Microsoft FrontPage

Answers to questions you may have about using Microsoft's FrontPage on our UNIX Servers.

NOTE: For specific information on how to use the FrontPage software, please consult the program's documentation or Microsoft Technical Support.

What is meant by "we Support FrontPage extensions"?
What are "Server Extensions"?
How do I get the FrontPage extensions installed on my site?
Is there a charge for the server extensions?
Are there any limitations when publishing with FrontPage?
Can I use FTP as well as FrontPage to manage my site?
What is a WebBot?
Are all the features available in FrontPage supported on my site?
How do I use SSL with FrontPage?
Are there other resources to help me use FrontPage?

Support for FrontPage
According to Microsoft's documentation for FrontPage Web Presence Providers, "Installing the FrontPage Server Extensions gives your customers full support for all of the features of FrontPage. This includes remote authoring, threaded discussion groups, full-text search, and surveys."

We support Microsoft FrontPage in several ways:

We configure your site for FrontPage by installing and maintaining the server extensions.
We provide Technical Support related to the functionality of the extensions.
We point FrontPage users to resources that will help you solve problems, publish your FrontPage webs and learn techniques for getting the most from your FrontPage software.

We DO NOT provide direct technical support related to the use of your FrontPage software. User issues are referred to Microsoft's Technical Support Team.

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Server Extensions
FrontPage Extensions are CGI programs which provide the server side implementation of FrontPage. FrontPage communicates with the extensions via HTTP using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC). When the server sees the "POST" request addressed to the FrontPage server extensions it simply directs the request to the appropriate CGI program. The extensions implement authoring (uploading/downloading documents, ToDo Lists), administration (setting end-user, author, and administrator privileges), and dynamic content (browse-time WebBot components).

Without the FrontPage Server Extensions you will not be able to take advantage of the WebBots that are available through FrontPage. Also, without the extensions you cannot author and administer your web using the tools provided as part of the FrontPage Editor/Explorer package.

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Getting the Extensions Installed

New Accounts
Check the box on the order form indicating that you want the FrontPage extensions. New domains that request the FrontPage extensions when the order is placed will have the extensions installed within 2 days of activation.

Existing Accounts
To have the FrontPage server extensions installed on your existing site, contact your Affiliate with the following information:

Your domain name
Your userID
Your request for FrontPage extensions.
Confirmation that you have back-up of any web pages currently on the site.
(In most cases it is not necessary to delete files currently on the site to install the extensions. However, if there are directories or files with special permissions (.htaccess) these will have to be removed. You can then re-establish permissions and password protection via the FrontPage Explorer.)

On existing sites, the installation will generally be done within 24 hours.

Upgrading
All FrontPage extensions are running on FrontPage ver 3.0.2.1330.

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Charges
There is no charge for installing the server extensions. We will also reinstall corrupted extensions free of charge*.

*Note: There are certain precautions that MUST be taken when publishing and maintaining your site with FrontPage.

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Limitations
There are some issues which potential FrontPage users should consider:

Web size -- This seems to be most critical when a "searchable event" is present in the web (Search, Discussion Forum and Table of Contents). The lengthy process of updating the indices for these functions can lead to the connection timing-out (HTTP 500 Error or 'Server' has timed-out).
Disk Usage -- You may create and publish as many child webs as your disk storage space allows. However, for each child web you publish, FrontPage duplicates certain information into indices and hidden files. This adds "overhead", increasing the storage space required for your files. Microsoft's documentation notes, "FrontPage 97's optional full-text search indexes can take up to the same amount of disk space as your textual content."
PRECAUTIONS
There are several precautions which need to be taken to protect the FrontPage extensions on your site if it is housed on the UNIX

Do NOT use the Edit Access features found in your Control Panel to set passwords, limit access, set file permissions or delete directories or files in a FrontPage web. This should only be done through the options in FrontPage Explorer.
Do NOT use regular FTP (such as WS_FTP) to upload files to the server when FrontPage extensions are installed. This may corrupt the extensions, disabling the interactive features available with FrontPage.

NOTE: The exception to this is when loading custom scripts to the cgi-local directory on your site. Instructions for uploading custom CGI scripts is included in the notice you will receive when the extensions are installed.

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Bots
WebBots are the mechanism for invoking many of the interactive features built into FrontPage. These features are added to your web through the FrontPage Editor | Insert FrontPage Component.

Some, such as Include and Substitution allow elements of the web to be entered once and included in any or all of the pages by inserting the Bot component referencing that element (e.g. a logo or navigation bar). Changes made to the "master" element are made automatically to any page containing the referencing Bot.

Other Bots, such as Search, Table of Contents and Timestamp, control dynamic browse-time features. These Bots work behind the scenes to keep the web up-to-date for visitors.

For more information on using the Bots, see the documentation provided with FrontPage or contact Microsoft Technical Support.

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Unavailable Features
Since FrontPage was created for developing web-sites in the Windows environment, some features are not available when the site is hosted on our UNIX servers.

Active Server Pages
ODBC and MS SQL Database connections (Access, FoxPro)
ActiveX
VBScript

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How do I use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with FrontPage?
For information on adding secure references to your web pages see our instructions on secure transactions.
SSL can be used with FrontPage with these conditions:

You must have a Plan 2 or higher account with FrontPage extensions installed.
You must request that your site be configured for SSL by sending an e-mail to your Affiliate>our customer care department . Please allow 24 - 48 hours for the configuration to be completed.
Only scripts in cgi-local will be recognized by SSL
(_vti_bin/shtml.exe which FrontPage configures will not work securely)

NOTE: The WebBot Save Results Component configuration in the FrontPage Form Handler Properties cannot be used in conjunction with SSL. Output from the form must be routed through the cgiemail script.

(This is only temporary until Stronghold and Microsoft correct this conflict).

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Other Resources
You may also find answers on many user issues at Microsoft's web site, from newsgroups and, of course, in books on FrontPage.