Custom Web Server

[Rob T]

I have a simple little vb.net app that runs on a server. I would like to
have users log into it as a web page and view some status information. I
would like to avoid using IIS since the app may get installed on machines
that don't run this service. Any suggestions on the best route to take?

Thanks.

-Rob T.

 

[CJ Taylor]

Look at the Cassini project on ASP.NET its an open source web server written
in .NET

 

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

I have a simple little vb.net app that runs on a server. I would like to
have users log into it as a web page and view some status information. I
would like to avoid using IIS since the app may get installed on machines
that don't run this service. Any suggestions on the best route to take?

Maybe Cassini is what you are looking for:

<URL:http://www.asp.net/projects/cassini/download/?tabindex=0&tabid=1>

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Rob,

It sounds as a little big strange solution you are making. As far as I
understand you than you need remoting and than the users can use information
from your little vb.application.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...-us/cpref/html/frlrfsystemruntimeremoting.asp

Doing it with a webpage would make from your little vb.application a serious
webserver.

And when you want to use HTML for it, therefore you have nothing from a
webserver on the local computer, therefore you need something as IIS on your
server (which is a standard feature of that). You have than to put at least
the output from your little vb.application in a file, database or whatever.

Just my thought

Cor

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Hi CJ,

I am curious how did you get the idea that Cassini would solve this (see
when you do not understand see my message in this thread). Maybe I saw
someting wrong?

Cor

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Hi Herfried,

I am curious how did you get the idea that Cassini would solve this (see
when you do not understand see my message in this thread). Maybe I saw
someting wrong?

Cor

 

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

I am curious how did you get the idea that Cassini would solve this (see
when you do not understand see my message in this thread). Maybe I saw
someting wrong?

Mhm... I thought that the OP wanted to mimick IIS without actually
using it.

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Mhm... I thought that the OP wanted to mimick IIS without actually
using it.

Yes however that should than be on the server, what can you do with that on
the client?

However maybe I understand the question completly wrong.

Cor

 

[Rob T]

I don't think Casini is what I'm looking for (mainly since it's in c# and I
live in a VB world).

Perhaps I wasn't asking my question clearly: This app is very simple. It
just monitors a database and sends out emails based on certain critera in
the DB. It doesn't even need to be "installed" on the system...just copy it
to the machine and run it. So, this is why I wanted to avoid using IIS so
the user doesn't have to set up a new web site on the machine. The app
would just serve up a static page that shows some status information about
itself.

 

[CJ Taylor]

Thats the point, your serving up a web page, therefore the need for a web
server.

You can (though its a lot more work than just setting up an web page) is
build a static template that has tokens you can replace...

Basically, it can be served up, a program rewrites the page every now and
then with data... and you can access it using the file:/// method... You
WONT be able to serve it up using HTTP:// because your not using a web
server.

So there is a way to do it, but honestly, your wasting your time....
setting up IIS isn't hard from an installer, nor is cassini... People
trying to go around or "roll there own" ususally just get burned and spend a
lot more time and money...

but I suppose you will do it the way you want.

good luck,

 

[CJ Taylor]

Wait... sends out emails???

Then WTF are you asking about a web server for then?

System.Web.Mail can do that for you...

 

[Cor Ligthert]

CJ,

System.Web.Mail can do that for you...

Therefore you need somewhere a smtp server.

That file idea of you is in my opinion the most properiate.
Writing a nice file with for the design HTML will give in my idea the
easiest result.

Insecure of course because you should give your user direct reading
permission on a file share for that, and therefore as well difficult to
install on the clients.

It is in our both opinion probably more work than installing a webserver on
a server.

Cor

 

[Rob T]

CJ and Cor...you're both right...this thing is turning into a big headache.

In regards to sending out emails...that's entirely a different subject. I
have to send out messages with embedded images, which system.web.mail
doesn't do (as far as I can tell). So I wrote my own that does. Yeah, I
know I could have bought a 3rd party to do it, but my employer is penny
wise, pound foolish.

Perhaps I'll stick using IIS to serve up the pages. If the end user doesn't
have it installed, they just don't get that feature in the package. Now
this may seem like a stupid question, but how do I get the info that's in my
stand-alone app, into a web page on iis?

 

[CJ Taylor]

Ha. They just keep coming don't they. =)

Regarding mail. Check out Dundas Mailer. (http://www.dundas.com) it's a
free ActiveX component that I've used in a couple .NET projects works
fantastic.

Now, how to get it on a web page in IIS. There are several ways.. perhaps
we will choose the easier one.

1) Use a database, MSDE is free or if you have a SQL server handy, set up a
new DB. Have your one program write to the DB, your web page reads from it.
Nothing fancy, just easy work and you don't have to worry about anything
like locking up files and what not. Just let Microsoft do the work for you.

2) You could directly write the HTML file. but why waste the time. Again,
the leg work has been done for you by MS with data access and what not. Use
it. =)

HTH,
CJ

 

[Cor Ligthert]

CJ,

I disagree with you about MSDE (respectful of course)

That would mean that it should be installed and that is the most terrible
job I know, not SQL server, MSDE is much worse. The replacement for that
will be, of one of the major benefits, easy to install.

So I tend for your second option just make HTML pages, when you have made
one with a template it is only filling. Or it can be by instance adding the
first part of to a middle part of a string the middle and than and the end
string, ready is the HTML page.

I do not say this is the best solution however because the install problem
Rob started with I think the most adaquat.

Agree or disagree?

Cor

 

[CJ Taylor]

Well...

There *is* always access. =)

 

[Rob T]

Thanks guys for the help. I'm leaning towards the following:

Since my stand-alone app uses webservices to get it's data, (sorry, I fibbed
a bit on where the data was coming from), perhaps I'll send info back to the
parent server and store the info in it's SQL database. Then, instead of the
client logging into a custom web server on a local machine, they can access
their info from the centralized system. FYI. This stand-alone app is used
for printing to local printers (printing over the internet) and sending
emails 'locally' (which allow us to send emails out on behalf of our clients
without the need of relaying). Since our clients could have dozens of this
app running at various locations, it would be a great way to get the status
of them in one view. This is a better feature than trying to find each
client machine!

I'll check out the Dundas for email...but I have to be very careful with the
3rd party software on licencing issues, since my app is going to be
resold....