ASP / iis application issue after re-install

[mzadi]

I have been tasked to debug an ASP website but have little experience with how ASP applications work within the iis web server.

Setup:
WinNT 4.0 service pak 6
MDAC 2.10
iis
ASP
Originally developed using Visual Interdev.

The issue: The site previously worked but after the server was wiped clean, re-installed, and then the backed up data was put back on, the site no longer functions properly.

Details:
First- the site is broken into two areas, We'll call them application desk and search. The application desk is the portal where the user actually logs in and reaches the rest of the web's functionality. When the logged in user clicks on the link to go to the search area, the user_id is supposed to be getting passed from the application desk to the search area but it doesn't appear that it is.

The iis folder structure:

Project
-Project name
--Application desk (iis' icon identifies this as an app)
---global.asa
---other application desk files
--Search (iis does not identify this as an app)
---search files

The code:
<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<% Response.Buffer = True
If Session(&quot;userid&quot = &quot;&quot; Then
Response.Redirect &quot;error message.htm&quot;
End If
%>

Result:
The user is always redirected to the error message.


Sidenote:
I have the same website running on another server but the iis does not identify either one as an application. (In the properties, the setting is &quot;default&quot; and it is greyed out. It works in this configuration)

From reading my ASP book, I know the original folder configuration is probably not correct (the search folder should be under the application folder with the application object).

Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[phuctran]

can you just post the form of the login page and the next page (in action of the form) where you check for authorization.

 

[mzadi]

phuctran,
No, sorry. This is not a public site, nor do I have the permission to post the login scripts. However, there is nothing wrong with the actual login of the application. The login process succeeds and when used inside the &quot;application desk&quot; (as described above) folder works fine. It is when the &quot;Search&quot; folder tries to attain the same value using the same code as above that it fails to have a value for the session variable and therefore sends it to the error redirect page. I don't get this error in my production instance but the iis sever is configured differently(or not configured, depending on how you interpret it) with none of the folders designated as an application. My beta server has the &quot;application desk&quot; folder as an application. I believe there is a configuration issue regarding iis and the application's global.asa location.

Any thoughts?

 

[phuctran]

I can only guess.
I am not sure about your design, but somehow the Session(&quot;userid&quot = &quot;&quot; when you go to Search area. But you said it works on another server. Do you see your Search and Application Desk in to different folders (not nested) in IIS MMC? If yes, then can you make their HTTP headers the same then try it again.

 

[mzadi]

Yes, they are in different folders in iis mmc. How do I change their &quot;HTTP headers&quot;?

 

[Ovatvvon]

while you're waiting for him to respond to that, also check the session state within IIS. Is the session state enabled? if not, the session variables (i.e. session(&quot;userID&quot) will not work.

- ovatvvon