[wpkg-users] Wpkg-client logging issue

Rainer Meier r.meier at wpkg.org
Fri Jan 30 13:12:26 CET 2009


Hi Mike,

Mike Burgener wrote:
> Hmm, does still not work, made an extra share for this,
> 
> In example the UNC-Path is showed like this <param name='log_file_path' 
> value='\\\\server\\share\\dir' />
> Would it be correct using \\server\share\dir ?

You need to use double-backslash within the XML file. So
\\server\\share\\dir is correct.
Make sure that you give full (write) access to everybody to the "share"
and "dir" directory within the filesystem properties of the folders.
Also do not forget to give full write access to the share within the
share properties.

To test it you might use any machine attached to the network, then
create a local user (which does not exist on server-side) and try
accessing the share. If you're asked for a password then you did
something wrong. If you gave full access to everybody your machine
should use the "guest" account and you should be able to write to the
share\dir\ directory.

Again, if you would like to use a share with different credentials I
recommend giving full write access to the WPKG share and limit write
permissions on file-system level making sure the log directory still
allows full access to the user which is configured in WPKG client.

Alternatively you could use any share but you need to make sure you
connect to the server using the correct credentials in advance. You
might use a cmd script to be called by WPKG client which invokes
wpkg.js. This script might attach the network share to be used by wpkg.js.


Please also note another side-effect of windows credential management. A
user can only connect to a server using one single set of credentials.
This means if you already use a share from your \\server\ machine you
will not be able to use different credentials for other shares.
For example I had some issues to connect to the WPKG share in order to
load wpkg.js using the credentials I set in WPKG client. The reason was
that Windows already connected to the given server when attaching the
printers. As a result I was unable to connect with the given WPKG client
credentials. My solution was to define a server alias (in samba
configuration) and use another name only for WPKG. So Windows did not
know it's the same server and connected \\myserver\somePrinter with
"guest" credentials and still allowing me to use "wpkg-user" credentials
for "\\wpkgserver\wpkg\wpkg.js".

Please also have a look on the server logs to see which user tries to
connect to which share and if access is denied due to some reason (and
which reason).


> I made a user wpkg for deployment and logging, does authentication work 
> for logs as well?

Indirectly yes. As written above, if your log directory is stored on the
same server where WPKG cilent connects the share to load wpkg.js from.
For example if you configure WPKG client to load wpkg.js from
\\myserver\wpkg\wpkg.js
using 'wpkg' user and some password, then WPKG client connects to
"myserver using "wpkg:<password>" credentials.
Now wpkg.js loads and reads its configuration. If wpkg.js then accesses
a share on the same server it uses the same credentials. For example if
you use \\myserver\logs\ then this share would be automatically accessed
with "wpkg:<password>" credentials as well. There is even no way to use
different credentials for different shares on the same server (annoying
Windows limitation).

But if you use another server like \\myOtherServer\log, then WPKG will
connect using "guest" credentials unless you already connect to this or
any other network entity on this server with different credentials.

wpkg.js itself does not support trying different credentials than the
default ones used by Windows when accessing the share which is:

1. Try saved credentials
In case any share has been accessed on this server Windows uses the same
credentials. So in case of WPKG client has been used to attach the wpkg
share to run wpkg.js from it will try the same credentials.

2. Try username/password of user which is currently logged on
In case of WPKG client it is run with SYSTEM credentials (which for sure
does not qualify the user to log on to the remote server.

3. Try guest
If none of the above worked Windows tries the guest account.


br,
Rainer



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