Setting up an HTTP/HTTPS redirect in IIS

Once the SSL certificate is installed, your site still remains accessible via a regular insecure HTTP connection. To connect securely, visitors must specify the https:// prefix manually when entering your site’s address in their browsers.

In order to force a secure connection on your website, it is necessary to set up a certain HTTP/HTTPS redirection rule. This way, anyone who enters your site using a link like “yourdomain.com” will be redirected to “https://yourdomain.com” or “https://www.yourdomain.com” (depending on your choice) making the traffic encrypted between the server and the client side. 

Below are steps to setup a IIS HTTPS redirect:

1. Download and install the “URL Rewrite” module.
2. Open the “IIS Manager” console and select the website you would like to apply the redirection to in the left-side menu:
3. Double-click on the “URL Rewrite” icon.
4. Click “Add Rule(s)” in the right-side menu.
5. Select “Blank Rule” in the “Inbound” section, then press “OK”:
6. Enter any rule name you wish.
7. In the “Match URL” section:- Select “Matches the Pattern” in the “Requested URL” drop-down menu 
   – Select “Regular Expressions” in the “Using” drop-down menu 
   – Enter the following pattern in the “Match URL” section: “(.*)” 
   – Check the “Ignore case” box
8. In the “Conditions” section, select “Match all” under the “Logical Grouping” drop-down menu and press “Add”. 
9. In the prompted window:
   – Enter “{HTTPS}” as a condition input 
   – Select “Matches the Pattern” from the drop-down menu 
   – Enter “^OFF$” as a pattern 
   – Press “OK”
10. In the “Action” section, select “Redirect” as the action type and specify the following for “Redirect URL”:https://{HTTP_HOST}{REQUEST_URI}
11. Check the “Append query string” box.
12. Select the Redirection Type of your choice. The whole “Action” section should look like this: 
13. Click on “Apply” on the right side of the “Actions” menu.

The IIS redirect can be checked by accessing your site via http:// specified in the URL. To make sure that your browser displays not the cached version of your site, you can use anonymous mode of the browser. 

The rule is created in IIS, but the site is still not redirected to https://

Normally, the redirection rule gets written into the web.config file located in the document root directory of your website. If the redirection does not work for some reason, make sure that web.config exists and check if it contains the appropriate rule.

To do this, follow these steps: 

1. In the sites list of IIS, right-click on your site. Choose the “Explore” option:
2. “Explore” will open the document root directory of the site. Check if the web.config file is there.
3. The web.config file must have the following code block: <configuration>
   <system.webServer>
   <rewrite>
   <rules>
   <rule name=”HTTPS force” enabled=”true” stopProcessing=”true”>
   <match url=”(.*)” />
   <conditions>
   <add input=”{HTTPS}” pattern=”^OFF$” />
   </conditions>
   <action type=”Redirect” url=”https://{HTTP_HOST}{REQUEST_URI}” redirectType=”Permanent” />
   </rule>
   </rules>
   </rewrite>
   </system.webServer>
   </configuration>
4. If the web.config file is missing, you can create a new .txt file, put the aforementioned code there, save and then rename the file to web.config.

The post SmarterMail Force HTTPS appeared first on Interactive Webs.

Search Engine Marketing Services

Our SEO Services

With years of experience at Search Engine Marketing SEO and a genuine interest in latest evolving techniques. We are able to provide a total solution for your Search Engine Marketing needs.

We cover all aspects of the gamete of SEO Services that are required to deliver Natural Google Ranking Results.

Keyword Search

Targeted key word search for long tail and shot tail key words that are targeted to your customers.

Link Building

Generating of back linking keyword rich click links into your site from other reputable sites.

Sitemap Optimisation

Creating and updating site maps that Google uses to index the pages of your site.

Software Development

Where necessary we will develop and update software on your site to ensure that SEO functions are delivered.

Web Design

Designing from scratch or redesigning your websites with Search Engine Optimisation as part of the DNA of your site.

Feedback

We provide feedback of the progress of the SEO journey we embark on with you and your business.

Strategy

We have proven results and a carefully planned and implemented strategy for the services we provide.

Social Networking

Brand development with the integration of Social Networking is essential for your search results and total business development and marketing.

Content Writing

We work with partners to create dynamic content, pages and blogs to draw in key word linked searches into your site and onto your products and services.

Traffic Monitoring

Integrated analytics and progression of search engine listing performance both instantly and over time.

Ranking Results Reports

We provide reports on the ranking of your site and the progress we have achieved for you.

Website Optimization

Critical to your rankings is your website and page load performance. Tuning both the on page content and server performance is critical.

With years of running a shopping website, we only experienced results once we started engaging professional SEO services. Prior to that we effectively wasted our time trying to do things on our own.

Tess Barrington

Web Store Owner

Get your Business on track now!

Contact our team for discussions on how we can help your business grow!

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SEO Services

All Inclusive

$ 550

Month

• Keyword
• Links
• Sitemap
• Software
• Design
• Feedback
• Strategy
• Social
• Content
• Traffic
• Rankings
• Optimization

All Services are provided in our SEO package

Content Creation

Article Writing

$ 275

Month

• Feature Articles
• Key Word Driven
• Landing Pages
• 12-20 Per Year
• Back Linked
• Include Images
• Timed Release

We work with professional content creators to drive keyword specific articles, pages and blogs.

Popular

Secure Site

SSL Encryption

$ 385

Year

• SSL / https
• No Warnings
• 1 Domain Name
• Higher Rankings

SSL Encryption to ensure your clients don't get browser warnings and your Google rankings are as high as possible.

Contact us about SEO services

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Error: WHM Cpanel sshd: /var/empty/sshd must be owned by root and not group or world-writable is reported via email notifications.

Note: Our server is running Centos

The Fix

1. Login to WHM and click on terminal

Type these 3 commands into there terminal window:

# chown root:root /var/empty/sshd 

# chmod 711 /var/empty/sshd 

# ls -ld /var/empty/sshd

2. Restart the ssh Daemon in WHM

The post WHM Cpanel sshd: /var/empty/sshd must be owned by root and not group or world-writable appeared first on Interactive Webs.

The Apple Developers Union

Recently a new group of App store developers has banded together to help push the cause of making the Apple App Store a little more developer friendly for people trying to make a living as Developers of applications for Mac’s and iPhones.

The website is called The Developers Union and has some listed goals and targets. Their about page states 

We believe that people who create great software should be able to make a living doing it. So we created The Developers Union to advocate for sustainability in the App Store.

Today, we are asking Apple to publicly commit — by the tenth anniversary of the App Store this July — to allowing free trials for all apps in the App Stores before July 2019. After that, we’ll start advocating for a more reasonable revenue cut and other community-driven, developer-friendly changes.

Here is why we joined.

1. The stated goal of offering free trials is something what has reared it’s head for the looming release of our next app. “NOTAM Reader”. The model we wish to operate under is not currently available where we can offer a free trial. So their first stated goal is something we are defiantly onboard with and hope they can influence Apple.

2. The possibility of reducing the 70/30% split that developers share with Apple is something we also support. Apple the entire ecosystem and for that we are always grateful of the opportunity to develop on such a popular and solid ecosystem. BUT. They are so hugely successful throughout the entire process that it is hard not to feel that the wealth distribution is a little out of kilter. This is not something we are militant about but certainly a review of this policy is something we feel is worthy of banding tougher. 

In the future we will review the groups stated goals and only remain part of the group while the stated goals are not self destructive and the process remains respectful for everyone involved.

The post The Apple Developers Union appeared first on Interactive Webs.

IIS throwing Event ID 1310 Exception message: Unsecured Passwords Format Detected

The Error Message

Exception information: Exception type: ConfigurationErrorsException Exception message: Unsecured Passwords Format Detected. The Membership Provider that contains the unsecure passwords format is: AspNetSqlMembershipProvider. The obsoleted password format is: Encrypted. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=834784.

Request information: Request URL: Request path: User host address: User: Is authenticated: False Authentication Type: Thread account name: IIS APPPOOL\DefaultAppPool

The Problem was actually simple and a “user error”

We tried to connect the website up to the wrong database. i.e. When we copied the database and moved it, we inadvertently copied the wrong database. This caused the above error due to the fact that the machinekey data in the web.config file was wrong for the database.

This caused the error 1310 to be thrown and the Application Pool associated with the new incorrectly setup site to stop.

The fix. 

Connect to the correct database!

Update

Further to this we encountered a really weird set of errors after this. Initially the error appears to be a connection issue. But then we started getting failings that would come an go.

Error logs showing plenty of Event ID 1310 but also in the DNN logs:

DotNetNuke.Services.Log.EventLog.DBLoggingProvider – System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException (0x80131904): Could not allocate space for object ‘dbo.EventLog’.’PK_EventLogMaster’ in database ‘bla’ because the ‘PRIMARY’ filegroup is full. Create disk space by deleting unneeded files, dropping objects in the filegroup, adding additional files to the filegroup, or setting autogrowth on for existing files in the filegroup.

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection, Action`1 wrapCloseInAction)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj, Boolean callerHasConnectionLock, Boolean asyncClose)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.TryRun(RunBehavior runBehavior, SqlCommand cmdHandler, SqlDataReader dataStream, BulkCopySimpleResultSet bulkCopyHandler, TdsParserStateObject stateObj, Boolean& dataReady)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.TryConsumeMetaData()

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.get_MetaData()

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.FinishExecuteReader(SqlDataReader ds, RunBehavior runBehavior, String resetOptionsString, Boolean isInternal, Boolean forDescribeParameterEncryption)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReaderTds(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, Boolean async, Int32 timeout, Task& task, Boolean asyncWrite, Boolean inRetry, SqlDataReader ds, Boolean describeParameterEncryptionRequest)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method, TaskCompletionSource`1 completion, Int32 timeout, Task& task, Boolean& usedCache, Boolean asyncWrite, Boolean inRetry)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method)

   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteScalar()

   at PetaPoco.Database.ExecuteScalar[T](String sql, Object[] args)

   at DotNetNuke.Data.PetaPoco.PetaPocoHelper.ExecuteScalar[T](String connectionString, CommandType type, String sql, Object[] args)

   at DotNetNuke.Data.SqlDataProvider.ExecuteScalar[T](String procedureName, Object[] commandParameters)

   at DotNetNuke.Data.DataProvider.AddLog(String logGUID, String logTypeKey, Int32 logUserID, String logUserName, Int32 logPortalID, String logPortalName, DateTime logCreateDate, String logServerName, String logProperties, Int32 logConfigID, ExceptionInfo exception, Boolean notificationActive)

   at DotNetNuke.Services.Log.EventLog.DBLoggingProvider.WriteLog(LogQueueItem logQueueItem)

ClientConnectionId:e495809e-60d5-44f2-b883-fe81fbe1126f

Error Number:1105,State:2,Class:17

The Problem

The issue turned out to be that the database was a legacy database we received from another host. They had defined a database limit size in the SQL database it’s self. This caused the database to strop responding to DNN in a way we had never seen. After some time, the maintenance would drop the size of the database just below the limit and the DNN site would fire up. Until it reached the SQL database limit again.

Not likely to be a problem for many people, but something to check in the SQL dates settings.

The fix update

Increase or remove the size of the SQL database limit.

The post DNN Event ID 1310 after moving website to new server Exception message: Unsecured Passwords Format Detected appeared first on Interactive Webs.

The post Adding Application Pool Identity in IIS to a Folder appeared first on Interactive Webs.

To clear the DNS cache on a Mac computer running the later version OSx

Open a Terminal window and paste in the following:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache;sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder; say cache flushed

Then hit enter.

You will be asked for the password you use to login as an admin.

The post Mac Clear DNS Cache appeared first on Interactive Webs.

LH Pilot Update 9.10.7

– Updated the source for NOTAMS to fix the problem of FAA blocking regions via their website.
– Updated New EK Categories.
– Updated the colour coding for new categories.

This update addresses the latest released data from EK with new colour coding.

Also we were previously referencing NOTAM information from the FAA website. They have begun blocking IP addresses outside the USA. Subsequently we have referenced a new datasource and improved the formatting of the NOTAMS to be much easier to read.

The post LH Pilot Update 9.10.7 appeared first on Interactive Webs.