As ever, priorities have changed. The FastCGI and Python thing isn't going to happen. Instead I have to try and remotely solve an issue on a customer site with IIS setup... and I'm convinced it's a firewall issue that we can't solve.
I've found a few resources for the issue, and I've tried a few things off the top of my head to try and fix this, but it just ain't happpening yet.
I'm pretty sure we'll have a solution to the problem today, but it's annoying. We're getting access to a site over a VPN connection, but not from the local network, unless we turn authentication off. If we do that, the application stops working.
Anyone know anything about how to go about solving this?
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Tuesday 16 June 2009
Python on IIS and FastCGI
Looks like I might be trying to do the impossible. Again!
I'm about to try and build a web server on Windows 2003 technology, and use this to host ASP and ASP.Net applications, using multiple frameworks, and without upsetting sharepoint.
I will also be attempting to set up a Python server running FastCGI.
There is no reason why it won't work, other than setting up the application we want to use may not work. I may need to tweak lots of bits before I can get the application running.
So, if anyone has experience of setting up a Python scripted web application designed for Linux using FastCGI on a Windows IIS server, let me know!
Once I have succeeded in this, I will update the world, and may even include a set of instructions on the configuration of the web server.
Similarly, if anyone can find instructions, then let me know!
Friday 12 June 2009
Microsoft, IE and competition
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8096701.stm
The article relates to Microsoft not shipping IE with Windows 7.
That’s fantastic news – it’s good to see Microsoft are opening up the market to allow other providers a chance to install their software.
One question… how will Joe User find and install a browser?
The article relates to Microsoft not shipping IE with Windows 7.
That’s fantastic news – it’s good to see Microsoft are opening up the market to allow other providers a chance to install their software.
One question… how will Joe User find and install a browser?
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Midweek Madness
Ah, Wednesday!
The day where traditionally shops close for the afternoon and schoolchildren run out of sugar at around 2 o'clock. The Post Offices are closed and nobody can get a loaf or a pint of milk. Ah, the good old days!
I've just spent a chunk of the last couple of hours helping a colleague try to work out how to send a file from Nigeria to Norwich. As it turns out, it was a fairly simple thing that was missing to make this program work, but we got there. I've also spent a substantial chunk of the day trying to work out how to get the prices of electricity in Belgium in 2012 into a database. (Much easier than it sounds!)
The problem I have now is that I can't get a pint of milk or a loaf to get me through the rest of the day!
Still... almost time to go home.
The day where traditionally shops close for the afternoon and schoolchildren run out of sugar at around 2 o'clock. The Post Offices are closed and nobody can get a loaf or a pint of milk. Ah, the good old days!
I've just spent a chunk of the last couple of hours helping a colleague try to work out how to send a file from Nigeria to Norwich. As it turns out, it was a fairly simple thing that was missing to make this program work, but we got there. I've also spent a substantial chunk of the day trying to work out how to get the prices of electricity in Belgium in 2012 into a database. (Much easier than it sounds!)
The problem I have now is that I can't get a pint of milk or a loaf to get me through the rest of the day!
Still... almost time to go home.
Monday 8 June 2009
RRAS Connections
And for my next trick...
I will attempt to connect to the internet using an existing connection and a big shiny router.
Sounds easy, straightforward, simple and all that, but it may not be. I've had a few looks at this in the past, and it seems reasonable and all that, but it's just not so simple.
The problem is that the router is connected to the internet and has 6 public facing IP addresses. The internal side has a single IP address, and I need to connect to it using a specific IP address from a firewall.
Still with me?
Good.
I then have to share this connection with our network on a separate network definition. This is where I start to swear under my breath and utter oathes about Bill Gates AND Linus Torvalds.
My First port of call is Google, closely followed by Serverfault.com and trying to work out the questions to ask before I can recognise the answers I get.
I intended originally to use Windows RRAS (Routing and Remote Access Services) but am starting to realise they may not be the best solution. I am now considering a 'Nix based software firewall solution, but I have no experience with this OS other than playing with the web intrerfaces of other routers.
I could always get funky and build something from scratch, but that may be substantially less fun than I think it might be!
In the meantime, we'll keep browsing the web through our ADSL connection!
I will attempt to connect to the internet using an existing connection and a big shiny router.
Sounds easy, straightforward, simple and all that, but it may not be. I've had a few looks at this in the past, and it seems reasonable and all that, but it's just not so simple.
The problem is that the router is connected to the internet and has 6 public facing IP addresses. The internal side has a single IP address, and I need to connect to it using a specific IP address from a firewall.
Still with me?
Good.
I then have to share this connection with our network on a separate network definition. This is where I start to swear under my breath and utter oathes about Bill Gates AND Linus Torvalds.
My First port of call is Google, closely followed by Serverfault.com and trying to work out the questions to ask before I can recognise the answers I get.
I intended originally to use Windows RRAS (Routing and Remote Access Services) but am starting to realise they may not be the best solution. I am now considering a 'Nix based software firewall solution, but I have no experience with this OS other than playing with the web intrerfaces of other routers.
I could always get funky and build something from scratch, but that may be substantially less fun than I think it might be!
In the meantime, we'll keep browsing the web through our ADSL connection!
Thursday 4 June 2009
Incoming Calls from a Bank
Over the past few weeks I've had a couple of calls from HBOS credit cards. They call up and ask me to give them my postcode and year of birth for security reasons. That's information I could probably get off the internet, or certainly at a library, so it's not hugely secure. Other things like my first school, mothers maiden name etc. aren't much better.
When they've asked me to provide them with the details I've simply answered "No, you tell me what you think it is, and I'll confirm it." They're obviously not going to do this, but why should I risk a scam, right? Maybe it seems a bit far fetched, but I now feel vindicated.
This article appearred on the BBC news website today, and made me feel all smug inside. I now feel justified in giving the people who call me when I'm eating my dinner a harder time than they probably deserved, but it just goes to show that you really can't be too careful.
When they've asked me to provide them with the details I've simply answered "No, you tell me what you think it is, and I'll confirm it." They're obviously not going to do this, but why should I risk a scam, right? Maybe it seems a bit far fetched, but I now feel vindicated.
This article appearred on the BBC news website today, and made me feel all smug inside. I now feel justified in giving the people who call me when I'm eating my dinner a harder time than they probably deserved, but it just goes to show that you really can't be too careful.
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Useful Technology
I installed a new car stereo yesterday, and after a bit of tweaking (apparently ISO connections are not quite standard) fired it up and made a phone call on it.
That's not quite as barking mad as it sounds, as the stereo also has bluetooth connectivity, allowing me to play music from my phone through the car stereo, and also to make hands free phone calls. The unit has been obsolete since 2007, but the technology still works, and as it's built to a standard, this probably won't change for a wee while yet.
As I said earlier, however, the ISO standard hasn't quite been implemented on the stereo. There are 2 +ve power supplies - one permanent for the clock and storing settings, the other is switched from the ignition, and is used to power the stereo. For the last few Sony stereos I've fitted I've had to swap these round on the harness. There are the only 2 wires with Bullet connectors, so simply swapping them round works a treat. Testing them was another matter, however. Peugeot in their wisdom allow the stereo to stay active for about 5 minutes after the ignition is switched off. This means that you set everythin up, switch the ignition off and the stereo stays active. A few minutes later it switches off and goes silent - at this point you've lost your settings.
When the wiring is correct, the stereo switches off after a few minutes and then beeps to get you to take the face off. Your settings are safe.
All the same, I'm happy with it. It sounds good and the handsfree works, and you can use the remote control for the stereo to work the treack navigation on the MP3 player on my phone.
That's integrated technology!
That's not quite as barking mad as it sounds, as the stereo also has bluetooth connectivity, allowing me to play music from my phone through the car stereo, and also to make hands free phone calls. The unit has been obsolete since 2007, but the technology still works, and as it's built to a standard, this probably won't change for a wee while yet.
As I said earlier, however, the ISO standard hasn't quite been implemented on the stereo. There are 2 +ve power supplies - one permanent for the clock and storing settings, the other is switched from the ignition, and is used to power the stereo. For the last few Sony stereos I've fitted I've had to swap these round on the harness. There are the only 2 wires with Bullet connectors, so simply swapping them round works a treat. Testing them was another matter, however. Peugeot in their wisdom allow the stereo to stay active for about 5 minutes after the ignition is switched off. This means that you set everythin up, switch the ignition off and the stereo stays active. A few minutes later it switches off and goes silent - at this point you've lost your settings.
When the wiring is correct, the stereo switches off after a few minutes and then beeps to get you to take the face off. Your settings are safe.
All the same, I'm happy with it. It sounds good and the handsfree works, and you can use the remote control for the stereo to work the treack navigation on the MP3 player on my phone.
That's integrated technology!
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