Re: [cobalt-users] seeing websites by site #

[Jerry Pape <cobalt-lists@xxxxxxxx>]

All,

I have also posted regarding this. Typically, the requester is 
attempting to either see site on which work is taking place prior to 
NIC Registry changes and/or they are trying to show these changes to 
their clients (typically remotely). As such, mods to the 'hosts' file 
while a possible solution for the requester, is not a suitable 
solution for the requester's client, unless the requester has the 
ability to talk his client through similar file mods.

If implemented at the client level this method is rife with problems, 
because the requester then becomes responsible for files on remote 
client systems that require an intermediary and can inadvertently 
cause substantial difficulty at a later date.

This ability to access sites pre-NIC update is an essential part of 
the web hosting migration process and facilitates intermediate 
testing as well.

Consider that Client Smith has chosen to leave Web Master/Host Dorko 
and to use Web Master/Host Spiffy. Smith is unhappy with current 
service, want to move , but has also decided to take this opportunity 
to update the site. Spiffy begins making mods to his copy of the site 
on a Raq. At this time the NIC Registrar (whoever NetSol, Register, 
etc) still points to Dorko. How does Spiffy show current progress to 
Smith (Smith is in another state) via routed addresses?

You could solve this with any number of temporary hacks, mod 'Hosts', 
dummy test domain, etc. The problem is that all the solutions require 
you to undo something when your done "testing/migrating" or run the 
risk of the hardcoded solution breaking later. A much better approach 
is to enable the proper style of global functionality within the Raq 
itself.

This is done by taking a a spare IP and repointing its DocRoot to 
/home/sites/ and a few other mods to httpd.conf thereby creating a 
proper solution permanently and allowing persistent access to sites 
via FQDN/DNS when properly setup and via a designated IP or FQDN of 
the form:

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/www.somedomain.com

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/site#

www.mytestbed.com/www.somedomain.com
[presuming that www.mytestbed.com = xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx]

My previous post is quoted here for convenience:
[Note; this is not the only way to do this. Rewrites and
other approaches can offer differing results]

> If your objective is to allow the developer the ability to access 
> the web site prior to the time you re-point the root-level DNS 
> (Network Solutions, Register.com, etc), the easiest thing to do is 
> to modify httpd.conf like so:
> (obviously xx.xx.xx.xx and www.somedomain.com should be valid and 
> replaced by whatever they are on your server)
>
> NameVirtualHost xx.xx.xx.xx
> ##############################
> <VirtualHost xx.xx.xx.xx>
> ServerName www.somedomain.com
> ServerAdmin admin
> # To facilitate migration redirect trick
> DocumentRoot /home/sites
> RewriteEngine on
> RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST}                !^xx.xx.xx.xx(:80)?$
> RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST}                !^www.somedomain.com(:80)?$
> RewriteRule ^/(.*)                      http://www.somedomain.com/$1 [L,R]
> RewriteOptions inherit
> # to facilitate access to web dirs only via migration redirect trick
> AliasMatch ^/(www[^/]+)(/(.*))? /home/sites/$1/web/$3
> AddHandler cgi-wrapper .cgi
> AddHandler cgi-wrapper .pl
> AddHandler server-parsed .shtml
> AddType    text/html     .shtml
> <Directory /home/sites>
> Options -Indexes
> </Directory>
> </VirtualHost>
>
> JP




[Now mind you this sort of thing should be built-in on Cobalt]





> on 9/2/00 5:54 AM, Eurowolf@xxxxxxx at Eurowolf@xxxxxxx wrote:
>
> >  how can I see a website on a raq server  before the registrar has updated
> >  their dns
> >
> >  I think this question was answered a long time ago , but I cant find the
> >  answer anywhere
> >
> >  Like how do I see site 27?   www.machinename/site27 ? or os ?
>
> Try editing your 'hosts' file.  If you search on this topic in the archives,
> it will give you more specific directions.  I have posted on this topic a
> few times--unfortunately I don't have those posts readily availible.
>
> -k
>
>
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--
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|  Jerry Pape
|  jpape@xxxxxxxx
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