Windows Frequently Asked Questions

Questions:

1. I have designed my site in ASP - can I just upload it to your site now?
2. Does Digiweb support ColdFusion?
3. What version of IIS does Digiweb New Zealand Limited run?
4. I designed my site in MS FrontPage, do you support FrontPage Server Extensions?
5. I have created a custom .dll that I need installed on the server so that a component of my site runs correctly. Will you do this for me?
6. I have a commercial .dll with a website that provides information on it, will you install this for me?
7. I see there is a default /_database/ directory in my account. What is this for?
8. I hear that there are a lot of security holes in Microsoft's server software. What has been done to minimise the risk of this?
9. I am running an Access database on my site and I require an ODBC connection - will Digiweb New Zealand Limited create a DSN for me?
10. I want to connect to my database using a connection string instead of a DSN, do you have an example I can use?
11. I am using Dreamweaver to publish to my W2K/CF hosting plan and I am getting an error when creating some subdirectories. Is this normal?
12. When calling the File System Object (FSO) I am getting no response - has this been disabled?
13. What .NET 2.0 trust levels do your shared Win2003 servers run under?

Answers:

1. I have designed my site in ASP - can I just upload it to your site now?

   No. Digiweb expects that all customers using ASP have carefully tested their pages on a personal web server environment before uploading .asp files to the live hosting environment. Any customers found to be placing untested .asp files on Digiweb servers will have their site disabled.

2. Does Digiweb support ColdFusion?

   Yes, we support the lastest version of Coldfusion from Adobe.

3. What version of IIS does Digiweb New Zealand Limited run?

   Our servers all run IIS6.0

4. I designed my site in MS FrontPage, do you support FrontPage Server Extensions?

   Yes. Digiweb New Zealand Limited supports FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions.

5. I have created a custom .dll that I need installed on the server so that a component of my site runs correctly. Will you do this for me?

   No. To preserve server integrity, Digiweb New Zealand Limited does not allow customers to install custom .dll files on the server. This is in the interest of all customers in a virtual hosting environment. If you want to order a dedicated server and install customer .dll files, please email marketing@digiweb.co.nz for a quote.

6. I have a commercial .dll with a website that provides information on it, will you install this for me?

   Yes. If the customer can direct Digiweb to a website showing the usage of the .dll then we will install it provided we consider it unlikely to compromise the server. There is a NZ$50 plus GST charge for doing this.

7. I see there is a default /_database/ directory in my account. What is this for?

   If you intend to run an Access database, then this is the ideal place to put it. By default, this directory is configured to have 'modify' permissions so the IUSR can perform read/write/execute operations to a database placed in this directory. Furthermore, 'read' permissions have been removed from this directory under IIS5.0 so that people can not download your database by placing the full path into their browser.

8. I hear that there are a lot of security holes in Microsoft's server software. What has been done to minimise the risk of this?

   Digiweb New Zealand Limited ensures that all of the latest patches and service packs are installed on its servers as soon as they are released.

9. I am running an Access database on my site and I require an ODBC connection - will Digiweb New Zealand Limited create a DSN for me?

   Yes. We encourage customers to place their databases in their /_database/ directory as permissions are correctly configured for databases in this directory.

   The information Digiweb needs to create a DSN are:

   1. Location of Database
   2. Name of Database
   3. Preferred Data Source Name (DSN)

   Please note that your preferred DSN may not always be available

10. I want to connect to my database using a connection string instead of a DSN, do you have an example I can use?

    Yes, here is an example using the physical path as a reference:

    <%
    Set conn = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
    DSNtemp="DRIVER=(Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};"
    DSNtemp=dsntemp & "DBQ=e:\DataArea\financials.mdb"
    conn.Open DSNtemp
    %>

    Note: you should always enquire as to what the full path to your database directory is, but as a rule this is generally the complete path to your home directory: d:\inetpub\wwwroot\[your-login] where [your-login] is your FTP login.

11. I am using Dreamweaver to publish to my W2K/CF hosting plan and I am getting an error when creating some subdirectories. Is this normal?

    There is a known bug in the Dreamweaver FTP software that clashes with the FTP software utilized on W2K servers that prevents Dreamweaver from replicating directory structures greater than 2 levels deep during the transfer/upload process. The solution around this is to manually create the subdirectories that are greater than two levels deep before you upload your content, then you will be able to transfer the contents to the pre-existing subdirectories without a problem. This problem is specific to Dreamweaver, and any other FTP client such as CuteFTP or WS-FTP will work without difficulty.

12. When calling the File System Object (FSO) I am getting no response - has this been disabled?

    Yes - for security reasons on newer Windows servers, Digiweb has disabled the FSO - we have replaced this with a third party FSO that you can make identical calls on using the following code:

    <% Set oFS=Server.CreateObject("SoftArtisans.FileManager") %>

    This is a replacement to a line of code such as:

    <% Set oFS = server.createobject("scripting.filesystemobject") %>

    All calls to this object are identical to the filesystemobject.

13. What .NET 2.0 trust levels do your shared Win2003 servers run under?

    As per Microsoft's recommended best practices, Digiweb's .NET2.0 servers run under Medium Trust levels to ensure maximum security. No exceptions will be made to this trust level for individual sites. Should you require higher trust levels, you would need to order a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or Dedicated Server.