Unable to obtain data from Access database residing on Netware 5 Server using ASP

An Access database exists on a Netware 5 Server volume that is running only the TCP/IP protocol. When you use either Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) or OLE Provider for Jet, a error message appears that states that the file cannot be found. There are no errors in the event logs and the ODBC connection tests successfully.

If you are using ODBC for access, the error message is: If you are using OLE DB Provider for Jet, the error message is:

For access to be granted to the Netware File System, credentials must be passed that have the appropriate rights to the databases you are attempting to access. By default, the IIS server attempts to pass credentials for the IUSR_MachineName account.

NOTE: The IWAM_Machine Name account is the account that appears as though it is being used by IIS 5.0 sites that are being run out-of-process. However, the IWAM_Machine Name account impersonates the IUSR_MachineName account. Therefore, the IUSR account is the only account you are concerned with in this solution.

Netware uses the Netware Directory Service to authenticate users to its servers. In order to access any file systems, a legitimate account for the credentials being passed must exist on the Netware server.

To properly communicate with Microsoft Access Databases on a Netware 5 server running only TCP/IP, please follow these steps exactly:

1. On the IIS server that you want have communicate with Access, install Novell Netware Client for Windows NT (Required). During setup, choose a Custom Installation, choose to install into a NDS system, and then choose only ip for the protocol.
   
   IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not install Workstation Manager.
2. On the Microsoft Windows 2000 IIS computer:
   1. Under Administrative Tools, open the Computer Management Snap-in.
   2. Under Local Users, select the IUSR_Machine Name account. Right-click and choose Set Password.
   3. Change the password, save it, and then close the MMC.
3. In the Internet Services Manager, do the following:
   
   
   1. Right-click the server name (for example, MYWEB01) under Internet Information Services.
   2. Click the Edit button next to WWW to open the master properties.
   3. On the Directory Security tab, click the Edit button next to Anonymous and Authentication methods.
   4. On the Authentication Methods tab, click Edit under the Anonymous section to open the Anonymous User properties.
   5. Click to uncheck the option for IIS to control the password, and then enter the password that you changed in step 2.
4. Create the ODBC System DSN by using the Microsoft Access Database driver:
   
   
   • Under Database, click Select, and then enter the path using Universal Naming Convention (UNC) in the database name field to give the DSN a Name. -or-
     
     
   • -or-Add a OLE DB Provider for Jet Connection String to the asp page that is failing. An example of a Access Connection String is:

     set conn = server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
     conn.open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source='UNC Path to Netware 5 Goes Here';Persist Security Info=False"

   Open the Netware Administrator found on the sys: volume under Public\WIN32 folder of the Netware 5 server. In the root of the container at which the server exists, create a IUSR_Machine Name account identical to the one that is on the NT Server. On the properties of that user, click Password Restrictions, and choose to have Require password checked. Click the Set Password button, and then set the password to that of the NT account. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not require passwords to be changed on the Netware system. This is the most crucial step to the entire process.
5. In Netware Administrator, under the newly created IUSR properties, choose the Rights to files and directories tab, and then add the appropriate rights to the database files that need to accessed. At the least, READ permissions need to be given, unless changes are made through the Internet that require all permissions except supervisor and access control. Test your application and you should see the data that you are attempting to access.

If the preceding resolution is not satisfactory, a workaround can be produced that is typically used in older Netware versions. By using GSNW, a connection to the Netware 5 server could be established using the IPX/SPX protocol. However, please note that this requires that IPX be added to the Netware 5 Server as well as the NT Server.
For installation instructions for the GSNW, please refer to the Windows 2000 End-User Manual.

For more information regarding these procedures using IIS 4.0, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.