findinsite-ms Control Panel General section

Use the General section of the findinsite-ms Control Panel to do these jobs:

Display the current work directory
Try a test work directory
Enable findinsite-ms logging
Change the Control Panel password
Enter a license id

Once you have made any changes, click on the Make Changes button to effect the change.
To remove a value for a field, replace the existing value with a space and press Make Changes. However, to remove the password, click on the special "remove password" link.

Partial screenshot of the Control Panel General section:

On First Use

When you use findinsite-ms for the very first time, the General section will display the following prominent heading to tell you what to do...

Welcome to findinsite-ms

findinsite-ms is currently searching its own documentation, using search database FindDb in your work directory.

Your tasks:

Check that the Work Directory, below, is OK for storing all the findinsite-ms data files.
Set a password for the control panel.
Set up your own search. Tell findinsite-ms to build a search database by indexing this site:

(You can change the indexing options later if need be.)

Work directory

Before you start testing findinsite-ms, it is important to check that the findinsite-ms work directory is usable and in a suitable location. Once the work directory is set up, all configuration changes will be stored so that findinsite-ms will remember them even if it is stopped and restarted.

findinsite-ms uses a work directory to store all its configuration information and search database files. It is important that this directory is secure from unwanted direct access, while still being available to findinsite-ms. It is also a good idea to make sure that this directory is not wiped accidentally, eg if you update the findinsite-ms runtime to a newer version. Finally, it is also a good idea to backup the contents of the findinsite-ms work directory regularly.

The work directory should be usable by the findinsite-ms application, but not visible to browser access.

There are two default locations for the work directory: the first is a sub-directory called FindData, eg findinsite/FindData. This sub-directory may have two problems: (a) it cannot be used by findinsite-ms and (b) it can be read by browsers. These problems are solved:

Set the findinsite directory to have file write permissions - see here.
Disable read access to the FindData directory in IIS - see here.

if the FindData sub-directory does not work, then findinsite-ms tries to use the application directory as the work directory, ie findinsite.

If you want to use another location for the work directory, then you must set a 'work' parameter in the file Web.Config in the findinsite directory as described here.

If you can write to the work directory but not stop browser access, then please store your password and license id in the Web.Config file - as described here.

Try a test work directory

If the current work directory is not suitable then you must make a suitable (new) work directory and change the work parameter in Web.Config.
The Test work directory field of the General section lets you prove that your new directory is usable by findinsite-ms. (Some directories may not be readable or writeable by findinsite-ms.)
Enter your test work directory name and press Make Changes. If it is usable, findinsite-ms will display a message list this:

Work directory D:\website\FindData can be used.
Please alter the work appSettings value in Web.Config to use this directory: D:\website\FindData

Enable findinsite-ms logging

By default, findinsite-ms logs various details of its activities to a log file called log.xml in the work directory. If you want to stop this, uncheck the Logging box and press Make Changes. View the log in the Log section.

Change the Control Panel password

You are strongly advised to set a password for the findinsite-ms control panel so that only authorised users can change the set up.

To change the password, enter it into the New password and New password repeat boxes and press Make Changes.

To remove a password click on the special "remove password" link.

If your work directory can be read by direct browser requests, it is recommended that you store your password in the Web.Config file - as described here.

Enter a license id

Once you have bought a license to use the full version of findinsite-ms, enter the license id into the license id box and press Make Changes. This enables the full features of the software.

If your work directory can be read by direct browser requests, it is recommended that you store your license id in the Web.Config file - as described here.