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Recognizing the need to offer an intranet solution for less technically proficient users, Netscape Communications Corp. has created FastTrack, a Web server designed to provide lots of functionality but requiring a minimum of expertise to set up and maintain.
To see whether Netscape is on track in achieving that goal, we decided to take a look at FastTrack Version 2, Beta 3. We don't usually review beta products, but with FastTrack at a Version 2 level and in public beta test, we felt this almostready-for-prime-time product from a leading vendor warranted a look.
To our surprise, we found that FastTrack is, in many respects, a triumph of engineering over design. In short, the product's design goals have been overshadowed by implementation decisions. Fast to install but poorly documented, complicated and resource-hungry, FastTrack is a disappointment at this stage of development.
If you'd like to see for yourself, the current release is available on a free, 90-day evaluation. You can download all lOM to 14M bytes of it (depending on platform) from Netscape's Web site (http://home.netscape.com). Organization
FastTrack actually consists of two Web servers: one for publishing documents and another that handles server management functions. Once installation is completed, all configuration and management is done through a Web browser. Of course, because the management screens all use frames - a screen layout technique specific to Netscape - and features not generally found in other browsers, you are constrained to using Netscape's Navigator browser.
Practically everything that needs to be done to configure and manage a FastTrack server can be handled through the management interface. The interface requires that you log on with a user name and password that you define during installation. This is to prevent unauthorized changes to your server. Note that while it is possible to perform all operations remotely from the server, the inherent security risks make it unwise. For example, if the encryption services are not enabled - the default state your communications with the server could be intercepted, revealing your administrative name and password.
The basic publishing server architecture is standard, with the usual layout of a document root directory, log files and sub-directories for back-end server executables or scripts.
The FastTrack server is designed to support standard scripting languages...