Snapshot viewer

[Luke Bellamy]

Hi - I would like to put some of my reports on the web. The only problem
is that you have to provide the SNP file like this
http://mysite.com/Reports/BalanceSheet.snp.

I can get all this to work but my concern is security. I have to put the snp
file in the
public domain (visible to the HTTP browser) and cannot secure it easily
unless I implement
Windows NT account security (bit of a maintenance issue).
Another option was to stream (download box) to the client but that means
every user must
have the SnapShot Viewer software installed to view the report (over an
ActiveX control
that can download if needed).

Does anyone know a good way of publishing SNP files on the web and securing
them
only for the intended user?

Thankyou

 

[Brian]

Hi - I would like to put some of my reports on the web. The only problem
is that you have to provide the SNP file like this
http://mysite.com/Reports/BalanceSheet.snp.

I can get all this to work but my concern is security. I have to put the snp
file in the
public domain (visible to the HTTP browser) and cannot secure it easily
unless I implement
Windows NT account security (bit of a maintenance issue).
Another option was to stream (download box) to the client but that means
every user must
have the SnapShot Viewer software installed to view the report (over an
ActiveX control
that can download if needed).

Does anyone know a good way of publishing SNP files on the web and securing
them
only for the intended user?

Thankyou

If the file is only intended for one user, why do you want to put it on the
web at all? Why not just email it?

If you want to secure something on the web without using network security,
then, clearly, you are going to have to use ASP or PHP or whatever you write
your own log-on/authentication mechanism. What's the point? You would only
be re-inventing the wheel.

Incidentally, the SNP format sucks. PDF is much better, use CutePDF or
Win2PDF to "print" an Access report as a PDF file.

 

[Luke Bellamy]

Thanks Brian,

Yes the web it's just for a restricted numbers of users ( < 5 ).

I have already "re-invented the wheel" and have an ASP login mechanism.

Ehat I need now is the ability to put the SNP files on the web

Ref'd by a URL but stop users from hacking the URL and being able to

Access the SNP file if they punch in the right address.

Even if I exported the reports in an PDF format I would still

Hit the same problems. I just don't know the best way to secure

A document on the web to a specific user.

Only way I can think of at the moment is stream the binary into

The Access DB and then when a user requests the file stream is back

To the client under SSL. But then they will have to have the SNP

Viewer (or PDF viewer is more likely) installed.

As I mentioned in my initial email I can use Windows NT accounts but

Would like a solution where I can let the users setup access to reports

Through my ASP screens.

Any more ideas appreciated.

Thanks Mate,

Luke

 

[Brian]

Thanks Brian,

Yes the web it's just for a restricted numbers of users ( < 5 ).

I have already "re-invented the wheel" and have an ASP login mechanism.

Ehat I need now is the ability to put the SNP files on the web

Ref'd by a URL but stop users from hacking the URL and being able to

Access the SNP file if they punch in the right address.

Even if I exported the reports in an PDF format I would still

Hit the same problems. I just don't know the best way to secure

A document on the web to a specific user.

Only way I can think of at the moment is stream the binary into

The Access DB and then when a user requests the file stream is back

To the client under SSL. But then they will have to have the SNP

Viewer (or PDF viewer is more likely) installed.

As I mentioned in my initial email I can use Windows NT accounts but

Would like a solution where I can let the users setup access to reports

Through my ASP screens.

Any more ideas appreciated.

Thanks Mate,

Luke

Sorry, Luke, I'm completely baffled. You want your users to be able to see
the reports, but not have access to the SNP or PDF file? Why???

Almost everyone has Adobe Reader.

If you don't want to assume any particular document reading software and,
for reasons I don't understand, you don't want your users to be able to
download anything except a web page, then you are going to have to abandon
Access reports and hand-craft the whole thing in ASP.

 

[M.L. Sco Scofield]

As Brian has eluded, this is not an Access problem. It's not even a file
problem in general.

This is a web server security issue. As you mentioned ASP in one of your
posts, I can only assume your web server is IIS and your website is using
ASP.

For issues with IIS and ASP, you need to go to a newsgroup dedicated to IIS
and/or ASP. You will find several IIS groups that all start with
microsoft.public.inetserver.iis and several ASP groups that all start with
microsoft.public.inetserver.asp.

If I were you, I'd probably start with
microsoft.public.inetserver.iis.security.

You will also find a multitude of information in the MSDN library at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp. You might start with the
links at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/activeservpages.asp.

Good luck.

Sco

M.L. "Sco" Scofield, Microsoft Access MVP, MCSD, MCP, MSS, A+
Denver Area Access Users Group Vice President www.DAAUG.org
MS Colorado Events Administrator www.MSColoradoEvents.com
Useful Metric Conversion #18 of 19: 8 nickels = 2 paradigms (My personal
favorite)
Miscellaneous Access and VB "stuff" at www.ScoBiz.com