There’s a new public beta available from Tenon Intersystems of their new Apache Administration tools. Tenon’s Web server tool suite, iTools 6.1 for Mac OS X 10.1 and Mac OS X Server 10.1, has been extended by an Aqua GUI (graphical user interface) that enables Webmasters to set up and configure Apache directly on Apple’s Aqua desktop.
The new GUI co-exists with Tenon’s remote, browser-based administration so Webmasters can “seamlessly” switch between desktop management and anytime, anywhere browser-based control, according to Tenon President Anita Holmgren. iTools provides a Web-based graphical administration interface to Apache and a comprehensive suite of Internet server tools.
Webmasters can configure and remotely manage Apache, DNS, FTP, along with a range of other Mac OS X Internet services, by using a standard browser on any platform. The centerpiece of iTools is the Administration Server, which extends Apache in two important ways. First, you get a graphical interface that manages the syntactically demanding Apache configuration file. And you can access this interface from any Web browser, which by definition gives you the ability to configure Apache remotely.
Tenon’s iTools can be used with the Mac OS X 10.1 “client” or with Mac OS X Server 10.1. The new iTools Manager lets you set up virtual hosts, create URL Aliases and Redirects, create self-signed SSL certificates and SSL certificate requests, create realm-based, host-based and cipher-based Access Controls, and perform other chores.
iTools includes SSL for secure eCommerce transactions, FastCGI and mod_Perl, an integrated caching proxy server that augments Apache’s built-in proxy services, integrated domain name services, integrated multidomain FTP services, integrated logging, and a high-performance Sherlock-savvy search engine, Holmgren said. Also included is support for Java servlets and Java Server Pages with Tomcat, support for Active Server Pages with Halcyon’s iASP, and mod_dav to support the transition from a read-only Web to a collaborative, writable Web via WebDAV clients. There’s also a WEBmail tool that turns Mac OS X into a complete POP3 and IMAP4 mail server and a fully customizable, anytime, anywhere “hotmail” style mail client.
Tenon’s iTools 6.1 is a free upgrade for all iTools 6.0 customers. The new Aqua GUI will be incorporated into a forthcoming iTools 6.5, which will also be a free upgrade to existing iTools 6 customers. For new customers, the price is US$399, $299 (educational and sidegrades), and $99 (upgrade from iTools 5.0 ). The new Aqua GUI and instructions for joining the beta can be viewed from Tenon’s Web site.
“Using iTools 6.0 lets Macintosh Webmasters realize the full strength of an Apache-based Web server, with all the concomitant benefits of using standard Internet tools for dynamic content creation, and at the same time have all the advantages of an easy-to-use Web server,” Holmgren said in a statement. “With iTools ease-of-use, top-performance and extensibility, coupled with Mac OS X’s preemptive multitasking and protected memory, we expect Macintosh webmasters to rapidly transition to Mac OS X.”