WebDrive: A Webmaster's Best Friend? A Webmaster's Best Friend? Lee Underwood
Uploading and downloading files is a regular occurrence when developing and maintaining Web sites. Normally it's a process accomplished using one of several methods, depending upon the task at hand. Whichever method is used, it almost always means having to stop what you're doing to upload or download the file, typically with another program such as an FTP client.
Recently we came across a tool called WebDrive that integrates file transfers from within most programs running on the Microsoft Windows operating platform. WebDrive was created by South River Technologies, a pioneer in Internet drive mapping technology.
WebDrive integrates WebDAV, FTP, or SFTP servers into the Windows desktop by mapping them to a network drive letter. In other words, the software links your server to your hard drive, making it look and function like a network drive to your local computer. It works regardless of whether your server is running on the Windows or Unix/Linux platform.
Here's how it works: When you need to upload a file to your server, save it as you would a file on your local hard drive. Depending upon the program you're using, click "File > Save As", select your network drive, maneuver to the appropriate directory on the server, and click "Save."
To download a file, open it just as you would open a file on your local system — it's that simple. And the functionality's not limited to just drives — you can also map specific directories on your server to specified drive letters, making it a snap to access remote directories.
WebDrive also isn't limited to just file uploading and downloading. Once a drive has been mapped, it can be used just like a local drive. You can copy and back up files, create new directories, or do anything else you would normally do on your local system. And the File Property Page Shell Extension in WebDrive even allows file attributes to be changed on the server.
The program provides secure file transfers using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Secure Shell (SSH) standards. This means your files remain safe whether
being transferred across the Internet or just across the building through a local network. Currently, the SSL method doesn't work in Windows 98, but according to Kevin S. Bittorie, Marketing Coordinator at South River, they are "looking to correct that problem in 2005."
WebDrive works with a wide variety of firewalls and proxy servers, including MS Proxy 2.0, SOCKS 4.3/5, and Raptor (gwpasswd). In addition, the software will also work with your virtual private network (VPN) or can be used in place of one.
