Windows Server 3003 and No-Touch Deployment

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Mike Livenspargar - 25 Sep 2003 01:28 GMT

We're using no-touch deployment with a particular application. We can serve
the application from a Windows 2000 Server machine with no problem. We're
not able to serve the application from a Windows 2003 Server. It appears
that the app's .config is not being transferred to the client when they try
to launch the application from the Win 2003 server.

The web.config file for the virtual directories includes entries in the
httpHandler section to allow .config files to be retrieved, and we've
deleted the .config entry from the App Mappings tab in the properties for
the virtual directories (which I think means our httpHandler mods are not
necessary). The virtual directory on the Win 2003 server allows anonymous
access. The machine.config files between the two servers in question are
identical with the exception of some database connection strings in the
appSettings section.

An examination of the IIS log files on the Win2003 server shows the last
entry for a no-touch deployment session to be a GET for the app.exe.config
file with a status 401. A FileLoadException is thrown on the client machine
when we try to run from the Win2003 server.

What other settings should we change on the Win2003 server?

Thanks,
Mike

Reply to this Message

Yan-Hong Huang[MSFT] - 26 Sep 2003 03:51 GMT

Hello Mike,

Thanks for posting in the group.

We will look into it and reply with more information here. Please post here
if you have any more concerns.

Best regards,
Yanhong Huang
Microsoft Online Partner Support

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--------------------
!Reply-To: "Mike Livenspargar" <botatus@hotmail.com>
!From: "Mike Livenspargar" <botatus@hotmail.com>
!Subject: Windows Server 3003 and No-Touch Deployment
!Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 17:28:46 -0700
!Lines: 26
!Organization: County of Sonoma
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!X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
!X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158
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!Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl microsoft.public.dotnet.framework:54649
!X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework
!
!We're using no-touch deployment with a particular application. We can serve
!the application from a Windows 2000 Server machine with no problem. We're
!not able to serve the application from a Windows 2003 Server. It appears
!that the app's .config is not being transferred to the client when they try
!to launch the application from the Win 2003 server.
!
!The web.config file for the virtual directories includes entries in the
!httpHandler section to allow .config files to be retrieved, and we've
!deleted the .config entry from the App Mappings tab in the properties for
!the virtual directories (which I think means our httpHandler mods are not
!necessary). The virtual directory on the Win 2003 server allows anonymous
!access. The machine.config files between the two servers in question are
!identical with the exception of some database connection strings in the
!appSettings section.
!
!An examination of the IIS log files on the Win2003 server shows the last
!entry for a no-touch deployment session to be a GET for the app.exe.config
!file with a status 401. A FileLoadException is thrown on the client machine
!when we try to run from the Win2003 server.
!
!What other settings should we change on the Win2003 server?
!
!Thanks,
!Mike
!
!
!

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Scot Rose [MSFT] - 02 Oct 2003 19:15 GMT

Hi Mike, Take a look at the following Newsgroup thread (Around 25 messages) , Around Message 10 Mike Moore from Microsoft answers this and other questions you may have
in the rest of the thread...

http://www.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=020201c2a20e%244af
9ec50%24d2f82ecf%40TK2MSFTNGXA09

(Watch for line breaks in the URL above)

Please let me know if that thread does answer your question..

Scot Rose, MCSD
Microsoft Visual Basic Developer Support
Email : scotr@online.microsoft.com <Remove word online. from address>

This posting is provided ?AS IS?, with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Get Secure!
http://www.microsoft.com/security
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

--------------------

>Reply-To: "Mike Livenspargar" <botatus@hotmail.com>
>From: "Mike Livenspargar" <botatus@hotmail.com>
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
>Thanks,
>Mike

Reply to this Message

Mike Livenspargar - 06 Oct 2003 19:33 GMT

Thanks, Scot:

I'm including a console application I'm using to investigate our problem. We
have what I believe are identically set up IIS virtual directories: one on a
Windows 2000 Server and the other on a Windows 2003 Server. The test
application below correctly shows appSettings values from the app.config
file when executed from the 2000 server, but not from the 2003 server. The
machine.config files are identical on the two servers (excepting some
database connection string entries in the appSettings section). We
successfully have done the following in the past to allow app.config files
to transfer to client machines:

1) allow anonymous access to the virtual directory containing the executable
2) added the following to the Web.config/system.web section in the
executable's virtual directory
<httpHandlers>
<remove verb="*" path="*.config"/>
<add verb="*" path="web.config" type="System.Web.HttpForbiddenHandler"/>
</httpHandlers>

There seems to be something else we need to do on the 2003 Server in order
to allow the .config file to transfer. I don't see anything in the thread to
which you pointed me that looks like it will help. The sample app below just
displays the contents of the appSettings section, so when run it should show
values contained in the app.config file coming from the server.

using System;

using System.Configuration;

namespace TestRemoteConfig

{

/// <summary>

/// Summary description for Class1.

/// </summary>

class Class1

{

/// <summary>

/// The main entry point for the application.

/// </summary>

[STAThread]

static void Main(string[] args)

{

foreach (string appSetting in ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings)

{

Console.WriteLine("AppSetting: {0}", appSetting);

}

Console.ReadLine();

}

}

}

And here are the contents of the associated app.config file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<configuration>

<add key="Test" value="yes" />

</configuration>

Thanks,

Mike

Reply to this Message

Scot Rose [MSFT] - 20 Oct 2003 15:48 GMT

The particular part of the thead I think applies is

"Currently there is no better method. That's why the white paper which
includes commentary on downloaded config files explicitly states that care
should be taken that the config file never needs to be updated as it will
never be updated even if a newer version is available."

Which is what is happening.

Have you had a chance to look over the article mentioned in that thread?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/02/07/NetSmartClients/default.aspx

Scot Rose, MCSD
Microsoft Visual Basic Developer Support
Email : scotr@online.microsoft.com <Remove word online. from address>

This posting is provided ?AS IS?, with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Get Secure!
http://www.microsoft.com/security
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

--------------------

>Reply-To: "Mike Livenspargar" <botatus@hotmail.com>
>From: "Mike Livenspargar" <botatus@hotmail.com>
[quoted text clipped - 99 lines]
>
>Mike

Reply to this Message

Mike Livenspargar - 23 Oct 2003 17:50 GMT

Thanks Scot for your follow-up. We reviewed the article you mention
and didn't find anything new in there for us.

I don't believe this is an issue of a newer config file on the server
not downloading and overwriting an older config file on a client. Our
problem is the config file is not being transferred down, period.

Let me restate the problem: we have two servers set up. One is a
Windows 2000 server and the other is a Windows 2003 server. We
configure virtual directories with the same setup on each machine. We
copy an executable along with it's associated config file and
supporting dll's into each virtual directory. We can successfully
launch and run the application from the Windows 2000 server. We can
successfully launch the application from the Windows 2003 server but
it fails to run because the app.config file is not transferred down
from the Windows 2003 server. This is true if we try to launch the
application from a client on which the application has never been
launched, and on a machine on which we've cleared the download cache
with gacutil /cdl.

When we examine the web log on the Windows 2003 server we can see that
all attempts to retrieve the app.config file failed with 401
responses. We've enabled anonymous access on the virtual directory and
have enabled transfer of config files from the virtual directory by
removing the .config extension from the list of handled extensions
and/or altering the httpHandler in web.config to allow transfer of
.config files.

There seems to be an additional block for .config files on the Windows
2003 server and I'm wondering where that is. If there are any further
tests we can run to eliminate or find other possibilities, please let
me know.

Thanks,
Mike

>The particular part of the thead I think applies is
>
[quoted text clipped - 123 lines]
>>
>>Mike

Reply to this Message

Scot Rose [MSFT] - 29 Oct 2003 16:34 GMT

I have scoured the internal databases here for any information that might explain this but have come up dry. No bug reports, prevous cases, etc. At this point my suggestion is that
you use one of your MSDN Incidents and open a support call so you can work directly with a specialist in that area.If it turns out to be a bug in the product you would most likely not
be decremented on your incident count. If you have an actual Reproducable scenario to give to the Support Professional when you call that would probably help to speed things
along.

Scot Rose, MCSD
Microsoft Visual Basic Developer Support
Email : scotr@online.microsoft.com <Remove word online. from address>

This posting is provided ?AS IS?, with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Get Secure!
http://www.microsoft.com/security
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

--------------------

>From: Mike Livenspargar <botatus@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: Windows Server 3003 and No-Touch Deployment
>Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 09:50:18 -0700
>Message-ID: <tivfpv07m18dd8vneeub0ecin3t9b815ue@4ax.com>
>References: <#vdcAwvgDHA.2084@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl> <EMFBhERiDHA.1752@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl> <#9zGMhDjDHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>

<TpjW1kxlDHA.576@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl>

>X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
>MIME-Version: 1.0
[quoted text clipped - 170 lines]
>>>
>>>Mike

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Junfeng Zhang[MSFT] - 30 Oct 2003 01:07 GMT

Did you read Alan's Blog?
http://blogs.gotdotnet.com/alanshi/commentview.aspx/fafd34ae-e72d-44ca-bb2d-7614
ecfa2070

> I have scoured the internal databases here for any information that might explain this but have come up dry. No bug reports, prevous cases, etc. At

this point my suggestion is that

> you use one of your MSDN Incidents and open a support call so you can work directly with a specialist in that area.If it turns out to be a bug in the

product you would most likely not

> be decremented on your incident count. If you have an actual Reproducable scenario to give to the Support Professional when you call that would

probably help to speed things

> along.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no

rights.

> Get Secure!
> http://www.microsoft.com/security
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> >Message-ID: <tivfpv07m18dd8vneeub0ecin3t9b815ue@4ax.com>
> >References: <#vdcAwvgDHA.2084@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl> <EMFBhERiDHA.1752@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl>

<#9zGMhDjDHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>

> <TpjW1kxlDHA.576@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl>
> >X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American)
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> >Lines: 1
> >Path: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl!cpmsftngxa10.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGXA05.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP08

.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl

> >Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl microsoft.public.dotnet.framework:56938
> >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
> >>
> >>This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no

rights.

> >>Get Secure!
> >>http://www.microsoft.com/security
[quoted text clipped - 104 lines]
> >>>
> >>>Mike

Reply to this Message

Scot Rose [MSFT] - 30 Oct 2003 16:17 GMT

Actaully, My search didn't turn up THAT page... Looks like the answer though doesn't it... Thanks for chiming in here...

Scot Rose, MCSD
Microsoft Visual Basic Developer Support
Email : scotr@online.microsoft.com <Remove word online. from address>

This posting is provided ?AS IS?, with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Get Secure!
http://www.microsoft.com/security
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

--------------------

>From: "Junfeng Zhang[MSFT]" <juzhang@online.microsoft.com>
>References: <#vdcAwvgDHA.2084@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl> <EMFBhERiDHA.1752@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl> <#9zGMhDjDHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>

<TpjW1kxlDHA.576@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl> <tivfpv07m18dd8vneeub0ecin3t9b815ue@4ax.com> <NK8kXIjnDHA.1548@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl>

>Subject: Re: Windows Server 3003 and No-Touch Deployment
>Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2003 16:07:58 -0800
[quoted text clipped - 236 lines]
>> >>>
>> >>>Mike

Reply to this Message

nospam_donbarber@hotmail.com - 24 Dec 2003 23:19 GMT

All,
Just checking to see if there is any more info on the issue that Mike has
raised here.
We are having the exact (to the letter) problem outlined below where we can
not get the app.config file to download from a Windows 2003 Server (or
Windows XP), but the same app will work on Windows 2000.
I have tried all of the workarounds mentioned by Chris Sells, Alan Shi, and
Ingo and others to no avail.
Any help would be very much appreciated.

> I have scoured the internal databases here for any information that might explain this but have come up dry. No bug reports, prevous cases, etc. At

this point my suggestion is that

> you use one of your MSDN Incidents and open a support call so you can work directly with a specialist in that area.If it turns out to be a bug in the

product you would most likely not

> be decremented on your incident count. If you have an actual Reproducable scenario to give to the Support Professional when you call that would

probably help to speed things

> along.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no

rights.

<#9zGMhDjDHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>

.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl

rights.

> >>Get Secure!
> >>http://www.microsoft.com/security
[quoted text clipped - 104 lines]
> >>>
> >>>Mike

Reply to this Message

Mike Livenspargar - 03 Feb 2004 19:01 GMT

The problem turned out to be an IIS 6.0 issue -- IIS stores the anonymous user's password in its database, and it was different from the password for the anonymous user stored by the OS. Once we changed the password in both places to a known value we were able to run just fine, downloaded .config files and all. I'm sorry I don't have the name of the utility used to change the password in the IIS database handy but it should be easy to find.

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Windows Server 3003 and No-Touch Deployment

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