I am looking for information on using mstscax.dll in VB. The goal is to create a utility that logs into a remote service in the same manner as remote desktop. However, my utility is not required to show the desktop.
I have a series of commands that I will start off with that will look for users, reset logins, shadow, and message. I have been using a batch file on my RDP to perform these functions, but we are already looking for more functionality and power than what the batch commands can offer.
I am googling 'mstscax.dll' but the results have been less than satisfactory although I continue to search. Does anyone have any good references? Is this even going to be possible?
If you are looking to list or perform operations on remote desktop sessions, you might find the Cassia library helpful. The library can list users logged on to a server, disconnect or logoff sessions, shadow sessions, and display message boxes in a session, among other things. (Note that the shadowing functionality requires a pre-release version of the library available on the project's build server -- use the artifacts link.)
I think you're supposed to use the msrdp.ocx control rather than that dll, though I've personally never used either so can't say for sure.
Edit: Add link
Here's a codeproject article about automating RDP:
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/RemoteDesktop_CSharpNET.aspx
Related
I have sequence of steps that an user does, e.g. logging on the a remote UNIX shell, creation of files/directories, changing permission, Running remote Shell scripts and commands, File deletion, File movements,
Run DB queries and basis the query results perform certain tasks exporting the results to a file or run further shell commands/scripts or DB insert statements etc etc.
doing there steps users achieves different processed or data processing and validating.
What is the best way to automate the above schenerio, Should we go for a Workflow tools like Activiti etc. or is there a better framework/way to achieve the requirements.
My requirement is to work with Open-source, and possibly Java based.
I am completely new to this so any help pointers would be appreciated.
The scenario you describe is certainly possible with a workflow tool like Activiti. Apache Camel or Spring Integration would be another possibility (as all the steps you mention are automatic system tasks).
A workflow framework would be a good option if you need one of these
you want to store the history data for 'audit purposes': who did what/when/how long did it take.
you want to visually model your steps, perhaps to discuss it with business people.
there is a need for human interaction between some of the steps
Your description reminds me of a software/account provisioning process.
There are a large number of provisioning tools on the market both Open Source or otherwise (Dell Crowbar is one options).
However, A couple of the comments you made in your response to Joram indicate a more general purpose tool such as Activiti may be an option:
"Swivel Chair" tasks - User tasks that may one day be automated
Visual model of process state
Most provisioning tools dont allow for generic user tasks and dont provide a (good) visual model of the process state.
However, they generally include remote script execution which would need to be cobbled together as a service task if using a BOM tool.
I would certainly expand my research to include provisioning tools as they sound like a better fit, however if you cant find anything that works for you, a BPM platform provides a generic framework to build what you need.
I created a time recording program in vb.net with a sql-server as backend. User can send there time entries into the database (i used typed datasets functionality) and send different queries to get overviews over there working time.
My plan was to put that exe in a folder in our network and let the user make a link on their desktops. Every user writes into the same table but can only see his own entries so there is no possibility that two user manipulate the same dataset.
During my research i found a warning that "write contentions between the different users" can be occur. Is that so in my case?
Has anyone experience with "many user using the same exe" and where that is using datasets and could give me an advice whether it is working or what i should do instead?
SQL Server will handle all of your multi-user DB access concerns.
Multiple users accessing the same exe from a network location can work but it's kind of a hack. Let's say you wanted to update that exe with a few bug fixes. You would have to ensure that all users close the application before you could release the update. To answer you question though, the application will be isolated to each user running it. You won't have any contention issues when it comes to CRUD operations on the database due to the network deployment.
You might consider something other than a copy/paste style publishing of your application. Visual Studio has a few simple tools you can use to publish your application to a central location using ClickOnce deployment.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/31kztyey(v=vs.110).aspx
My solution was to add a simple shutdown-timer in the form, which alerts users to saving their data before the program close att 4 AM.
If i need to upgrade, i just replace the .exe on the network.
Ugly and dirty, yes... but worked like a charm for the past 2 years.
good luck!
I have a particular file I want to monitor for file read attempts by all applications on OSX. I'd like to be able to interrupt the requests so I could decide which applications have permission to read the file and which don't (by querying the user, or checking a cache of user responses). Is this possible with the OSX API? If not, is it even possible to get a list of which applications or processes do read a file?
I'm not saying there's no way to do this, but what #Jonathan is talking about isn't it.
That API is for tracking the creation, change, and destruction of files. Notably this tool is used by things like Spotlight to watch activity on the filesystem for new, interesting files.
But, wisely, reading isn't one of the events it tracks.
And even if reading WAS tracked, it is still the wrong mechanism, as it's a notification system after the fact, not in line with the call itself.
I seriously doubt what you want is possible the way you describe it.
With Access Control Lists, you can limit access at the user level (Fred can read the file, but Bob can not). This is a setting on the file itself. But there's no mechanism to allow Bobs App1 to read a file, while Bobs App2 can not, since there's really no formal mechanism of "application identity" beyond the command to executed, or whatever the program "says" its name is (both of which can be spoofed if motivated enough).
However, feel free to crawl the Darwin sources -- no doubt the answer is buried in there somewhere near the open(2) call.
EDIT, regarding comment.
What are you trying to do? What's the overall context?
Another thing that you may want to try is to use FUSE.
FUSE is a utility that let's you have "user space filesystems". People use FUSE for many purposes, like reading NTFS volumes, or mounting remote system via SSH.
They have a simple example, that gives you a skeleton that you can fill in for your purposes.
For most of the use cases, you'll simple defer to the system. However, for OPEN you will add your logic. Then you could point your FUSE utility at a directory, and "mount it". Then all of the files below that directory can use your new behavior.
I'm still not sure how you will identify Apps by name, but if it's not a real "security" issue, just for local control, I imaging you can come up with something. Activity Monitor has apps names, so they must be available, and FUSE will be running within the process space (I think), rather than through some external mechanism.
All that said, I think FUSE is your best bet, but it's probably not appropriate if you want to do this to "any file" with no preparation by the user (like not installing FUSE). If you wanted to do "any file", your FUSE system would need to be mounted at root, and then you'll simply have a full "clone" of the filesystem, with those files from the normal root "unprotected", while those from your new FUSE root will be protected. So, if someone wanted to NOT use your FUSE system, the real file is readily available to them through the actual file location.
If not, is it even possible to get a list of which applications or processes do read a file?
The command-line tool fs_util allows you to monitor filesystem activity, including reading.
The writings of Amit Singh should come in very handy. He explored the API that provides FileSystem events a few years ago, and provided a sample tool that allows you to intercept FS events. It's open source!
If i remember his conclusion properly, their isn't an official API, but you can use apple's tools to achieve what you want.
I've got an Access 2007 database that I developed which connects to SQL Server for the actual data storage. I used the Package Solution Wizard to create a distributable installer which included access runtime (with an ACCDE file) which I went around and installed on 15 or so PCs. Anyway, my question is, what is the best way to distribute updates to this database? Right now I'd need to go around and remove and reinstall. That's not a problem... I was just wondering if there was another way.
I've tried leaving the front end on a network share but it seems that most people suggest storing the front-end on the local machine, which makes sense. The problems I've run into when I leave it on a network share (at least with Access 2003 mdbs) is that I find myself needing to compact and repair often and I also have to kill the open sessions (user's who have the file open) when upgrading. I would imagine it could also hypothetically create an unnecessary bottleneck if the user was not on the local network.
Automating front-end distribution is trivial. It's a problem that has been solved repeatedly. Tony Toews's http://autofeupdater.com is one such solution that is extremely easy to implement and completely transparent to the end user.
We developed a vbscript 'launcher' for our access apps. That is what is linked to on the start menu of user's pcs and it does the following.
It checks a version.txt file located on a network share to see whether it contains different text to a locally stored copy
If the text is different it copies the access mdb and the new version.txt to the user's hard drive.
Finally it runs the mdb in access
In order to distribute an update to the user's pc all that is required is to change the text in version.txt on the network share.
Perhaps you can implement something similar to this
Make a batch file on the server (network drive).
Create a shortcut link to that batch file.
Copy the shortcut to User's Desktop.
When user double-clicks on shortcut, it will copy a fresh copy from network to local.
Replace old database.adp on the server drive when you update a new version.
Each user gets a copy of database.adp on their machine.
Remove Security warning when opening file from network share is here.
Batch File
#ECHO OFF
REM copy from network drive to local
xcopy "Your_Network_Drive\database.adp" "C:\User\database.adp" /Y /R /F
REM call your database file - Access 2007
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\MSAccess.EXE" "C:\User\database.adp"
This is a very old post and I used the autofeupdater until it stopped working so I wrote one of my own and it has evolved over the last few years into something that I have used with many clients. It's so simple to use and there is no interface. Just an EXE and a very simple config file.
Please check it out here. I can also help with custom solutions if none of the configurations work for your needs. http://www.dafran.ca/MS-Access-Front-End-Loader.aspx
After trying all of the solutions above (not exactly these solutions but these are the common suggestions in the Access community), I developed a system entirely within Access using VBA that allows an admin DB to create and publish objects to client DBs without the need for user intervention or management of multiple DB files.
This approach has several benefits:
1. It simplifies the development process by having a dedicated environment (admin DB) for development and testing totally separate from the client DBs.
2. It simplifies the update/distribution process by allowing a developer to push out updates in real time that client DBs can implement in the background, without involving users. Can also allow devs to roll back to previous versions if desired.
3. It could be used as a kind of change management system within Access for developers who want to commit multiple changes to objects and modules and retain past changes.
4. It allows for easier user access control by allowing an admin to easily assign certain objects to specific users/roles without needing to maintain multiple versions of the DB.
I will hopefully post the code to GitHub soon, I just have to get clearance from my workplace to release it. I will edit this post to include the link when I have.
We have usually kept the Access front ends on network drives, and just put up with the need to compact and repair on a regular basis. You will probably find you need to do that even when they are installed locally, anyway.
If you must have it installed locally, there are various tools which will enable you to "push out" software updates, and the guys over on ServerFault would have more information on those. Assuming such tools aren't available, the only other option I can think of is to write a small loader program that checks the local .MDB against a master copy on the server, and re-copies it across if they are different, before then launching the MDB.
I'm working on creating a self updating application and one issue I'm running into on Vista and Windows 7 is needing to have admin privileges in order to update the client. I've run into issues with clients that have their users running under restricted permissions and they would have to have IT log onto every machine that needed to update the client since the users were not able to.
A possible work around I'm considering is to have the launcher application installed into Program Files as normal, and having the real application that it updates installed in the users documents somewhere, so that they could update and run new versions without IT becoming involved.
I'm wondering what potential gotchas I'm missing here or what I should be aware of before heading down this path. I'm aware that click-once does something very similar, and I'd be using it, except I need the ability to do silent updates, without any user interaction.
This is how it is supposed to be. The last thing most IT departments want is a user randomly updating a piece of software. This could have all sorts of unintentional side effects such as incompatibility with the older version's files, new and possibly insecure functionality, etc. This is why IT departments disable Windows Update and do their updates manually in a controlled fashion.
If the users want an updated version of the software they should be requesting it from their IT department. Those computers and infrastructure don't belong to them, they're simply borrowing time on them from the company they work for so they can do their job.
Is there an issue with having only one installation of your program? Is it particularly large, for example?
Do you require admin privileges to run your program?
If not, odds are you don't need the Program Files folder.
I suggest you forgo installing to Program Files entirely and just install your program into the user's folder system at <userfolder>\AppData\ProgramName.
If you happen to be using .NET, look into the ClickOnce deployment mechanism. It's got a great self-updating feature that'd probably make your life a lot easier.
Edit: Just saw your last sentence. ClickOnce can force the user to update.
A couple of things:
If you decide to move your app to some place in documents, make sure that your application writes data transparently to where your program is installed, e.g. if there are hard coded paths anywhere in the code that are pointing to bad places. Perhaps this is not an issue for you, but might be something to keep in mind.
We solved this in pretty much the same way when we decided to implement a "live update" feature. But instead we installed a service which is running with administrator rights. This service in turn can run installers once the program needs to be updated. With this type of solution you don't even have to move your applicaton out of program files.
Cheers !
Edit:
Another neat thing with having a service running as administrator. Is that you could create a named pipe communication with it and have it do things for you, like you wouldn't be able to do as a normal user.
A loader stub is a good way to go. The only gotcha is when you have to update the loader; the same initial problem applies (though that should be pretty infrequent).
One problem that I can think of off the top of my head is that you're stepping outside the entire idea of keeping things more "secure." Since your executable exists in a location that should be completely accessible to a non-administrator, it's possible that something else could slam your exe thus subverting security.
You can probably leverage AppLocker. It may only be for Win7 though I'm not running Vista any more. ;)