Contents

Part 1: Overview

What is the Active Directory Provider?

Who should read this document?

Prerequisites

Part 2: Installation

Installing the Active Directory Provider

Part 3: Configuration

Setting Up the Active Directory Provider in DotNetNuke

IIS Settings 6.x and below

IIS Settings IIS 7.x Classic Pipeline Mode Setup

IIS Settings IIS 7.x Integrated Pipeline Mode Setup

Part 4: Additional Information And Gotchas

Part 1: Overview

What is the Active Directory Provider?

The Active Directory Provider is a DotNetNuke login control that communicates with a company’s Active Directory to allow company employees to login to a DotNetNuke intranet installation using their Windows login credentials.

Who should read this document?

This document is targeted towards DotNetNuke administrators who are interested in installing and using AD Provider on their company’s DotNetNuke intranet/extranet web site.

Prerequisites

To fully benefit from this document, you should have an understanding of the DotNetNuke portal product (http://www.dotnetnuke.com) including DNN security concepts and have basic knowledge of topics such as installing and configuring DNN modules and Administrative functions such as the File Manager, User Accounts and Security Roles.

Part 2: Installation

Installing the Active Directory Provider

  1. Log into your portal using an account with Host credentials.
  2. Select Extensions from the Host menu items.
  3. Select Install Extension Wizard.
  4. Browse to the location on your computer that you saved the AD Provider .zip fileand click “Next”.
  5. Read the accompanying license and check “Accept License” if you agree with it.
  6. Click “Next”. This will start the DotNetNuke Package Assembly Installer process.

The DotNetNuke Package Assembly Installer will display a list of messages to indicate success or any failures as it uploads and installs the provider. If you encounter any errors during the installation process please check the Active Directory Provider forum on the DNN site. It’s possible that the error is already known to exist and remedies for the error will be listed. If the error does not exist then please post the error on the forum and someone will reply to you as soon as possible.

Part 3: Configuration

Setting Up the Active Directory Provider in DotNetNuke

  1. Log into your portal using an account with Admin credentials.
  2. Select Extensions from the Admin menu items, expand the Authentication Systems section, and click the pencil beside DNN_ActiveDirectoryAuthentication.
  3. Fill out the pertinent domain information

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    1. 192.168.1.100 – 192.168.1.200 – Any IP addresses including and between 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.200 will be automatically logged in.
    2. 192.168.1.1 – Only the computer with that IP address will be automatically logged in.

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    1. If you get an error you may have to use impersonation in your web.config
      1. Find the commented out section in your web.config that starts <identity impersonate=”true”/> and uncomment that line only.
      2. Change the line so that it reads <identity impersonate=”true” userName=”domain\user” password=”password” />

IIS Settings 6.x and below

  1. Open up the Internet Information Services Manager on your webserver.
  2. Find your DNN install and browse to DesktopModules\AuthenticationServices\ActiveDirectory.
  3. Right-click on WindowsSignin.aspx and view the properties
  4. Click the File Security tab.
  5. Click on the Edit button.
  6. Make sure all checkboxes are unchecked except for “Integrated Windows Authentication”.
  7. Click “OK” until you are out of the properties window
  8. Close IIS Manager

IIS Settings IIS 7.x Classic Pipeline Mode Setup

This can be done either when setting up the site or by clicking on Basic Settings after the site has been created.

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The other consideration is turning on Windows Authentication for the WindowsSignin.aspx file. The changes in IIS7 make this a little bit difficult to find and achieve.

These steps will get you there:

  1. Switch the IIS Console to Content View and browse to DesktopModules/AuthenticationServices/ActiveDirectory.
  2. Right-Click on WindowsSignin.aspx and select “Switch to Features View”.

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  3. You should end up back in the Features View but for the WindowsSignin.aspx file specifically (see below).

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  4. Double click on Authentication and Disable Anonymous and Enable Windows Authentication.

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  5. If Windows Authentication is not one of your choices then you need to enable it through Control Panel->Programs and Features->Turn Windows Features On or Off and select Windows Authentication under Internet Information Services->World Wide Web Services->Security.

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IIS Settings IIS 7.x Integrated Pipeline Mode Setup

  1. Setting up the provider to run under the Integrated pipeline is the same as the Classic mode above but also requires two additional commands to be run from a command prompt on the server. Open a command prompt using “Run as administrator” and type the following:

More information on why these commands are needed can be found here.

Part 4: Additional Information And Gotchas

  1. When running Server 2008 it appears that the user account you use for impersonation also needs to be an administrator on the server. Some have found that disabling UAC on the server negates this requirement but you mileage may vary. This requirement doesn’t appear in Server 2008 R2.
  2. Some additional links from the forum: Server 2008/IIS 7 Issues, Using DNN with Windows Server 2008 R2 w/AD Authentication. And from the DotNetNuke Wiki: Setting up mixed authentication