VPN access to PWA

[SemperParati]

Ladies and gents,
We external ressources to access our PWA via a VPN (our firewall does not
have a DMZ). I've tried 2 things:
1. Create a Windows account to connect to the network via the VPN, then use
a Project Server account to access PWA. This option allows the creation of 1
generic Windows account (such as "Guest" or "Consultant") and several
role-based Project Server Accounts. However, after the first logon to get
through the VPN, a pop-up requests another authentification to access PWA and
it seems to require Windows authentification so it wouldn't work because all
of our external resources would have the same access (i.e. not role-based);
2. Create a Windows account for each external resource and use the same
account to access PWA. The role-based security would be respected. This
option allows us to reach the PWA's homepage. However, clicking on "tasks"
or "Projects" always brings us straight back to the homepage.

Any ideas or leads to information sources on how to access PWA via a VPN?

Thanks a lot,

Richard

 

[NZ Projects]

What are you using for your VPN solution ?

ISA/Radius can certainly achieve what you want.

 

[SemperParati]

Aventail.

What are you using for your VPN solution ?

ISA/Radius can certainly achieve what you want.

 

[Jochen Ruhland]

Hi,

However, clicking on "tasks"
or "Projects" always brings us straight back to the homepage.

what URL do the VPN-users use to access the PWA page? Is it the same that
internal users use?

 

[SemperParati]

Yes, except it the actual IP address, i.e. internal users use
http://project.feric.org/projectserver while the link in the VPN uses
http://192.168.100.4/projectserver

Thanks for looking into this.

 

[Jochen Ruhland]

Hi,

Yes, except it the actual IP address, i.e. internal users use
http://project.feric.org/projectserver while the link in the VPN uses
http://192.168.100.4/projectserver

this will not work. The underlying WSS checks the URL used to access the
server and will rewrite it to the "official" name.

You can either:

a) manipulate the local host file of the VPN machines so that they can
resolve project.feric.org to your 192.168.100.4 (or put it into public DNS)

b) add an additional "alternate access mapping" to the sharepoint config of
your box so that the 192.168.100.4-url is also accepted.

 

[SemperParati]

Ok, thanks Jochen. I'll give this a try and get back to you.

 

[SemperParati]

Hi Jochen,

Option number 1 isn't an option as we can't ask each external resources to
modify their local host file;

Option number 2: we tried renaming the link in the VPN box to exactly what
internal users use (i.e. http://project.feric.org/projectserver), same
problems. We manage to log in, get the homepage, but clicking on either
"Tasks" or "Projects" spits us back to the home page. Interestignly enough
though, we can access all the other tabs: "Risks", "Issues", "Documents"...