Last Updated: 12/28/2000	contents | prev | next

Installation

The WebSentinel package includes several different components, each of which belong in a certain place. If you follow this installation guide, you should have WebSentinel up and running in a matter of minutes.

WebSentinel includes both server and client administration software. Both are required in order to use the package, and may be installed on separate machines or directly on your web server. It is recommended that you administer your web server from a separate machine on an AppleTalk network for optimal performance of both the web server and administration client.

With the introduction of WebSentinel 2.0, the installation process has been simplified. There are now only two main files for WebSentinel, the WebSentinel Plug-in and the WebSentinel Admin application. In addition to these two files, you will need at least one Data Target Plug-in, which will allow WebSentinel to interface with the database of your choice. There is a default Built-in Data Target Plug-in that comes with WebSentinel, as well as a special Data Target for those who wish to use Purity Software's Verona database server.

WebSentinel Admin

The WebSentinel Admin application is the primary utility you will use to manage your web site security. It may be run from any machine on the same AppleTalk network as your web server and controls all aspects of WebSentinel.

WebSentinel Plug-In

The WebSTAR-compatible plug-in is what actually does the job of authorizing users for a given area of your web site. It intercepts all requests to the web server and, if there is a realm defined for the given URL, prompts the user to log-in. It also handles the web-based administration interface. The WebSentinel Plug-in resides in the "Plug-ins" folder on your web server.

WebSentinel Data Target Plug-Ins

These shared libraries handle communication between a specific database target and the W*API plug-in or WebSentinel Admin. For example, if you are storing your users and groups data in a Verona database, there is a Verona plug-in that does the job of communicating with Verona; when WebSentinel Admin needs user information, it calls the Verona plug-in which then retrieves the data from Verona and returns it to WebSentinel Admin. These plug-ins are stored in the "Data Targets" folder of the "WebSentinel Data" folder located inside your web server's "Plug-Ins" folder.

The main file that makes up the server software for WebSentinel is the WebSentinel Plug-in, which goes in your web server's Plug-ins folder. You will also need at least one data target installed. These files are stored inside the Data Targets folder of the WebSentinel Data folder, which is also located in the web server's Plug-ins folder. Starting with version 2.1 and later of WebSentinel, the Built-in Data Target and the Verona Data Target are automatically created for you when the web server starts up, so there is no need to install them manually.

Figure 2.1: Installing the WebSentinel Server Components

Once the WebSentinel 2.1 archive has been downloaded and uncompressed, open the WebSentinel 2.1 folder if it is not already open. There will be file titled " WebSentinel Plug-in". Drag this file into your web server's Plug-ins folder.

Congratulations, that's all there is to installing WebSentinel. To start using WebSentinel's powerful features, simply restart your web server software.

The application you will use for much of your administrative needs is called WebSentinel Admin. This application can be copied to any machine on the same AppleTalk network as your web server. If your main workstation is not on the same AppleTalk network as your web server, don't worry -- you can optionally use WebSentinel's web-based administration interface from any web browser on the Internet. You can also use WebSentinel Admin on the same machine as your actual web server, although we don't recommend doing this for any long periods of time, as it will slow down the response time for your server.

To install WebSentinel Admin on a machine other than your web server, such as your personal workstation, simply copy the application to that machine. WebSentinel Admin requires no other files and can be safely put anywhere on the hard drive.

In order to access the WebSentinel server component across an AppleTalk network with WebSentinel Admin, you must first activate Program Linking in the "File Sharing" control panel (under Mac OS 7.x, the control panel is named "Sharing Setup") on the Macintosh server. If this is your first time using that Macintosh, be sure you have entered the owner username and password in this same control panel for security! In addition to turning program linking on, you also need to make sure that any users who will need access to the WebSentinel's administration capabilities through WebSentinel Admin have their program linking checkbox checked in the Users & Groups control panel (as shown in Figures 2.2 and 2.3).

Figure 2.2: File Sharing control panel (MacOS 8.5.1)

Figure 2.3: Users & Groups control panel (MacOS 8.5.1)

With WebStar version 4, Program Linking (for that application) is not enabled by default. After turning on Program Linking in the "File Sharing" control panel, "Get Info" on WebSTAR 4.0 and select the "Sharing..." option. Check the box under "Program Linking" to "Allow remote program linking" for that application.

Figure 2.4: Enabling WebSTAR 4 Program Linking (MacOS 8.5.1)

A note about security - as long as the Guest user does not have File Sharing or Program Linking enabled, and you select good passwords for your other users, you should have no problems with security in regards to Program Linking.

If you wish to use WebSentinel Admin on the web server itself, copy it to the web server's hard drive if is not already there.

NOTE: If you are using WebSTAR, it ships with a number of predefined realms. These may confict with WebSentinel's predefined realms or realms you create and cause authentication problems. It is recommended that you remove all of WebSTAR's realms when installing WebSentinel. If you have existing users and realms, see the WebSTAR migration information for assistance in exporting that information for use in WebSentinel.

Congratulations! You've now installed all components necessary to use and administer WebSentinel on your site. For an introduction to WebSentinel's basic features, see the next section, which will guide you through setting up your first protected area, creating users, and logging in to the web site.