SLAC ESD Software Engineering Group
	ESD DOCUMENTATION AND WEB SUPPORT Report: Web Publishing to AFS	SLAC Detailed SLAC Computing Software Home Software Detailed Documentation and Web Support Home

This is a summary of the methods we considered for publishing documentation to AFS.

Web Publishing to AFS 

The Problem:   Currently, the easiest way to create a document using Microsoft Word or FrontPage and publish it to AFS is by saving the document to the appropriate AFS folder using the OpenAFS mounted file system.  SCS does not currently support the use of OpenAFS with the Windows XP Operating System.  Although many individuals have made it work, SCS has warned that this will no longer be possible once Windows XP is at its highest security setting. 

What does SCS suggest?  The SCS-supported tool provided for copying files is WinSCP (http://winscp.vse.cz/eng/index.php), a freeware SCP (Secure CoPy) client for Windows which uses SSH (Secure Shell) to safely copy files between a local and a remote computer.  It works much like WS_FTP.  A user must log in, find the destination folder on the remote computer (AFS), then copy it over.  If a user wants to update an existing document, then the file must first be copied to the local computer for editing in Windows-based editor, then copied back to AFS.  The process is confusing and cumbersome. 

Ideally, a knowledge base contributor should be able to open a document in a browser, make edits and publish quickly without having to memorize the exact location on AFS. 

Secure Web Publishing Options

Possible Solutions Tried

1. FrontPage publishing to FTP server

What We Did:            Opened a Web page in AFS from browser by clicking on FileàEdit with Microsoft FrontPage.  Once changes were made, clicked on Save (Publish Web option was disabled), and typed in ftp://ftp.slac.stanford.edu/+full path name.  The following message was received:

then a folder box listing files in AFS folder (connection to AFS seemed to have been made).  When appropriate file was selected, clicked on Save.  Received error message depicted above.

Comments:               Because SLAC has a site license for its use, Microsoft FrontPage would be the preferred Web Authoring tool.  However, file transfer over FTP is not secure and moreover, doesn’t seem to work.

2. FrontPage publishing with PuTTY

What We Did:            Installed PuTTY on local machine (downloaded from http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/)

Installed modules psftp.bas (English translation available here) and process-handling.bas, and configured FrontPage per instructions on http://schneegans.de/frontpage/vba/ssh.html.  Defined root as folder in which to publish.

Logged onto AFS via PuTTY.  Opened a Web page in AFS from browser by clicking on FileàEdit with Microsoft FrontPage.  Once changes were made, ran macro.  Although a message that the transaction had completed successfully was displayed, the changes were not implemented. 

Comments:               It is unclear whether this module knows where to publish.  As PuTTY is free, this solution would be the most cost effective if it could be made to work.  Installation instructions for modules must be well documented.

3. Macromedia Contribute publishing to FTP server

What We Did:            Installed Macromedia Contribute on local machine.  Created connection to website (specified URL, FTP site, and FTP login name and password).  Opened Web page in AFS from Contribute, made edits, clicked on publish.  Web page was updated.

Comments:               Contribute is very user-friendly and publishes easily over FTP.  However, the cost per license is $89.  And of course, file transfer over FTP alone is insecure.

4. Macromedia Contribute publishing to FTP server with MindTerm

What We Did:            Installed MindTerm on local machine (downloaded from http://www.appgate.com/mindterm/).  Logged onto AFS via MindTerm.  Opened Web page in AFS from Contribute, made edits, clicked on publish.  Web page was updated. 

Comments:               It is unclear whether file transfer was made over SSH (using MindTerm) or FTP.

What Next?

Further investigation of FrontPage publishing with PuTTY and modules

Further Investigation of MindTerm

As mentioned previously, MindTerm theoretically uses the SFTP functionality in SSHv2 to allow unencrypted connections to be tunneled via a secure connection to the remote machine.  Whether this actually occurred in #4 above must be determined.

Investigation of FileZilla

Implementation of FileZilla requires a Kerberized FTP server and a Kerberized client.  MIT’s implementation of FileZilla is located at http://web.mit.edu/is/help/filezilla/.

Investigation of SecureFX

MIT’s implementation of SecureCRT with use of Macromedia DreamWeaver is located at http://web.mit.edu/is/help/dreamweaver/sftp-win.html.

Author: G. DeContreras, 21-Mar-2003