Internal Server Requirements

[Mamilossa]

I am the Noob of Noobs when it comes to ColdFusion, so please bare with me.  I'm the administrator of a section on company's intrAnet.  All sections are on our internal server, and mostly all the sections still use FrontPage as their web program.  However, I use Dreamweaver from CS4.  All our sections of the intrAnet are "Static" websites.  Due to the huge amount of content my section has (150+ HTML menu pages and 5000+ PDF, HTML, Excel, and Word files), we are strongly considering switching to a "Dynamic" website, which should make managing the huge content much easier.  This is why I'm looking to ColdFusion.  I have not experience with ColdFusion, but from what I understand this would be program to solve our many problems, like populate menu pages, when called upon, with the related files, while using some sort of MetaData file (not sure if I'm using the right terms, again, Big Noob here).  If ColdFusion, is the tool for us, which I believe it is, I will be getting training on the use of the program.  But first, I need to know if our server will be able to allow ColdFusion to work or what we will need to make it ColdFusion ready.

Here are some details that I think are important...

Everyone on our network uses PCs, no Macs.

Most everyone uses IE 7 or 8, a few maybe use FireFox or Chrome.

The site I manage is strickly IntrAnet, the intErnet site is completely seperate.

The content of the section I manage must reside on the server, PCs are only used to make changes to the content.

Dreamweaver CS4 is currently used.

All programs and/or software must be purchased, and have a licence. We are on a strict watchful eye of what programs we use on our computers and servers.

So, I would like to know what programs and/or software are needed to make this happen?  ColdFusion? What else? (Remember, we have no programs at the moment to support the type of website we want)

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Dave Watts · Accepted solution]

You'll need a web server capable of running ColdFusion (which you probably already have). You'll need a database server, which, ideally, will be a separate machine - you may already have one of these in your environment. Check with your organization's IT for this.

You'll need the ColdFusion software. You probably don't need the Enterprise version unless you're using Oracle for your database server. If you don't have a database server, you'll need database server software. There are various free database server software platforms you can use, as well as commercial non-free database server software platforms.

That's all you really need, as far as material assets go. Developers can use existing copies of Dreamweaver, or free editors of practically any sort. Developers specializing in ColdFusion might prefer using ColdFusion Builder, which is a non-free editor available from Adobe.

But the most important thing you'll need is to actually learn how all this stuff works. This is not a trivial thing. I recommend that you get some training. Of course, as a ColdFusion trainer, maybe I'm a bit biased, but development is pretty complicated even when you use ColdFusion (which is designed to be as simple as possible).

My company is a reseller for Adobe ColdFusion, and we also provide onsite and remote training using Adobe-authorized training materials. Feel free to respond to me directly if you're interested in either of those, and I'll be happy to help you out. Of course, there are lots of other vendors who can help you with both of those.

Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software

http://www.figleaf.com/

http://training.figleaf.com/

[Joshua_Cyr]

What Dave says is solid. I wonder if you are asking for a CMS and not the

underlying technology.

In other words, you should learn ColdFusion, and it can do exactly what you

need. But you also need to build the actual code to manage the pages and

documents. It may be that you can buy a CMS or find an open source CMS for

ColdFusion that will provide a lot of what you need already.

Joshua

[ilssac]

Just to quibble with Dave a bit.

You don't NEED a Database server.  If you plan to store your dynamic data in a database, than yes..  (Which ColdFusion excels at and nearly 100% of CF developers work with).  But technically you don't HAVE to do this.  There is quite a lot that can dynamically be done without a strict database.

But then where is the fun in that.

[Mamilossa]

Thank You Dave, you gave me the info I'm looking for.

Yes I will be getting training if management decides to go this route.  But first I needed to know what I needed to make ColdFusion possible on the ressources we have here.  Two years ago I didn't know what HTML was, and I was asked to learn it because our section of the IntrAnet was getting too big for the IntrAnet group to manage, so they gave the responsibilty to us.  And since FrontPage is somewhat obsolete, I got trained on Dreamweaver, HTML, Flash and Action Script 3.0.  So the next step for our monster of a IntrAnet (nothing complicated, just really big) is to convert it to a Dynamic website.  Our IntrAnet changes on a daily basis, we add, remove and modify content constantly.

Thanks Again.

[Mamilossa]

So from what I understand now...

I need ColdFusion installed on the server.

I need ColdFusion Builder installed on my desktop.

I need a Database Server software (any suggestions? need to be non-free commercial software? does Adobe provide one?)

As far, as the Database server goes, how important is it to be seperate from the server running ColdFusion? Can they function together on the same server? It is important that the Dynamic Data be stored on a server and not on a Desktop.

And most of all, training on the CFML language.

Thanks again everyone for all your great input.

I'm slowly moving away from being a noob.

[ilssac]

Mamilossa wrote:

So from what I understand now...

I need ColdFusion installed on the server.

Yes, this is the one true requirement.

Mamilossa wrote:

I need ColdFusion Builder installed on my desktop.

Or any number of other IDE tools, ranging from simple notepad, crimson editor text tools to full blown integrated tools like ColdFusion Builder or Dreamweaver.

Mamilossa wrote:

I need a Database Server software (any suggestions? need to be non-free commercial software? does Adobe provide one?)

If you plan to integrate database storage into your dynamic web site concept.  Which admittedly almost everybody does, but it is not required.  Popular choices these days that come in many license flavors are SQL Server from Microsoft, Oracle from Oracle, MySql, now from Oracle.  Adobe also provide a version of Derby from Apache in ColdFusion.  But that is not considered a full featured enterprise level database as far as I know.

NOTE: I have specifically chosen to not list Microsoft Access.  Yes, ColdFusion CAN connect to a Microsoft Access database.  Please don't go down this path.  You are young, you have not yet been corrupted.  Down that path leads much madness and frustration.  Even Microsoft says "DON"T DO IT".  Now providing a free version of MS SQL Server that can replace most cases where people have chosen to use Access in an Enterprise capacity which it was never designed to handle.

Mamilossa wrote:

As far, as the Database server goes, how important is it to be seperate from the server running ColdFusion? Can they function together on the same server? It is important that the Dynamic Data be stored on a server and not on a Desktop.

It is the best practice to not put the database on the same server.  One can do it, all the systems will work together, but they can really task the performance of the server.  Database servers are designed to use lots of memory, CPU and disk storage to manage the data.  This can have a real performance impact on the web server's ability to respond to multiple requests, especially simultaneously.  Also there is the whole eggs in one basket thing.

But yes, all the dynamic data (wether in a database or not) needs to be on the server(s) or other always available systems accessable from the server(s) I.E. File Servers.  Desktops usually don't qualify for either requirement.

[ilssac]

Yes ColdFusion would happily do all you indicate you want it to do.  Of course, it is not the only thing that would do this.  But I think I speak for most on this list that it does it very well and faster then most, especially if you are NOT a programmer or web developer yet.

All you technically need is a single ColdFusion application server installed on the computer that hosts your web server (91.37% of ColdFusion is installed on the same box as the web server, though that is not required).

Now to develope the CFML code to run on that ColdFusion application server so that it will dynamically create HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Images, PDFs, Spreadsheets, and much more.  You can use any editor you like.  DreamWeaver is popular, Eclipse with CFeclipise or ColdFusion builder is popular.  But Notepad will create the code just fine.  You just forgo all the nice hints and wizards with a basic text editor.

Hope that helps.

P.S. 98.76% of statistics are made up on the spot.

[Mamilossa]

I feel very comfortable with Dreamweaver and Flash.  I'm sure ColdFusion Builder will give me the same feeling.  I caught on HTML fairly easily, so I think that CFML should be similar.  I looking to go to the same instructor that I had for Dreamweaver.  What helped alot during my training is that I got a special one on one training tailered to our needs.