I am seeking advice and I’m sure someone can help me. I am trying to set up a machine as a web host, to support multiple web sites.

Originally I purchased Win XP Pro under the disillusion that it could support my needs for Web Site(s) hosting. I spent many frustrating hours trying to implement multiple websites using IIS. I created several sites and filled them with pages and assets. After I published the sites the webs all became entangled, and accessing the files proved interesting. Eventually I found a reference that explained the version of IIS in XP will only support 1 web site. I am another victim of the marketing conspiracy.

Next I searched the web looking for “alternative Web Servers” to replace IIS so I could use my existing system. I downloaded all sorts of software. Web servers, application servers, mail servers, DB servers, and server servers. None of the programs worked “out of the box” and all my time went into learning how to configure each item. As I attempted to use these programs they all indicated there was always something else needed. Most included documentation written in a subset of English that relies on acronyms that send me looking for elusive definitions. I haven’t succeeded in getting anything working for me yet.

Adding to the problem my web sites must provide functions that will access database records from MS Access and other databases. I have used Access to create web pages which worked correctly however; these pages do not provide the particular interface needs I require. I examined the code on the pages and realized there were things other than HTML (scripts) incorporated in the pages that I couldn’t access see, (or find) to modify to my needs.

I searched the web for information on script languages and downloaded documentation and SDK’s for everything I could find. Then I spent hours trying to decipher the true meaning of “Hello World” code in 6 languages, none of which are familiar to me. It seems my past experience with programming languages is of little use in determining “if” I “must” use a script language or which one(s) I “must” learn.

At this point confusion reigns and I am fused to go postal. I don’t know what to do, what to do it with, why I need it, or where to get it. What I do know is my budget went flat after my last purchase; (A strong new machine running a clean installation of Win 2000 server). I’m ready to start fresh.

Given this new platform and my previously mentioned needs I am in hopes that some seasoned individual can kindly offer me a finite solution (template) for my dilemma.



Humbly,

Martin Barrowcliff

Zmarty@Hotmail.com