What is WebHub?
WebHub is a framework for building
dynamic, database-driven web sites
for deployment machines running Microsoft NT.
You can offer value-added services to your customers based on WebHub, for example:
- form-mail services, including logging of data (see any of the email demos)
- advertisement rotation services
(see the ADV demo)
- secure login
(see the HTSC demo)
- sending files from a disguised location, after checking the referer and/or
other values to make sure that the person is allowed to receive the file (see the SENDFILE macro)
Because the WebHub development environment is component-based, a Delphi programmer
can literally click together a custom application that offers search and result pages in
less than an hour. You, or the customer, can then extend the site's features using WebHub-HTML ("W-HTML").
Deployment Details
Here in an overview of the installation process for putting a WebHub application on a server:
- Generally one would install the "WebHub System" first. This installs WebHub Central (hub.exe),
the runner (e.g. runisa.dll), plus some configuration files.
- The next step would be to enter the Hub's unlock code. HREF provides an unlock code with
each hub license.
- Most likely a custom application would be installed next, and the developer would provide
an installation procedure for this. (Some developers include the above two steps in their setup programs
automatically.) The custom application would consist of an EXE, configuration files, W-HTML files
and possibly a database. The details vary considerably based on the type of application.
- The last steps would be to automate the startup of the applications when the server boots.
The Hub may be run as a service, starting automatically. The custom application may or may not
run as a service; if it runs as an application, a BAT file that starts the EXE should be sufficient to
launch the program.
See also: A webmaster's view of the server
ISPs