[FX.php List] Two Servers and FX

[Kevin Futter]

On 4/7/06 8:20 AM, "Dale Bengston" <dbengston at preservationstudio.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> I have a less-than-ideal client scenario involving an FMUv6 server
> (OS X) in one location and a more public web server (Linux) in
> another. I am seeking advice on how to best split up my site code. It
> seems to me that FX.PHP should be on the FMU box, and the other site
> files that refer to it should be on the public web box, but I can't
> get my brain around how to do the including and server IP stuff from
> one to the other.

I would actually put the FX files on the public web server, as that way you
don't have to worry about whether the FMU box has suitable/working webserver
or not. Besides, FMU6 is not particularly efficient, so asking the same box
to handle FX as well might better be avoided.

> 
> Here are my assumptions about having FX on the FMU machine as opposed
> to having FX on the web server...
> 
> -Less network traffic/latency since FX would be making calls locally
> to FMU.
> -I can restrict FMU to only accept traffic from its own IP address.

You can also restrict it to only accepting requests from the public web
server's IP, or an internal firewall/gateway if one is in play.

> 
> I think my brain is on vacation today, as I can't figure out how to
> best implement this. I'd appreciate any advice, or reasons why I
> should have FX on the web server instead.

I think from an IA point-of-view, you should try to treat FMU as a simple
application server or data server. Leave the web smarts to the box designed
to do it. I haven't had to do what you're doing since we left CDML behind,
but basically FM sat behind our firewall and the public web server made
calls to our public IP address, which were then routed by our gateway to the
internal FMU box. It all worked pretty well, apart from the really ugly
URLs, and of course CDML required us to serve *web pages* from the FMU box,
rather than simply db data. Essentially, I think you'd be forced to do the
same with FX using that model. I can't see how you could do it any other way
to be honest.

-- 
Kevin Futter
Webmaster, St. Bernard's College
http://www.sbc.melb.catholic.edu.au/



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