Automatically authenticating a virtual directory in IIS 6.0

Question

We have a website whose users supply HTML links to a virtual directory on the website. (Think www.website.com/dir1; dir1 is actually a virtual directory to a different server.) The server that the virtual directory links to requires authentication, however the username and password needed is constant.

Whenever a user tries to access a page that draws a resource from that virtual directory, the webpage asks for authentication. We don't want the user to have to enter in the authentication info every time they enter the site. We have no control over the server that is the source of the virtual directory, but have total control over the virtual directory's settings.

How can we set up the virtual directory so that a webpage that accesses the virtual directory automatically supplies the authentication info?

Please let me know if there's more info you need!

Answer 1

Unfortunately there isn't a way for you to transfer your authentication from one server to another, unless you share your session information. Do a google search for session state server for more information on this.

However, this may not be what you want.

Your only other options are to completely open up the resources on the 2nd server, or set up the directory on the other server as another virtual directory on the first server. This way everything is authenticated from the 1st server.