Development, Analysis And Research

I can never seem to remember, how to remember how to reconfigure a subdomain with plesk without looking it up, so for quick reference.

<directory /home/httpd/vhosts/ajohnstone.com>
  php_admin_value open_basedir none
</directory>

/usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/websrvmng -a

OR

/usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/websrvmng -u --vhost-name=domain.com

Also, today I learnt that you cannot attach the onmouseover event to an option element. I found this rather odd, despite never having attempted this before. I’m sure you could write a hack to attach an event.

open basedir, PHP, Plesk

Popularity: 3% [?]

MySQL Install multiple instances.

Create a folder called Conf with Instance.1.ini, Instance.2.ini, and Instance.3.ini.
The Port each are listening on should all differ, as well as having a different data directory.

I named these

C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\MySQLData\Instance1

mysqld --install "Mysql-Instance-1" --defaults-file="C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\Conf\Instance.1.ini"
mysqld --install "Mysql-Instance-2" --defaults-file="C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\Conf\Instance.2.ini"
mysqld --install "Mysql-Instance-3" --defaults-file="C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\Conf\Instance.3.ini"

in the ini file the commands to set these are:

• port=3306
• datadir="C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\MySQLData\Instance1"
• port=3307
• datadir="C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\MySQLData\Instance2"
• port=3308
• datadir="C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\MySQLData\Instance3"

After creating the folders, settings and executing the command lines to install mysql as a service. I found that all the services successfully started up and then terminated itself and in the folder ".\MySQLData\Instance1" etc, you should notice the following files, ib_logfile0, ib_logfile1, ibdata1 and %SystemName%.err, which displays the following error on each instance.

051220 22:16:28 [ERROR] Fatal error: Can't open and lock privilege tables: Table 'mysql.host' doesn't exist

Which simply means it cannot find the system tables. A quick resolve is to copy the entire data directory into each instance folder (Ensure that the standard instance is disabled if you wish to leave this service alone). Then the service should hopefully startup for all 3 services.

xcopy data "MySQLData/Instance1"
xcopy data "MySQLData/Instance2"
xcopy data "MySQLData/Instance3"

net start "Mysql-Instance-1"
net start "Mysql-Instance-2"
net start "Mysql-Instance-3"

PS. To remove the instances enter the following commands.

mysqld --remove "Mysql-Instance-1"
mysqld --remove "Mysql-Instance-2"
mysqld --remove "Mysql-Instance-3"

Now we can start playing with MySQL Slaves, and replication on a single server and now all thats left that I can think of is loadbalancing (On Windows 2003 Server its easy enough, as it is in Administrative Tools), Let me know if you have a solution for Windows XP.;)

For more on configuring windows see the following…
Parallel Instances of PHP on Windows
Apache & IIS Multiple Address on Port 80

MySQL, MySQL Install, PHP

Popularity: 6% [?]

Expanding on a tip from the previous post, I quite often will have conversations over msn messenger in the morning and forgett to mail myself the logs of how to do things. Heres one way to access your logs or attach a file system.

On the server, create a Share with write permissions in my instance I have named the folder ShareMSMessengerLogs
On the client machine execute the following command.

NET USE H: \\70.84.243.42\Share

This will then prompt you for a username and password, enter the credentials for the server, although I wouldn’t recommend using your administrator account and also it does not matter what drive you attach this too as long as it is not taken, in this instance I have used drive H:

The password or user name is invalid for \\70.84.243.42\Share.

Enter the user name for '70.84.243.42': Administrator
Enter the password for 70.84.243.42:
The command completed successfully.

Now set the path in MSN Messenger to the path of the network drive H:

Popularity: 2% [?]

Everyone has their own way of doing things, whether its through one short cut or another, anyway heres some quick tips. If you have any submit them below, i’m sure I we all still have plenty to learn.

Minimise Outlook to Systray…

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Preferences]
"MinToTray"=dword:00000001

MAP Network drives, including Samba from the command line.

NET VIEW
\\PC192
\\PC193
\\SVR50
\\SVR51
\\SVR52
\\SVR57
\\SVR59

NET USE P: \\127.0.0.1/Projects

Get general SystemInformation command line

systeminfo

Copy local DNS from a server, if you don’t have a DNS server from the command line.

copy  \ \SVR69 \netlogon \hosts %systemroot% \system32 \drivers \etc \hosts

Running admin commands on a workstation from the command line

runas /u:127.0.0.1 \administrator cmd.exe

Lookup Name Server information including TTL from the command line.

nslookup
Default Server:
Address:  192.168.2.1

> set d2
> set domain=ajohnstone.com
> set type=all
> ls
Server:
Address:  192.168.2.1

------------
SendRequest(), len 35
    HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  query, want recursion
        questions = 1,  answers = 0,  authority records = 0,  additional = 0

    QUESTIONS:
        ls.ajohnstone.com, type = ANY, class = IN

------------
------------
Got answer (97 bytes):
    HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  response, want recursion, recursion avail.
        questions = 1,  answers = 1,  authority records = 2,  additional = 0

    QUESTIONS:
        ls.ajohnstone.com, type = ANY, class = IN
    ANSWERS:
    ->  ls.ajohnstone.com
        type = A, class = IN, dlen = 4
        internet address = 70.85.198.202
        ttl = 86371 (23 hours 59 mins 31 secs)
    AUTHORITY RECORDS:
    ->  ajohnstone.com
        type = NS, class = IN, dlen = 16
        nameserver = ns.aplosmedia.com
        ttl = 86166 (23 hours 56 mins 6 secs)
    ->  ajohnstone.com
        type = NS, class = IN, dlen = 6
        nameserver = ns2.aplosmedia.com
        ttl = 86166 (23 hours 56 mins 6 secs)

------------
Non-authoritative answer:
ls.ajohnstone.com
        type = A, class = IN, dlen = 4
        internet address = 70.85.198.202
        ttl = 86371 (23 hours 59 mins 31 secs)

ajohnstone.com
        type = NS, class = IN, dlen = 16
        nameserver = ns.aplosmedia.com
        ttl = 86166 (23 hours 56 mins 6 secs)
ajohnstone.com
        type = NS, class = IN, dlen = 6
        nameserver = ns2.aplosmedia.com
        ttl = 86166 (23 hours 56 mins 6 secs)
>

Display DNS Cache, Flush DNS, Release IP Address, and Renew IP Address from the command line.

ipconfig /displaydns
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Alternative to Tracert

PathPing

DNSLint [Description of the DNSLint] (Download)
DNSLint is a Microsoft Windows utility that helps you to diagnose common DNS name resolution issues.

Popularity: 4% [?]

I have come across a few Ajax applications or implentations of Ajax that has impressed me due to their simplicity and clean designs, what Ajax implementations have impressed you lately?

• tracker.jot.com
• meebo.com
• sidebyside.ning.com
• openrico.org
• Tibco.com
• writeboard.com
• reader.google.com
• fluxiom.com
• orbeon.com
• backbase.com
• kiko.com
• webui30.componentart.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

I just came across this about Friends Reunited web site for £120 million on informitv, not bad considering it was a established from their back room

ITV acquires Friends web site for 120 million pounds
ITV, the UK commercial television company, has acquired the Friends Reunited web site from its founders for £120 million in cash and shares.

Friends Reunited, a web site that links people through their former schools, colleges and employers, was originally established by Steve and Julie Pankhurst from the spare bedroom of their suburban semi in north London.
…
The company expects to turnover £12 million in the year 2005, with earnings of £6 million before tax.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I was browsing through google for any new information on large scale PHP deployments, and to my surprise I got a message telling me my machine had been infected! Considering I am very careful what I run on my machine, and haven’t had a virus on my computer in over two or more years I was quite surprised. Admitedly I have installed applications that do contain spyware, and I quite promptly physically remove them from the registry, the file system, and ensuring that any application hooks are also removed.

I immediately ran an antivirus program and a number of other applications to ensure nothing was ary, which picked up nothing. Anyway heres the amusing little picture :).

Popularity: 2% [?]

Lately i’ve been developing with MySQL3, and it’s almost like hitting your head against a brick wall with its limitations and specific documentation is difficult to find.

Some of the limitations:

• Subqueries. ’select id from t where grp in (select grp from g where u > 100)’
• Add DISTINCT to Aggregates
• JOINs with ambiguous columns causes a MySQL error.
• Foreign Key Definition Ignored on MyISAM.

  • In MySQL Server 3.23.44 and up, the InnoDB storage engine supports checking of foreign key constraints, including CASCADE, ON DELETE, and ON UPDATE. See Section 14.2.6.4, “FOREIGN KEY Constraints”.

    For storage engines other than InnoDB, MySQL Server parses the FOREIGN KEY syntax in CREATE TABLE statements, but does not use or store it. In the future, the implementation will be extended to store this information in the table specification file so that it may be retrieved by mysqldump and ODBC. At a later stage, foreign key constraints will be implemented for MyISAM tables as well.

• Function CASE
• Add a handler interface for table information so one can use it as a system table. This would be a bit slow if one requested information about all tables, but very flexible. One should also implement ’show info from table’ for basic table information.
• Reordering columns. E.g. ALTER TABLE FormObjects MODIFY COLUMN FormFieldRuleID INT(11) AFTER FOLID;
• JOINS on UPDATE’s.

Other limitations

• Don’t add automatic DEFAULT values to columns. Give an error when using an INSERT that doesn’t contain a column that doesn’t have an DEFAULT.
• Multiple SQL in a query commands
• LOCK DATABASES.
• NATURAL JOIN

Db, MySQL3

Popularity: 3% [?]

Today, an audit was performed on machines with Photoshop CS installed and having the Technical Director to physically go to each machine. I’m sure there are reporting tools more than likely built into windows, however i’m not aware of any or at least nothing springs to mind. As an after thought I quickly wrote up the following. This script will enumerate a network, and attempt to display the installed software and their version.

Also Monad (MSH, or Microsoft Command Shell) looks very promising for administration considering you can pipeline processes for example directly into an excel document or a chart. It would probably be even simpler to do in MSH too, however I believe each client would have to have MSH installed, although it can call into WMI, or COM objects.

Dim colDomains, colRole
Dim objDomain, objUseDomain, objWMIService, objRole
Dim strComputer, strComputerRole
Dim SearchProduct

Dim MsgOut

'Constants
Const SPACES = " "
'Initialize Section

strComputerRole = Spaces

Title="Search for installed product"
SearchProduct=InputBox(Title,Title,"Adobe")

Set colDomains = GetObject("WinNT:")

For Each objDomain in colDomains
  Set objUseDomain = GetObject ("WinNT://" & objDomain.Name)
  objUseDomain.Filter = Array("Computer")
  ParseComputers
Next

Sub ParseComputers
  On Error Resume Next
  For Each strComputer In objUseDomain
    Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\" & strComputer.Name & "rootcimv2")
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
      ErrorWrite
    Else
      DetectApplication
    End If
  Next
End Sub

Sub DetectApplication
  On Error Resume Next

  Dim Query

  If SearchProduct <> EMPTY Then
    Query = " WHERE Name LIKE ‘%"+SearchProduct+"%’"
  End If

  Set colProduct = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("SELECT * FROM Win32_Product"+Query)
  For Each objProduct in colProduct
    MsgOut = MsgOut + objProduct.Name + VBCRLF
  Next
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    ErrorWrite
  End If
End Sub

Sub ErrorWrite
  MsgOut = MsgOut + "Error# " & Err.Number & " " & Err.Description & " For computer " & strComputer.Name & " in domain " & objUseDomain.Name & VBCRLF
  Err.clear
  strComputerRole = Spaces
End Sub

'Right Report line to console and clear variable for next iteration

Sub WriteReportLine
  MsgOut = MsgOut + "Domain= " & objUseDomain.Name & " ComputerName= " & strComputer.Name & " Role= " & strComputerRole & VBCRLF
  strComputerRole = SPACES
End Sub

MsgBox MsgOut

Popularity: 2% [?]

I was interested in integrating PHP and SharePoint services, and using Microsoft Word 2003 (Or other MS Office Products) to upload documents directly to PHP, here are some of my observations.

There are two processes winword.exe itself pyshically POST’s the word document on the server, another process called dssm.exe (Microsoft Office Document Update Utility), which manages updates.

Analyzing the http protocol, whilst utilizing shared workspaces in Microsoft Word 2003 initialially authenticates via NTLM and the following protocols are listed in OPTIONS: [GET, POST, OPTIONS, HEAD, MKCOL, PUT, PROPFIND, PROPPATCH, DELETE, MOVE, COPY, GETLIB, LOCK, UNLOCK]; Which means Apache would have to be configured to accept some of the protocols.

Once authenticated the following occurs:

WinWord.exe Upload to SharePoint

WinWord.exe Update to SharePoint

Some example requests.

POST

POST /SharePoint%20Services(1)/_vti_bin/_vti_aut/author.dll HTTP/1.1
Accept: auth/sicily
Content-Length: 20207
Content-Type: application/x-vermeer-urlencoded
X-Vermeer-Content-Type: application/x-vermeer-urlencoded
Connection: Keep-Alive

method=put+document%3a6%2e0%2e2%2e6356&service%5fname=%2fSharePoint+Services%281%29&document=%5bdocument%5fname%3dShared+Documents%2fSharePoint+Services%2edoc%3bmeta%5finfo%3d%5b%5d%5d&put%5foption=edit&comment=&keep%5fchecked%5fout=false

method=put+document:6.0.2.6356&service_name=/SharePoint+Services(1)&document=%5Bdocument_name=Shared+Documents/SharePoint+Services.doc;meta_info=%5B%5D%5D&put_option=edit&comment=&keep_checked_out=false

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Connection: close
Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 21:26:55 GMT
Server: Microsoft-IIS/6.0
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 6.0.2.6411
Content-type: application/x-vermeer-rpc

<html><head><title>vermeer RPC packet</title></head>
<body>
<p>method=put document:6.0.2.6356
<p>message=successfully put document 'Shared Documents/SharePoint Services.doc' as 'Shared Documents/SharePoint Services.doc'
<p>document=
<ul>
<li>document_name=Shared Documents/SharePoint Services.doc
<li>meta_info=
<ul>
<li>vti_approvallevel
<li>SR|
<li>vti_categories
<li>VW|
<li>vti_filesize
<li>IR|19968
<li>vti_assignedto
<li>SR|
<li>Checked by
<li>SW|Andrew M. Johnstone
<li>Department
<li>SW|Development
<li>vti_modifiedby
<li>SR|C22586_40180\administrator
<li>vti_timecreated
<li>TR|08 Nov 2005 21:26:56 -0000
<li>vti_title
<li>SR|SharePoint Services
<li>vti_timelastmodified
<li>TR|08 Nov 2005 21:26:56 -0000
<li>_SharedFileIndex
<li>SW|0000020000000000{54AD31DF-B8AF-4070-A579-F3A63D6C202F}http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint Services(1)/Shared Documents/SharePoint Services.doc
<li>vti_author
<li>SR|C22586_40180\administrator
<li>vti_sourcecontrolversion
<li>SR|V1
<li>vti_sourcecontrolcookie
<li>SR|fp_internal
</ul>
</ul>
</body>
</html>

POST

POST /SharePoint%20Services(1)/_vti_bin/dws.asmx HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8
SOAPAction: http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/dws/GetDwsMetaData
X-Office-Version: 11.0.6408
User-Agent: Microsoft Office/11.0 (Windows NT 5.1; Microsoft Office Word 11.0.6408; Pro)
Host: sharepoint.hostelhost.com
Content-Length: 363
Connection: Keep-Alive
Cache-Control: no-cache
Cookie: HELM=Username=&Interface=standard%5FXP&ThemeColour=XP&NonSecureReturnURL=&Password=&LanguageCode=EN
Authorization: NTLM 

<?xml version='1.0' ?>
<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <s:Body>
    <GetDwsMetaData xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/dws/">
      <document>http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint%20Services(1)/Shared%20Documents/SharePoint%20Services.doc</document>
      <id></id>
      <minimal>false</minimal>
    </GetDwsMetaData>
  </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>


Response


HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 21:26:59 GMT
Server: Microsoft-IIS/6.0
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 6.0.2.6411
X-AspNet-Version: 1.1.4322
Cache-Control: private, max-age=0
Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: 6367

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope
  xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <soap:Body>
    <GetDwsMetaDataResponse xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/dws/">
      <GetDwsMetaDataResult>
      <Results>
        <SubscribeUrl>http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint Services(1)/_layouts/1033/SubNew.aspx</SubscribeUrl>
        <MtgInstance />
        <SettingUrl>http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint Services(1)/_layouts/1033/settings.aspx</SettingUrl>
        <PermsUrl>http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint Services(1)/_layouts/1033/EditPrms.aspx</PermsUrl>
        <UserInfoUrl>http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint Services(1)/_layouts/1033/UserEdit.aspx</UserInfoUrl>
        <Roles>
          <Role Name="Reader" Type="Reader" Description="Has read-only access to the Web site." />
          <Role Name="Contributor" Type="Contributor" Description="Can add content to existing document libraries and lists." />
          <Role Name="Web Designer" Type="WebDesigner" Description="Can create lists and document libraries and customize pages in the Web site." />
          <Role Name="Administrator" Type="Administrator" Description="Has full control of the Web site." />
        </Roles>
        <Schema Name="Tasks">
          <Field Name="Title" Type="Text" Required="True"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Attachments" Type="Attachments" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Order" Type="Number" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Priority" Type="Choice" Required="False"><Choices><Choice>(1) High</Choice><Choice>(2) Normal</Choice><Choice>(3) Low</Choice></Choices></Field>
          <Field Name="Status" Type="Choice" Required="False"><Choices><Choice>Not Started</Choice><Choice>In Progress</Choice><Choice>Completed</Choice><Choice>Deferred</Choice><Choice>Waiting on someone else</Choice></Choices></Field>
          <Field Name="PercentComplete" Type="Number" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="AssignedTo" Type="User" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Body" Type="Note" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="StartDate" Type="DateTime" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="DueDate" Type="DateTime" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
        </Schema>
        <Schema Name="Documents" Url="Shared Documents">
          <Field Name="FileLeafRef" Type="Invalid" Required="True"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="_SourceUrl" Type="Text" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="_SharedFileIndex" Type="Text" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Order" Type="Number" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Title" Type="Text" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
        </Schema>
        <Schema Name="Links">
          <Field Name="Attachments" Type="Attachments" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Order" Type="Number" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="URL" Type="URL" Required="True"><Choices /></Field>
          <Field Name="Comments" Type="Note" Required="False"><Choices /></Field>
        </Schema>
        <ListInfo Name="Tasks">
          <Moderated>False</Moderated>
            <ListPermissions>
              <InsertListItems />
              <EditListItems />
              <DeleteListItems />
              <ManageLists />
            </ListPermissions>
          </ListInfo>
          <ListInfo Name="Documents">
            <Moderated>False</Moderated>
            <ListPermissions>
              <InsertListItems />
              <EditListItems />
              <DeleteListItems />
              <ManageLists />
            </ListPermissions>
          </ListInfo>
          <ListInfo Name="Links">
            <Moderated>False</Moderated>
            <ListPermissions>
              <InsertListItems /><EditListItems /><DeleteListItems /><ManageLists /></ListPermissions>
            </ListInfo>
            <Permissions>
              <ManageSubwebs /><ManageWeb /><ManageRoles /><ManageLists />
              <InsertListItems /><EditListItems /><DeleteListItems />
            </Permissions>
            <HasUniquePerm>True</HasUniquePerm>
            <WorkspaceType>DWS</WorkspaceType>
            <IsADMode>False</IsADMode>
            <DocUrl>http://sharepoint.hostelhost.com/SharePoint%20Services(1)/Shared%20Documents/SharePoint%20Services.doc</DocUrl>
            <Minimal>False</Minimal>
            <Results>
              <Title>SharePoint Services</Title>
              <LastUpdate>632670820194565000</LastUpdate>
              <User>
                <ID>1</ID>
                <Name>C22586_40180administrator</Name>
                <LoginName>C22586_40180administrator</LoginName>
                <Email>andrew@ajohnstone.com</Email>
                <IsDomainGroup>False</IsDomainGroup>
                <IsSiteAdmin>True</IsSiteAdmin>
              </User>
              <Members>
                <Member>
                  <ID>1</ID>
                  <Name>C22586_40180administrator</Name>
                  <LoginName>C22586_40180administrator</LoginName>
                  <Email>andrew@ajohnstone.com</Email>
                  <IsDomainGroup>False</IsDomainGroup>
                </Member>
              </Members>
              <Assignees>
                <Member>
                  <ID>1</ID>
                  <Name>C22586_40180administrator</Name>
                  <LoginName>C22586_40180administrator</LoginName>
                </Member>
              </Assignees>
              <List Name="Tasks">
                <ID>{A9D58464-55C3-477F-A18E-B18A75732A9F}</ID>
              </List>
              <List Name="Documents">
                <ID>{E133F72B-8ECB-436B-8916-CD331678AC75}</ID>
                <z:row ows_FileRef="Shared Documents/SharePoint Services.doc" ows_Title="SharePoint Services" ows_FSObjType="0" ows_Created="2005-11-08T21:26:55Z" ows_Author="1;#C22586_40180administrator" ows_Modified="2005-11-08T21:26:55Z" ows_Editor="1;#C22586_40180administrator" ows_ID="1" ows_ProgID="" xmlns:z="#RowsetSchema" />
              </List>
              <List Name="Links"><ID>{51BF4716-E5B7-4C0D-A6AE-93EF0645FF38}</ID></List>
            </Results>
          </Results>
      </GetDwsMetaDataResult>
    </GetDwsMetaDataResponse>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

I’ll post an example up when I get some free time…

PHP

Popularity: 16% [?]