How to integrate in ASP.Net application 2.0 ?

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To integrate Visual Guard in your ASP.Net Web Site, Web Application or Web Service
project you have to:

  • Add the assemblies of Visual Guard as references of your project.
  • Modify the “web.config” file of your application to integrate the Visual Guard module.
  • Integrate Visual Guard in the code of your application.
  • Create a Visual Guard repository and declare your application by using the Visual
    Guard console. This repository will contain all security items (users, roles, permissions
    …) of your application.
  • Generate the Visual Guard configuration files
    by using the Visual Guard console. These configuration files will be needed to connect
    your application to the repository.
  • Grant read/write permissions to the repository.


Integration Demo


Referencing Visual Guard assemblies

  • Opens the solution of your project in Visual Studio.
  • In the solution explorer, expands the project node.
  • Right-click the Project node for the project and select
    Add Reference
    from the shortcut menu.
  • In .Net tab, select the 4 assemblies
    1. Novalys.VisualGuard.Security
    2. Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm
    3. Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.<RepositoryType> (Files, SQLServer or Oracle)
    4. Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.<ApplicationFrameworkType> (Depending on type of application’s framework, whether .NetFramework or .NetCore)

    And, then click the Select button, and then click the OK button

Add References Browse
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security contains the main Visual Guard classes.
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.Files contains the classes needed to access
    to a file based repository.
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.SQLServer contains the classes needed
    to access to a repository stored in a Microsoft SQLServer database (SQLServer 2005
    or higher). Available only in Visual Guard Enterprise Edition
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.Oracle
    contains the classes needed to access to a repository stored in an Oracle database
    (9i or higher). Available only in Visual Guard Enterprise Edition
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm contains the classes
    needed for ASP.Net application. You must reference this assembly in ASP.Net web
    application or
    WebService project.
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.NetFramework contains all classes required to support .Net Framework applications.
    This assembly is needed only if you want to integrate Visual Guard in .net framework applications.
  • Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.Core contains all classes required to support .Net Core applications.
    This assembly is needed only if you want to integrate Visual Guard in .net core applications.


Modifying the “web.config” file of your application

  • Open the “web.config” file of your application or add a new one to your
    project.
  • Add the following line of code in the <httpModules> node.
<add type="Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm.VGHttpModule,Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm" name="VGModule"/>
 <configuration> 
    <system.web> 
    ... 
    <!--  Classic Mode -->
    <httpModules> 
        <add type= "Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm.VGHttpModule,Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm" name="VGModule"/>
     </httpModules> 
    ... 
    </system.web>
    <system.webserver>
    ...
    <!--  Integrated Mode -->
    <modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true" > 
        <add  type= "Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm.VGHttpModule,Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm" name="VGModule"/> 
    </modules>
    ... 
    </system.webserver>
</configuration>
  • Open the Visual Guard console and connect to the repository associated to your application.
  • Create a new role in your application with a permission set containing permissions
    for an anonymous user.
  • Select the item corresponding to your application and, in the property
    “Anonymous role”, select the role created above.
  • To take into account this modification in your application, you must regenerate the Visual Guard configuration files of your application or edit
    them and change the option anonymousSessionSupported.
  • Modify your authorization section of web.config file
    in order to allow anonymous access to your website.
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="VGWebConfiguration" type="Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm.VGWebConfiguration" />
  </configSections>
  ...
  <VGWebConfiguration excludeExtension=".css,.png,.js,.gif,.jpg,.Gif">
    <ExcludePages>
      <add Url="^~/$" />
      <add Url="~/Account/Login" />
    </ExcludePages>
    <VGCookieConfig Domain=".vg.local" DomainScope="WebSSO" AutoRedirect="true" AuthenticationUrl="http://vg.local/webApp/Account/Login" />
  </VGWebConfiguration>
</configuration>


Web SSO

  • If the tag VGCookieConfig is not defined, Visual Guard Authentication restricts its scope for the website only.
  • Value for the property Domain restricts Visual Guard Authentication to that particular domain. Hence, all web application coming under that domain will be authenticated.
  • Value for the property DomainScope defines the scope of Visual Guard Authentication.
    • Website: Restricts authentication only for current web application.
    • WebSSO: Restricts authentication for all web applications which comes under defined domain. Signing out from one application results sign out from all web applications.
    • All: Restricts authentication for all web applications which comes under defined domain. But here signing out from one application would not affect other applications.
  • If the value of property AutoRedirect is true and the user is not authenticate VG redirects the user to AuthenticationUrl.
  • Value of the property AuthenticationUrl gets or sets the url for authentication.


Configuring Membership

<configuration>
  <system.web>
    ...
    <roleManager defaultProvider="VGRoleProvider" enabled="true">
      <providers>
        <add name="VGRoleProvider" type="Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm.VGRoleProvider,
            Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm"/>
      </providers>                
    </roleManager>

    <membership defaultProvider="VGMemberShipProvider">
      <providers>
        <add name="VGMemberShipProvider" type="Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm.VGMemberShipProvider,
            Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.WebForm"/>
      </providers>
    </membership>
    ...
  </system.web>
</configuration>


Integrating Visual Guard in your code


To create a Login page

   Page.Validate();
    if (!Page.IsValid)
    {
        return;
    }

    VGAuthenticationState state = VGSecurityManager.Authenticate(usernameTextBox.Text, passwordTextBox.Text, VGAuthenticationMode.VisualGuard);

    // Check if the authentication is failed. 
    if (state.IsFailed)
    {
        FormsAuthentication.SignOut();
        // The username/password is invalid 
        if (state.IsCredentialInvalid)
        {
            if (state.IsLastBadLogin)
            {
                // According to the password policy, the next bad login will lock the {account}
                errorLabel.Text = "Invalid user or password. The next bad login will lock your account.";
            }
            else
            {
                errorLabel.Text = "Invalid user or password";
            }
        }
        else if (state.IsUserNotAuthorized)
        {
            // The credentials are valid but the user does not have any role granted for the application 
            errorLabel.Text = "You are not authorized to log on to this application";
        }
        else if (state.IsUserAccountExpired)
        {
            // The account of the user has expired
            errorLabel.Text = "Your account is no more valid. Contact your administrator";
        }
        else if (state.IsUserAccountNotYetAvailable)
        {
            // The account of the user is not yet available 
            errorLabel.Text = "Your account is not yet available.";
        }
        else if (state.IsUserAccountLockedOut)
        {
            // The account of the user is locked out and must be unlocked by using the Visual { Guard console.}
            errorLabel.Text = "Your account is locked. Contact your administrator.";
        }
        else if (state.MustChangePasswordAtNextLogon)
        {
            // The user must change the password 
            RedirectToChangePasswordPage();
        }
        errorLabel.Visible = true;
    }
    else
    {
        if (!state.IsPasswordSecure)
        {
            // According to the password policy, the password is enough secure
            FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie(usernameTextBox.Text,remenberCheckBox.Checked); RedirectToChangePasswordPage();
        }
        else
        {
            FormsAuthentication.RedirectFromLoginPage(usernameTextBox.Text,remenberCheckBox.Checked);
        }
    }
}
 Private Sub SurroundingSub()
    Page.Validate()

    If Not Page.IsValid Then
        Return
    End If

    Dim state As VGAuthenticationState = VGSecurityManager.Authenticate(usernameTextBox.Text, passwordTextBox.Text, VGAuthenticationMode.VisualGuard)

    If state.IsFailed Then
        FormsAuthentication.SignOut()

        If state.IsCredentialInvalid Then

            If state.IsLastBadLogin Then
                errorLabel.Text = "Invalid user or password. The next bad login will lock your account."
            Else
                errorLabel.Text = "Invalid user or password"
            End If
        ElseIf state.IsUserNotAuthorized Then
            errorLabel.Text = "You are not authorized to log on to this application"
        ElseIf state.IsUserAccountExpired Then
            errorLabel.Text = "Your account is no more valid. Contact your administrator"
        ElseIf state.IsUserAccountNotYetAvailable Then
            errorLabel.Text = "Your account is not yet available."
        ElseIf state.IsUserAccountLockedOut Then

            If True Then
                Dim console As Guard
            End If

            errorLabel.Text = "Your account is locked. Contact your administrator."
        ElseIf state.MustChangePasswordAtNextLogon Then
            RedirectToChangePasswordPage()
        End If

        errorLabel.Visible = True
    Else

        If Not state.IsPasswordSecure Then
            FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie(usernameTextBox.Text, remenberCheckBox.Checked)
            RedirectToChangePasswordPage()
        Else
            FormsAuthentication.RedirectFromLoginPage(usernameTextBox.Text, remenberCheckBox.Checked)
        End If
    End If
End Sub


To secure your application objects


How to filter granted roles

[Visual Basic]
  Sub VGModule_PermissionLoading(ByVal sender As
              Object, ByVal e As
                      VGPermissionsLoadingEventArgs) If e.Roles.Length > 1
                              Then
        Dim selectedRoles(1) As Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGGrantedRole
        For Each role As Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGGrantedRole
                In e.Roles
                If role.Name = "Administrator" Then
                    selectedRoles(0) = role
                    Exit For
                Else If
                     role.Name = "Member" Then
                     selectedRoles(0) = role
                     Exit For
                End If
        End
                If Next If
                        selectedRoles(0)
                        Is
        Nothing Then e.Status = Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGAuthorizationStatus.ProcessCanceled
                Else
                  e.Roles= selectedRoles
                End If
        End If
  End Sub
void VGModule_PermissionLoading(object sender, VGPermissionsLoadingEventArgs args)
{
  if (e.Roles.Length > 1)
  {
    Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGGrantedRole[] selectedRoles = new Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGGrantedRole[1];
    foreach (Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGGrantedRole role in e.Roles)
    {
      if (role.Name == "Administrator")
      {
        selectedRoles[0] = role;
        break;
      }
      else if (role.Name == "Member")
      {
        selectedRoles[0] = role;
        break;
      }
    }
    if (selectedRoles[0] == null)
    {
      e.Status = Novalys.VisualGuard.Security.VGAuthorizationStatus.ProcessCanceled;
    }
    else
    {
      e.Roles = selectedRoles;
    }
  }
}


Creating a repository and declaring the application


Granting Read/Write permission to the Repository

  • Open the Explorer.
  • Right click the directory containing the repository data then select the menu “Properties”.
  • In the “Security” tab, click on the “Add” button and select the user for which you
    want to grant the permission (i.e. MACHINE\ASPNET) then click ok.
  • In the list of permissions, click the option “Modify” then click on the “OK” button.