Virtual Directory

Hello,

been playing around a bit more with the MVC Framework, and succeeded in running our standard ASP.NET application together with an MVC application. As long as I run the application through the integrated IIS from Visual Studio it all works fine, but now I'm trying to run it from a Virtual Directory under ISS.

The URL now looks like this : http://localhost/<directory>/

The normal ASP.NET pages etc all work fine, but when I try to call an URL that should be mapped to a controller from MVC it all goes haywire. To give an example:

just going to http://localhost/<directory> opens the index.aspx page and all links etc work fine. If I enter http://localhost/<directory>/Force I expect the index page of the Force controller to be triggered, but instead I'm receiving an 404 error page. So apparently I can't get to the controller.

I've gone to the properties page of the web application and used the "Create Virtual Directory" there. I tried playing with the Routine table to add expressions to catch the subfolder in the URL, but doesn't seem to be working.

Anyone can explain what I need to be doing to get the MVC calls through? I should tell you that there's an IHttpModule doing UrlRewrites, but it doesn't seem to cause a problem when working without the directory in the URL.

Re: Virtual Directory

IIS will understand the request for .aspx and hence pass the request to asp.net engine.

In mvc, the URL is extension less so IIS don't understand that to whome it need to pass the request.

There is a ISAPI Rewrite (http://iirf.codeplex.com/) register this in your IIS.

All the MVC pages and links will definately work

Re: Virtual Directory

I'm currently using IIS7, isn' tthis build in ?

Re: Virtual Directory

The above mentioned project is not an option for us, we're running Windows Server 2008 64bit systems, thus the DLL is not supported.

Re: Virtual Directory

MVC support is definitely built in IIS 7. (I may be wrong here) Does your global.asax have all routes registered?

Re: Virtual Directory

Yes,

The routers have been registered. It's just one route for now. When I call it in the browser I get the 404 page:

Server Error in Application "TEENFORCE/ARNE"

</div> <div id="server_version">

Internet Information Services 7.0

</div> <div id="content"> <div>

Error Summary

HTTP Error 404.0 - Not Found

The resource you are looking for has been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

</div> <div>

Detailed Error Information<div id="details-left">

Module	IIS Web Core
Notification	MapRequestHandler
Handler	StaticFile
Error Code	0x80070002

</div> <div id="details-right">

Requested URL	http://localhost:80/Arne/api/TenForce
Physical Path	C:\Users\arne.de.herdt\Documents\Trunk\Robinson\RobinsonWebApp\api\TenForce
Logon Method	Anonymous
Logon User	Anonymous

</div> <div>

Most likely causes:

The directory or file specified does not exist on the Web server.
The URL contains a typographical error.
A custom filter or module, such as URLScan, restricts access to the file.

</div> <div>

Things you can try:

Create the content on the Web server.
Review the browser URL.
Create a tracing rule to track failed requests for this HTTP status code and see which module is calling SetStatus. For more information about creating a tracing rule for failed requests, click here.

</div>

The routine file looks like this:

/// <summary>
        /// This function registers all the routers for the MVC application.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="routes">The collection of routes to be registered.</param>
        protected static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes)
        {
            routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");


            // Test route for the TenForce controller.
            routes.MapRoute(
                "TenForce",
                "api/TenForce",
                new { controller = "TenForce", action = "Index"}
                );
        }

Re: Virtual Directory

did you deploy also mvc dll?( are you using 1 or 2)?

Re: Virtual Directory

using MVC 2, and I've marked the DLL to be copied on build.

Re: Virtual Directory

I advise checking the routing with http://haacked.com/archive/2008/03/13/url-routing-debugger.aspx since it is very restrictive and possibly something is happening with the URL that is not expected.

Re: Virtual Directory

did it, resulted in 404 as well...as you mentioned on MSN, the routing isn't loaded at all.

Re: Virtual Directory

I removed the IHttpModule from the equation for now, but this results in the a standard : the page cannot be displayed....

Re: Virtual Directory

Arne De Herdt
I removed the IHttpModule from the equation for now, but this results in the a standard : the page cannot be displayed....

please make another 2 test:

1.if you put a "hellpo world" asp.net application , does it work?

2.if you put a "hellpo world" asp.net MVC application , does it work?

Re: Virtual Directory

both work just fine.

So the problem is something related then to our IHttpModule that's performing rewrites.

Re: Virtual Directory

I've tried everything in the book and what google could find:

- add the references for MVC

- remove all custom modules

- Add the Controller & View Structure

- Add the required entries in the web.config file

- Cross check all handlers and modules against a working MVC application

As long as the classic ASP.NET webpage is doing it's stuff it's all peachy, but as soon as I need to step onto the MVC then it all goes haywire.

Standalone MVC applications work like a charm on the current server config as do ASP.NET applications, but when I try to place some MVC stuff into our web application, all hell breaks loose....

Re: Virtual Directory

Which version of VS.NET and MVC are you using.

If using VS.NET 2008, check your web.config whether it has this entry?

<httpModules>
			<add name="UrlRoutingModule" type="System.Web.Routing.UrlRoutingModule, System.Web.Routing, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
		</httpModules>

The UrlRoutingModule evaluates a request and checks if it matches a route that is stored in the RouteTable. If the route matches, it overrides the default handler (IHttpHandler) for the request so that the MVC framework handles the request.

From ASP.NET MVC in Action book.

Re: Virtual Directory

Could you try setting it up as an IIS application, not a virtual directory?

Re: Virtual Directory

That module is present and loaded. Discovered it was missing when crosschecking the modules between our application and the MVC applications.

As for running the site as a standalone application, that's not a viable option due the deployment configuration, but I will check tommorow if it can be done regardless.

Re: Virtual Directory

I tried setting up a Application for the website, but when I navigate to it, all I get is some sort of binary output....

Re: Virtual Directory

is it possible the RewriteUrl in our custom HttpModule is breaking the MVC?

Re: Virtual Directory

Finnaly after long searching and tinkering I managed to get everything working.

The MvcHttphandler never got invoked due crappy configuration on IIS...