401 Unauthorized

[Mike Parks]

I set up an application following the 2 part sample on the Alpha site step by step. When I publish it to Webroot it works fine, when I publish it to our host, I get a 401 Unauthorized (The security settings for this server are missing or incomplete). I erased the application and started over ( I have done this a dozen times now, all with the same result).

A friend sent me this from this board:

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If the security framework is checked on the Application Server and you have not published anything to the server, there are no security configuration files on the server.

If the files are missing, you will be prevented from opening any pages and will get the message.

Until you publish something, you can just open the Application server control panel and uncheck the Security Framework option and restart the server.

When publish anything to the server from the Alpha Five program, the required default security files are automatically created and published for the project.

http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...&highlight=401 (Look for Jerry Brightbill's post a little way down on the thread)

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I went back and turned off all the security in the "Web Security" area and republished the application making sure to exclude every file I could find for security. Then I republished the application with all the security turned on telling it to open the "index" page when it was through. I still get the 401 error.

I also tried publishing the security files by themselves under "Web Security", the result was the same when I republished the entire application and asked it to launch "index".

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Mike

[drgarytraub]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Have you installed the app server on the machine you want to access AND have you entered the license number AND have you activated the application server. Until I did all of that, I had the same problem. But now it works fine !

[Steve Wood]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

I got a bit confused by the number of times you said off or on, so I don't know what the condition is when you published.

You don't need to try to exclude or include the security files, they will take care of themselves depending on how you set up security.

If you have that error, it means security IS turned on at the server level and, just like the msg says, files are missing.

Publish again: if you DO want security active, then configure WebSecurity > Web Security Configuration and when you publish, check the Publish Web Security Data Tables box. When you publish you will get a bunch of security files that don't need to be named here.

If you have security checked off, then it doesn't matter if you check the Publish Web Security Data Tables box or not, the results are the same, these two files will be published (and are needed even if security is off):

Guid.SecuritySettings
Project.SecuritySettings

[ZebraHost]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

The problem has been solved. It turns out that Mike's firewall was preventing him from publishing all of the files to the web server.

[Mike Parks]

Update

Still working on the problem �

Spent 3 hours on the phone today with the senior tech people at Symantic (Norton Internet Security)
Final result was that we turned off ALL security as a test and the problem remained � could not upload.

Thus we have ruled out the Firewall as a problem


Have spent 2 hours (so far) today with my ISP BellSouth/AT&T
They have run test after test and final result is that they are having their senior tech people call me back this afternoon.


Have tried between calls to contact Mediacom (our local cable company) nothing to report except that I was on hold forever.

In talking to associates who use Mediacom they tell me that it is only working about 90% of the time

Mike

[ZebraHost]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

In case anyone is wondering what is going on here, I was able to publish Mike's files via my Internet connection. He is able to only publish part of his application via his Internet connection.

The files that do make it to the server are landing up in the correct place unfortunately Mike is unable to publish all of the files neccesary for the application to work correctly.

Clive

[Mike Parks]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Latest update -

Problem is still there ---

We have eliminated:
Firewall - Norton (Symantic Internet Security)
Modem - Zoom DSL Wireless
ISP - BellSouth/AT&T

That leaves a conflict between some program on my computer and A5V8

Workaround -

I purchased an FTP program from Ipswitch which is working beautifully. There are none of the problems I encountered before and the same data is being transmitted (through the Firewall, the modem and over the BellSouth/AT&T network)

When I have more time to work on it, I will provide details. Thanks to everyone who has been so helpful. Alpha users are a great bunch of people.

Mike

[willobeth]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Mike, I am having exactly the 401 problem that you faced. I have gone through all the procedures suggested in the threads, to no avail. I have purchased Cute FTP Professional and tried that approach with no success. How did you finally resolve your issue?

[Mike Parks]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

It took me forever to find the answer. Select "Web Projects", then at the top left hand side of the screen select "Web". Then select "Application Server" and look for a checkbox that says "Enable Security Framework", check it as well as the checkbox above it "Automatically Start The Server". Save and close the window. Republish your application and it should work fine. The key is checking the box "Enable Security Framework".

I am still unable to use the built in publisher that comes with Alpha and am using the Ipswitch program. The drawback is you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to make the web app work correctly.

Mike

[willobeth]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

I gave it a try, Mike. Unfortunately, I'm still getting the 401 error, same as before. I'm not familiar with the Ipswitch program and a big part of the problem for me is that I am not really conversant in database and webspeak. I bought the Alpha Five program because it promised to be the single source that would allow the uninitiated like myself to build an app and bring it to the web. I'm just not tech savvy enough to be a beginner.

Thanks for the effort.

[Mike Parks]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

The problem you are having involved the security settings in the WAS. Have you checked the Web Security Settings, the Users and Groups and the Page Security settings. If you set the setting in my last e-mail and got the 401n error, there is something amiss in one of the areas above. This does not have anything to do with the FTP protocol. Go back and check ALL the WAS settings.

Mike

[willobeth]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Here are the steps I have taken (repeatedly):

*Cleared Zebra (host) site of all content (I do this with every change I make)
*Checked "enable security framework" and "automatically start the server"
*Restarted the application server
*Alternatively, with every change, I have disabled or enabled security under the "Web Security" menu
*When security is enabled, I have alternatively moved my page security between "allow all" and "login required" (setting permissions when I do so)
*When security is enabled, I have elected or deselected each available option under "Security Settings". I have set and reset users/groups/permissions.
*Published security settings from the "Web Security" menu and/or the "Publish" menu.
*Used both internal and external (Cute FTP v.8 Professional) FTP options
*Published both with and without database files
*When publishing under the "Publish Web Project" menu, I have checked and unchecked each available option in its turn

I have tried all of the above according to "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" principles; one small change followed by the complete publishing process each time.

I have tried all of the above with my original application. Then I have created increasingly simple applications and tested each one. This last publishing effort involved a database with one table and only 6 fields, 4 grid components (one which was a login) and 2 web pages.

When you consider every element of every menu that is subject to change when testing across 5 different applications ranging from a 1 table database to a 230 table database and then applying a complete publishing process to each of those changes, it gives you an idea of the time I have invested so far.

There was a point within the last week or two when I actually was getting a published result, but, then I was getting the error about files not found. Thanks for your suggestions and for listening, Mike.

The only bright spot so far is that I bought Alpha Five with 3 Application Server licenses and Runtime while it was on super sale. So, I could have been a couple of thousand dollars more disappointed than I am.

[Steve Wood]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Can we back up? I mean you are working to hard. Although there are a few things you have to get straight, its just a few. All that testing just makes it harder to get back to square one. Alpha works perfectly in this area, although I agree the documentation may be insufficient to guide you there.

The Zen thing is the wrong approach, that guy had an unlimited amount of time to get it right and never stopped due to frustration.

If you are using security properly you would never get a 401. Accessing a restricted page would redirect you to your 'redirect - insufficient permissions' page.

Am I right that you have 5 applications, one with 230 tables, and you just recently bought Alpha Five. Are these applications all built in Alpha, so quickly?

I'm not exactly sure where to direct you but it seems you are throwing things at the server rather than going through a process of understanding what you are doing.

[willobeth]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Well, it's encouraging to know that I'm working too hard. That tells me that it supposed to be easier than this.

And, although I have only had Alpha for about 5 or 6 weeks, some of those weeks were 60 70 hours long (on top of my regular job). Building the databases is easy work on Alpha and, first I built two simple ones and they worked fine every time I tested them with a page execute or live preview. So, I sat down on a long weekend for a marathon of building the large database. (We won't discuss how my wife felt about that). Again, in testing, it worked great. That's what convinced me that I was ready to publish.

So, I have my choice of applications with varying complexities, all of which work when tested locally. I have Zebra as my host (Clive is a patient man, but, he's got to be sick of hearing from me by now). I have a 3 license Alpha Five v8 and 3 licenses for my Application Server. Clive has confirmed that all is well at the Zebra end of this equation. I have enabled the security framework, checked auto start server, entered my license and all the steps outlined previously.

I agree with you. I have thrown so much in to the mix that it is now just mud.

I think my next effort will be to take the sample application that ships with Alpha and publish it, whole cloth, to my site.

[Steve Wood]

Re: 401 Unauthorized

Publishing the sample is just another segment in that Zen thing; a waste of time.

You have three application server licenses? Hmm, one licence allows an unlimited number of users to connect; why three? Suggests again you may have not configured the server properly.

Question - Do you have desktop access to the Zebra server (not just FTP, but full access, able to see the Start button, etc.) Answer that, and we'll continue.