Verifying the Server Environment

This chapter describes ColdFusion Server system requirements and configuration procedures for common Web server environments.

Contents

• Windows System Requirements 16

• Windows Configuration 16

• Verifying the Web Server 16

• Installing ColdFusion Express 17

• Configuring the Apache Web Server 18

• Verifying ColdFusion Express 18

• Installation Considerations and Final Notes 19

Windows System Requirements

The table below describes the ColdFusion Express Server system requirements.

Windows Configuration

To install and configure your environment for ColdFusion Express:

1. Verify that a Web server is installed and properly configured.

2. Load and configure ColdFusion Server.

3. Verify that ColdFusion Express Server is running. Installation steps

   are explained in detail below.

Note When running an Apache Web server, you will need to configure it for ColdFusion support after you install ColdFusion Express.

Verifying the Web Server

A Web server must already be installed and running in order to install and configure ColdFusion on a Windows system.

To verify that a Web server is running:

1. Open a browser on your local system and enter the following URL:

HTTP://127.0.0.1

If the Web server is running and properly configured, the default Web page appears in your browser.

If a Web server is not properly configured, you will receive an error message.

1. If you received an error, check Services in the Control Panel on a

   Windows NT machine or the Web server’s utility on a Windows 95 or 98 machine to manage the Web server.

Note If you are using a proxy server to access the Internet, you will need to configure your localhost (127.0.0.1) to bypass it within your browser Internet options.

If errors persist, reinstall the Web server software and contact the Web server vendor before installing ColdFusion Express.

Installing ColdFusion Express

If you are viewing this documentation, then you have installed ColdFusion Express and this explanation is for information only.

Load and configure ColdFusion Express by launching the install program, setup.exe. During ColdFusion Express setup, a wizard prompts for:

• The ColdFusion components to install

• The Web server you want to use with ColdFusion

• A folder in which to store ColdFusion program files To get started

  quickly, accept default folders.

If your system has a previous version of ColdFusion, setup.exe replaces ColdFusion program files but does not remove or change any existing application pages.

Caution Prior to running setup.exe, close all other applications and shutdown any database servers running on the same machine. This ensures that the ODBC drivers install properly.

To install ColdFusion Express:

1. Login to your system using an Administrator account.

2. Run setup.exe from your hard drive.

3. Read and accept the ColdFusion Express license agreement.

4. Fill in the product registration form.

5. Accept default folder names for ColdFusion files.

6. Select the Web server for ColdFusion.

The setup wizard polls your computer and displays the Web root directory it finds.

1. Accept default folder names for ColdFusion files.

ColdFusion examples and documentation are installed in the CFDOCS directory which resides below the Web server’s root directory.

1. Add ColdFusion Express to the Start menu.

2. Start the installation by verifying the data on the next screen and

   then press Next.

After the installation is complete, perform the next series of tasks if you have an Apache Web server. Otherwise, move ahead to verify that ColdFusion Express is running.

Note Allaire recommends that you don’t install sample applications and documentation on production servers or servers that are available on the internet unless you secure the CFDOCS directory using standard Web security.

Configuring the Apache Web Server

In order to run ColdFusion Express on an Apache Web server on a Windows system, configure the Web server to load the ColdFusion module.

To configure the Apache Web server:

1. Copy the ColdFusion module:

   c:\cfusion\bin\ApacheModuleColdFusion.dll to your Apache modules directory.

2. Edit the Apache\conf\httpd.conf configuration file to include this

   line:

LoadModule coldfusion_module modules/ApacheModuleColdFusion.dll

Verifying ColdFusion Express

After installation, test ColdFusion Express to ensure that it is configured correctly for a Web server. ColdFusion is delivered with sample applications and databases. You may test the configuration by accessing a sample application or by accessing the ColdFusion Administrator, a tool that you can use to fine-tune the server settings.

To verify ColdFusion Express Server:

1. Select Start > Programs > ColdFusion Express > Welcome to

   ColdFusion. The ColdFusion Server Welcome page appears in your default browser.

2. Select Test your ColdFusion Installation from the Here’s Where to

   Begin category on the page.

The Verification Installation and Configuration page appears.

1. Choose Biology from the department field and choose Verify Query to

   perform a test query.

The test query, Courses Offered by the Biology Department, appears when successful.

Note You can also verify the installation by entering http://127.0.0.1/CFIDE/ Administrator/index.cfm in a local browser URL window or selecting ColdFusion Administrator from the Start menu ColdFusion Express program group to open the ColdFusion Administrator.

Installation Considerations and Final Notes

• By default, ColdFusion Express installation creates and adds three

  Web server mappings on your local machine:

/CFDOCS and /CFIDE reside under your Web root directory.

/CFUSION resides on your hard drive.

All three Web mappings are assigned read and execute permissions.

• Allaire recommends not to install sample applications and

  documentation on production servers or servers that are available on the internet unless you secure the CFDOCS directory using standard Web security.

• To uninstall ColdFusion Express, click the Uninstall ColdFusion

  Express icon in your ColdFusion Express program group.

Where to go from here

• Move on to the next chapter for more details about how ColdFusion

  application pages are processed.

• Refer to the Release Notes to learn more about supported

  configurations, features, and enhancements.

• Contact Allaire Customer Service if ColdFusion Express does not

  install properly.

20 Developing Web Applications with ColdFusion Express

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