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  • Thread starter Thread starter Brad Markisohn
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Brad Markisohn

I have a PC application (OS is Win XP Pro) that controls complex hardware
via the PCI bus. We've written the app using VB.Net; but, recently the
client has asked for remote access to data and remote control of the
hardware config. parameters via web pages. This will include
bi-directional transfers of large data files (mbytes- I looked around, but I
didn't see a native FTP capability in .Net.) The PC has an Ethernet port,
but it's not connected to a network, although it could be. The customer
wants all of the hosting capability to come form the PC managing the
hardware. I've glanced at ASP.Net, but I'm not sure if this is the correct
route. I would appreciate any suggestions or pointers to other resources
that my help me come up with a solution.

TIA

Brad
 
Thanks for Ken's informative information.

Hi Brad,

Thanks for posting here. Based on your description, here is my
understanding of your problem:
You'd like to make a original PC application(used to control some complex
hardware on the machine) as a remote accessable application so that some
remote client can control the server machine's hardware setting via the
application. And you wonder whether ASP.NET is the proper solution or any
other means, yes?

As for this question, I'd like to asked some further things:
1. Do you want to make it just intranet based or internet based?
2. Do you want to make the clientside simple enougth(simple client) just
need a browser or has rich client app?

First I think ASP.NET is certainly ok for your situation. However, what you
need to care about is the security issues you may meet with. The ASP.NET
application has high restricted on security permissions on machine. Also
its workerprocess
has very limited privileges. As for your situation, I think you may need to
use many unmanaged APIS or other custome APIs to control hardwares. So you
need to write some wrapper classes(managed code) for calling those
unmanaged or other restricted resources. Here are some references on
ASP.NET security and .net code access with restricted resources:

#ASP.NET Security
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/secmod/html/secmod08.asp?frame=true

#Using Code Access Security with
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnnetsec/html/THCMCh09.asp?frame=tru
e

#Use Code Access Security Policy to Constrain an Assembly
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnnetsec/html/htcode_acc.asp?frame=t
rue

#Secure Coding Guidelines for the .NET Framework
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnnetsec/html/seccodeguide.asp?frame
=true

As for the fileupload, I think you may have a look at Ken's suggestions.

In addtion, I think you may also consider the socket based application
since it can be implemented via a winform app and won't have the security
issues asp.net web app may mets. But it'll need a rich client app in such
c/s mode applications.

Any way, please have a check on the above things. Hope they are helpful.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Support

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)

Get Preview at ASP.NET whidbey
http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/whidbey/default.aspx
 
Ken and Steven,

Thanks to both of you for your responses. Here are some answers to Steven's
questions:

1. Do you want to make it just intranet based or internet based?
A. Internet. The application could be accessed by somebody in another part
of the country/world

2. Do you want to make the clientside simple enough(simple client) just need
a browser or has rich client app?
A. I need to keep the client side limited to a browser if at all possible.
It is not desirable to require a remote user to have an application
installed on their PC's, even though it would make my task simpler.

As far as security, the PC will be connected to a single PC LAN that will
serve as the link to the internet and will be responsible for security
(firewall, etc). With this in mind, does this change the difficulty using
ASP.Net?

We've handled the device interface in the VB.Net. application. Can I
control the ASP.Net code from within the current VB.Net solution or will the
ASP.Net application need to be a stand alone app?

Thanks again for your assistance.

Brad
 
Hi Brad,

Thanks for your followup. As for the below items you mentioned:
---------------------------
We've handled the device interface in the VB.Net. application. Can I
control the ASP.Net code from within the current VB.Net solution or will the
ASP.Net application need to be a stand alone app?
----------------------------

Of course, a ASP.NET web application is a separate application alone though
you can added it in a certain
solution with any other applications. If you're not very familar with
ASP.NET web app, you may reference the
below web links in MSDN:

#http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/

Wish you good luck on your project.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Support

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)

Get Preview at ASP.NET whidbey
http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/whidbey/default.aspx
 
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