Creating User Accounts with or without Active Directory

[J'son]

<REPOSTED>

Guys,

I need to build a web intranet application that can automatically
create a user account when a new user registers on the site. The user
account will be on the web server, member of the guests group (or some
other limited group), and get read permissions to a special folder.

I've tried playing with Active Directory on my local box, but I'm
running Win XP Pro, not Win Server 2003 so I don't think its available.
My production server will probably have access to it however.

So my questions are:

Can I use Active Directory for this sort of thing? I'm looking for a
code example for creating a user account, assigning permissions, et.

If I can't, what was the old ASP, VB 6 way of doing this? I'm sure
theres an older interface out there somewhere.

Thanx!

J'son

 

[Lucas Tam]

I've tried playing with Active Directory on my local box, but I'm
running Win XP Pro, not Win Server 2003 so I don't think its available.
My production server will probably have access to it however.

So my questions are:

Can I use Active Directory for this sort of thing? I'm looking for a
code example for creating a user account, assigning permissions, et.

There is a standalone version of active directory ADAM. You can give that
version a try - not sure if it runs on XP though.

If I can't, what was the old ASP, VB 6 way of doing this? I'm sure
theres an older interface out there somewhere.

Typically just a database table with a couple columns (i.e.
Username/Password, GroupID, etc).

Authentication should be done via the Forms Authentication classes - there
is no need to roll your own authentication : )

 

[Nicole Calinoiu]

If this is an intranet application, why does it need to create accounts at
all? Do the users not already have domain accounts, and can't the read
permissions on the folder be granted based on membership in a domain group?

 

[J'son]

Imagine this scenario... a small "English as 2nd language" school wants
to give students space on their web server to post html files (each
student can have a custom webspace).

When a new user registers with the site (and is confirmed to be a
student), the application is to create a new folder under the main
virtual root for their use:

http://www.mysmallschool.com/webspaces/<usernamehere>

So the student can manage files in this new folder, a new FTP virtual
directory is set up pointing to the above folder on the web server. And
finally, the student himself is given an account on the web server with
only read/write permissions to that specific FTP directory. The
application is to handle all this.

I have informed the client that I could create a special upload page
that would be much more secure (and probably easier to implement), but
they want it done this way so that students can use
FrontPage/Dreamweaver to publish their files via FTP. Grrrr....

Whew! See my dilemma? Hence my questions about Active Directory or any
other security namespace..

Thanx!

J'son

 

[Nicole Calinoiu]

What you've described is not really an "intranet" application. If it had
been, the students would almost certainly have user accounts prior to
connecting to the application.

That said, what you want to do is certainly possible, and it can be done in
the same way on both Windows XP and 2003. There's a sample for adding a new
local user via System.DirectoryServices at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306271.
Unfortunately, the 1.x versions of the.NET Framework don't include
functionality for manipulating file and folder permissions. However, you
can find a managed wrapper for the required Windows API calls at
http://www.gotdotnet.com/Community/...mpleGuid=e6098575-dda0-48b8-9abf-e0705af065d9.

HTH,
Nicole

 

[J'son]

Nicole,

You rock.. thanx!! This is definitely going to help out..

Take care,

J'son