Isolated storage and stability

[Tony Johansson]

Hi!

The following table describes the three advantages(Data Security,Stability
and No harded code paths) of using isolated storage when designing
applications.

I don't understand what is written about stability so I hope somebody can
explain what they are trying to says ?
But I mean that the path is only known to the for example to the user that
is running the application and not to some tool
that can be used by the administrators.

Data security
Using isolated storage makes the data more secure because only
applications that have the appropriate IsolatedStorageFile permission can
create or access an isolated storage file. This prevents other applications
from accessing the data available on your application.




Stability
Isolated storage makes an application more stable by defining a
standardized way of associating code with the data saved on the application.
It allows the administrators to use tools designed to manipulate storage
files for setting security policies, configuring file storage space and
deleting unused data.



No hard-coded paths
Using isolated storage eliminates the need to use hard-coded paths in
the application code. In addition, you are not required to know where the
isolated storage file is actually being saved in the application.



//Tony

 

[amdrit]

I am not sure that I agree with your definitions of terms or use of isolated
storage.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/3ak841sy.aspx gives us something to
start basing some conclusions on.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/kbcw921f.aspx gives us some more
food for thought.

First, isolated storage is not protected, it is only inteted act as a place
to isolate user/application specific data from other like mided
applications. That is, store information in a way that isolates the chance
of corruption or inter-application transferrence. Some types of data to be
candidates for this mode of storage would be "Remember Me" settings - form
size, potision, auto complete lists.

Second, I can see how isolation can stabilize an application. I would refer
you back to the above statement as to why.

Third, the paths are constant and fixed. Simply becasue you cannot easily
determine the paths as an end user doesn't mean they are not "hard coded"
anymore than you can say %win%, %temp%, %sys% are not fixed. Sure, the
ultimate destination paths may vary from computer to computer (OS,
installation, policy, etc), but the tokens are always constant and easily
determined.

Isolated storage only works best when everything is using the isolated
storage framework. For a given user on the same machine, every application
has potential access to any file created. The point of isolated storage is
similar to assigned seats in a class room - your "work product (books,
pencils, crayons)" will always be available to you as you expected. That
doesn't prevent the teacher from opening your desktop and removing the
bubble gum as sling shot or the bully from taking a sheet of paper that
happens to be last nights homework assignment.

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

The following table describes the three advantages(Data Security,Stability
and No harded code paths) of using isolated storage when designing
applications.

I don't understand what is written about stability so I hope somebody can
explain what they are trying to says ?
But I mean that the path is only known to the for example to the user that
is running the application and not to some tool
that can be used by the administrators.

Stability
Isolated storage makes an application more stable by defining a
standardized way of associating code with the data saved on the application.
It allows the administrators to use tools designed to manipulate storage
files for setting security policies, configuring file storage space and
deleting unused data.

I read it as:

"By locating data in a specific place it becomes easier for
admins to set protection properly on the directory and to
delete old crap that the app forgot to delete."

Arne

 

[Tony Johansson]

I read it as:

"By locating data in a specific place it becomes easier for
admins to set protection properly on the directory and to
delete old crap that the app forgot to delete."

Arne

But the place is only known to this location
C:\Documents and
Settings\Tony\Lokalainställningar\ApplicationData\IsolatedStorage

Below this IsolatedStorage folder I have these folders
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.dbghl4km0pj42xb3ntjdjk1ptecnborp\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.ddwnjbntsyqtuhwbbyrez2hycgqniqgs\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.e5rtffccoaxovoo2zzbgddoufi3iuydc\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.fpuvvoe4tblb3spzlso4nxv5ps2z0wln\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.lqkdeu5vcz3v15em5mvdxdzo35hb3qbj\AssemFiles

So I mean the admin doesn't know which user/application/assembly/domain that
uses these isolated storage areas and
he doesn't know if any files in these isolated storage area are used or not.

//Tony

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

But the place is only known to this location
C:\Documents and
Settings\Tony\Lokalainställningar\ApplicationData\IsolatedStorage

Below this IsolatedStorage folder I have these folders
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.dbghl4km0pj42xb3ntjdjk1ptecnborp\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.ddwnjbntsyqtuhwbbyrez2hycgqniqgs\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.e5rtffccoaxovoo2zzbgddoufi3iuydc\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.fpuvvoe4tblb3spzlso4nxv5ps2z0wln\AssemFiles
\xikpw10d.qh3\trubj1s0.oy1\Url.lqkdeu5vcz3v15em5mvdxdzo35hb3qbj\AssemFiles

So I mean the admin doesn't know which user/application/assembly/domain that
uses these isolated storage areas and
he doesn't know if any files in these isolated storage area are used or not.

Relevant point.

With the normal tools, then it will most likely be "all or nothing".

And that may be what the author was thinking about.

Potentially better admin tools could be developed.

Arne

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

Relevant point.

With the normal tools, then it will most likely be "all or nothing".

And that may be what the author was thinking about.

Potentially better admin tools could be developed.

BTW, slightly related: have you tried right clicking on a
SL app, click silverlight, click application storage tab ?

Arne