Digital Signature in ADP

[Drew]

How can I apply a digital signature my ADP files? I have searched it, and
found the steps Microsoft gives to apply a dig. signature to a reg. Access
app, but I cannot find the places in my ADP.

Thanks,
Drew

 

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello Drew:
You wrote on Mon, 19 Jun 2006 10:17:37 -0400:

D> How can I apply a digital signature my ADP files? I have searched it,
D> and found the steps Microsoft gives to apply a dig. signature to a reg.
D> Access app, but I cannot find the places in my ADP.

what version of access?

Vadim Rapp

 

[Drew]

Doh...

Access 2002 (10.4302.4219) SP-2
interfaces with SQL Server 2000

Thanks,
Drew

 

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello Drew:
You wrote on Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:00:15 -0400:

D> Access 2002 (10.4302.4219) SP-2
D> interfaces with SQL Server 2000

It's not implemented in 2002, as I understand. In later versions, it would
be under properties of the project in VBA.

Vadim

 

[Drew]

So I guess that while using ADP's across a Intranet, the user will always
be prompted with a security question. Is there any way to get rid of that?

Thanks,
Drew

 

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello Drew:
You wrote on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:41:35 -0400:

D> So I guess that while using ADP's across a Intranet, the user will
D> always be prompted with a security question. Is there any way to get
D> rid of that?

I never saw this security question. Please describe the scenario when it's
shown.

Vadim Rapp

 

[aaron.kempf]

yes.

you can run ADP over the public internet.
you forward a couple of ports to your sql server.. you email someone an
ADP file.. and they can enter / edit information just like it was on
the local lan.

try doing THAT with MDB lol

you have a standard 'login' dialog box.
if you want to suppress if you just say 'save password'

this dialog box is found under 'file, connection'

you'll have to use sql authentication im sure... you could probably do
it in some other distributed fashion with windows security-- i just
wish that it was possible to set security on the db layer like you
could with mySql-- you can say 'only let user A login from IP address
143.21.123.1'

that functionality is missing from SQL Server; hopefully it will make
it in the next version

 

[Drew]

Its really not that bad, just an extra prompt...

I have a few ADP files that I use for reporting off SQL Server (much cheaper
than Crystal Reports!), they are located on our network. On our Intranet,
there is a link to the ADP, like this,
file://///ServerName/Reports$/Clients/CliELP/CliELP.adp

When a user clicks this link, they are priompted with the "Do you want to
open or save this file?". This is the usual prompt, nothing special... the
user clicks Open and the startup form opens, when they select a report to
view and click Get Report, then the desired report opens, but at the same
time an "Internet Explorer - Security Warning" box pops up, it says, it pops
under the report, so most users don't see it.

The publisher could not be verified. Are you sure you want to run this
software?

Name: CliELP.adp
Publisher: Unknown Publisher

There are 2 buttons, Run and Don't Run.

Mind you that the report is already opened, so any damage has already been
done... The user can view or print the report without answering the prompt.
Even if the user clicks Don't Run, it still runs...

Thanks,
Drew

 

[Vadim Rapp]

Hello Drew:
You wrote on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 12:03:41 -0400:

D> Its really not that bad, just an extra prompt...

D> I have a few ADP files that I use for reporting off SQL Server (much
D> cheaper than Crystal Reports!), they are located on our network. On our
D> Intranet, there is a link to the ADP, like this,
D> file://///ServerName/Reports$/Clients/CliELP/CliELP.adp

D> When a user clicks this link, they are priompted with the "Do you want
D> to open or save this file?". This is the usual prompt, nothing
D> special... the user clicks Open and the startup form opens, when they
D> select a report to view and click Get Report, then the desired report
D> opens, but at the same time an "Internet Explorer - Security Warning"
D> box pops up, it says, it pops under the report, so most users don't see
D> it.

D> The publisher could not be verified. Are you sure you want to run this
D> software?

D> Name: CliELP.adp
D> Publisher: Unknown Publisher

D> There are 2 buttons, Run and Don't Run.

D> Mind you that the report is already opened, so any damage has already
D> been done... The user can view or print the report without answering the
D> prompt. Even if the user clicks Don't Run, it still runs...

I tried to reproduce it, but in my case when I clicked the file on intranet
page, I saw first security warning, I said "run", but then it showed another
security warning, now only with button "save". Said the default program
couldn't open it. Probably wanted me to specify mime type or something.

That said, I'd think that running programs from intranet is not a good idea,
exactly because of security matters. I may be wrong, but I'd think that
intranet is mainly for sharing documents, discussions etc., but not for
executables. Executables should rather live on a network share; in case of
adp project, specifically, they should rather live on user's local hard
drive.

What the web page said was basically right. Since the adp project indeed
does not have, and can't have, a security certificate, the publisher is
indeed unknown and indeed could not be verified. So the solution would be
probably in telling the client browser that it should trust intranet site
without certificates, i.e. putting intranet site in trusted zone.


Vadim Rapp

 

[Drew]

Maintenance is the problem with distributing the reports out. When you make
a change, then you must send them back out. We have about 4 reporting apps
at the moment, and more on the way, so I will continue to do this on the
Intranet, since that is the easiest way to maintain them and make sure that
the users are using the most current adp.

I will fiddle with the browser settings and see what I can come up with. If
I find something that works, I will post back here with my findings...

I just thought it was strange that it pops up a prompt after the report has
been generated... it seems that it should not let the report be generated
until the prompt is addressed.

Thanks,
Drew

 

[aaron.kempf]

yeah Microsoft fubared security with Microsoft Access... they prompt us
10 times saying 'are you sure you want to run this'

and Excel is the dangerous one.

Why doesn't Excel have a warning about sandbox mode?



-Aaron