how to deploy data access pages over the internet

8/8/2019 How to Deploy Data Access Pages Over the Internet

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How to deploy data access pages over the

Internet

Data access pages permit you to create data-bound Web pages that you can view inMicrosoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later. These Web pages are typically intended for

intranet use. However, with special considerations, data access pages can be deployedsuccessfully over the Internet. Office Web Components must be installed on the

computer that views the data access pages. By default, the components are installed with

any Microsoft Office 2000 installation.

This article describes considerations that you must be aware of before you can deploy

data access pages over the Internet. These considerations do not address possible security

issues. If you have possible security issues, or if you want additional information aboutpossible methods that you may use to enhance security for data access pages, see the

"References" section.

Because the majority of the steps that are involved are performed on the server, this

article assumes that you have a correctly configured Web server on the NTFS file system

partition for deployment. If you are not hosting the Web site to house the data access

pages, you must be able to work with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to correctlyconfigure the Web server.

Create a User for Anonymous Access

Depending on whether you use Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft Windows 2000, or

Microsoft Windows Server 2003, the steps that you must follow to create a user foranonymous access may vary. On the Web server where the data access pages are located,follow these steps:

Windows Server 2003

1. ClickStart, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and thenclickComputer Management.

2. Expand Local Users and Groups, and then click the Users folder.3. On the Action menu, clickNew User.4. In the User name box, type DAPInternetAccount.5.

Click to clear the User must change password at next logon check box, click toselect the User cannot change password check box, click to select the Password

never expires check box, and then clickCreate.

6. ClickClose to close the New User dialog box, and then close the MicrosoftManagement Console.


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default Web site, click the following article number to view the article in the MicrosoftKnowledge Base:

184606 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/184606/ ) HOWTO: Use RDS from an IIS 4.0

Virtual Server

Important Microsoft does not recommend that you run Internet Information Services

(IIS) on a domain controller (or on a BDC, or on a PDC if you run Microsoft WindowsNT Server 4.0) because IIS performance is severely degraded because of the networkload and the processor load that is imposed by authentication and other roles that are

performed by domain controllers. Therefore, Microsoft does not test data access pages on

a domain controller that runs IIS and does not support this configuration.

Windows Server 2003

1. ClickStart, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and thenclickInternet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

2.

ExpandWebServer

(local computer), and then expand Web Sites.

Note WebServeris the actual computer name that is assigned to your Web server.

3. Right-clickDefault Web Site, point to New, and then clickVirtual Directory.4. In the Virtual Directory Creation Wizard, clickNext, type MSADC in the Alias

box, clickNext, type C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\msadc in the Pathbox, clickNext two times, and then clickFinish.

5. Right-click the new MSADC virtual directory, and then clickProperties.6. Move to the Execute Permissions drop-down list in the MSADC Properties

dialog box, and then clickScripts and Executables.

7. Click the Directory Security tab, and then clickEdit under Authentication andaccess control

.8. Click to select the Enable anonymous access check box, and then clickBrowsethat is next to the User name box.

9. In the Select User dialog box, move to the Enter the object name to select box,type DAPInternetAccount, and then clickOK.

10.ClickOK to close the Authentication Methods dialog box.11.Under IP address and domain name restrictions, clickEdit.12.In the IP Address and Domain Name Restrictions dialog box, clickGranted

Access, and then clickOK.

13.ClickOK to close the MSADC Properties dialog box, and then close IISManager.

Additional Configuration Settings for Windows Server 2003

You must apply the following configuration settings, or you may receive the following

error message:

Error: Safety settings on this computer prohibit accessing a data source on another

domain.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/184606/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/184606/


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1. ClickStart, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and thenclickInternet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

2. Expand WebServer (local computer) (where WebServeris the actual computername that is assigned to your Web server), and then expand Web Server

Extensions.

3.

Click the Add a new Web service extension hyperlink.4. When the New Web Service Extension dialog box appears, enter MSADC in theExtension name box, and then clickAdd.

5. When the Add file dialog box appears, type C:\Program Files\CommonFiles\System\msadc\msadcs.dll, and then clickOK.

6. Click to select the Set extension status to Allowed check box, and then clickOK.

7. Close IIS Manager.Modify the Msdfmap.ini File

You can use the Msdfmap.ini file on the Web server to permit data connections to the

server. You can modify this file in a variety of ways to permit data connections or to limitconnections to a particular database.

1. On the Web server, open the Msdfmap.ini file in Notepad.This file is found in the \WINNT folder.

2. In the "[connect default]" section, change:3. Access=NoAccess

-to-

Access=ReadWrite

You make this change to permit read connections and to permit write connections

to all data connections that are on the server.

4. In the "[sql default]" section, change:5. sql=" "

-to-

;sql=" "

You make this change to permit you to use any SQL statement against any data

source on the Web server.


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6. Save and then close the Msdfmap.ini file.Where to Put the Database and the Data Access Pages

Although not required, you can store the database on the Web server with the data accesspages. However, to enhance security, put the database in a folder other than the Web site

folder. By default, when you install IIS, the Web site folder is c:\inetpub\wwwroot.Because the wwwroot folder is typically open to the public, a malicious user maypotentially download the database. To enhance security, put the database in a different

folder on the Web server, such as c:\inetpub.

Modify the Data Access Pages

Because data access pages look on the client side to find the data source, routinedeployment of data access pages does not work over the Internet. Instead, you must

configure three-tier data access pages by using the UseRemoteProvider property of the

page. While certain steps in this article may be modified depending on the securitysettings that you select, this section must be completed to successfully deploy three-tierdata access pages.

1. Open the data access page in Design view.2. On the View menu, if the property sheet does not appear, clickProperties.3. On the Edit menu, clickSelect Page.4. On the Data tab, change the UseRemoteProvider property to True.5. On the View menu, if the field list does not appear, clickField List.6. Right-click the name of the database that is at the top of the field list, and then

clickConnection.

7. Verify that the connection string points to a path that can be seen from the Webserver.

8. ClickOK to close the Data Link Properties dialog box.9. Close and then save the data access page.

Important If you are not hosting the Web site, you may not be able to save changes to

data access pages that are opened directly in Access 2000 by using the URL for the dataaccess pages. Instead, open the data access pages in Microsoft FrontPage 2000, and then

edit the connection string manually as follows:

Note You must change the UseRemoteProvider property to true in Access before you

open the data access pages in FrontPage 2000.

1. Start FrontPage 2000.2. On the File menu, clickOpen.3. Type the URL for your data access page on the Web server, and then clickOK.4. On the lower-right side of the screen, click the HTML tab.5. On the Edit menu, clickFind.6. Type ConnectionString, and then clickFind Next.


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7. Edit the "Data Source" section of the connection string so that it points to the pathof the database on the Web server.

8. Open the URL for the data access page in Internet Explorer 5.0 or later to test thedeployment.

how to deploy data access pages over the internet

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