Having difficulty publishing to a server - Do I really need to use Tomcat?

Report · Aug 14, 2009

Hi there

I and one of our network administrators have been combing through the forums and posts to try and determine why I am unable to publish to the robohelp server using "HTTP". I am successfully able to publish to this server using "File System".

So, my question is if this is an internal database (only users who have access through AD will be able to reach it), do I really need to use "HTTP"? If I use the "File System" to publish, what functionality do I lose by not using "HTTP"?

Thank you for your help.

Report · Aug 14, 2009

Hi there

File System should work just fine as long as you have a mapped channel to the server.

If you can publish that way, just ignore the HTTP publishing.

Cheers... Rick

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Report · Aug 14, 2009

Thank you! You have totally made my day!

Report · Aug 14, 2009

Following up on Ricks' good answer.

For clarification to someone else who stumbles onto this thread let me add a note. The Tomcat server reference you may have read about is for an author using the optional Adobe RoboHelp *Server* 8 which provides feedback reports and other extra enhancements. In that case there is a special publishing interface built into the RoboHelp authoring client (Single Source Layouts) that allows the author to publish directly to the RoboHelp Server which is an application that specifically uses the Tomcat server. Sounds like you are not using RoboHelp Server, so you and Rick are correct. Tomcat does not enter the picture in that scenario.

Thanks

John Daigle

John Daigle
Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor
Newport, Oregon

Report · Aug 14, 2009

Hi John

Thank you for jumping in here. Actually, we do have RoboHelp Server 8, and yes I am the administrator on it. It is running on a slice of VMware. I have tried every combination of trying to publish the database using HTTP I could possible try. But, the error usually comes back: Compilation complete.
Warning: Failed to publish to "Robohelp". reason: Connection failed. Please check the connection and post again.
Native Error: The server name or address could not be resolved.

Now, here's the catch....the way the server is set up there is a C:\ drive and a D:\ drive. The D:\ drive is where the files will be written to. So, I tried the path as follows:http://nasy00rbhlp/robohelp with the server directory pointing to /d$/databases (where databases is the name of the folder in which the files reside).

I keep thinking it's a simple syntax error but I am totally unable to figure it out.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Report · Aug 17, 2009

Hopefully this link will help you with the syntax.

Read the RoboColum(n).

Report · Aug 17, 2009

Hi Column

Thank you so much for responding to my post. I am still having problems publishing but things are starting to make a little bit more sense to me. I've tried several diffrence strings to publish to:

http://nasy00rbhlp:8080/robohelp/server?area=d:/databases&prj=practise

I have tried substituting d$ for d:/

I've also tried it with just d$ or d:/ by itself (server?area=d:/ or d$) and prj=databases/practise

I've tried forward slashes, back slashes, no slashes, colons, dollar signs and any other combination you can think of.

Just to clarify, RoboHelp 8 Server is running over a slice of VMware. The C: drive is where we have the server app along with Tomcat installed; d:\databases will be the area to which the database will be published.

I do appreciate your help in this.

Best Regards,
Karen Pavero

Report · Aug 17, 2009

Hi Karen.

Do you need the "D:/" at all? I have to admit to being unware of how the VMware affects the syntax but "database" in your URL should point to the Area you have set up on the server. If this doesn't work I'd be left guessing I'm afraid. It maybe a case of Tulika (the ever helpful Abobe RH Server expert) chiming in.

Paging Tulika! 😉

Read the RoboColum(n).

Report · Aug 17, 2009

Hi Colum

I gave it a try without using the d: drive and still got the same results.

Tuika, you're up! Save me!!!

🙂

Have a great day and thank you again.

Report · Aug 17, 2009

Hi - I hesitate to butt in here, but see if this helps.

Open a browser window and type in the address for your Tomcat/RoboHelp site.

e.g. this may be http://nasy00rbhlp:8080/robohelp/server, based on your description.

If it's set up correctly, you should get the default "Congratulations!" page, assuming no project files are successfully published yet.

If this doesn't work, try http://nasy00rbhlp:8080 and it should bring up the Tomcat page, assuming that part is configured correctly. If either fails, you have installation issues, or perhaps Tomcat or Apache (or IIS) is not running.

If all is well, then open your Help project in the RoboHelp 8 client.

Double-click WebHelp Pro in the Single Source Layouts pod.

Click Next.

In the Server list, select the entry for your server (assuming you've created this already), and click Edit;

Server Name should be http://nasy00rbhlp:8080/robohelp/server

Not sure what you've configured your user/pass to be in the server administrator (http://nasy00rbhlp:8080/robohelp/admin), but admin/admin may work.

Click the button to the right of the Help Area box. "general" should appear in the drop-down list (it's the default 'area'). If you created an area called 'databases' using the server's Admin tool, that entry also should appear. Select it.

Click OK and then Click Finish.

See if this works.

VMware should not matter.

Report · Aug 18, 2009

Okay, I am cooking with gas now!!! (Does the happy dance.) Your instructions worked like a charm (after I kidnapped my network adminstrator and made him explain it to me ).

So, I have some more questions (I know I am really pushing it):

I have tried publishing just using FlashHelp but get an error message (FlashHelp Pro worked the same way WebHelp Pro worked).

1) What's the difference between FlashHelp and FlashHelp Pro?.

2) Do I really care if I can't publish using FlashHelp if publishing works with WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro?

3) Is one format "better" than the other. I know using Flash makes for better effects but is there anything else to consider?

These questions may actually belong in another conversation, but I'm on a roll.

Thank you again for your help and patience! You have no idea how excited I am! (Or maybe you do?)

Karen

Report · Aug 18, 2009

Hi Karen

I'll never have all the answers but am always happy to share the ones I do.

karenp4 wrote:
I have tried publishing just using FlashHelp but get an error message (FlashHelp Pro worked the same way WebHelp Pro worked).
1) What's the difference between FlashHelp and FlashHelp Pro?.

The difference is that FlashHelp and WebHelp both work on generic Web servers. The Pro versions of each are specifically designed to work only with the proprietary RoboHelp Server. (Additional fees and work to install on your own servers apply) So if you did not wish to spend the cash to acquire the RoboHelp Server, but you had a Web Server already handy, you could publish FlashHelp or WebHelp and have them work. The Pro versions combined with RoboHelp Server provide some reporting capability and dynamic merging of projects. You can still merge using basic FlashHelp or WebHelp, but you have to construct them in a specific manner to do so.

karenp4 wrote:
2) Do I really care if I can't publish using FlashHelp if publishing works with WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro?

If you are truly using RoboHelp Server, you would not want to publish using basic FlashHelp. Otherwise, why go to the additional added expense and trouble of purchasing and installing the server?

karenp4 wrote:
3) Is one format "better" than the other. I know using Flash makes for better effects but is there anything else to consider?
These questions may actually belong in another conversation, but I'm on a roll.

It depends on your view. In some organizations, ANY Flash is forbidden. So that format would be "right out". It does have additional visual appeal in some cases, but that comes at a price. The price? If you want to customize it in any way whatsoever, you need a copy of Adobe Flash, and knowledge of how to use it. (It's got a flat learning curve and is a bit difficult to learn and not simply absorbed easily by a beginner.) WebHelp has a Skin Editor and all you need are some basic graphics skills to modify things a lot.

Cheers... Rick

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Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95!

Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training

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RoboHelp eBooks

Report · Aug 18, 2009

Hey Rick

Thanks for explaining everything to me. We do have the Robohelp Server so using one of the "Pro's" certainly makes sense. I do know of several internal websites that use Flash but I will check with our Web Admin to make sure that that's not a no-no.

You and everyone else have been a terrific help.

Report · Aug 18, 2009

The solution to my problem had to do with the way RoboHelp Server and Tomcat had been originally installed. The software had not been registerd. Additionally, the network administator had to create an "area" to where the databases could be published. Once that was completed, I was able to select the area as instucted an earlier post. The issue of VM ware and having a D:\drive were completely irrelevant.