Friday, March 27, 2009

Securing XML Web Services - SOAP

I was doing research on securing XML Web Services and came across the following:

http://www.keithelder.net/blog/archive/2007/01/06/Securing-Web-Services-With-Username-and-Password.aspx

I want to see if I put a XML Web service in a folder - secured with folder permissions - and use username/password to get the web service... that would be the most scalable solution for me... Since I would like to use this secure some user-specific data.
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Ok - for speed and simplicity I just did the following:
1) Made username and password properties passed into the web service
2) Used SSL to connect to protect the web service.

It was simple and easy to use... pulled data specific to a user... from ASP.Net app into vba app.

Want the code??

Monday, March 16, 2009

ASP.Net AJAX - Update Panels

Update Panels are COOL!

They have some quirks - but if used properly, they can really speed up a web app. (Had trouble using them with file uploads... but all else was fine.) I have been working on building some advanced lead-generation/management tools into my CMS - mostly using AJAX modals, tabs etc.

I have found that those forms with several grids and more than 3 tabs tend to take a few seconds to redraw - using a regular postback. However, if I use an Ajax update panel - only the data in that update panel is redrawn... saving LOTS of time for the update.

I still use regular postbacks - especially if if the update impacts several tabs, or if using file uploads. However, in most cases this is not needed...

FILE upload in Update Panel?
I normally don't bother... But if needed, refer to this:
http://geekswithblogs.net/ranganh/archive/2008/04/01/file-upload-in-updatepanel-asp.net-ajax.aspx

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One critical thing to consider with update panels - whether to set
UpdateMode="conditional" or "always".

Set to "conditional" if:
This update panel is not being affected by other update panels.

Set to "always" if:
This update panel data is being affected by updates in other update panels. This slows down the display/postback of all update panels with this... but can be very handy. Only do if necessary.