Mistrealm
Programming
Dreamweaver
Protocols
When you connect with a web server, you typically connect with a variety of protocols, designed to let you update the files behind the pages. Dreamweaver has the following set of connection options:
| FTP | The advantage of FTP is that it is a well established protocol, and is commonly available. The down side is that it passes your user name and password in the clear. In theory, someone could grab your user name and password, and wreak havoc with it. Note In later versions of Dreamweaver, there is a checkbox for SFTP. This is actually a different protocol, but this is the best solution for a secure connection. |
|---|---|
| Local/Network | This makes some assumptions about your access to the server. If you are working in the same office that the web server exists, or you have absolutely no problem opening up the dreaded Microsoft NetBios ports, then this would work. If your network admin has any shred of paranoia whatsoever, this will not be an option. Alternatively, in the UNIX / SAMBA world, this is a good option. |
| WebDAV | I dont know much about this protocol yet. I do know that it is installed by default on Windows 2003 server, it just isn't enabled. I tried this protocol, and received a blank listing for my troubles. |
| RDS | Remote Data Services. It is a catchy sounding title, but when I was looking into enabling it, there were all kinds of warnings on the Microsoft site about having to run IIS in unsecure mode. This sounded like a bad thing. |
| Microsoft Visual SourceSafe | This might be a good solution for offices where a lot of people are working on the server, but from my point of view, Source Safe has never been anything but a headache when there are just a few programmers working on a project. |
What I was hoping to find was a way to use the Front Page Extentions that I already had installed on my server as a protocol. It may still yet be possible, but there was no clear and easy way to do this in the Adobe Exchange. Better (or worse) yet, I learned that Front Page Extentions are no longer supported by Microsoft, and thus will eventually die out. So the long and the short of it, I will have to find a new way to connect to my server.
My goals for this connection are: Simplicity. Security. And hopefully lightweight.
Update: I have removed Front Page from my server, as SFTP is a better solution.
SFTP is supported inside Dreamweaver, but I found it better to use a third party product to connect to the server.
Webdrive will allow you to map a local drive to the remote SFTP server.
On the server side, if you are running Windows Server, you can use Core FTP.
Between these two pieces of software, you can create a secure link that will allow you to access server files as if they were local.