Asp.net Access To Network Share

Question

I have an ASP.net app which needs to save files to a network share(samba).

The share requires a username and password to connect.

I have mapped a persistant drive to the share and provided the login credentials whilst logged in to the server as DOMAIN\WEBUSER.

I have changed the virtual directory which hosts my app to use the DOMAIN\WEBUSER account instead of the IWAM account.

However the user still cannot see the mapped drive.

What am I missing out?

Answer 1

It is best to use the UNC if you can as the mapped drives generally are linked to the interactive user and the virtual directory is probably connecting with a service or netwrok login type.

Another possible fix is described in this KB articleError occurs when you configure IIS to use a Samba network share as its root. Excerpted below.

Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make the computer or the network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you decide to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect the system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.

Warning This method involves a security risk because the user who created the mapping must remain logged on to the local console. Therefore, the only security is by locking the computer. To work around this problem, do the following:

1. Map a drive letter to \servername\iisroot using "root" and "password."
2. In the Samba virtual directory, change the home directory from Share on Another Computer to Local Directory, and then specify the drive letter that you mapped in step 1.
3. Restart the Web site, and then test it by browsing.

Answer 2

Did you try mapping the drive in code? Here is a class for doing just that...

public static class NetworkDrives
    {
     public static bool  MapDrive(string DriveLetter, string Path, string Username, string Password)
     {

      bool ReturnValue = false;

      if(System.IO.Directory.Exists(DriveLetter + ":\\"))
      {
       DisconnectDrive(DriveLetter);
      }
      System.Diagnostics.Process p = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
      p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
      p.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;

      p.StartInfo.FileName = "net.exe";
      p.StartInfo.Arguments = " use " + DriveLetter + ": " + Path + " " + Password + " /user:" + Username;
      p.Start();
      p.WaitForExit();

      string ErrorMessage = p.StandardError.ReadToEnd();
      string OuputMessage = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
      if (ErrorMessage.Length > 0)
      {
       throw new Exception("Error:" + ErrorMessage);
      }
      else
      {
       ReturnValue = true;
      }
      return ReturnValue;
     }
     public static bool DisconnectDrive(string DriveLetter)
     {
      bool ReturnValue = false;
      System.Diagnostics.Process p = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
      p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
      p.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;

      p.StartInfo.FileName = "net.exe";
      p.StartInfo.Arguments = " use " + DriveLetter + ": /DELETE";
      p.Start();
      p.WaitForExit();

      string ErrorMessage = p.StandardError.ReadToEnd();
      string OuputMessage = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
      if (ErrorMessage.Length > 0)
      {
       throw new Exception("Error:" + ErrorMessage);
      }
      else
      {
       ReturnValue = true;
      }
      return ReturnValue;
     }

    }