Using ASPNet_Regiis to encrypt custom configuration section - can you do it?

Question

I have a web application with a custom configuration section. That section contains information I'ld like to encrypt (was hoping to use ASPNet_RegIIS rather than do it myself).

Web.Config:

<?xml version="1.0"?>

    <configuration xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/.NetConfiguration/v2.0"&gt;
      <configSections>
          <section name="MyCustomSection" 
                   type="MyNamespace.MyCustomSectionHandler, MyAssembly"/>
    </configSections>
<configProtectedData>
    <providers>
      <clear />
      <add name="DataProtectionConfigurationProvider"
           type="System.Configuration.RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider, System.Configuration, Version=2.0.0.0,
                   Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a,
                   processorArchitecture=MSIL"
           keyContainerName="MyKeyContainer"
           useMachineContainer="true" />
    </providers>
  </configProtectedData>
    <MyCustomSection>
       <blah name="blah1">
          <blahChild name="blah1Child1" />
       </blah>
    </MyCustomSection>

The configuration handler works great before trying to encrypt it. When I try to encrypt it with:

aspnet_regiis -pef "MyCustomSection" c:\inetpub\wwwroot\MyWebsite -prov DataProtectionConfigurationProvider

I get an error:

Encrypting configuration section... An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for MyCustomSection: Could not load file or assembly 'MyAssembly' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. (c:\inetpub\wwwroot\MyWebsite\web.config line 5)

I have tried with/without the provider configured. With/without section groups. With/Without having started the website before hand. I've tried temporarily putting my assembly in the GAC for the registration. I also tried my log4net section just to try something that wasn't mine, with no luck. I've run the command prompt as Administrator. Any ideas? Or can ASPNet_RegIIS just not be used for custom sections?

One final shot after viewing MSDN was changing my handler to inherit from ConfigurationSection rather than implementing IConfigurationSectionHandler since it was technically deprecated in 2.0 (hoping it was something regarding aspnet_regiis version). No luck there either.

Any ideas let me know. Thanks!

Answer 1

This is a total hack, but I'm not sure that there's another way to do it without strongly naming the assembly that defines your custom section and GACifying it (although you mentioned that didn't work, either, and I'm not sure why it wouldn't). Since aspnet_regiis runs in the < drive >:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\< version > folder (in WinXP), you can copy the DLL that defines your config section into the relevant Framework\< version > folder, and then it should work.