How to Configure a Web Ad Manager Server

Summary

Web Ad Manager consists of the following parts:

• the Ad Manager desktop application components: these include the ActiveX components which expose the Ad Manager data and business logic to the web application;
• the Ad Manager Web Host service: it provides the context in which the web application loads the Ad Manager ActiveX components;
• the Apache HTTP Server with a PHP preprocessor: it makes the web application accessible on the Internet;
• the web application files: the HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and other files which make up the web application.

To configure a Web Ad Manager server we need to make sure all of these elements are installed and configured.

Install Ad Manager

Install Ad Manager (including any add-ins) as if you're setting up another client workstation.

Install and configure the Ad Manager Web Host service

• Designate a user account for the Ad Manager Web Host service. It can be a local or a domain user account.

• Make sure the user account is a member of the local "Administrators" group.

• Import the Ad Manager license into the user profile of the account:
  • log in as the user;
  • run Ad Manager and follow the prompts to import a serial number and a license.

• Run the Ad Manager Web Host installer ("Amwh.msi").
  • Install the program for "Everyone", not "Just me".

• Register the service:
  • Select the "Register Service" shortcut in "Start -> All Programs -> Dot2Dot Ad Manager Web Host".

• Configure the Ad Manager Web Host service to run as the designated user.
  • Open the "Services" management console;
  • Right-click on the "Dot2Dot Ad Manager Web Host Service" and select "Properties";
  • Go to the "Log On" tab;
  • Select "This account" in the "Log on as" options;
  • Enter the account name in the form "domain\user" if the account is a domain account or ".\user" if the account is a local machine account;
  • Enter and confirm the password;
  • Click "OK".

• Configure the database connections for the Ad Manager Web Host service :
  • Run the Ad Manager Web Host configuration utility: select the "Configure" shortcut in "Start -> All Programs -> Dot2Dot Ad Manager Web Host";
  • Go to the "Ad Manager Connections" tab;
  • Add an entry for each Ad Manager database that will be accessible through the web application:
    • click the "New" button;
    • enter a unique name for the connection; if there's only one connection, you can leave the name blank;
    • enter the SQL Server name or IP address;
    • enter the SQL Server database name;
    • enter the SQL Server user id and password; if those are left blank, the Web Host service will use Windows authentication to connect to SQL Server; for this to work the user the Web Host service is running as must have been granted access to the database in SQL Server.
    • click "Test..." to verify the connection.

Install and configure the Apache HTTP Server and the PHP preprocessor

PHP 5.4+