Tuesday, June 10, 2008

DotNetNuke With SQL

DNN environment configured consists of several steps:

* Install .NET Framework 2.0 components
* Set up a local Web Server (IIS)
* Set up a local DB Server (MS SQL)
* Install DotNetNuke version.
* Install Development Tools
Install .NET Framework 2.0 components:

We have installed the .NET framework 2.0, as well as the development SDK. We will also want the AJAX extensions for .NET available for development.


We can download them all from Microsoft directly. The URLs from which to download the software are:

1. Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86)
2. .NET Framework 2.0 Software Development Kit (SDK)

Installation of your .NET components should follow this sequence:

Download all listed components
Install the .NET Framework.
Reboot.
Install the .NET SDK.
Reboot.
Connect to Windows update to download and install patches.
Do NOT install KB928365. It will break DotNetNuke.
Reboot.

Now your .NET Framework is ready.
Set up a local Web Server (IIS):

Windows XP comes, natively, with a version of IIS (Internet Information Services). We want to ensure that yours is a clean install, so to ensure that it is installed, and running, follow the following steps:

Click Start, click Control Panel, and click Add or Remove Programs.
Click Add/Remove Windows Components. The Windows Components Wizard appears.
If IIS is installed, uninstall it and reboot. Otherwise…
Return to step 1, but install IIS and its default components
Reboot.

Once you have IIS installed, you need to make sure it is working. To do so, open a web browser, and point it at http://localhost

If you receive a ‘You are not authorized to view this page’ error, IIS is running, but permissions are incorrect. Try this:

Right-click on C:\Inetpub, select properties
Click on the security tab. If you don’t have a security tab, turn off Windows Simple File Sharing, reboot, and come back.
Select the user ‘Internet Guest Account’
Make sure there is a check mark in the Allow Column for the Read permission.

If it isn’t working yet, try this:

Start > Settings > Control Panel. Double-click on Administrative Tools.
Double-Click on Internet Information Services.
Unroll the menu until you can see Default Web Site.
Right-click on Default Web Site and select properties.
Select the Directory Security Tab. Click the Edit button in the Anonymous access section.
In the Modal dialog that appears, uncheck Anonymous access, and check Integrated Windows authentication.
Set up a local DB Server (MS SQL):


Installation of your DB components should follow this sequence:

Download the server and management studio executables.
Install the server, using default settings throughout .
Make sure to use Domain authentication and enter your domain password.
Reboot.
Install the Server Service Packs.
On ‘SA Password Warning’, Select ‘Ignore the security threat’
Select ‘Upgrade Microsoft Search…’ and click Continue.
Reboot.
Install the management studio.
Reboot.
Test.

The Database component portion of environment setup is complete.
Set up DotNetNuke install:

Version 4.3.5 install files are available directly from the DotNetNuke website.

Look for, and download, files with name similar to these:
1.DotNetNuke.4.3.5.
Contains all of the files for a DotNetNuke 4.3.5 website instance
2.DotNetNuke.4.3.5.StarterKit
Contains source code to allow you to develop DotNetNuke modules directly in Visual Studio

Create a directory for your DotNetNuke installation
Create a folder named c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\sample_dnn
Right-click on the new folder and selct properties
Go to the ‘Security’ tab
Make sure that the ‘ASP.NET Machine Account’ has Full Control permissions
Unzip 1.DotNetNuke.4.3.5. into c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\sample_dnn

Point IIS at the DNN folder
Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services
We can see ‘Default Web Site’.
Right-click on ‘Default Web Site’ and select New > Virtual Directory
Next,
Alias: sample_dnn then Next
Directory: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\sample_dnn then Next
Select Everything and Next, and Yes
Note: Do NOT deploy a website with these permissions. This insecure state is for use ONLY during development
Right-click on ‘sample_dnn’ and select properties
Select the Directory Security Tab. Click the Edit button in the Anonymous access section.
In the Modal dialog that appears, uncheck Anonymous access, and check Integrated Windows authentication.
Click Ok
Select the ASP.NET Tab.
Make sure the ASP.NET version dropdown is set to 2.x, and not to 1.1x.
Apply and Ok
Create a DotNetNuke database.
Create the Database
Start > Programs > Microsoft SQL Server > Enterprise Manager
Wait for it to set itself up (if necessary) We can see Databases
Right-click Databases, select ‘New Database’
Database Name: ‘sample_dnn’
Click ‘ok’
Create Permissions for the Database
Right-click Logins, select ‘New Login’
General Tab:
Name: sample_dnn_dbo
SQL Server Authentication
Password: sample_dnn_dbo
Default database: sample_dnn
Database Access Tab
Select Permit for Database sample_dnn
Select Public and db_owner for Roles for sample_dnn
OK
Expand Microsoft SQL Servers, and then expand SQL Server Group.
Right-click the local, and then click Properties
In the SQL Server Properties dialog box, click the Security tab, click SQL Server and Windows, and then click OK.
When you are prompted for a password for ‘SA’, check the no password box.
When you are prompted to re-start the SQL Server service, click Yes
The DB is ready

Edit DotNetNuke’s configuration file
Copy c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\sample_dnn\web.config as c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\sample_dnn\web.config.original
Open c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\sample_dnn\web.config in a Text Editor
Locate the section and Replace the entire section with the following:

Locate the section
Use an HTML/XML comment to comment out the entire section. It should look like this:

Locate the line which reads cookieName=".ASPXANONYMOUS"
Change ASPXANONYMOUS to read ASPXANONYMOUSdnn
Locate the line which reads forms name=".FFDOTNETNUKE"
Change FFDOTNETNUKE to read FFDOTNETNUKEdnn
Save web.config.

Open http://localhost/sample_dnn in Internet Explorer, if all has been done correctly, DotNetNuke should process for several minutes. If it has not been done correctly, an error should be displayed almost immediately. Examine the error, and go back and fix it.


Monday, June 9, 2008

Install Development Tools:

Our environment will require that you have installed certain pieces of software for development purposes. Those software packages are:

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Service Pack 1
ASP.NET AJAX 1.0
ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit

Wou can download the ASP.NET components directly from the URLs embedded above. Ensure that you install each component in the order listed, rebooting after each install, to ensure all registry settings are in effect.

  • Installing MS Visual Studio
  • Unzip 1.Visual Studio 2005
  • Inside the folder named Data, double click on setup.exe
  • When asked which components to install, uncheck
  • uncheck ‘MS SQL Server Express’
  • uncheck ‘Mobile Device Programmability’
  • check ‘Agree’ to the license terms
  • Click ‘Install’…and wait.
  • Reboot
  • Installing Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Service Pack 1
  • Doubleclick on your copy of 2.Visual Studio 2005 Service Pack 1.exe
  • Wait
  • Answer Yes and Ok as appropriate.
  • Wait… this can take a couple hours
  • Reboot
  • Installing ASP.NET AJAX 1.0
  • Run 3.ASP.NET AJAX 1.0.msi
  • Wait.. then reboot.
  • Installing ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit (optional)
  • Navigate to the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft ASP.NET\
  • Create a new folder named ASP.NET AjaxControlToolkit
  • 5.AjaxControlToolkit(10920) into the folder you’ve just created
  • Launch Visual Studio 2005
  • If you have not already done so, choose Visual C# as your default development environment
  • File>Open>Project/Solution
  • Choose the file AjaxControlToolkit.sln in the folder you made above
  • Choose ‘load project normally’
  • Uncheck ‘Ask me for every project…’
  • Click Ok
Now you have ASP.NET AJAX example pages and controls at your disposal.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

About Configuring Siebel Applications

Configuration is the process of altering standard Siebel applications to meet business requirements. This can range from making minor changes, such as adding text box controls (and their underlying fields), to creating new user interfaces and business entities.
Siebel Tools is the software application that allows you to reconfigure and extend Siebel applications. It is a software configuration toolset rather than a programming language. What this means is that software is developed and enhanced by creating and modifying object definitions and their properties.
The Siebel applications software is built on object definitions that are executed at run time, and are available to the developer to modify. By creating new object definitions (and adapting existing ones to new uses) you can create complete new modules. It is not necessary for you to write C++ program code, although you may want to write Siebel Visual Basic (VB), eScript, or browser script to supplement the programmatic logic of your application.