Commissioner File Management

[Solecismic]

I was wondering if commissioners would be kind enough to post details about how they enact FTP when running a multi-player league.

1) Are participants blind to directory structure?

2) Do participants have a specific ftp account on your server?

3) What do you do to set up a league? Multiple leagues?

Thanks for your assistance.

[cuervo72]

For the FOFL, there is an html form for file submission. The back end php program checks against the forum db for authentication, an ownership table for privileges, and then writes the file to an export directory. The script also writes who uploaded what file and when to a log (Radii actually helped out with this, iirc). IHOF uses a similar setup. We use ftp to retrieve the files for import.

Ideally, the game would store ftp credentials and directory location via a commissioner panel, and would have its own file export and import buttons/routines.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Ideally, the game would store ftp credentials and directory location via a commissioner panel, and would have its own file export and import buttons/routines.

This.

OWNER ONE-TIME EXPERIENCE
1. Join league
2. Enter FTP credentials

OWNER DAY-TO-DAY EXPERIENCE
1. Do stuff (FA offers, game planning, etc.)
2. Hit "export" button. File is sent to appropriate FTP folder.
3. After sim is completed. Hit "import" button to grab latest files. Game reloads and everything is updated.

COMMISH ONE-TIME EXPERIENCE
1. Create FTP folder(s) for league
2. Enter FTP credentials
3. Post thread in league forum with FTP credentials for new owners to use. (All owners use same credentials.)

COMMISH DAY-TO-DAY EXPERIENCE
1. Hit "import" button. Grabs all exported files from appropriate FTP folder
2. Run sim
3. Hit "export" button. Files sent to appropriate FTP folder for league members to grab.

[Ben E Lou]

I think one thign that's important to note here is that every single FOF MP league currently running has someone who handles the "technical" bits who is more than adequate in setting up a couple of new FTP folders and sending out credentials. That person may or may not be the actual commish of the league, but all leagues have someone who takes care of managing the server-related stuff.

[Solecismic]

What would be an example of credentials appropriate to an MP league? Is there a security issue on the server-owner's front?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

What would be an example of credentials appropriate to an MP league? Is there a security issue on the server-owner's front?

Just a standard FTP user name and password.

Security is up to the server owner. I'd create a new account that only has access to the folder(s) in question and no others. The worst that could happen would be that someone could delete all the exports, which could happen in some leagues already with their current setups.

[Solecismic]

Would there ever be a need to allow anything other than port 21 communication?

[Solecismic]

Do people think it's fair to expect commissioners to bring owners up to speed when they join an existing league?

I've heard cases where commissioners send out the game plans for the entire league, or the league's password file. While that's not disastrous, it's not ideal, either.

[Ben E Lou]

I know of no reason to use anything besides port 21.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Do people think it's fair to expect commissioners to bring owners up to speed when they join an existing league?.

I think that's just part of the job. Most leagues have a forum post with basic instructions.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I was wondering if commissioners would be kind enough to post details about how they enact FTP when running a multi-player league.

1) Are participants blind to directory structure?

2) Do participants have a specific ftp account on your server?

3) What do you do to set up a league? Multiple leagues?

Thanks for your assistance.

1) Would prefer them to be but some leagues aren't as lucky as others having access to things.

2) No, but it's not that much trouble to set it up if needed.

3) In terms of just FTP? Mainly just an import / export folder.

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

For the FOFL, there is an html form for file submission. The back end php program checks against the forum db for authentication, an ownership table for privileges, and then writes the file to an export directory. The script also writes who uploaded what file and when to a log (Radii actually helped out with this, iirc). IHOF uses a similar setup. We use ftp to retrieve the files for import.

Ideally, the game would store ftp credentials and directory location via a commissioner panel, and would have its own file export and import buttons/routines.

exactly same for USFL