Chapter 7
Using Server Administration

[p]Lasso Professional Server provides a convenient, Web-based interface for configuring Lasso server settings, creating sites, checking for product updates, and much more. This interface is referred to as Server Administration. [/p]

[p]This chapter provides an overview of Server Administration and is divided into the following sections. [/p]

• Accessing Server Administration describes how to connect to Server Administration through a Web browser
• Exploring Server Administration describes the three main sections of Server Administration.
• Interface Elements describes the interface elements and conventions used in Server Administration.
• Lasso Internal Databases provides an overview of the internal SQLite databases that power Server Administration and Lasso Professional Server.

[note][b]Note: [/b]See the following section on Site Administration for details about configuring site preferences, setting up data sources, setting up Lasso security, and building and browsing databases. [/note]

Accessing Server Administration

[p]Server Administration consists of the [code]ServerAdmin.LassoApp[/code] file located in the [code]LassoApps[/code] folder of the Lasso Professional Server application folder. Server Administration is a LassoApp file, which is accessed via a Web browser similar to a standard HTML page. The LassoApp is loaded on-demand by Lasso so does not need to be placed in your Web server root. [/p]

[p]Server Administration uses the XHTML and CSS standards for rendering pages. Server Administration can be accessed in any Web browser that meets the Web browser requirements listed in the configuration chapters in this guide. [/p]

To access Server Administration:

[p]In a Web browser, visit one of the the following URLs. Use [code]localhost[/code] if accessing Server Administration from a browser on the same machine as Lasso Service. Otherwise, replace [code]www.example.com[/code] with the actual domain name or IP address. [/p]

[pre]http://localhost/ServerAdmin.LassoApp
http://www.example.com/ServerAdmin.LassoApp [/pre]

[note][b]Note: [/b]On Linux machines it is necessary to specify the name of the LassoApp using proper case [code]SiteAdmin.LassoApp[/code]. On Windows and Mac OS X the case of the file name doesn’t matter. [/note]

[note][b]Note: [/b]Web server rewrite technologies such as Apache [code]mod_rewrite[/code] may interfere with loading Site Administration. An exception should be made for URLs with the [code].LassoApp[/code] extension in any rewrite rules. [/note]

[p]The Web browser should prompt for the server administrator username and password. The Web browser will not prompt if Server Administration has already been accessed using the browser in the current session or if the authentication information has been stored in a keychain, passport, or browser preferences. [/p]

[p]If an error is displayed, make sure Lasso Service and the Web server are running as described in the configuration chapters of this guide. [/p]

Figure 1: Server Administration

[note][b]Note: [/b]The Server Administration LassoApp also includes the initialization page for Lasso. Consult the configuration chapters in this guide for instructions of how to initialize Lasso Professional Server. [/note]

Server Administrator Account

[p]Only a person with the server administrator username and password may access Server Administration. The server administrator account is one of the first things that is set up after installing Lasso Professional Server, and is critical to the operation and administration of Lasso. The server administrator username and password should be protected since anyone who has it can make modifications to Lasso’s server settings. [/p]

[p]If for any reason the server administrator username and password is forgotten or lost, they can be reset using the procedure below. The Lasso Professional Server serial number is required in order to do this. [/p]

To reset a lost server administrator username and password:

1. Stop Lasso Service. On Mac OS X, type [code]sudo lasso8ctl stop[/code] at the command line. On Windows, use the [code]Services[/code] control panel to stop [code]Lasso Professional Server 8[/code]. More details can be found in the appropriate configuration chapter in this guide.

2. Locate the [code]ResetAdminPassword.LassoApp[/code] file in the Setup Guide documentation folder. and copy it into the [code]LassoStartup[/code] folder. The [code]Lasso Professional Server[/code] folder can be found in the [code]Applications [/code]folder on Mac OS X or in the [code]Program FilesOmniPilot Software[/code] folder on Windows.

3. Retart Lasso Service. On Mac OS X, type [code]sudo lasso8ctl start[/code] at the command line. On Windows, use the [code]Services[/code] control panel to start [code]Lasso Professional Server 8[/code]. The [code]ResetAdminPassword.LassoApp[/code] is automatically moved out of the [code]LassoStartup[/code] folder.

3. Retart Lasso Service again. On Mac OS X, type [code]sudo lasso8ctl start[/code] at the command line. On Windows, use the [code]Services[/code] control panel to start [code]Lasso Professional Server 8[/code]. This will ensure that Lasso will properly prompt for a new serial number.

4. Access Server Administration in a Web browser. This should cause the initialization screen to appear. Use [code]localhost[/code] if you are accessing Server Administration on the same machine as Lasso Service. Otherwise, replace [code]www.example.com[/code] with your actual domain name or IP address.

[pre]http://localhost/ServerAdmin.LassoApp
http://www.example.com/ServerAdmin.LassoApp [/pre]

• If the initialization screen does not appear then make sure that you restarted Lasso Service twice. The second restart is required for a full reset of Lasso’s administrator username and password, and serial number.

5. Enter your Lasso Professional Server serial number, desired username, and desired password in the initialization screen.

[p]The Lasso server administrator username and password have been successfully reset and Server Administration may now be accessed normally. All of the sites, server preferences, and site settings on the machine will be unchanged. [/p]

Exploring Server Administration

[p]This section describes the three main sections of the Server Administration interface, which are navigable via tabs at the top of the interface. [/p]

[note][b]Note: [/b]See the following section on Site Administration for details about configuring site preferences, setting up data sources, setting up Lasso security, and building and browsing databases. [/note]

Setup

[p]The [code]Setup[/code] section allows the administrator to enter serial numbers, configure Chart FX, set up preferences for Lasso Professional Server, check for updates, and import or export Lasso’s server settings. The functionality of the [code]Setup[/code] section is described in the Setting Server Preferences chapter. [/p]

Sites

[p]The [code]Sites[/code] section allows the administrator to add and configure individual Lasso sites. The functionality of the [code]Sites[/code] section is described in the Setting Up Sites chapter. [/p]

Figure 2: Sites Section

Utility

[p]The [code]Utility[/code] section provides the server administrator various tools for maintaining the Lasso Professional Server server. This includes tools for executing SQL statements, monitoring errors, and more. The functionality of the [code]Utility[/code] section is described in the Server Utilities chapter. [/p]

Figure 3: Utility Section

Support

[p]The [code]Support[/code] section provides links to various LassoSoft and third-party support resources. [/p]

Interface Elements

[p]This section describes the basics of using and customizing the Server Administration interface. [/p]

[p][def]Tab Navigation[/def] – Navigation occurs by selecting the text portion of a tab. Doing so will display the next tier of tabs with a page below. Each page generally contains two panels. The left panel provides a summary and listing of options and specified values. The right panel provides details for any selected list item. If a tab is disabled (i.e. does not link to a page upon selection), then one must fulfill a requirement such as selecting an option or button on a previous page before that page can be accessed. [/p]

[p][def]Information Input And Display[/def] – All input within the interface is accomplished in the same manner as standard Web pages: by selecting HTML buttons, pull-down menus, check and boxes, and by entering information into text fields. A button name that ends in an ellipses (e.g. [code]Databases…[/code]) means that the button will take the user to another page in Server Administration or to a dialog box. Feedback after performing an action within Server Administration occurs via a dialog box or bold-style text within a panel. Error messages are always in a red font. [/p]

[p][def]Navigating Found Sets[/def] – Navigation within extended lists occurs via [code]Prev[/code] and [code]Next[/code] buttons, which are located under the last result in the page. Listings are always displayed in groups of ten, where selecting the [code]Prev[/code] and [code]Next[/code] buttons will display the previous or next ten results. [/p]

[p][def]Status Bar[/def] – The status bar at the bottom of the screen shows the name of the current LassoApp. During an evaluation period, it will also show the number of days remaining in the evaluation period and a [code]Buy Now [/code]link, which takes one to the LassoSoft online store. A [code]Logout[/code] link is also provided allowing the current user to log out of Server Administration. [/p]

Lasso Server Databases

[p]Lasso Professional Server uses several internal SQLite databases to store data and settings. These databases are required for Lasso Professional Server to function properly. This section describes the function for each of these databases. [/p]

• lasso_global – This is the database where all data that is input by an administrator into Server Administration is stored. This includes sites, site criteria, and server preferences defined in Server Administration.
• site – This database stores utility tables for the master site.
• [def]lasso_internal_#[/def] – The internal databases for each site can be accessed through Server Administration. Each internal database is numbered with the site id.

[p]None of the settings within these databases should be modified directly. All modifications should occur through the Server Administration interface. Making changes to these internal SQLite databases can have a severe negative effect on the performance and functionality of Lasso Professional Server. [/p]