Multiple REBOL/IOS Server Access

Document Version 1.0
IOS Version 1.0

Contents:

1. Overview
2. IOS Keys
3. Changing Servers
4. Multiple Simultaneous Servers
5. Specifying Server on Startup
6. Servers.r File

1. Overview

Most IOS users will operate from a single server - that of the company or organization to which they are connected. However, system administrators, developers, and IT support staff may at times need to connect to more than one IOS server.

This document describes how to deal with multiple IOS servers from a single IOS client.

2. IOS Keys

Every IOS client contains one or more encryption keys that determine to what servers the client may connect and communicate. To connect to an IOS server, you must have the correct access key. This is a security feature, and there is no way to circumvent it. If your client does not have the correct key to the desired server, you cannot gain access to that server.

3. Changing Servers

To change servers, click on the Setup button at the top of the desktop to open the configuration panel. The accounts tab shows the Server name as a choice box. If you click on the box you will see all other servers known to this client. If none appear then your client is only configured for a single server.

Note: just because a server appears on the list does not mean that you can access it. You must also have the correct IOS access key and a user account on that server.

The first time you select another server, you will need to provide your username and password to access it. Once this has been done, the client will remember your password for each server. You do not need to re-enter your password each time you change servers.

4. Multiple Simultaneous Servers

It is possible to connect to more than one IOS server at the same time. Here's how:

1. Run REBOL/Link to connect to the first server.
2. Run REBOL/Link again. It will connect to the same server.
3. Click Setup and pick another server. Click Save.

The second connection will restart with the other server. Slide the window over to uncover the first connection. You will now be accessing two IOS sessions at the same time.

Note: under 1.0, the sessions will share the same preferences settings (prefs.r) file. This means that they will start at the same screen location each time. In addition, one or both sessions may not identify itself correctly in applications like Who.

5. Specifying Server on Startup

As a convenience you can also specify the server when you run REBOL/Link by using the --server command line option.

rebol-link --server developer

On icon based systems such as Windows, you can create a shortcut that contains this server option. When you click on the icon, it will automatically start with that server.

Under Windows here's how:

1. On the desktop, drag the rebol-link shortcut icon with the right mouse button.
2. Select the Copy option. A new icon shortcut will be created.
3. Right click on the icon and open the properties panel.
4. Add a --server option such as this:

Close the properties. And rename the icon to indicate what server it connects to.

6. Servers.r File

The servers.r file contains the list of all servers to which the client can connect. This file is located in the installation directory.

The first time the REBOL/Link client runs, it automatically creates the servers.r file. You can delete your servers.r file at any time and run REBOL/Link again to restore the default server settings.

The format of the servers.r file is a set of one or more blocks that contain the specifics of each server. The format is:

[ Name: "Server" Host: "server.host.address" Path: "cgi-bin/proxyname" Root: %server/ ]

The name field is that which appears in the preferences configuration menu. The host field is the address of the server. The path field is the web-site relative cgi-path to the IOS cgi proxy server. The root field is the local hard disk location of the synchronized files, relative to the installation directory.

The servers.r file can contain one or more such entries. However, in order to access other servers, the REBOL/Link executable must contain the correct authentication keys for that server. (See above.)

As an example, to add the developer server to your link client, add this entry to your servers.r file:

[ Name: "Developer" Host: "developer.express.rebol.net" Path: "cgi-bin/publicproxy" Root: %developer/ ]

If you delete the servers.r file, it will be restored to its default settings the next time you start REBOL/Link.