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05-20-2008 - Welcome Messages and Virtual Hosts in Serv-U

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Hello,

Welcome to another installment of the RhinoSoft.com newsletter. You are getting this newsletter because you signed up on our web site. If you would like to stop receiving these newsletters, please visit: http://www.RhinoSoft.com/newsletter/unsubscribe.asp

The intent of this newsletter is to give you some pointers on each of our products. This newsletter focuses on some quick tips to using the newly released version of Serv-U.

Welcome Messages In Serv-U

Serv-U enables administrators to create a custom Welcome Message to be displayed to users when they first log on to the Serv-U File Server. This message can contain information such as current server statistics, rules and regulations for usage, and much more. This Welcome Message is displayed to FTP and HTTP users only as the SSH protocol does not allow for this type of information to be received by the user.

To create a Welcome Message for a User or Group, open the Serv-U Management Console and navigate to the User or Group Properties depending on whether you want to create the message for individual Users or all Users that are a member of a specific Group. This can be done at the Domain or Server level. Next, open the Welcome Message tab. From here there are two options:

• Specify a file that contains the welcome message.
• Enter the welcome message directly into Serv-U.

If the Welcome Message is being configured for a User, the "Override inherited group welcome message" option must be checked to configure the Welcome Message.

Welcome Messages can also be configured at the Domain and Server levels, though at these levels they must be contained in a file. To configure a Welcome Message in this manner, navigate to the FTP Settings tab under the appropriate Limits & Settings page. If this is done at the Domain level, you may need to click the button to use "Custom Settings". Next, select "Global Properties" and navigate to the Message File tab to select the file containing the desired message.

Serv-U Welcome Messages make use of a wide range of macros that provide dynamic information such as server utilization, server time, number of users connected, and more. For a list of the available macros, see Knowledge Base Article #1057.

Macros Available in Serv-U 7.x:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/KnowledgeBase/KBArticle.asp?RefNo=1057&prod=su

Virtual Hosts In Serv-U

Virtual Hosts are a new feature to Serv-U. They allow Serv-U to host multiple different Domains on the same physical address (IP address and port) by providing clients with a method for selecting the appropriate Domain after a connection is established.

The HTTP protocol has a built-in header parameter called "Host" that specifies the Domain the browser used to establish the connection. For example, if a user enters "www.Serv-U.com" into the browser, the "Host" parameter in the HTTP header is "www.Serv-U.com". If the user visits "www.RhinoSoft.com", they are sent to the same IP address and port as "www.Serv-U.com". However, the web server knows the appropriate content to return because of the "Host" header field.

Virtual Hosts in Serv-U allow you to specify these domain names in the same way. Simply go to "Domain Details" then select the "Virtual Hosts" tab. Click the "Add" button and add the desired domain name. There is no limit to the number of Virtual Host names a Domain can have. Be sure to add Virtual Hosts to your other domains as well to distinguish them from one another.

To extend this functionality to FTP, we've enhanced the protocol with the addition of the HOST command. FTP clients can issue a HOST command before logging in to the FTP server to ensure a connection is established to the appropriate domain. This feature is available in FTP Voyager 15 as well as various other FTP clients.

More Information On Virtual Hosts:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/KnowledgeBase/KBArticle.asp?RefNo=1742&prod=su

HOST Command Internet Draft Information:
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-peterson-streamlined-ftp-command-extensions-04.txt

Additional HOST Command Information:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/respcode.asp?cmd=HOST&prod=su

Download FTP Voyager For A FREE 30 Day Trial:
http://www.ftpvoyager.com/download/

FREE SUPPORT OPTIONS

If you need technical or sales support, please use one of the following URLs. Our support turn-around time is very fast during normal working hours Central Time U.S.:

Technical Support:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/support

Knowledge Base:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/kb

Sales Support:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/sales

ON-LINE CUSTOMER SERVICE

If you need to change any of your customer information, you can make changes on-line. The RhinoSoft.com On-line Customer Service page allows you to resend your registration ID, receipt, invoice, and change your information in our database. To use visit:
http://www.RhinoSoft.com/customer

Thanks for reading!

Thomas J. Parikka - Technical Support Engineer
JoRey Stephens - Technical Support Engineer
http://www.RhinoSoft.com
Voice: +1(262) 560-9627
FAX: +1(262) 560-9628