Configuring the Perkulator Portal
- The first, most important file you need to modify is the “web_Database.config” file located in the root directory of the portal files
o Change the “ConnectionString” to point to your database that you want to use for this portal
o Example ConnectionString #1
§ <add name="ConnectionString" connectionString="database=PerkDB; server=255.255.255.255\SQLEXPRESS; user id=USERNAME; password=PASSWORD;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
o Example ConnectionString #2
§ <add name="ConnectionString" connectionString="Server=.\SQLEXPRESS; Database=PerkDB; Trusted_Connection=True;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
- These .config files are “private” so you will need to set these up immediately as well:
o web_BackdoorPassword.config
o web_Encryption.config
- Explanations of the other root directory *.config files
o The reason for .config files is that they contain values used by the portal, values that are not stored in the database. In case of a database malfunction, this way you can change these values by hand instead of having to open up the database management utility. Also, some .config files values are manageable through the portal and some are not. This way the ‘private’ files are never visible to human eyes, such as users with administrative roles that log into the portal. For example, the web_Database.config is a private file (not manageable through the portal interface).
o web.config
§ This file is standard throughout all portals. Unless you are a developer that needs to modify this file, typically this file would be identical throughout all portals that use it, pending the portal version.
o web_AppSettings.config
§ Only used to store webservice addresses.
§ If the value is blank, there is no super-password for the portal. If it contains any text, that password becomes a super-password for the portal. By using that password, you can log into any user account with that password by simply knowing their username. For example, if the value=“asdf”, you can log into the “admin” user account by using the password “asdf”. If a user exists called “joe”, you could log into “joe” by simply using “asdf” as the password.
§ It is recommended to either keep this value blank, value=“”, or to provide a very strong password. Example strong password: value=“123super123Strong123Password123”. It is likely that no one would ever guess that password as a BackdoorPassword, in the event they are even aware a backdoor password exists.
o web_CacheDuration.config
§ This value defines, in minutes, how long to cache retrieved database data. If value=“60” then all data will be cached for 60 minutes.
§ This value can be managed from the main admin tab in the portal.
§ This value should only be defined when the portal is first installed, and not later. If the encryption password gets changed, all previously encrypted data will be “lost” since the old encryption password is what encrypted them in the first place, the old encrypted data will be un-decrypt-able.
§ This value is the password/key used to encrypt and decrypt certain sensitive data in the portal.
o web_ErrorLog.config
§ This file is also private, generally only used for debugging purposes. If “ErrorLoggingEnabled” = true, then every time the portal has any .net error, it will log that error into this file.
o web_ErrorLoggingEnabled.config
§ This value is simply either “true” or “false”.
§ True: all .net errors are logged
§ False: no .net errors are logged
- Explanations of the ~/config/*.config files
o AdminTabs_*.config
§ The “admin” tab and child tabs within the portal are not database driven, they are file driven. All “AdminTabs” files are what control what is displayed as child tabs of the “Admin” tab. There is no way to manage these files from the portal interface.
§ All of these .config files use this semicolon delimited string array system:
· TabName;UrlPath
o AdminTabs_core.config
§ This file comes standard with the “Standard” version and this file should be identical across all portals, pending the portal version.
o AdminTabs_upgrade_*.config
§ For developers who wish to customize the Perkulator portal and create additional administrative child tabs, you can make your very own “AdminTabs”. Example:
· You make a new admin page called “Example”, located at ~/admin/example.aspx
· You make a new file in the “~/admin/” folder called “AdminTabs_upgrade_Example.config”
· The text within this file would be:
· Example;admin/Example.aspx
· There would now be a child tab of the admin tab called “Example” and it would link to “admin/Example.aspx”
§ You can also overwrite core/free child tabs. Example:
· You make an upgraded version of the “admin/Email.aspx” page. You call it “admin/Xmail.aspx”
· You make a new file in the “~/admin/” folder called “AdminTabs_upgrade_Xmail.config”
· Email;admin/Xmail.aspx
· The “Email”child tab of the admin tab would now link to “Xmail.aspx” instead of “Email.aspx”