HFS (HTTP File Server)

[James Bourne]

How To Run HFS (HTTP File Server) as a Windows Service with FireDaemon

HFS is a HTTP File Server. It differs fundamentally from FTP or traditional web servers in that you can simply drag and drop files into a virtual file system. You can download FireDaemon via HFS. This will give you an idea of how it works. Additionally HFS allows you to:

• Download and upload files
• Create a loadable virtual file system
• Customize via configuration file or HTML templates
• Control bandwidth, create user accounts and log access
• Share via DDNS

HFS can be run under FireDaemon as a Windows service. This is useful if you want to have the HFS serve files automatically after your machine has booted, prior to login or to run HFS at a much lower priority or on a specific CPU or core.

HFS Setup Under FireDaemon

1. Download and install HFS. It is supplied as a single EXE (no installer). Copy the EXE to the directory of your choice (eg. C:\Program Files\HFS). You might also want to consider installing an HFS Beta version.

2. Download and install FireDaemon Pro into the directory of your choice (typically C:\Program Files\FireDaemon).

3. Start the FireDaemon GUI from the desktop shortcut. Click on the "Create a new service definition" button in the toolbar (or type Ctrl+N) and enter the information into the fields as you see below. Obviously adjust paths to suite your installation.



The Parameters list can optionally be left blank. The -i option is used to tell HFS where to save/load its INI (configuration) file to/from. HFS command line options can be found here.

4. If you wish to change the priority or the CPU binding of HFS click on the Advanced tab. Here you might change the priority to Below Normal to preserve CPU cycles or bind HFS onto one processor or core in order to free the other.



5. Click on the FireDaemon Dependencies tab. Add 'lanmanworkstation' to the list of Services to depend on. This will ensure the TCP/IP and CIFS stacks are in the process of initialisation before attempting to start HFS:



6. Your done! Click on the Install button and HFS should startup!



You will also see the HFS icon in the Task Bar:



You can now go and configure HFS by clicking on the Menu tab in the main window.



7. Post Installation Steps

From the HFS GUI, we recommend you also do the following to ensure your HFS configuration is preserved after reboot:

• Click on You are in Easy mode to get to Advanced mode
• Menu -> Save VFS. Save it to your installation directory. Your virtual file system is now preserved.
• Menu -> Save Options -> To File. This will save your HFS config to hfs.ini (make sure you have specified -i in the FireDaemon parameters list so HFS can find your ini file).
• Menu -> Save Options -> Check Auto-save options on exit
• Menu -> Tray Icons -> Minimize to tray
• Menu -> Start/Exit -> Start minimised
• Menu -> Start/Exit -> Reload on startup VFS previously open

Issues ... other problems? Please post in the Public Support Forums!