FP: Authors Cannot Log on to Virtual Servers on Multihomed IIS

• Microsoft FrontPage 98 for Windows
• Microsoft FrontPage 97 for Windows with Bonus Pack
• Microsoft Internet Information Server, versions 2.0, 3.0

SYMPTOMS

FrontPage authors may not be able to access Webs located within virtual servers on a multihomed computer running Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) versions 2.0 and 3.0. For example, a user who has author permissions, or who is a member of a Windows NT group that has author permissions for a Web, may not be able to access a Web within a virtual server. In this case, when trying to open the Web in FrontPage Explorer, access will not be granted if the author uses his/her own account information, but access will be granted if the author uses the administrator's account information. This may apply to both root Webs and subwebs within some or all virtual servers.

CAUSE

The first time you install IIS, a home directory that does not have an IP address associated with it is created. When you install FrontPage Server Extensions, the FrontPage Server Administrator identifies this home directory as "<Default Server>" (without the quotation marks). When you add virtual servers to the IIS, each one is assigned an IP address using the Directory Properties page in Internet Service Manager. The FrontPage Server Administrator identifies each one by it's IP address. If The FrontPage Server Extensions are installed into <Default Server> and any number of virtual servers, the Server Extensions may not be able to identify whether a particular user is a valid author of the Web.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, remove the FrontPage Server Extensions from the IIS <Default Server>, assign a valid IP address to the <Default Server> making it a virtual server, and then reinstall the FrontPage Server Extensions. To do this, use the following steps:

1. Start the FrontPage Server Administrator.

2. In the Select Port Number box, select the port that does not have an IP address associated with it. The default is 80.

3. Click Uninstall.

4. Start the Internet Service Manager.

5. Double-click WWW Service.

6. Click the Directories tab.

7. In the "WWW Service Properties for <machine name>" dialog box, double- click the <Home> directory that does not have a corresponding IP address in the Address column.

   NOTE: This is the home directory created when IIS was installed.

8. In the Edit Properties dialog box, click to select the Virtual Server check box. In the "Virtual Server IP Address" box, type the valid IP address that is bound to the server's network adapter but which has not been assigned to another virtual server.

9. Click OK twice.

10. Start or switch to the FrontPage Server Administrator.

11. Click Install.

12. In the Server Type list, select "Microsoft Internet Information Server," and then click OK.

13. In the Multihosted Servers dialog box, select the IP address that you specified in step 8. If any other IP addresses are selected, click each one once to cancel the selection.

14. Click OK twice.

15. When you are prompted to enter the name of the administrator account for this Web, type the appropriate information, and then click OK.

16. If Basic Authentication is not enabled, but the FrontPage Server Administrator prompts you to enable it, do not enable it. If Basic Authentication is enabled, the FrontPage Server Administrator will prompt you with a Log On Locally warning. Click OK.

17. Click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.