Use of registration to limit access to certain pages

[imagozo]

Hello,

Is there a way to use the Registration module to some sort of "password protect" access? This is to limit access to certain pages (to view information in those pages) just to registered users.

 

[Dmitry Frantsev]

Unfortunately, there is no such a feature in current Sitebuilder version but such feature request already exists for developers for future Sitebuilder versions.

 

[imagozo]

OK, thanks

 

[NeuroPsyche]

I wanted to pose the same question and the initiator of this... The registration data is contained somewhere and one would think that since Sitebuilder has this function that it could be utilized. No one would have two(2) seperate systems on their web sites for people to log in and gather information, so using the built in Sitebuilder registration would seem like a logical choice to collect information from login users and utilize it.
Does anyone know if the information is stored in s seperate sql database, the structure of the database, etc? And if their are already any APS applications that could utilize it?

Thanks,

Dave.

 

[Dmitry Frantsev]

Dave, as I know this feature (registration module for password protected pages access) is not added yet into product, so there is no actually information about how does it stored or something.
Let me know if you meant anything else and give me more detailed description in this case.

 

[NeuroPsyche]

Thanks for replying back so quickly.
You answered the question perfectly... Thank you.
I would like to add though that it seems very redundant, and stupid to have a registration module when
the data can't be used anywhere... And, in searching everywhere on the internet, Swsoft knowledgebases, etc.
I can't find any technical information on where the data is stored. It must be stored somewhere because when
admin/site admin logs into Sitebuilder and goes to the Registration module, it does show the users data that registered, and used the module. .... So, the data is somewhere in Sitebuilder sql database one would think. We really need to utilize this data or the registration module is more less redundant and useless....

Thanks for your information, it saved me time in trying to search for data on this.

Happy Holidays!

 

[Dmitry Frantsev]

It looks like such data is stored in site's database SiteBuilder.mdb or in Sitebuilder database. I will clarify this question and let you know.

 

[Dmitry Frantsev]

I have received some clarifying information from developers. It should be useful for you:

First, I would to note that actually Registration module could be used to organize password protected area of web site. Yes, it's true that there is no way to do that in UI, but one could achieve that by editing web.config file of the published site. Of course it's bad idea to edit site's root web.config file because it will be rewritten by the publication procedure, but since asp.net looks for web.config file in each subfolder too, following trick can be used:
1. Create subfolder to organize password protected area
2. In that subfolder place web.config file with following content
<configuration>
<system.web>
<authorization>
<deny users="?" />
<allow users="*" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
</configuration>
That is access to pages in this subfolder will be restricted to authenticated users only.

Regarding to the reuse of Registration module data by other applications.
Sitebuilder 4.5 modules don't know about APS standard and thus do not provide any integration points to use by means of the APS.
But good news is that Registration module use standard asp.net 2.0 mechanism to deal with users registration and authorization tasks. As one may note looking at web.config Registration module implements asp.net membership provider, thus any .Net code run in the same web site may use standard asp.net features to obtain information about registered users. Actually all Sitebuilder modules reuse registration module data in this way. Moreover, they may extend user's profile data with additional fields as necessary. This is configured by App_Data\profile.config file.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<profile enabled="true" defaultProvider="StorageProfileProvider">
<providers>
<clear />
<add name="StorageProfileProvider" type="SWsoft.SiteBuilder.Modules.Storage.StorageProfileProvider, SiteBuilder.Modules.Storage" />
</providers>
<properties>
<add name="FirstName" />
<add name="LastName" />
<add name="Company" />
<add name="Phone" />
<add name="Address1" />
<add name="Address2" />
<add name="Country" />
<add name="City" />
<add name="State" />
<add name="Zip" />
<group name="Forum" />
<group name="Guestbook">
<add name="HomepageUrl" type="String" />
</group>
</properties>
</profile>

You may find that Guestbook module extends profile metadata by adding HomepageUrl field. Actual data is stored in Sitebuilder.mdb file. There are four tables in database related to this functionality: MembershipApplication, MembeshipInfo, MembershipUser, ProfileData.
But, it's not recommended to access this tables directly and the best way is to use Membership providers infrastructure.

 

[NeuroPsyche]

Thank you so much for the greatly usefull data. Its like a Christmas present

What we need for Plesk and Sitebuilder is more communication, data storage, and data storage format.
The basic building blocks are in Sitebuilder, a module could be easily wrote to utilize an Access Page.
Just as you did above. Thank you again for getting this info out.

One other thing that is off on a tangent. What is greatly needed is the ability to create text or file libraries. We have the image gallery, but what about files, text documents.
I've been asking the Engineers to put these in the new and upcoming release of Sitebuilder 5, and I sure hope they do. I'm hoping that others read this, and the admin, and somehow push this out to the Engineers to add to version 5.

Happy Holidays!

 

[Dmitry Frantsev]

As I understand you are talking about some file storage system - Download Area module. Such module is planned to be added in future Parallels Plesk Sitebuilder versions but can not say for sure if it will be added in version 5 or a little bit later.