Hi,

I'm new to FCS and need some help getting set up. I'm running on a windows
box with IIS as the web server. I've got the FCS installed, but need to know
some basic things like:

What should my doc root directory be? samples, applications, or something else?

Where should I put my client side files? I've already figured out my flv
files need to go in the applications directory. Should I put all my client
side folders in there or do I create a kind of mirrored folder structure
between the app directory and the doc root?

Are there any particular settings I should change or make to Windows or IIS to
optimize this as a Flash Comm Server or is it enough to be set up like a
regular web server?

Thanks!

Ok, I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere now, but of course every answer
brings up more questions.

My FCS doc root does appear to be set to the applications directory. My Web
Server doc root seems to be set to the "Samples" directory. When I change
this, the web server doc root can be whatever I want? It doesn't even have to
be inside the Flash Comm folders?

When you say "those are the ones that get streamed, not served remotely
through the rtmp connection." I'm not sure I follow you. I guess I need to
understand more about this rtmp connection. When my actionscript says
something like:

nc = new NetConnection();
nc.connect("rtmp:/video_tutorial/video");

then later,

ns.play("somevideo");

That's setting up and playing a stream of the file
applications/video_tutorial/streams/video/somevideo.flv correct?

ill try to explain as detailed as i can.

on the web, whenever there's flashcom involved we have 2 kinds of files. those
that get served, i.e. a local copy resides on the target machine, in its cache,
and those that get streamed, i.e. they are sent bit by bit to a local app on
the target machine, and get processed there for whatever purpose.

a swf, is a file of the first kind. its actually a local app (think
actionscript) served through a browser, via the flash player plugin, that
resides in the target machine (dont believe me? check your cache for swf's
even) and does stuff.

now. with the launch of flashcom server, macromedia gave that swf new powers.
it can connect to a flashcom server app instance and do stuff with it.

one of the kinds of stuff a swf can now do, is act as a player for the content
streamed from a flashcom server. a stream is a flow of bits from either a
remote file (the .flv residing on the flashcom server, for example), or a
stream published to the flashcom server by another swf client.


so, the two servers are independent. one is used to send files to a browser,
the other is used to communicate between swf's, stream content or act silly.

i wouldnt call putting the doc root of the web server into the samples folder
a mistake, but at least for cleanness you could move it to another location.

idd recommend a linux distro and apache. saves more resources for the flashcom,
which is a hog, a times, and its well, free.

i also wouldnt recommend you putting the fcs document root in your web root
unless you really know what you're doing, and securing it really well. if you
need to shuffle files around the flashcom server check out the linux/win file
system functions in php, for example, and make sure you set the adeuquate
permissions.

My IT dept. insisted on a Windows server, so that's what I've got. Right now
the doc root is set to the FCS "samples" folder, which doesn't really seem
right to me. Should it be "applications" or something else?

Also, am I correct in understanding that I'll be putting my server side files
like flvs, etc. in the applications directory but the client side .swf files
somewhere else? Or is it all supposed to go together?

well, if windows is a must, at least get apache on it, nowadays its far safer
than iis, works a lot faster and with less overhead.

erm, yea, you are correct, the flashcom root should be centered on the
applications folder, those samples are just teasers macromedia provides.

thats right, your server sided files would go in the flashcom document root
(the applications folder mentioned above), and those are the ones that get
streamed, not served remotely through the rtmp connection.

your swf files along with the rest of stuff that makes up your website(s) go
into the web server's doc root to be served to the clients.


just remember to at least htaccess the dirs where other people dont belong.