I have two WAA servers on my network: one for website development and the 
other for real, daily operation.  I have a single static IP and I virtual 
host multiple websites.

When I use IE on my developmen workstation to view one of my websites, I 
have to tell it which version I want to see: the one on my development 
server or the production server version.  I have been doing this by setting 
and resetting the workstation's primary DNS address.

I switch my workstation's primary DNS reference to either:
    my development server's DNS service, which points to itself for my 
websites, or
    to my internet provider's DNS, which directs requests for these websites 
back to my public IP, and then my router sends the port:80 traffic to my 
production server.

This works, but I find myself spending a lot of time time reseting the 
primary DNS IP for my workstation, click, click, click, click, etc.

Is there a smarter way to switch between two servers where each are hosting 
the same virtual directories?

Thank you.
Bruce Anderson

Bruce ,

I use my firewall to switch between the development computer
and the real server.


It is just a checkbox, to activate port 80  to any computer on the LAN

Best regards
Bengt Ovelius

Hi Bruce,

>Is there a smarter way to switch between two servers where each are hosting 
>the same virtual directories?
Yes there is!
in the windows folder is a file called host. it exact location is
depending on your windows version, just do a search for it
there is no extension, it is just called host.
in there you can put the domain names you want to redirect. like

www.mytestdomain.xxy      127.0.0.1
www.justonotherone.yyx    127.0.0.1

if you have done this, just switch out this file with the original. 
you can use a batch file for that.
now you can switch with one click

Regards
Sander Elias

Bruce,

>>Is there a smarter way to switch between two servers where each are hosting 
>>the same virtual directories?
> Yes there is!
> in the windows folder is a file called host. it exact location is
> depending on your windows version, just do a search for it
> there is no extension, it is just called host.
> in there you can put the domain names you want to redirect. like
> 
> www.mytestdomain.xxy      127.0.0.1
> www.justonotherone.yyx    127.0.0.1
> 
> if you have done this, just switch out this file with the original. 
> you can use a batch file for that.
> now you can switch with one click

Here's my solution, because I need to do this a lot.

The location on NT class machines (NT4/W2K,W2K3,XP) is:

%windows%/system32/drivers/etc/hosts

# 'live' site accessed through VPN, so local network address
www.compucar.org.uk	192.168.111.111

# 'test' version on local machine
compucar.org.uk		127.0.0.1

So, I simply remove the 'www.' at the start of the address and it goes to
the test system.  Within the web, all addresses (except those that point to
other webs) are relative, so everything works as expected.

Regards,

Phil Ide

***************************************
* Xbase++ FAQ, Libraries and Sources: *
* goto: http://www.idep.org.uk/xbase  *
***************************************

Next from Intel: the Repentium.

Bingo!  I thank you, gentlemen.

>>Next from Intel: the Repentium
Phil, where do you get these?  If they are coming from your head, bag the 
computer, leave the fens, move to Hollywood, and prepare to make the big 
money, because TV and movie producers are desparate for writers of 
one-liners.  You are playing to too small an audience here.

Bruce,

> Bingo!  I thank you, gentlemen.
> 
>>>Next from Intel: the Repentium
> Phil, where do you get these?  If they are coming from your head, bag the 
> computer, leave the fens, move to Hollywood, and prepare to make the big 
> money, because TV and movie producers are desparate for writers of 
> one-liners.  You are playing to too small an audience here.

ROFL!

I wish I could take credit.  Some of them are my own, but the vast majority
came from elsewhere.

I've got a large fortune-cookie file which I add to on occasion when I find
a decent cookie collection.  My current cookie jar is about 127k in size,
but I have others over 5Mb.

Dave Pearson had a classic collection entitled "Things I'd Do As An Evil
Overlord".  This was my fvourite:

If I find my beautiful consort with access to my fortress has been
associating with the hero, I'll have her executed. It's regrettable, but
new consorts are easier to get than new fortresses and maybe the next one
will pay attention at the orientation meeting.

Regards,

Phil Ide

***************************************
* Xbase++ FAQ, Libraries and Sources: *
* goto: http://www.idep.org.uk/xbase  *
***************************************

"Captain, I sense millions of minds focusing on my cleavage"