Pre-Lasso" pages, you should just use relative URLs (e.g. /folder2/runthis.js where the "Pre-Lasso" page and the .js are in the same folder called folder2). You can't use absolute links on "Pre-Lasso" pages if you are calling images, .js, etc. off of the same server you are referencing in the absolute link. Maybe this is obvious but it caused me a bit of grief as I figured it out.

I hope this helps someone else out there. It was really frustrating trying to get this stuff sorted out. But my testing machine is up and running now!

Good Luck!

Cael.

PS --- There isn't any 'set-up' documentation - step by step simple instructions for Lasso on the BlueWorld site or in the manuals. So just call BlueWorld Tech Support if you have any questions that aren't answered here.