I've been trying to figure out how to launch a server side program from a client side hyperlink. I'm trying to avoid any ActiveX controls. Anyone know any solutions,links? I can't seem to find what I'm looking for with google
what? you want to START a program on the server by someone clicking a link on a webpage? And you want the program that it is starting to be a real executable-like program?
Yep, server side. I don't really need any feedback to the client, I just want the program to run. It doesn't HAVE to be a hyperlink. Maybee some sort of script or what not. I just want it to be very portable.
What you want really is a server-side script that will execute the program on the server when it's run, then have the hyper-link point to that. The output of the script could just redirect them to the page they came from.
What are the security considerations. Effectively you could just use the Windows Scripting Host to command line the program - but that would mean your page has executable rights which is waay bad! Another way is to turn the 'program' on the server into an activeX dll. The page can just do a "CreateObject" and call the appropriate methods it. Better yet stick the DLL into COM+ so it can run under a secured local account. I just shudder at the security here - if you're running a VPN then use a domain secure account or a diiferent port - just dont use port 80! I'm not paranoid - its just that giving web sites executable access scare the willies out of me!
That's what I was looking for. Thank you very much. I'm pretty curious about the security too. Hopeflly permissions will take care of it. Maybee I can just write a script that edits a txt file, and have the program check it periodicly.
I thought about this - but didn't know how much you knew: Follow me with this {more secure idea}: 1. Your web page does nothing but write a file! 2. The In Process DLL becomes an NT Service that sleeps for a set period. What happens is that the Console App wakes peridoically to check fo rthe existence of the file - if its there it does what you want, then deletes it ready for the next time. This is the ultimate decoupling - there is no intrinsic relationship between either the Web or Your app; Security need not change excpet your app have write permission to a secured area. You dont have to write a NT Service - you could just write a console app and schedule it via the NT Task Scheduler..... Things I've used for this are: Sleep function Directory watching - i.e. actively monitoring the directory to start your process. .NET has an FileWatcher; though you dont say what languages your programming in... You dont
That's exactly what I've been thinking of. I've had a mental block for so long. The second I read WSH it all made sense. I'll post an update when I finish.Thanks again.
