Adobe ColdFusion 9 Web Application Construction Kit, Volume 2: ColdFusion Server Configuration
- The ColdFusion Administrator
- Server Settings
- Data and Services
- Debugging and Logging
- Server Monitoring
- Extensions
- Event Gateways
- Security
- Packaging and Deployment
The ColdFusion Administrator
The ColdFusion Administrator is a Web-based console that gives you an easy way to adjust how ColdFusion behaves. Adobe provides this simple, straightforward Administrator so that we developers don't have to fiddle around with configuration files to get ColdFusion to behave the way we need it to.
Because the Administrator is Web-based, you can use it to monitor and configure your ColdFusion server from nearly anywhere, armed with nothing more than a browser and a password.
The primary functions of the ColdFusion Administrator are
- Tweaking and monitoring the server's performance
- Configuring ColdFusion's external resources, such as databases, full-text search collections, and mail servers
- Installing extensions to the CFML language, in the form of CFX tags, event gateways, and more
- Administrative tasks, such as backing up applications, reviewing log files, and securing portions of the server
This chapter will walk you through each part of the ColdFusion Administrator, explaining important settings and making recommendations along the way. Let's begin.
The Administrator Home Page
Log in to the Administrator as was explained in Chapter 2, "Accessing the ColdFusion Administrator," in Adobe ColdFusion 9 Web Application Construction Kit, Volume 1: Getting Started.
Once you log in, the Administrator's home page appears. The Administrator is designed much like many other Web application interfaces, with a toolbar along the top and a navigation column along the left-hand side. This home page contains links to various online resources related to ColdFusion and the CFML developer community.
One really important—and often overlooked—screen is the System Information screen (there is a link at the top right of the page; look for a blue circle containing a white letter i ). This screen has three primary uses:
- Serial number change. You can enter a new serial number, perhaps to upgrade the Developer Edition to a commercial edition, or upgrade ColdFusion Standard to ColdFusion Enterprise. You can accomplish this without performing a reinstallation and without restarting the server.
- System information. You can view a detailed list of system settings, including ColdFusion information (version, edition, serial number, and more), and Java settings (JVM details, class path, and more).
- Update file. You can update the server through the use of an update file.