Getting Started > Deploying applications and application instances > Storing server-side and client-side files

Storing server-side and client-side files

The default location for server-side application files is C:\Program files\Macromedia\Flash Communication Server MX\applications in Windows or /opt/macromedia/flashcom/applications on UNIX. This is referred to as the applications directory. When you create a communication application, you must create a registered application directory, which is a subdirectory for your application in the applications directory, and place any application data—ASC files, recorded stream (FLV) and remote shared object (FSO) files— in this subdirectory.

You can store your client-side files (SWFs and HTMLs) in any location; most likely, you will store them in your web server publishing directory. The FLA files for your applications can remain with the SWFs and HTMLs until deployment; at production time, you should remove them and place them in a secure location.

For organizational purposes during your development work, it might be convenient to store all your client and server application files (FLA, SWF, HTML, and ASC) in one subdirectory. When you deploy your application, you can place your SWF and HTML files in any location. However, the registered application directory must remain on the server, along with any ASC, FSO, and FLV files used by the application. The server-side files (your ASC, FLV, and FSO files) and your FLA source file should not be in your web root directory when you deploy the server and applications. Only your SWF and HTML files should remain inside the web publishing directory.

In any case, you must create a registered application directory that has the same name as the application you connect to when issuing the NetConnection.connect command.

For example, suppose you have an application called chat_App:

NetConnection.connect("rtmp://myServer.myDomain.com/chat_App")

You must create a subdirectory named chat_App in the applications directory. Suppose also that your application uses some server-side scripting, stored in a file called chat_App.asc. You must place chat_App.asc in this same directory.

Note: You must create a registered application directory that matches your application name even if you have no server-side script files to place there. This is because Flash Communication Server stores any stream or shared object files created by your application in your registered application directory (see File types and paths).Also, the existence of this directory tells the Flash Communication Server that the application is authorized and that users can connect to instances of this application.