How to Configure a Web Ad Manager Server

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Contents

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

The Ad Manager Web Host service provides a process context in which the web application will load Ad Manager's business logic ActiveX components.

Set up a user account for the Web Host service

The Web Host service needs to run as a user who:

  • can run Ad Manager if logged on interactively;
  • belongs to the local machine's "Administrators" group.

Ideally, you'll designate a user account specifically for the Web Host service. It can be a local machine or a domain account.

Steps

Pick or create a user account.

Make sure the account belongs to the local "Administrators" group.

Log on as the user, run Ad Manager and import the Ad Manager serial number and license into the user profile.

If you're using Windows authentication to access the Ad Manager databases in SQL Server, grant the user account access to all database that will be exposed through the

web application.

Install and register the Web Host service

The Web Host is an out-of-process ActiveX server packaged as a Windows service.

Its installer will place the executable on the drive but it will not register it as a service; you'll need to do that manually.

When the service is registered, it will be configured to run as the "Loca System" account; you'll need to change that manually.

There's no need to change the service startup type from "Manual" to "Automatic" - the service will be started when needed.

Steps

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 it's a domain account or .\user if it's a local machine account;
  • Enter and confirm the password;
  • Click "OK".

Configure the database connections for the Web Host service

The web application can expose the data in one or more Ad Manager databases. The Web Host service needs to know how to connect to those databases.

Each database connection is identified by a unique name. When sharing Ad Manager items online, the connection name will be part of the generated URL. If there's only

one Ad Manager database you can leave the connection name blank.

Steps

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;
  • 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;
  • click "Test..." to verify the connection;
  • click "OK" to save the connection.

Click "Apply" to save the changes or "OK" to save the changes and close the configuration utility.

Install and configure the Apache HTTP Server and the PHP preprocessor

PHP 5.4+

Install and configure the Ad Manager web application

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