EWF User Password Changing

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I am about to create an XPE image with IIS and I have the follwing questions
if anyone can help.
I am creating a device with a web interface that has multiple users at a
single location. The web interface would be used by a store manager and store
staff.
The manager would need to be able to add user accounts for his staff.
These accounts would be created on ISS from within the web interface. The
wen interface would not be on the same box as the XPE image. I am looking for
suggestions on how to store these users accounts with the questions below.


If you are using EWF RAM overlay does this mean standards user account
passwords are not committed to disk.
If yes does trhis mean allowing users to change passwords cannot be done?

Can a new user be added to a system when EWF is enabled?

With EWF can you always have a particular file commit to Disk. Eg. The Users
registry file. I assume this can be done using the commitfile EWF API.

Should I store the user access list on another location on the device.?

Sorry fror so many questions if anyone can help that would be great.
Cheers
Should I use IIS security or build the users into the webinterface itself?
 
Hi Wookie,
Your question might be a little confusing -

you say "The web interface would not be on the same device as the xpe image"
this would be to say that IIS, and the corresponding code live on a server
of some sort?

That being said the user names you need are in the IIS box, not the XPE
image, unless you are trying to restrict other functions on the XPE box to
specific users... this seems counterproductive, as if it's a "retail" type
device, you don't want the console locked to a single user. in most server
side retail POS apps, the server controls the ACL...

if you needed to be able to setup user lists on the XPE device, you could,
using the EWF API's, build into an application the ability to commit changes
through the filter. (IE user accounts on the local box). But, as your
application is web based, I belive the solution you need is the other one I
just spoke of.

HTH,
JC
 
Sorry John,
It was late here is Australia when I was writing the question.
Both the IIS Server and XPE are on the same box.
The users will be accessing this box from a antoher box via a web interface.
I would like the users to be able to create new user through the web
interface that would be stored on the XPE box.

So the question is if IIS is running on XPE using EWF how do I add users as
EWF does not write any changes back to the disk.

I believe you answered this by saying you can use the EWF API's to commit
changes to disk.

Is there anyway without rebooting the box to ensure no other changes have
been made in the overlay?
I would only want to commit the added users not any other changes made?

This box can not be rebooted as it runs vital functions.

Cheers Wookienow
 
Wookienow,
So the question is if IIS is running on XPE using EWF how do I add users as
EWF does not write any changes back to the disk.

I believe you answered this by saying you can use the EWF API's to commit
changes to disk.
Click to expand...

Or you can commit the changes by launching EWF Manager app with certian command line arguments.
Is there anyway without rebooting the box to ensure no other changes have
been made in the overlay?
Click to expand...

In short the answer is No if you are running SP1 or SP2 XPe config.
Well, more precisely, with EWF SP2 you'd be able to commit changes to a file but there were so many restrictions to that file
location, size and etc. that you wouldn't be able to use that for IIS configuration files (read more here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/xpehelp/html/xelrfEwfMgrCommitFile.asp)

With SP2 Feature Pack 2007 you however can replace the EWF in your config with FBWF - really nice new embedded enabling feature that
comes with the FP (http://blogs.msdn.com/embedded/archive/2006/07/10/660998.aspx). Then, of course, it would be just a matter of
having the IIS configuration files to be commited when you do certain changes like adding users and etc.

The FP though is still in CTP phase.
I would only want to commit the added users not any other changes made?
Click to expand...

Understood. I feel your pain. Many of us have stumbed upon the same problem with EWF. This is why Microsoft is coming out with FBWF.

Here is another option for you (still requires some good effort to implement): Move all data that potentially can change at run time
(e.g., IIS configuration files, etc.) to another partition or even another storage device. Make that partition non-protected by EWF
and store all the data there. Then the data would be persistent (not counting power loss situation and similar).
 
Thanks very much you have cleared up a lot of my concerns.
I will look into FEWF.
Thanks Wookienow
 
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