Managing the Server > Performing administration tasks > Registering client applications

Registering client applications

The server is configured at installation with one adaptor directory named _defaultRoot_ containing one virtual host directory named _defaultVHost_. The server defines its virtual hosts at startup by searching for directories within the adaptor directory that contain valid Vhost.xml files, such as the _defaultVHost_ directory. At the same time, the server defines each application that will be allowed to connect to a virtual host by looking for application directories inside a directory specified by the <AppsDir> tag in the Vhost.xml file (by default, the applications directory in the Flash Communication Server directory).

For example, if you create an application named my_app, you must create a my_app subdirectory in the applications directory to register my_app.

You can specify the directory you want to use to store your client application directories by editing the <AppsDir> tag in the Vhost.xml file. By changing the path specified in this tag, you can locate the directory for the virtual host anywhere you want. If no directory is specified, it defaults to the virtual host directory itself.

 
To edit the <AppsDir> tag in the Vhost.xml file:

1	Locate the Vhost.xml file for the virtual host you are working with.
2	Open the file in a text editor.
3	Replace the path inside the <AppsDir> tag with the path of your choice, such as C:\Server Files\applications. Do not use quotation marks. To specify multiple directories, delimit each directory path with a semicolon.
4	Save the Vhost.xml file.

You must restart the server in order for this change to take effect.

Once you have specified the directory where you'll store your application directories, you must create a directory inside it for each client application you plan to use with that virtual host. Each client application must have a directory with the same name that the client application uses when connecting to the server. Once you have created a subdirectory for each of your applications, you can decide whether to give any of the applications their own Application.xml file. By including an Application.xml file in a client application's directory, you can give that application different settings from those defined in the virtual host's Application.xml file, which serve as the default settings for applications on the virtual host. For more information about the Application.xml file, see Configuring Flash Communication Server.