APPENDIX 6 

UPLOADING THE GACC WEBSITE TO THE NATIONAL SERVER 

The process chosen by the host web server for moving and removing files for the new GACC 

websites is WebDAV.  WebDAV stands for  Web based Distributed Authoring and Versioning  

and was chosen over the use of a specific FTP program.  

Why WebDAV?  

  Using FTP requires that you open additional ports on the perimeter firewall, and this can 

increase the attack surface of your network and make it more susceptible to penetration 

by attackers. This is obviously undesirable from the perspective of keeping a network 

secure.  

  FTP has no file locking mechanism, so it's possible for two users to upload different 

versions of the same file simultaneously causing one to be overwritten. This can mean 

lost time troubleshooting why an uploaded file is different from what you expect.  

  The FTP approach means you have to edit your content locally on the client. In other 

words, to edit a page already on the web server you would have to download it to the 

client, edit it there, and then upload it again to the web server. This is a time consuming 

and inefficient approach to managing content.  

Thus, 

WebDAV uses port 80, the same port used by HTTP for web access. So using WebDAV 

means extra ports on the firewall are not open.  

WebDAV lets only one user modify a file at a time, while allowing multiple users to read 

it. This allows files to be locked while they are being edited, preventing unexpected 

changes from occurring.  

WebDAV lets you edit files on the server instead of needing to download them first to the 

client. Editing files remotely using WebDAV is as easy as if they were locally present, 

and the whole process is transparent to the content producer. 

In general, WebDAV is a set of extensions to the HTTP protocol which allows users to 

collaboratively edit and manage files on remote web servers. 

SETTING UP WebDAV in DREAMWEAVER 

1.  In Dreamweaver, go to  SITE,  across the top menu bar and select  Manage Sites.  

2.  In the pop up screen that follows, select the proper  Site Name,  then EDIT. 

3.  On the Site Definition pop up screen, select  Remote Info.  

4.  Click on the drop down menu and choose  WebDAV.  

5.  Click on  Settings  located next to WebDAV. 

National GACC Website and GACC Website Template  

48

  Implementation Guidelines