Product Line Overview
The Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX 1.5 comes in three editions, each targeted at a different set of needs:
Developer Edition
The Developer Edition is designed to provide developers with a version of the Communication Server that they can use to learn the product and author applications. It contains all of the functionality of the Personal Edition but has a maximum capacity ceiling appropriate only for the small amounts of traffic typically generated during the development phase.
Real-world testing and deployment of applications authored with the Developer Edition should be done on either a Personal Edition or a Professional Edition.
Personal Edition
The Personal Edition contains all of the functionality needed to develop, test, and deploy Communication Server applications on low- to medium-traffic Internet sites.
Professional Edition
The Professional Edition contains all of the functionality needed to develop, test, and deploy Communication Server applications on medium- to high-traffic Internet sites.
The Professional Edition also includes the ability to create virtual hosts, a feature specifically for large-scale deployments on multiple URLs.
Extending the Editions
Each edition of the Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX contains a capacity ceiling appropriate for the target use of the edition.
The capacity ceiling for the Developer Edition is 250 kilobits of peak bandwidth per second (kbps) or 5 simultaneous connections, whichever limit is reached first. The capacity ceiling for the Personal Edition is one (1) megabit of peak bandwidth per second (Mbps) or 50 simultaneous connections, whichever limit is reached first. The capacity ceiling for the Professional Edition is ten (10) megabits of peak bandwidth per second (Mbps) or 2,500 simultaneous connections, whichever limit is reached first.
While the capacity limits found in the either the Personal or the Professional Edition should satisfy the capacity needs of most web sites, some customers may need configure the Communication Server for a capacity which differs from that found in these editions. To satisfy this need, the Communication Server has a "stackable capacity" feature which allows the Personal and Professional Editions to be quickly and easily extended.
To stack capacity on a Personal Edition, purchase an additional copy of the Personal Edition and enter the serial number of the 2nd Personal Edition in the Administration Console of the 1st Personal Edition. This will effectively increase the capacity of the server to a total capacity ceiling of 2 Mbps or 100 simultaneous connections. Purchasing a 3rd Personal Edition and stacking it on the first two will increase the total capacity of the server to 3 Mbps or 150 simultaneous connections. Up to five (5) Personal Editions can be stacked in this manner.
Stacking Professional Editions can be done in the exact same manner, giving you the ability to achieve a total capacity ceiling of 20 Mbps or 5,000 simultaneous connections (stacking 2 Professional Editions), 30 Mbps or 7,500 simultaneous connections (stacking 3 Professional Editions), and so on. There is no limit in the Communication Server to the number of Professional Editions which can be stacked.
Stacking provides an effective way for you to add more perpetual capacity as your application's use grows, while protecting your investment in the communication server. If you need a way to accommodate large capacity ceilings for short periods of time, however, an alternative would be to stack a 90-Day Unlimited Capacity Pack on a Professional Edition.
Capacity Packs for the Professional Edition
The 90-Day Unlimited Capacity Pack removes all software imposed capacity limits from the Professional Edition of the Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX 1.5 for a period of 90 calendar days. The term starts when the serial number of the Capacity Pack is entered in the Professional Edition Administration Council.
When the time expires on a 90-Day Unlimited Capacity Pack that has been added to a Professional Edition, the capacity limit reverts back to that of the Professional Edition. There is no limit to the number of 90-Day Unlimited Capacity Packs that can be added to a Professional. After the first one expires, another can be added, and so on.
Pricing Overview
The following table provides a pricing overview of all the Editions and Capacity Packs for Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX 1.5:
| Maximum kilobits per second | Maximum Connections | Price | Expiration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer Edition | 250 | 5 | Free | Never |
| Personal Edition | 1 | 50 | $499 | Never |
| Professional Edition | 10 | 2500 | $4,500 | Never |
| 90 Day Unlimited Capacity Pack | Unlimited | Unlimited | $7,500 | 90 days |
All products are available for purchase as packaged product (including product manual and CD-ROM), or by electronic software download (ESD). When purchasing an ESD, the product documentation and CD-ROM are available at an additional cost of $35. Free technical support for the product is limited to product installation. Additional technical support is available for purchase separately.
More Information
Read our FAQ to find out more information about which edition of the Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX is right for you. Need more information on how to calculate the peak bandwidth and number of simultaneous numbers for your application? Read our whitepaper.
Buy or upgrade
Call 1-800-833-6687